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  • Ground Layout
St Albans City

Clarence Park

Capacity: 5,007 (Seating 642)
Club Nickname: The Saints
Year Opened: 1894
Pitch Size: 101 x 68 metres
Address: York Road, St Albans, AL1 4PL
Phone: 01727 848914
Pitch Type: Grass
Shirt Sponsors: Enter Shikari
Undersoil Heating: No
Manufacturer: Hummel
Home Kit: Yellow
Away Kit: Blue
Third Kit: Grey
Last Update: August 1, 2024

What Is Clarence Park Like?

The ground is largely an open one with terracing on three sides of the ground.

On one side is the old Main Stand that was originally built in 1922. This small wooden stand is quaint looking, however, it doesn’t have many creature comforts for the paying customer. The six rows of seating sit behind a large number of supporting pillars running across the front of the stand and if that were not enough hindrance, the stand is set well back from the playing area and there are also the bases of two floodlight pylons sitting between the stand and the pitch.

There is a slope on the pitch that runs up from the Clarence Park End up to the York Road End and you can see how the Main Stand has been built in sections, each raised a bit higher, to climb up the slope. Part of the Main Stand towards the Clarence Park End has been converted into a Director’s Lounge. Behind the stand, the large brick building which is visible is the Club House.

Opposite the Main Stand is the East Terrace perhaps better known as the Cricket Pitch Side. This largely open terrace does have a small covering in the middle. It is an interesting stand as it is cantilevered and is made of concrete, even its roof. The low roof does provide excellent protection from the weather. Both ends are small open terraces.

There is a small Club Shop situated inside the ground, next to the York Road Terrace. A set of four small floodlights, run down each side of the pitch and the playing surface has gained a reputation as being one of the best-kept in the country

The ground with a park on one side and a cricket ground on the other (which has an interesting-looking Pavilion) is set in an attractive setting. This is enhanced by several trees being visible behind each side of the ground perimeter.

Up until the late 90’s the ground was famous for having a large oak tree that sat in the middle of the Clarence Park Terrace. It was not unknown for visiting goalkeepers to get the odd acorn thrown in their direction. Alas, the oak tree became diseased and was swiftly removed by the Club.

What is it like for visiting supporters?

If away fans are segregated then the Clarence Park Terrace is allocated to them. This small terrace is open to the elements so hope that it doesn’t rain.

Refreshments are provided by a refreshment van, which sells the usual array of burgers, hot dogs and chips.

As the ground is open, it can be difficult for home and/or away fans to generate any kind of atmosphere.

Pubs for away fans

Pubs near Clarence Park:

  • The Peahen – 14 London Rd, St Albans AL1 1NG
  • Ye Olde Fighting Cocks – 16 Abbey Mill Ln, St Albans AL3 4HE
  • The Six Bells – 16-18 St Michael’s St, St Albans AL3 4SH

Food

Directions and Car Parking

From The North (M1)
Leave the M1 at Junction 7 and take the M10 towards St Albans. At the end of the motorway, proceed straight across the first roundabout that you reach and at the next roundabout turn left onto the A1081 towards St Albans. Proceed along the A1081, until you reach a small roundabout which you turn right into Alma Road (signposted St Albans City Railway Station). Proceed up to the traffic lights (with the ‘Horn’ pub on your right-hand side) and turn right into Victoria Street.

Go up this road passing the railway station on your left and continue to follow the road around to the left. At the next traffic lights (with the Crown pub on your right), go straight onto Clarence Road. A short way up Clarence Road, turn left for the entrance to the Football & Cricket grounds.

Car Parking
There is little parking at the ground itself, although if you arrive early then you may be lucky. Otherwise, there is plenty of on-street parking on Clarence Road and on York Road (which is the next left after the entrance to the ground).

By Train

The nearest station is St Albans City, which is served by Thameslink trains from St Pancras and further south of London. Slow trains from London normally terminate at St Albans but fast trains go on to Luton or Bedford. The station is about a 5-10 minute walk away from the Clarence Park ground.

Admission Prices

Ticket prices at St Albans City:

Adult: £16.50
Concession: £11
18-23: £8
12-17: £6
0-11: FREE

Programme Price

Official Matchday Programme £2.50

Local Rivals

Boreham Wood and Hemel Hempstead.

Record and Average Attendance

Record Attendance
9,757 v Ferryhill Athletic
FA Amateur Cup Quarter Final, February 27th, 1926.

