Last Update:
September 3, 2024
A traditional-looking ground, that has an interesting mix of stands. Both sides are large two-tiered covered affairs that tower above the two smaller ends. The Main Stand is the Arkells Stand on one side. Built in 1971 the stand is fairly simple and has the players tunnel and team dugouts in front. It has windshields to either side and a few supporting pillars. Opposite is the smarter-looking Don Rogers Stand. Opened in 1994, this stand has a cantilevered roof, allowing spectators to have an uninterrupted view of the playing action. It has a large upper tier, with a much smaller lower tier. The FastPlant Town End is a small covered stand, that is the traditional home end. Unfortunately, it has a row of supporting pillars running across the front. Oddly on one side, the base of one of the floodlight pylons is situated within the stand, with the pylon itself rising through the roof of the stand. At the other end is the Stratton Bank Stand. This area is uncovered and open to the elements. It has a small electric scoreboard situated above it, next to which is a Rolex Clock. This is the only Rolex clock that can be found within a football ground anywhere in the World. The ground also benefits from a striking set of four floodlight pylons.
Away fans are located in the Arkells Stand at one side of the pitch, where up to 1,200 fans can be housed. This is an older stand with facilities to match, but at least you are under cover. If you are at the back of this stand there is one supporting pillar which may impair your view of the goal otherwise it is fine. You even get a view of some of the rolling Marlborough Hills beyond one corner of the ground! There is a small kiosk at the back of the stand serving amongst other things a range of pies, but be careful when taking them back to your seat. The entrances to the seating areas are through large solid doors, and to compound matters, they open out towards you!
Teams with a larger away following can also be allocated the Stratton Bank End if required. A further 2,100 fans can be accommodated in this area, but the end has no cover and is open to the elements. Fine on a nice sunny day, but on a cold wet, winter day, it can be grim. This area was a former terrace that had seating bolted onto it, which meant that the height between rows was not great. I found Swindon to be a relaxed and fairly friendly day out, although the size of the Police presence on my last visit seemed excessive.
Food on offer inside includes Pies; Chicken Balti (£3.40), Steak & Ale (£3.40), Cheeseburgers (£3.50), Burgers (£3.50), Hot Dogs (£3.80), Sausage Rolls (£2.50), Beef Pasties (£3), plus Cheese & Onion Pasties (£2.50).
- The Merlin – Drove Road, SN1 3AF
- The Glue Pot – 5 Emlyn Square, SN1 5BP
- The Castle Inn – 28 Prospect Place, SN1 3LQ
- The Victoria – 88 Victoria Road, SN1 3BD
- The Hop Inn – 8 Devizes Road, SN1 4BH
- The Plough Inn – 26 Devizes Road, SN1 4BQ
- Boom Battle Bar – Regent Circus, SN1 1FA
- The Queens Tap – 74 Station Road, SN1 1DG
Footlong sausage roll at Swindon Town (@Official_STFC)
💷 £3.60 pic.twitter.com/KHePtpQT6R
— Footy Scran (@FootyScran) January 6, 2024
Loaded chips at Swindon Town (@Official_STFC)
💷 £5 pic.twitter.com/v3lHtqAV9Z
— Footy Scran (@FootyScran) February 7, 2022
Away fans are located in the Arkell’s John Trollope stand, as well as the Stratton Bank for larger followings. The away turnstiles are located at the west corner of the Arkell’s Stand.
There are turnstiles in the other parts of the ground where the home fans enter before enjoying the action. The names of the other stands are: The Alan McLoughlin Town End, The Don Rogers Stand.
The ground is well signposted in and around Swindon town centre. Just follow signs for ‘The County Ground’.
From M4 Junction 15
Follow the A4259 (Queens Drive) towards Swindon. Go across one roundabout and at the next take the first exit onto the A4312 (signposted Swindon/Football Traffic). You will see the floodlights of the County Ground over on the right, as you approach the large Magic Roundabout. The County Ground is on the corner of this roundabout.
From the North
A419 from Cricklade/Cirencester/M5: Continue on the A419 until reaching the top of the new 3-lane stretch of dual-carriageway, which runs uphill. (I would advise you to stay in the inside lane on this climb as the exit approaches quickly). Take the exit at the top of the hill (Lady Lane Junction). At the lights go right, then almost immediately at the next set of lights go left. Follow this road through the next set of traffic lights (passing the Motorola building to the right), then branch left onto the A4311. From here follow this road, following signs for Town Centre. At Transfer Bridges, roundabouts turn left at the first and then straight over the second. The County Ground is on the left after the mini-roundabout. The County Ground is one of the few remaining football stadiums you can notice from a fair distance, due to the striking floodlights. Thanks to Robin Sharpe for supplying the directions.
If you survive the Magic Roundabout then there is some street parking. Otherwise, park at the cricket club (take County Road off the Magic Roundabout, go past the County Hotel on your right, and you will see a small sign further down on your right for football parking, just before the mini roundabout) which costs £5. Steve Pollott a visiting Wolverhampton Wanderers fan adds; ‘ We parked at the St Joseph Catholic college in Ocotal Way. It cost £5 per car and was only a ten-minute walk away from the ground. However, it was a bit slow getting out at the end of the game, but it was well run.’ There is also parking available at the Merlin pub on Drove Road, which costs £2. There is some parking available at the County Ground itself at £10 per car. There is also the option of renting a private driveway near in the local area via YourParkingSpace.co.uk.
