Hemel Hempstead Town
Vauxhall Road
Capacity:
3,152 (Seats 534)
Address:
Vauxhall Road, Hemel Hempstead, HP2 4HW
Telephone:
01442 264300
Pitch Size:
110 x 74 yards
Pitch Type:
Grass
Club Nickname:
The Tudors
Year Ground Opened:
1972
Undersoil Heating:
No
Home Kit:
Red and White
Most non-League club grounds tend to be dominated by a large Main Stand, whereas at Hemel it is both ends that catch the eye. The Adeyfield School End to the west is a fair sized covered terrace, which is raised above pitch level. This is due to the levelling out of the pitch which was completed some years ago. Opposite at the other end is the CRK Windows Stand. This was once a similar looking terrace to the Adeyfield School End, but in 2015 the terrace was replaced with seating, comprising of 180 red seats in five rows. I can assume that this was done to fulfil league requirements for the number of covered seats at grounds for league clubs. Although both these stands do not run the full width of the pitch, they are both of a decent size for this level. Both stands have nets on their roofs in an effort to stop stray balls going out of the ground. There is a slight slope to the pitch which runs down from the Adeyfield School End to the opposite end. The slope is nowhere near as severe as it used to be.
On the Tenzing Road side, there is a small covered seated stand that sits astride the halfway line. It has five rows of seats and has a capacity of around 292. There are flat standing areas to either side. The opposite (south) side is largely open apart from a very small simple covered stand that appears to be used by Directors and Press. It has 62 seats. The team dugouts are also on this South side, but unusually one is located on each side of the stand. The clubhouse and entrance to the dressing rooms are also on this side towards the East End. The ground is completed with a set of four modern floodlight pylons.
If fans are to be segregated at Vauxhall Road, then visiting supporters are housed in the Adeyfield School End. This fair sized terrace contains some cover and is free from any obstructing supporting pillars, meaning you get a good view of the playing action. Refreshments for away fans are provided by a mobile catering unit which is brought in for big matches. As both ends of the ground are covered then normally there is a bit of atmosphere generated inside.
There is a clubhouse bar inside the ground, called the Tudor Tavern, which welcomes all fans. It shows BT and Sky Sports on a number of screens. It also quite a large function room, which by the looks of it is regularly used for social events. Around a five minute walk away on Leverstock Green Road is the Crabtree pub. It quite a large pub and is part of the Ember Inns chain, so food and real ale are available. To find this pub; thenfrom the club entrance proceed down to the roundabout, turn left and at the top of the road turn left again. The pub is up on the left hand side.
Leave the M1 at Junction 8 and take the A414 towards Hemel Hempstead. Go straight across two roundabouts and then just after passing a large Travelodge Building on your right (where there is also a Toby Carvery) move over to the right hand filter lane to turn right across the dual carriageway into Leverstock Green Road. Continue straight along this road then immediately after crossing a mini roundabout, turn left into Vauxhall Road. Then turn right at the next roundabout for the ground entrance.
There is some parking at the ground, which costs £1, but it is normally full well before kick off. However there is plenty of street parking available in the surrounding streets.
Hemel Hempstead Railway Station is located just over two and a half miles away from the ground and is a bit far to walk. There is a taxi rank outside the station and at the club itself (in the car park) is an office of a local taxi firm (Millennium Taxis) who can organise a car back to the station after the game has ended. The station is served by trains from London Euston.
Alternatively you can catch an Arriva Bus. Number 320 no longer serves Hemel railway station on a Saturday. So on leaving the station cross the road and catch any bus to the Riverside bus station. Services 500, 501 and 502 – there may be more, leave from Stand F. At Riverside you have a choice of buses that serve the general area of the football ground. Number 301 from Stand E will get you closest to the ground. As it passes along ‘Longlands’ get off at the end of Vauxhall Road, (you can see the floodlights over the playing field to the left), and then it is a short walk to the ground. This service is approximately half hourly and takes about 10 minutes. Also 300 and 320 go from Stand E will get you to the general area, but not so close. See the Arriva website for timetables.