Average Attendance
2023-2024: 1,681 (National League South)
2022-2023: 1,400 (National League South)
2021-2022: 1,311 (National League South)
2020-2021: 0 (Covid) (National League South)
2019-2020: 625 (National League South)

Map Showing The Location of Clarence Park in St Albans

Club links

Official Web Site: www.stalbanscityfc.com

Clarence Park St Albans City Feedback

If anything is incorrect or you have something to add, please e-mail me at: [email protected] and I’ll update the guide.

Reviews

Avatar of Tom Wicks (Neutral) Tom Wicks (Neutral)

St Albans City v Truro City
National League South
Saturday 10th March 2018, 3pm
Tom Wicks (Neutral fan)

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting Clarence Park?
 
Clarence Park was a stadium that I had been meaning to visit for some time. The fixture was being played between two teams vying for promotion so it was set to be a fascinating encounter.
 
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
 
The journey was surprisingly easy. I parked in the nearby St Albans City train station multi-storey where there was no problem finding a space. It cost £2.70 for all day parking on a Saturday and was just a five minute walk away from Clarence Park.
 
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
 
My brother and I arrived at around 1:30pm so we had a pint of local ale and some chips, while watching the warm-ups. The home supporters were welcoming and all-too happy to provide any information.
 
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Clarence Park?
 
Clarence Park is situated in a very pleasant public park with cricket pitches, all-weather pitches and a childrens play area. Nestled just over the bridge from the main road, it was very easy to find. The stadium itself is dominated by one seated-stand which is painted in the gold and blue of the Saints. It stretches along the length of the pitch. Opposite, there is a canopy over a section of the other side, while the two ends are uncovered but are elevated to ensure that there are few bad views of the pitch.
 
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
 
St Albans had the lions share of the possession and chances but lacked cutting edge in the final third. Truro executed the perfect game plan- converting a first half penalty and absorbing the hosts' pressure. The twenty-odd Truronians were in good voice as the home side failed to overturn a 1-0 first-half deficit The food van in the corner of the ground served an array of typical fayre. Chips were served instantly and for £2 was decent value. The beer at £3.50 was tasty and popular among the onlookers. The queues were short and the views of the pitch were excellent., whether you wanted to be close to the pitch or up a little higher for perspective.
 
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
 
My brother and I edged towards the exit for the last ten minutes and were able to exit quickly and easily via the way we entered. The traffic exiting St Albans was a little sticky but this was more down to the shoppers than the football.
 
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
 
I found the admission fee of £15 a little steep, particularly as other clubs in the league charge less. However, the football was entertaining and the atmosphere made for an enjoyable game and a good day out.
Avatar of Paul Dickinson (Harrogate Town) Paul Dickinson (Harrogate Town)

St Albans City v Harrogate Town
FA Trophy 2nd Round
Saturday 13th January 2018, 3pm
Paul Dickinson (Harrogate Town fan)

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting Clarence Park?
 
We picked this game as Clarence Park was a new ground for me (number 346) and one of our local teams were the opposition.
 
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
 
An easy two and a half hour trip straight down the M1 from Leeds, arriving in St Albans at 12.30pm. As we were staying overnight at the Premier Inn in the centre of town, we parked in the nearby multistory car park.
 
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
 
After having some lunch, it was an easy 10-15 minute walk to the ground. As mentioned in this Guide, the new entrance to Clarence Park is now open from Hatfield Road, so it was a nice scenic walk to the ground. There was no segregation for this game, so the away turnstiles were closed, but these would be the first ones you come to via the park.
 
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Clarence Park?
 
Clarence Park is a nice looking ground with lots of trees surrounding it and a fantastic main stand with wooden seats – they don't make them like this anymore! We went for a drink in the clubhouse before kick off – everyone was friendly and they had a local real ale, albeit unusually served out of a cardboard box on the bar!
 
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
 
It was interesting to watch two teams who were going well in their respective South/North divisions – St Albans were the better team and I thought Harrogate were fortunate to get a 93 minute equaliser, to force a replay.
 
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
 
A word of warning here – although the new park entrance is open before the game, everything was locked up by the time we came out, causing some confusion about how we actually got out, especially as it was dark and the stadium is surrounded by lots of walkways. You need to aim for the cricket pavilion, walk behind this and onto the road, and then walk around the perimeter of the park back onto Hatfield Road. Once we'd sorted that out, we were back in the hotel for 5.15pm and getting ready for a night out.
 