Post Code for SAT NAV: SN1 2ED
The County Ground is walkable from Swindon Railway Station and will take you around 10-15 minutes. Leave the station, cross the road and proceed up the road between the two pubs (Great Western and Queen’s Tap), continuing to the end of the road. Turn left, proceed along Manchester Road, through traffic lights as far as you can go. At the junction turn right. The County Ground is about 300 yards up this road on the left. Thanks to John Bishop for providing me with the directions.
For fans wanting to stay overnight in reasonably priced accommodation, here are a couple of suggestions.
- Travelodge Swindon Central Hotel – Princes Way, Princes Street, Swindon SN1 2SF England
- Premier Inn Swindon Town Centre hotel – 43-44 Regent Street, Swindon SN1 1JS England
- Adult: £23-£27
- Over 65: £20-£22
- Student: £20-£22
- U21: £13-£15
- U18: £9-£11
- U11: £3
In the foetal years of their existence Swindon bounced from ground to ground with their most recognisable home the pitch near Okus Quarry; after a fan fell into the quarry things had to change though and by 1986 Swindon were settled in the stadium that is their ground today; the County Ground. The first stand there cost a seemingly minuscule £300 but by the thirties, the addition of a stand roof was costing more than 10 times that; Swindon saw two stands receive covers in that decade with the Shrivenham Road stand going first followed by the Town End. Nothing groundbreaking has been done to the stadium since then if we’re honest man with floodlights and the Rolex clock addition as exciting as it gets.
For details of disabled facilities and club contact at the ground please visit the relevant page on the Level Playing Field website.
Record Attendance
32,000 v Arsenal
FA Cup 3rd Round, 15th January 1972.
Modern All-Seated Attendance Record
14,924 v Chelsea
Capital One Cup, Round 3, 24th September 2013
Average Attendance
2023-2024: 8,425 (League Two)
2022-2023: 8,136 (League Two)
2021-2022: 9,125 (League Two)
2020-2021: 174 (Covid) (League Two)
2019-2020: 7,788 (League Two)
Some time ago the club agreed to purchase the County Ground from the local council. In this unique deal, the ground will be jointly purchased by Swindon Town Football Club and Swindon Town Supporter’s Trust, safeguarding the future of the site for Swindon Town fans. The purchase of the County Ground is likely to result in more investment into it in terms of improving its facilities.
Ground Layout
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out
Swindon Town v Carlisle United
League Two
Saturday 10th August 2019, 3pm
Martin Scarborough (Carlisle United)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the County Ground?
Having not been to the County Ground since 1985, I’ve now been to our last three trips there. It was our first away game of the season after winning our first home game, hence the return.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
I went on the train. It’s an easy 10 minute walk to the County Ground.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
I visited the Glue Pot pub again as I did last season. Superb real ales with the local Hopback Brewery having about 5 ales on with a couple of guest ales as well. Our London branch meet there so plenty of familiar faces. A very friendly pub.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the County Ground?
The away end is fine but for a pillar which obscures one of the goals if you sit in the wrong place.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Swindon started well and had a gale behind them. We were lucky to get to half time at 0-0. We then took the lead with a brilliant goal. That just annoyed them. We lost 3-2 in the end. They were the better team overall. Stewards were excellent. Got chatting with one of them at half time. Top bloke.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Straight out and back to the station without any issues.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
It’s a decent away day out. Sadly we couldn’t match last seasons’ 4-0 win!
Swindon Town v Tranmere Rovers
League 2
Saturday 18th August 2018, 3pm
Thomas Inglis (Visiting Dundee United fan)
Swindon Town v Mansfield Town
League 2
Saturday 10th February 2018, 3pm
Andrew Wood (Mansfield Town fan)
Swindon Town v Mansfield Town
League 2
Saturday 10th February 2018, 3pm
Jack Richardson (Mansfield Town fan)
Swindon Town v Notts County
League Two
Saturday 30th December 2017, 3pm
Michael Jordan (Doing the 92)
Coventry City v Swindon Town
Football League Two
Tuesday 26th September 2017, 7.45pm
Frank Alsop (Coventry City fan)
Swindon Town v Exeter City
Football League Two
Saturday 12th August 2017, 3pm
Ryan Pugh (Exeter City fan)
Swindon Town v Sheffield United
Football League One
Tuesday 14th March 2017, 7.45pm
Felix McHugh (Sheffield United fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the County Ground?
The Sheffield United section at the ground was already sold out in advance, but there was a late announcement that the Club were also to now open up the Stratton Bank End to Blades fans and that you could pay on the gate. So with that in mind I set off for the County Ground.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
Don't ask! I thought I'd found a perfect parking space and came out afterwards to find I'd been given a ticket. Don't the traffic wardens sleep in Swindon?
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
We called at Cirencester on the way down. A really pretty town but not many places to eat in the early evening. Swindon's fans we encountered near to the ground were perfectly friendly.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the County Ground?