Booking train tickets in advance will normally save you money! Find train times, prices and book tickets with Trainline. Visit the website below to see how much you can save on the price of your tickets:
Adults £14
Concessions £9
Under 18's £1*
Under 5's Free
Concessions apply to Over 65's, Full Time Students and serving members of the Armed Forces. The Club may wish to see proof of your concessionary status so you will need to bring along ID.
* When accompanied by a paying adult. If unaccompanied then entry costs £5.
Official Matchday Programme £2.50
Hemel Hempstead FC fixture list (takes you to the BBC Sports Website).
St Albans City
Record Attendance
2,840 v Gosport Borough
Southern Premier League Premier Division Play Off Final, 6th May 2013.
Average Attendance
2018-2019: 533 (National League South)
2017-2018: 509 (National League South)
2016-2017: 486 (National League South)
If you require hotel accommodation in Hemel Hempstead then first try a hotel booking service provided by Booking.com. They offer all types of accommodation to suit all tastes and pockets from; Budget Hotels, Traditional Bed & Breakfast establishments to Five Star Hotels and Serviced Apartments. Plus their booking system is straightforward and easy to use. Just input the relevant dates and click on "Search" below or on the hotel of interest on the map to get more information. The map is centered on the football ground. However, you can drag the map around or click on +/- to reveal more hotels in the town centre or further afield.
Official Web Site: www.hemelfc.com
Unofficial Web Site: Fans Forum
If anything is incorrect or you have something to add, please e-mail me at: contact@footballgroundguide.com and I'll update the guide.
Hemel Hempstead Town v Sutton United
FA Cup 3rd Qualifying Round
Saturday 10th October 2015, 3pm
Mike (Neutral fan)
Why were you looking forward to visiting the Vauxhall Road ground?
As someone who hasn't been to a non-league ground for over a decade I was looking forward to seeing what non-league-day was all about and watching my Granddad's beloved Sutton United for the first time in 14 years. I was also looking forward to the added edge of an FA Cup tie between two teams closely matched as far as league position was concerned.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
The ground was very easy to find, with help of a sat nav I had no problem, but in all honesty, it would be very simple to find without one. The ground is just off the A414, about 5 minutes from the Junction with the M1.Travelling to the ground from this direction is advisable, as I didn't have to drive through the town and negotiate the dread 'magic roundabout' of 5 mini roundabouts webbed together. Parking was easy, the ground is situated in one of Hemel's nicer leafy suburbs with lots of street parking 5 minutes away. Getting there by public transport wouldn't be so easy, the station is out of town, on the other side of the town centre.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
I had a pint before the game in the 'Tudor Tavern' at the ground which is the bar part of a surprisingly large complex of bar, snack bar, changing rooms and social club. This is situated nicely overlooking the pitch down by the corner flag at the bottom of the slope. outside the bar were tables overlooking the pitch surrounded by a cordon of tape. Not quite sure what this was far as you could leave the cordoned area unhindered with your pint if you wanted. The ground had a friendly atmosphere, with a decent proportion of fans travelling from Sutton, and both sets happily mingling
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?
The ground is modest, as you would expect at this level, but well designed. Behind both goals there are small covered stands. At the bottom of the slope seating has been added since the photo on this site. Both stands are modern and covered. Along the side opposite the bar is an older small seated stand, and behind the dugouts is a very small, dilapidated stand that seemed to be avoided by the public. Bits of this Asbestos sheeting building are literally falling off! Down by the bar was a small toilet block, which was covered and refreshingly well maintained. The ground is nicely framed by the 3 stands and the bar area, and not without its non-league quirks, such as someone's old front door patching a hole in the perimeter wall down by the Main Stand, still sporting its frosted glass window and number 15.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Because the ground has two decent modern stands behind the goals these seem to become the focal point for the fans. There is no segregation so supporters seem to swap stands at the interval and watch their team attack them in both halves. The stands only stretch the length of the penalty areas, compressing the supporters into a smaller space and there low roofs make for a better atmosphere than I expected for just 700 people. The only problem with the ground is that there is only one place to get Burgers, Chips and Tea etc. at half time, which is a van by the bar. The queues got a bit long even with a modest crowd. The game was fairly uneventful, even for this level. The slope of the ground seems to lead to the clichéd 'game of two halves' with the team kicking up the slope playing more deep and hitting long balls into the channels. Sutton certainly played more offensively in the second period down the slope. All in all a pretty drab game highlighted by two pieces of quality for the goals. The only decent passing move of the game from Hemel cut Sutton open and made it 1-0, a decent equaliser from Sutton's number 11, cutting in from the left and hitting a decent right footed shot into the top corner.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Getting away from the ground is no problem, there's only one exit, but it is ample.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Overall a decent ground for a non league day out. Safe and easy to get to for Kids and adults alike.
