Ashton Gate

The home of Bristol City FC, including a review of the logistics, catering and matchday experience, along with details of visits to the stadium on this site.

Arrival

Though a fair distance from Burnley, the journey down to Bristol is pretty straightforward. As Ashton Gate is situated to the West of Bristol, the drive carries on down the M5, before leaving at Gordano Services to drive into Ashton Gate on the A369.

Getting into the stadium was slightly more complicated. We undertook a gratuitous tour of Gordano Services, having selected the wrong exit. We then took in a couple of circles around Ashton Gate before finally parking up Ashton Vale Road past Babcock International's facility.

Stadium

Ashton Gate is a big old football stadium that retains much of its historical charm - despite more recent renovations.

Away supporters are seated in the Atyeo Stand, it looks and feels like an old stand, though it was constructed as recently as 1994, and holds 3,900. The feature I love most about this stand is the double-sided kiosk at ground level, serving food pitchside.

The Dolman Stand, South Stand, and Landsdowne Stands are connected at the corners, with only the Atyeo Stand freestanding.

The Dolman Stand to the left was constructed in 1970 and is the oldest construction still standing, holding 6,675 in its current configuration with upper and lower pens.

The South Stand behind the opposite goal was the first part of the renovation of Ashton Gate to be completed in 2014/15 and holds 6,381, including the drum. Proper football clubs do not need drums.

The Lansdowne Stand to the right is an imposing double deck stand, holding 9,506 in two tiers, and which it is difficult to get a decent view into from the Atyeo Stand. Altogether makes for a total capacity of around 27,000.

Program

Bristol City do not publish a program as a club, though the supporters publish their own. It costs £4 and can be bought from 3 vendors around the ground, including one placed outside the entrance to the Atyeo Stand.

It's fantastic, well worth the cost, and the read. Reminiscent of fanzines of old, but professionally printed and taking a tour through historic campaigns as well as covering all of the teams at Bristol City today - really impressive, and much better than most of the dribble sold at Stadiums today.

Food

The theme continues, I've no idea who the caterer is, but no Levy's generic stadium shit expensive food here. In the Atyeo Stand at least the prices are written on the wall in pen, and the Cornish Pasties were seriously better than most stadium food around the country.

Atmosphere

The stadium is quite expansive with quite a bit of room around the pitch. The atmosphere was hugely suppressed by Storm Bert when I visited, though given the layout, the drum, and a singing section reminiscent of the Toughsheet, I'd imagine it is not the easiest stadium to generate an atmosphere in.

Getting Away

After finding my way back to the coach park, which was not the easiest collection of junctions to remember, we queued out of Ashton Vale Road for at least 30 minutes and lost a little more time queueing away from the area. Once we hit the A369 again though, the traffic was free-flowing back to Burnley with just a wee stopover at Sandbach on the way home.

Overall

This is one of my favorite away stadiums so far, right up there with Kenilworth Road and Selhurst Park. I can't wait to go back, hopefully before the enshittification, sorry renovation, into a big soulless bowl is complete.