Most of the Blades fans were in the Arkells Stand which cost £25, whilst I was in the Stratton Bank End at a cost of £19. This basic former terrace has had seats bolted onto its steps (as I believe the opposite Town End has), but both the side stands looked pretty good.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
It was the classic game of two halves. The Blades were so much on top in the first half that I was wondering whether we'd finish up winning 6-0 or 7-0. After half time Swindon came out like tigers and within seven minutes had scored two long range goals to make it 2-2. We were on the back foot now, only for the Swindon goalie to drop a shocking clanger and put us back in the lead. Swindon were still the better side though, and when the ref added five minutes on at the end I was worried, but we got a penalty to make it 4-2.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
I got lost afterwards but that's usual, for me. Got home at 2am, tired but satisfied.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
It's a long way home on a Tuesday night with motorway closures and on a foggy night, but it was all worth it. Promotion is looking almost guaranteed for United now and it's good to be there to see it happen.
Swindon Town v Bolton Wanderers
Football League One
Saturday 8th October 2016, 1pm
Matthew Bowling (Bolton Wanderers fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the County Ground?
I was looking forward to ticking another away ground of my list, and another chance to follow Bolton away from home.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
The journey down from Lancaster was fine until we reached Swindon when we hit traffic as per usual, it's hard getting round the 'Magic' roundabout near the ground but we made it! After about 15 minutes of driving round looking for a parking space we were allowed to park with the away coaches outside the away end.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
When we arrived I went straight into the ground because I wanted to find somewhere to hang my flag up. Before the game I just walked round to check the stand out from different view points.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the County Ground?
The stadium looked okay from the outside, but when you got inside, it looked liked the stand that holds the away fans was built many years ago. It has a very old feel about it similar to Port Vale The seats were made from wood so it was lucky that I was able to stand throughout the game. The open end behind the goal which holds the extra away fans, did have more modern seats, but is open to the elements.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Bolton bossed the game from the first to the last whistle, missing about four 1-on-1's which frustrated the Bolton fans. The stadium that afternoon was a virtual library among the home fans, with all the atmosphere being generated by the away support. The facilities were okay. The food and drink prices were pretty good. The stewards were friendly and they allowed us to put flags in the stand behind the goal which was good. Bolton got the only goal of the game, with a calamitous own goal from the Swindon left back which was fantastic. For once we had luck with us rather than against us.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
As always it's hard getting away from an football ground and it was no different today. But once we got away from Swindon the journey back up north was as easy as the journey down.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
A good away day with the day out and the result and I would definitely be going to Swindon again if we face them again.
Swindon Town v Bristol Rovers
Football League One
Saturday 27th August 2016, 1.30pm
Peter Ford (Bristol Rovers fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the County Ground?
This was a Local Derby and so one not to be missed. Plus it had been five seasons since we had last played them in the League.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
Very easy journey. The County Ground is in plain sight from the Town Centre. Parked at the nearby Cricket Club at a cost of £5. I noticed that parking at the County Ground itself cost £10.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
I guess as it was a local derby then that was the reason we were not allowed into the Cricket Club bar. Instead we were directed by the Cricket Club Stewards to 71 Bar at the ground itself. There we had to queue outside for a while until there was room inside and the doormen then allowed us in. Very spacious, £3.60 for pint of cider which I thought was reasonable. Only Football Ground Bar I have ever encountered where the Staff had time to wipe down the Bar and ask if anyone wanted serving! They could have allowed at least a few more fans in.
What you thought o n seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the County Ground?
Ramshackle development. We were in the open end and lived to regret it as the game was abandoned after sixty minutes due to a waterlogged pitch! Thank Goodness it was August! Had to drive home in underwear!
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Lucky to survive first half, improved in the fifteen minutes we saw of the second half. No pies taken, no problem with Stewards. Wiltshire Police always seem to take a heavy handed approach to this game, yet they were nowhere to be seen in the downpour following the abandonment of the match!
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
No problems as we were first in the queue out of the Car Park listening to the radio report of the Referee's Inspection!
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Not bad but disappointed to learn that Full Price will have to be paid by all except Season Ticket Holders to watch the rematch! Apparently due to 'high policing costs' – the logic of this defies me!
Swindon Town v Port Vale
Football League One
Saturday 20th August 2016, 3pm
A Blakemore (Port Vale fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the County Ground?
This was to be my fourth visit to the County Ground. The main reason for going this game was that the Vale were on the back of two wins and a draw at the beginning of this new season
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
The journey was fine, down the M6, M5 and across the A417/A419 with scenic views on our journey. Took around 2hrs 20 minutes from Stoke-on-Trent with traffic which was pretty good on a Saturday. The fact that the County Ground still has the old fashioned floodlights helped no end in finding it, as well as the signs for the nearby and infamous Magic Roundabout (which for anyone who has never visited Swindon has to experience to say the least) Car Parking was a major issue as aside from on the ground parking, it was few and far between. Some streets were not actually resident permit parking but then other streets were already coned off by the Police to ensure people didn't park. Not the easiest place to park if you want to find a free space and to be close to the ground.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
Given that its August and we are in England, then of course it had to rain. So rather than wandering around, so we opted for the Away Bar that Swindon provide. Its very simple, with only one person serving, but it does have Sky Sports, the quality of drinks available however was somewhat to be desired. The Merlin pub is a short walk away which I have visited before, again with Sky and BT Sports and a better selection of food and drink.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the County Ground?