Hemel Hempstead Town v Maidenhead United
National League South
Saturday 11th February 2017, 3pm
Brian Scott (Neutral fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Vauxhall Road Ground?
I wanted to do one of the more difficult grounds to get to by train and chose Hemel Hempstead for this weeks adventure.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
The journey by train was very good indeed, travelling from Stowmarket to Kings Cross via Cambridge due to engineering works (again) on the Great Eastern main line. It was sleeting and very cold on arrival, and I knew that I had to catch a bus out to the ground. I found that the number 320 no longer runs from the railway station on a Saturday, so I had to catch a bus (500, 501 or 502) to the main bus station and then get a second bus to the ground. A bus driver directed me to the 301 which runs by the end of Vauxhall Road. Had it been better weather I might have walked along the recently redeveloped gardens by the river in the town centre to pass some of my spare time. However I arrived at the ground at 1.30pm and was pleased to find the turnstiles open.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
I didn't do anything interesting before the game as my prime concern was to stay warm and actually get to the ground. As it was I was the first person to actually go into a stand where I sat and had my sandwiches. After that I had my usual walk around the ground to take down more details of the stands and seats to update this guide of recent developments.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Vauxhall Road?
As another reviewer has said in this guide, the accommodation on the south side for directors and press is looking very dilapidated indeed. The other three stands are acceptable for this level of football. The toilet block in the South East corner near the bar is acceptable, but very strange indeed is the wooden shed next to it. The sign on the front said, "The Racing Pigeon Club". I could see some empty cages inside. Maybe someone at the club likes pigeons? Also behind the East Stand there is a door that leads directly into someones back garden. However it would be very easy to go round the door and enter the garden on a well worn path. I wondered if the groundsman lived there and had a short walk to work! The East Stand has recently been renovated and now has 280 smart new red seats with comfortable leg room. As the wind was coming from the east I decided that this would be the warmest place to sit. In the first half this stand was occupied by home fans and after half time by away fans. After the switch a Maidenhead fan commented to me that I didn't look cold in the face like he was. He told me that I had made the right decision to stay in the East Stand all the game. No problem for a neutral, but by half time the away fans had been really subdued by the way their team were playing anyway. They were even quieter when Hemel scored their second goal.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Maidenhead fully expected to win this match due to their recent good performance being top of the table. However Hemel scored a good goal in the first half, with a another goal after half time. Maidenhead scored a single goal just at the end of normal time, but it was too little, too late and the score was 2-1.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Following the advice in this guide I had booked a taxi back to the railway station at 16.50 and he was sitting in his car waiting to whisk me to the other side of town, via the very odd multi roundabout. I had seen one of these before In Colchester, but not so big. I was at the station so quickly that I was able to catch a London bound train that was four minutes late. My planned train was 20 minutes after that. The knock on effect of this early departure was that I was able to catch a train from Kings Cross one hour early, which connected with the local train from Cambridge to Stowmarket, getting me home a full hour earlier. Well done taxi driver!
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Although it was bitterly cold I was sensibly dressed and had an enjoyable day out. I was also cheered up to hear that my team (Ipswich) had beaten Aston Villa 1-0 away from home, scoring in the 83rd minute. One shot on target all the game, but that's all it takes! The defence was under pressure but held out.
Hemel Hempstead Town v Weston Super Mare
National League South
Saturday 29th April 2017, 3pm
Sam Walker (Neutral fan)