LNER Community Stadium

Having been officially opened in January of 2021, the LNER Community Stadium is still a fresh venue, so it’s still in the process of building up its reputation. But with that said, early reports and games show that it’s a stadium that really brings York City FC the support they need, with over 8,000 fans able to cheer on the team at full capacity. It’s not just football that goes down at this stadium either, for the York City Knights (rugby league) will also be occupying the ground throughout the season. This is actually why you’ll notice that the seats are a mixture of colours, some of which belong to York City FC and some to York City Knights.

Given that the ground has stands on all sides, the largest of which being three-tiers, it has a professional feel without being overly imposing. And we must say, the grass looks spectacular on a nice day!

Like many of the smaller national league stadiums around England, the LNER Community Stadium doesn’t segregate seating according to home and away fans. Instead, the stadium has a nice family feel to it, with home and away fans allowed to mix to a certain extent. This means that the stadium is a good venue for travelling away fans, especially those that simply want to enjoy a game of football and avoid any of the drama! Since the stadium is well connected with local railway stations, along with plenty of buses running to and from the stadium, it’s very easy to get to as well.

Oh, and we cannot ignore the bar and restaurant facilities that are adjoined to the stadium either which means you don’t need to go hunting around York for a drink or a bite to eat – whether before or after the game. And if you plan on travelling to the stadium without using public transport, you’ll be pleased to know that there are 400 car spaces open on match days.

This is an interesting one, as the LNER Community Stadium won’t technically have a bar or cafe linked into the football ground itself. However, the facility has been built alongside a brand new leisure centre, where there are several places you could grab a soft drink and even a pint. If you wanted to look a little further afield, York City Centre is teaming with old pubs and bars – and you really can get a sense of walking back through history. If it’s a pub you’d prefer, we’d advise the King’s Arms nestled on the river – especially on a sunny day. But if you’d like a more upmarket venue, The Blue Bell is always a good shout, even if it’s more on the pricier side.

The good thing about both of these places is that you can then hop on a bus to get to where you need to go, and York also has an extremely good park and ride links for when you get tired at the end of the day! Of course, if you’ve come in your car and parked at the stadium, this isn’t something you need to worry about.

First and foremost, once you actually get to the stadium itself, you should find plenty of car parking spaces. There are around 400 parking spaces made available on matchday, and while this is great to find at the ground itself, it’s not uncommon to find local residents offering up their own private parking spaces – for a fee of course. But if you’re out of luck, this is always a good option to have in the back pocket.

Directions from South

When heading up the LNER Community Stadium, you will want to take the M1, assuming you are based somewhere near the M1 that is. You’d need to take this route up to junction 32, continue onto the M18, and then join the A1 to head on up to Leeds. From here, you exit at junction 44 and take the A64 pretty much directly to the complex.

Directions from North

Getting to this stadium from the North is arguably a bit easier, depending on where you are based that is. Simply take the A1 or the A19 down the East Coast, and then exit onto the A1237 as soon as you get to York. Follow this road around to the East, and you will arrive at the LNER Community Stadium before you know it.

A great thing about choosing to travel to the stadium by train is that York is a pretty small city, so once you get to York Train Station you could even walk there if you really wanted to – which is actually a great way to explore a bit of the city and check out some of the many bars/restaurants en-route. Just note that depending on where you are coming from, you’ll likely need to come via Leeds, and then take an additional train to York. And if you were tight on time, once again, you could simply take any of the Park and Ride services in York to get out to the stadium, or even take the bus!

If you are travelling from afar, it might make more sense for you to book in with a hotel – especially if the game is an evening game for some reason. But the beauty of the 21st Century is that booking a hotel is a piece of cake these days. With sites like Booking.com and/or Hotels.com at your fingertips, finding a reputable hotel in York won’t be more than a few clicks away. With that said, if you’re on a tight budget, York has a Travelodge right in the centre, and you’re probably looking at £40-£50 if you book in advance. However, if you want to go more upmarket, you could always book in at The Grand or Principal York!