I was glad that we were seated on one side of the County Ground and not behind the goal. As Swindon still after all these years has an open-ended away end (with seats). It's quite a mismatch of a ground with The Don Rogers Stand being the most impressive. The other three need some work, but it kind of adds to the old fashioned four sided ground feel.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Well we lost, which is never a surprise for Swindon away, but only narrowly this time round. The game was an average affair which could have gone in Vale's favour had we been more clinical in the first half. The atmosphere was pretty flat all round, as both teams didn't really give their fans much to get behind them about. Stewards were friendly and even wished me a safe trip home as I left the ground. Facilities were basic in a small concourse as well, but the food selection and quality was worthwhile.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Parking on the official car park has some perks as you are straight onto the Magic Roundabout to then get away. However, the club seems to wait until every single fan has left the County Ground before they let cars go, which was frustrating and added to our journey time, especially when we still had a 2 hour 20 journey home in front of us.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Good journey down, hit and miss weather, disappointing result. Always put off by the ticket prices at Swindon, but for once it wasn't the usual £25. It's one I wouldn't visit annually (mainly as we never win) but after eight years of not visiting its worth a once in a while to go.
Swindon Town v Wigan Athletic
Football League One
Friday 25th March 2016. 5.30pm
David Burke (Wigan Athletic fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the County Ground?
As a Wigan Athletic fan this game was important as we were flying high for promotion at the time. Plus I've never been to Swindon FC.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
Journey down from the North was dreadful because of the Bank Holiday traffic but, worst of all, the roadworks left to simmer for such an important weekend to most. I stayed at a Premier Inn in Swindon and walked to the County Ground. It took about 25 minutes each way.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
Checked into hotel; had a beer on the way to the ground; no problems with chatting to home fans on the way.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the County Ground?
The County Ground is a compact but of a fair size, with one modern stand opposite to where we were located in the away section. We were in one corner but the view was only interrupted by one stanchion near the halfway line. Looks a ground worthy of better things.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Well what can I say…..Wigan won 4-1! Obviously the atmosphere among Wigan fans was electric and, although they got hammered, the ardent few Swindon fans kept singing…..credit to them! Bar 71 is for the away fans but one pint cost me £4.30! This is extortion! Something should be done about the treatment and pricing of bars and food for away fans at every ground! It costs enough to get there! This was the only blight on the day.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Because of the result most of the Swindon fans had already left and my route back to the Hotel was past the home end. I was wearing my colours and walked the 25 minutes along a busy main road with no bother at all.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Wish I could have seen more of Swindon (which I was planning to do the next day but the weather put the kibosh on that one) but, alas, it may be some time unless they get into the play-off's and get promoted along with the mighty Wigan!
Swindon Town v Millwall
Football League One
Saturday 12th March 2016, 3pm
Jack Pittman (Millwall fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the County Ground?
I was looking forward to ticking another ground off the list and hopefully seeing The Lions continue their fantastic away form. Also with the ease of which we beat Swindon earlier in the season I was fairly confident of a win.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
I took the train from London Paddington. It only took an hour to reach Swindon, which was simple enough. The ground is visible when pulling into the station. From there its only a 20 minute walk.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
We met up with a friend of my Father's who supports Swindon and we went for a few drinks in a nearby pub and watched a bit of the early match. Getting to the ground itself was a bit of hassle as Swindon fans and Millwall fans almost clashed, which led to some heavy handed stewarding. I was jostled by stewards three times that was just innocently trying to buy a programme!
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the County Ground?
The County Ground itself is a bit of a mish-mash of a stadium, in all honesty. On one side you have the tidy Dan Rogers Stand, while opposite there is the Arkells Stand, where away fans are situated and the Town End behind the goal, which have seen better days. Behind one goal is the uncovered Stratton Bank End, which offers extra seating for larger away followings. The view from the Arkells Stand is decent although if seated high enough then there is one supporting pillar that impedes your view when looking toward The Town End goal.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Inside the stadium the facilities are very cramped. At half time this meant that it was a tough moving around even getting to the toilet! I tucked into the usual chicken balti pie, which was very nice and after being hassled a bit more by the over the top stewarding we finally made it to our seat. Some of the joys of following Millwall!
As for the game itself it was eventful to say the least! After racing into a 2-0 lead after just 11 minutes we seemed to be cruising to another awayday win, which would close the gap between us and second place Wigan. However with a little help from the referee, a harsh penalty and a late late Swindon equaliser in the 94th minute we were pegged back to 2-2. A gutting result but credit to Swindon they were much improved after our last encounter.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Getting out of the ground and back to the station wasn't without its troubles. Millwall and Swindon fans clashed outside the stadium and objects flew either way. Me and my Father walked away from the handbags but the clashes continued as we walked towards the station.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Overall if your team has a larger following then a trip to The County Ground isn't the easiest of trips as the stewarding/policing is over the top and the facilities aren't great But in terms of a stadium its a decent place to watch football and a good atmosphere can be made.
Swindon Town v Southend United
Fottball League One
Saturday 9th January 2016, 3pm
John and Stephen Spooner (Southend United fan)
Why were you looking forward to visiting the County Ground?