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
 
Another great weekend away – St Albans is a lovely historic city, with a Cathedral and lots of stunning architecture On both the Saturday and Sunday, there was a local market taking place along the length of the High St and there are some fantastic pubs to visit, not least the Boot Inn, dating back to 1422, We'll be coming back for another weekend at some stage, when ticking off another ground in the vicinity,
Avatar of Brian Scott (Neutral) Brian Scott (Neutral)

St Albans City v Gloucester City
National League South
Saturday 2nd September 2017, 3pm
Brian Scott (Neutral fan)

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting Clarence Park?
 
I needed a ground that I could get to quite easily from Suffolk as I needed to be back in Ipswich by 19.10, so I chose St Albans.
 
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
 
The train journey is very easy to London Liverpool Street and then three stops on the underground to Farringdon and then the choice of lots of trains to St Albans. On the outward journey I chose a slow train as I had lots of time to spare and wanted the slower view from the window.
 
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
 
With plenty of time to spare, I had a walk into the city centre and had a look around the cathedral. There was also a very busy market up the main shopping street. It looked an attractive place. I walked to the ground at a steady pace stopping to have a look at the cricket pavilion. I also noted that a shorter route to the ground will soon be available once a new entrance is made to the park up near the railway bridge on Hatfield Road.
 
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Clarence Park?
 
My first impression of Clarence Park was – goodness it's very OLD! Nothing much at all seemed new apart from a few of the blue plastic tip up seats. However the terracing is in good condition, and I did like the roof over the cricket-side terrace which must give very good protection from the weather.
 
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
 
In the third minute Gloucester City scored from a good header, but the equaliser came in the 36th minute which was an excellent goal. In the 54th minute the game-changing incident happened. A Gloucester player had a shot at goal and it must have been handled in the penalty area as the referee awarded a penalty and sent the St Albans player off. Very harsh I thought as it could have been ball to hand. However, in the 77th minute St Albans did manage to get another goal to make it 2-2. I thought that this would be a fair result, but Gloucester managed to get a third goal in the last few minutes to make it 2-3. The attendance was 904.
 
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
 
It is an easy walk back to the railway station. I left a few minutes early so that I could be sure of getting the 17.04 fast train back to Farringdon and then the 18.00 from Liverpool Street.
 
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
 
It was a good day out in the warm sunshine with all trains running to time and not too busy.
Avatar of James Walker (Stevenage) James Walker (Stevenage)

St Albans City v Stevenage
Pre-Season Friendly
Saturday 9th July 2016, 3pm
James Walker (Stevenage fan)

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting Clarence Park?

After a month of, quite frankly, shocking Euro 2016 football (and more humiliation from England), it was finally time for regular Saturday football to start again, and a local game to kick off the pre-season! Also pre-season means it's time to play the best terrace game around, guess the trialist!

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

I took the number 300 bus from Stevenage direct to St Albans for the game, which took us to St Albans train station (taking roughly 1 hour 15 minutes). From there, it was a simple walk through the local park to the ground. We arrived for just before 1.30pm and even had time to take in some local cricket before going in!

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

Once entering the ground it was a case of picking up a badge (£2) and a programme (£2.50) before finding a good place to take the game in from and getting some food. I didn't see any home fans outside but spoke to a couple inside the ground who were very friendly.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Clarence Park?

Clarence Park is a very nice football ground with seating running the length of one of the sides as well as terracing all around the other 3 sides. Although most games are non-segregated, the stewards informed me that the occasional games do have segregation, and when they do, the away end is one of the open terraces behind one of the goals.

Clarence Park

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

The game itself was very good with Stevenage running out 3-2 winners, with two new signings scoring; Andrew Fox scoring our first followed by a brace for Jake Hyde. The food was lovely, with a hot dog with onions and chips coming to £4, and a fantastic size making very good value for money. I did not use the facilities there and barely noticed the relaxed stewards.

Come On Stevenage!

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:

Getting back was simple. A ten minute walk back to the station was followed by a much quicker bus journey back than was taken getting to St Albans in the first place, with getting back to Stevenage in just one hour.

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:

Overall a very fun day out and a good start to pre-season, I would definately return here again should our paths ever cross again.

Half Time Score: St Albans City 1-0 Stevenage
Full Time Result: St Albans City 2-3 Stevenage
Attendance: 402