This was our first visit to the County Ground in Swindon. Also with Southend in 7th place in the League and nine points clear of Swindon we hoped for a positive result after successive losses at home. Martin Ling ex-Southend United had left his Swindon Mangers' job due to medical reasons and with Swindon having to let on-loan players return to their home clubs, then the Robins were set to play a youthful side. In fact on the say Southend made six changes to their team. We were also enjoying our season so far after being promoted last May. It was also an opportunity to see forward Tyrone Barnett make his loanee debut for Southend.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
We live in North Wales so it was a relatively easy 340 mile round trip via A5, M54, M5 and A419 following the sat nav. The floodlights soon appear on entering Swindon. As we had arrived early, we parked for free on Shrivenden Road, adjacent to the County Ground.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
Had lunch in car and got a Matchday Programme to read, which cost £3. We got wet feet trying to take a short cut through a small park that leads to the away end. The path was flooded and grass was too muddy so trekked right round the stadium. Didn't meet any home fans, but no signs of any unpleasantness. Met up with four relatives in away bar located outside the Arkells stand at the away end. Had a good chat and discussed Southend's recent demise.
What you thought on seeing the County Ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?
The ground is an older type, with very narrow turnstiles and then a series of steps, to take you up into one side of the all seater Main Stand, that was allocated to away fans. The seats were old fashioned, being the wooden tip up variety, but comfortable enough and good leg room. The open away end was closed off but the opposite stand was impressive with a smaller stand behind the home goal. The pitch was wet from heavy rain and looked large.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
The game wasps a mixed bag with Southend scoring within five minutes from Tyrone Barnett on his debut. An Adam Thompson header saw Southend go two up with less than 15 minutes played. Swindon then started pressing us back and had drew level to make it 2-2 by half time.
Pies were £3.40, facilities good standard and stewards amenable, allowing fans to sit where they chose.
In persistent rain and a cold cross wind, Swindon continued to press in the second half and deservedly made it 3-2 and with Southend trying to get back into the game, Swindon broke away to make it 4-2. The 620 Southend fans out of the 7,162 attendance had gone from elation to misery. This was a third successive loss for Southend Manager Phil Bowen to ponder and he kept the team in the dressing room for two hours after the game had ended!
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
A short walk back to the car followed by a nervy navigation of the Magic Roundabout and we were soon back on the motorways heading North and worrying how the rest of the season was going to pan out.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
A good day out, apart from the heavy defeat. The County Ground is a pleasant ground to visit despite the cold wind and rain. The bar for away fans before you enter the ground is a great idea, with plenty of seats and a large screen television and drinks if required. Avoid the short cut through the park if rainy weather. Southend had dropped to eigth and missed chance of making a playoff place but just over half way through this season and still hoping as always!
Swindon Town v Oldham Athletic
League One
Saturday March 30th 2013, 3pm
Pete Callan (Oldham Athletic fan)
It's been a few years since I have been to the County Ground but due to where I live its one of the easier fixtures to get to. Being just a couple of hours easy drive from the Isle of Wight ferry terminal in Portsmouth
The County ground is a very easy place to find. Easily reached from the motorway network. The famous "Magic Roundabout" fills drivers with fear but as long as you follow the arrows then its easy to negotiate. The ground is next to it so its a case of aiming for the right roundabout exits. Car parking at the ground itself is a shocking £10, but if you are sensible then you will set off early and park on Shrivenham Road next to the stadium which is residential. All the houses have their own
garages/driveways so they don't seem to mind you parking on street -Best of all its FREE and no more than two minutes walk from the County Ground.
I travelled to this game with my grandson and we stopped at a service area just outside Newbury. There does not seem to be much in the way of cafes near the ground altho there are one or two pubs around. Around the ground there are the usual trailer snack cabins serving burgers and chips at a moderate price.
What I do love about Swindon is the fact that the fans are so welcoming. Several smiled at us, chatted and debated everything from De Canio's departure to the prospects of their promotion and our relegation. What was really nice was a lady who almost dragged us into the "Robins Nest" which is a great little club for junior Swindon fans which is open prior to the game and welcomes junior away fans. My grandson had a great time playing the Wii, table tennis, table football etc. That allowed me more time to drink coffee at £1 ago and banter with older Swindon fans.
The County ground is a good old traditional box ground that is very visible as soon as you come anywhere near it. The floodlights stand tall, there is a lot of open space. While the County ground may well not have become one of the many goldfish bowl grounds of the modern era it is well maintained. It's quite smart and spacious and access to all parts of the ground is very easy – Away fans do have to walk through a little park and along a path but its really not hard work. views are un
restricted and as away fans are somewhat elevated above what was at one time terracing below -The views really are excellent all over the pitch.
This was Lee Johnsons first real challenge since taking over as Manager. Being in the bottom four and playing against a team lying second in the table ould not get much tougher. However for the first hour we played very well, a little bit of luck, good defending and a new found spirit and desire lead to Lee Barnard putting us ahead in the second half. The lead didn't last long and after sustained pressure Swindon equalised with an overhead kick that Bouzanis never even saw. Swindon had enough to wrap it up in the closing stages but it was an excellent hard fought point for us.
With over 10,000 in the ground including around 500 of us Oldham fans who were located in the Arkells stand. Reasonable seats with good leg room and excellent views of the action. There was a good solid atmosphere generated by both sets of fans all the way through the game. Stewards were friendly and chatty and when we did stand used common sense by just ensuring there was no danger or people blocking gangways.
If I had one real gripe it was that were not anywhere enough refreshment kiosks. The queues were so long that it was clear the game would be well into the second half if we waited in line. The loos were fine, clean and better than i have seen at many grounds.
Getting away from the ground after was a doddle…2/3 mins walk along Shrivenham Road and within 5 mins we were heading towards the M4/A34
This is a really friendly club whose fans are welcoming, hospitable and feel part of Swindon Town FC. Without doubt one of the nicest places I have been too in forty years of watching Oldham. Nice touches such as Swindon players joking and chatting to stewards and programme sellers. This is a family club and you do feel like an invited guest. My third visit with hopefully several more to come in the years ahead.
Swindon Town v Preston North End
League One
Saturday, February 23rd 2013, 3pm
Joe Cooper (Preston North End fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
I was looking forward to this match due the drama that had been going on at both clubs in the weeks prior to the fixture. The recent departure of Graham Westley meant Simon Grayson was to take the helm for the first time against a managerless Swindon, after Paulo Di Canio had walked away from Swindon under a cloud of controversy. Swindon were also top of the league and with North End knocking Bournemouth off the top spot a week before I was hoping for another upset!
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
I’m friends with a fellow North Ender who lives in Bath so I caught a train down on the Friday afternoon. Bath is only two stops prior to Swindon so I pretty much did the journey 24 hours before kick-off (Frankie Fryer style). It took me about 4 hours with two changes, one at Birmingham New Street and the other at Bristol Temple Meads. If I had done the journey in full I reckon it would have taken about a 4 and a half hours, so in all it was quite a journey despite the trains running smoothly.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
We set off for Bath Train station at about midday on Saturday, and we were in Swindon for roughly 1.30pm. Upon leaving Swindon railway station we saw a pub across the road in which the police had chosen to harbour a rather large number of Preston supporters. It wasn’t immediately obvious which direction the ground was so we asked one of the police officers to point us in the right direction. Because there were only two of us he was quite happy to let us find our own way to the ground. After following the road the copper had directed us down we soon picked up the signs for the stadium. On reaching the County Ground we asked some Swindon fans where the away entrance was and we were politely told where to head for. We were on the concourse for 2pm.
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
When seeing the ground from the outside it looked like your typical League One ground. I always enjoy seeing those old standing traditional floodlights as they have become a bit of rarity now, but the County Ground have four of them standing proudly in each corner of the ground. The concourse was quite small so I can imagine it being quite congested for the bigger following, I didn’t go down at half time but my mate said it was a bit of nightmare. The ground, despite looking quite dated, was quite neat and tidy with all the necessities, such as leg room being adequate enough. The view of the 18 yard box at one end was slightly impeded by a pillar but it didn’t cause too much of a problem.
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
I had a cheese burger and a bottle of water before the game which came to just over a fiver. The burger was cold and I didn’t really enjoy but I was hungry so I ate it anyway. Myself and the 900 odd North Enders were making a lot of noise before and during the game, resulting in a good atmosphere in the away end. There was a bit of noise coming from the Swindon Fans in the first five minutes but very little after that. The stewards were pretty much unnoticeable. The only rule they seemed to enforce was keeping the closest block to the home fans reserved for family groups.
In the first half Swindon seemed to be using a lot of the possession, forcing a couple of good saves out of our keeper, we soaked up the pressure well and made it half time with score still goalless. After the break Preston looked a little bit more dangerous in the form of counter attacks, which ultimately paid off when 18 year old Prestonian Will Hayhurst scored his first ever professional goal to put the lilywhites ahead. Swindon kept piling on the pressure and the Preston defence eventually cracked after Rooney latched on to a poor back pass from David Buchannan. The game finished 1-1 which in my opinion was a fair result.
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
We were back at the train station on a train within 40 minutes of the final whistle.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
All in all a nice day out. Pleasant fans and a pleasant ground, however I saw it had very little by the way of good pubs to drink in before the game.
Swindon Town v Yeovil Town
League One
Saturday, November 17th 2012, 3pm
Stuart Jackson (Yeovil Town fan)
As a keen Yeovil Town supporter, my son and I travelled to the County Ground, the home of Swindon Town to watch the game.
It was just under a 70 mile journey from home and so a relatively near game to travel to. We parked near to the ground at St Josephs School. We did pay £5 for the privilege which seemed a bit steep, but it was secure and the staff were very pleasant.
The County Ground had many burger type vans around it to cater for those who still hadn't had their lunch. We had already eaten, but they seemed to be doing good trade. We purchased a programme from a very friendly seller and noted that it was ex Yeovil striker Andy Williams on the cover! I also bought two tickets for the half time raffle and likewise the staff were very friendly and happy to sell to an away supporter.
Underneath the away sextion there was a bar solely for visiting supporters, which was a nice touch as well as a dedicated ticket kiosk for those still to purchase tickets. Once inside, although the stand was not new it was clean and well laid out. The refreshment bar inside had the benefit of a television too which meant that we were able to keep up to date with the earlier kick off. Although I didn't buy anything, I noted that prices were reasonable and maybe a tad cheaper than ours!
The away supporters are positioned to one end of the Main Stand from where views of the whole ground are excellent. Again the stewards
were very friendly. The tannoy system was not particularly good as one had to listen carefully due to a lot of echo. Another disappointment was that at half time, the announcer never told us of the other half time scores around the country.
The game sadly for us ended up by Swindon winning 4-1, but other than some mistakes (from which they scored), Yeovil played well. We away supporters made a lot of noise and were surprised at how quiet the Swindon fans were throughout (goals not withstanding) …or maybe we just couldn't hear them due our own chanting. Watching Paolo di Canio's antics on the touchline was also very entertaining and provided some relief as their goals went in.
Getting out of the ground and back to the car was easy enough and then out of Swindon itself was very straight forward without any delay.
We were made very welcome at the County Ground and wish Swindon success for the future.
Swindon Town v Accrington Stanley
League Two
Saturday, February 25th 2012, 3pm
Paul Willott (Doing The 92)
As a Preston North End supporter exiled to Kent, when the Lillywhites are at home I often inspect the fixture list to see if Accrington Stanley or Morecambe may want some northern sympathetic support in the south.
Hence on this day I found myself travelling to Swindon, a town whose team have tasted all 4 divisions of the professional game within the past 2 decades.
Now let me be quite candid; the County Ground is fantastic to me. Not only is sat-nav proof and it is map-proof too. All you need to do is leave the M4 at the appropriate junction, namely junction 15 from the East, follow the signs to Swindon and you can't fail to trip over the ground ; thats if you haven''t already noticed the good old-fashioned floodlight pylons , in which case its either ridiculously foggy or you shouldn't be driving at all!
I found a suitable patch to ditch the car, and then walked to the ground, whereupon I pounced upon one of the burger stalls and lavished a few quid on a most delicious quarter pounder.
For those hardy souls travelling to support the Stanley, a section to the east of the Arkells stand was allocated, which at least afforded covered seating as opposed to the uncovered Stratton Bank where seats have been installed upon former terracing. However I understand that Stratton Bank is usually unused except for overflow, or major fixtures. Despite looking fairly old, the inside of the Arkells stand is in good clean order, and is very presentable.
What a lovely 90 minutes. If you prefer prawn sandwiches, then don't bother reading any further. But, if you like watching a game of football where the shadows of the floodlight pylons slowly lengthen across the pitch as the afternoon progresses, then make a visit to Swindon a priority. It was also refreshing to visit a ground where the home fans actually make plenty of noise throughout the game, as opposed to the odd polite cheer when a goal goes in before sitting down pacifully as though riding on the 08:21 to Paddington for a days work!
I have already eulogised over the floodlight pylons, but the rest of the ground deserves a mention too, as opposite the Arkells stand is the more modern looking Don Rogers stand, whilst to the West is the small Town End, which I suspect is also a terrace that has had seats bolted to it. The noise their fans made could kid you its still a standing only area.
Also thrown in for free at the moment is the added entertainment of watching the antics of the Swindon Town manager, Paolo Di Canio along the touch-line. What a guy. I wish he was managing my club!
I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the County Ground; the ground clearly deserves to be hosting football at Championship level yet finds itself in the basement division. Under Di Canio though it looks as though Swindon will achieve promotion, and I will happily return next season to cheer on Preston North End; assuming the Lillywhites don't detioriate any further and slip down a level themselves!
Swindon Town v Crewe Alexandra
League Two
Saturday, August 6th 2011, 3pm
Diana Bowden (Crewe Alexandra fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground?
I’d been to Swindon with Crewe before and enjoyed my day so I had high hopes this would be the same.
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
Took the train down from Crewe and it is a long one. Got to Swindon easy enough and the ground is easily spotted from the station. I didn’t come by car but a fellow fan who did bemoaned the £10 car parking charge at the cricket ground.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
Me and my mate went and grabbed some food in town first then headed towards the ground. After a toss up between the cricket ground bar and the pub we settled for the latter. The pub in question is the Merlin and is very easily located from the ground. Be prepared to be ID’d by both the door man and the staff at the bar. Your also best advised to arrive early as the Merlin fills up with home fans quite quickly. I kept my club colours covered up just in case and whilst the atmosphere wasn’t intimidating, it wasn’t overly friendly either. We then got some cheap and cheerful food from a kiosk outside the stadium.
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
The County Grounds most noticeable feature is its four massive floodlights that can be seen for miles around. In the modern era of floodlights along the roof of stands floodlights like the ones at Swindon are a dying breed. It’s a big ground by League Two standards but the away end is easy to find. We had to buy tickets first then go to a separate turnstile to get in. Why we couldn’t pay on the gate I don’t know.
The away end is quite spacious if you have a modest following, but for bigger away crowds the concourse could become very cramped. The view from the away end is fine but is hindered to your right by a pole, which lets it down. The seats are also wooden which is a shame as the rest of the stadium has plastic seats.
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, toilets etc..
The stewards for some reason felt the need to really box us in, we only had a small following of just over 300 but they only gave us 1 ½ blocks and about 20 rows. It made things very cramped and some fans had a few problems with one of the stewards, I think for swearing. The game wasn’t too bad from a Crewe perspective in the first half, but a stupid error by one of our defenders led to the ref giving a penalty and low and behold we went in 1-0 down.
The toilets were average and again with a bigger away following things could get very claustrophobic. There was only 1 kiosk for fans to get food and drink, but it was more than adequate for us. 2nd half and we don’t turn up, concede 2 more and it finishes a comfortable 3-0 win for the home side.
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Got away no problem and we were at the station within 10 minutes.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
In summary a decent day out result aside. The price to get in was a scandalous £25, which for a cramped away end, with wooden seats and a pole to hinder your view is stupid. The stewards were unfriendly and the decision to box us in was even dafter.
Overall I’d say the day out was a 6/10. Good location, good pubs, good food (outside the ground and in town), but the away end, whilst being fine for us, would struggle with bigger followings and there isn’t any real value for your £25. I would go again, but only if they lowered the price of entry.
Swindon Town v Notts County
League One
Saturday, April 2nd 2011, 3pm
James Spring (Notts County fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground?
I suppose you could say I wasn’t really looking forward to the game. Saying that, previous Tuesday Notts had ended a 9 game losing streak with a battling 1-0 win at Tranmere that had kept us in with a chance of survival. This was now a relegation 6 pointer for both sides, Swindon came into the match second bottom, while Notts were lying 19th, 2 points above the drop zone. A win for Notts would give us a real boost in the relegation scrap. However the ground looked like one of the better ones in the league.
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
Being a Notts county fan living in Weymouth, our journey wasn’t as long as the rest of the Notts fans traveling down from Nottingham. We caught the train from Weymouth, swapped at Bath and arrived in Swindon for just after 2pm. We had looked on Google maps when we booking train tickets, so were able to find our way from the station to the County Ground easily, and arrived at the stadium for around 2:20pm.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
Having arrived in Swindon just an hour or so before kick off we didn’t really have time to go and eat. Brought a match programme outside the ground for £3 (excellent quality) and made our way into the stadium. Buying a programme would prove costly for me, as while I was strolling along flicking through, my mate turned to me saying "did you see him?" "what? who?" I answered. turns out, Notts county's manager had walked past us saying hello and I had missed him!
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
From the station, you approach the ground from the 'Town End'. We had brought tickets for the game (£18 each) so didn’t have to worry about paying extra on the day. We stood right at the back, so our view of the town end goal was slightly blocked by a pillar. There is a small food outlet under the stand, but it was a day too warm for hot food!
Away supporters are located in one end of the Arkells Stand. This stand is an older one, opposite which is the more modern and pretty impressive Rogers Stand. The Town End looked like something you would expect to see in the conference though! Overall though the ground was one of the better ones I visited that season.
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, toilets etc..
Being a game between two relegation candidates, the atmosphere was pretty tense but the game was quite open from the start. Notts had the ball in the net after just three minutes but it was ruled out for offside. From that point the game was pretty tight. Then on the half hour mark came the vital first goal, and it fell to Swindon thanks to some slack marking from Notts following a corner.
Just moments into the second half, we all thought Swindon had gone 2-0 up from another corner but a stunning volley from the edge of the area smashed against the crossbar, and Notts had had a lucky escape. The game remained very tight, and the score remained 1-0 until 12 minutes from time, when Alan Judge's cross found its way into the back of the net for a Notts equaliser. Swindon, having been on the bad run they had been on, began to look very shaky, and Notts sensed blood.
Then, just three minutes from time, a defensive error allowed Lee Hughes to receive the ball, beating the off side trap, one on one with the town keeper. He rounded the keeper before calmly slotting the ball into the back of the net, bringing delight to over 500 traveling Notts fans. Notts had stolen it 2-1, and it pretty much condemned Swindon to League Two next season, while Notts could confirm safety with a win over Brentford on Easter Monday.
The stewards were pretty much unnoticeable which is always a good thing and didn’t stop us standing up.
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Had no problem getting away from the ground. Stopped at an off licence on Manchester road for two ice cold cans of coke on the way back to the station, at which we arrived around 20 minutes after the match, just minutes before our train arrived. Got talking to a Swindon fan on the train back to Bath, who seemed resigned to relegation but wished us good luck for the rest of the season.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Overall, despite the reasonably long train journey, it was a brilliant day out, and what would turn out to be a vital 3 points for Notts that would keep us up come the end of the season with us picking up two more points from our remaining 3 games. A nice stadium, hope to return one day.
Swindon Town v Bournemouth
League One
Saturday, January 1st 2011, 3pm
Tino Hernandez (AFC Bournemouth fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
I don’t live in Bournemouth anymore but as I was visiting my parents for Christmas, who still live in the area, then this was a rare treat being able to catch a Bournemouth supporters coach from Dean Court to the match and back again.
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
Supporters coach made swift progress to Swindon, less than a couple of hours for us.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
Very impressed that the main catering van had chilli sauce on offer. Not seen that before. Although someone, doubtless trying to be helpful, shouted out to me – that’s not tomato sauce!
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
I loved the big old fashioned board advertising the match as you approached the ground. Quality. Ground looks oddly ramshackle from the outside though parts of it are fairly modern. Last time I was here we were behind a goal which I remember was fine. This time we were in the truly decrepit Arkells stand at one side of the pitch. It was like being transported back in time to the 1970s. Very poor indeed. My worst experience since Chesterfield’s old ground at the end of last season.
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, toilets etc.
The stewards were intend on trying to fill up sections seat number by seat number so they were a bit annoying, stopping every one to make sure they were definitely going to the seat on their ticket. About 1,000 Bournemouth fans on New Year’s Day so the atmosphere was great. Last time I was here we lost 0-4. This time a fabulous 2-1 win with an overhead kick from our centre half clinching the points.
I didn’t bother with the food, as the concourse was tiny in area, the size of a couple of living rooms, which you have also have to pass to get to your seat. For some reason there are, in addition, very heavy doors to go through. Bad feng shui – I’m sure!
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Supporters coach made a quick exit.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Supporters really should not have to pay £20+ to sit in the ancient Arkell’s Stand. Stewards could chill a bit.