QPR conclude their Premiership campaign this Sunday in a colossally important match with Manchester City. If you’re heading to Eastlands, here’s all you need to know.
Ground Name: Eastlands
Capacity: 48,000
Address: Rowsley Street, Manchester, M11 3FF
Main Telephone No: 0161 444 1894
By Car: QPR fans should be pretty well practised at this M1 and M6 route to the north west from Loftus Road by now. It’s 205 miles from Shepherds Bush and exactly four hours at the speed limit according to the AA. On this occasion we leave the M6 at junction 19, follow the A556 and then the M56 towards Stockport and join the M60 heading on towards Ashton Under Lyne. Leave that motorway at junction 23 and take the A635 towards Manchester and then the A662 towards Droylsden and Manchester for three miles with the stadium (hopefully) turning up on your right.
Map:
Click the map to visit Google and zoom in or tour around and use Street View.
Parking: Unlike most new stadiums Eastlands does actually have half decent provision for car parking. A large facility at the stadium usually still has spaces a couple of hours before kick off, although at a rather steep price of £10 a car that’s hardly surprising. It’s an absolute pig to get out of afterwards too by all accounts. Many local businesses undercut that price and the K2 car park at the junction of the A635 and A6010 offers a spot for £7 and easy access back onto the trunk roads afterwards with a ten minute walk to the stadium. Residents parking schemes operate on all streets within a mile of the ground.
By Train: It’s Virgin Trains from Euston for this one which means firstly it’s going to be extortionately expensive and secondly it’s highly likely the police will enforce a no alcohol rule on most services in an attempt to keep any potential trouble under wraps. At this late stage the cheapest ticket available, on all services, is the flat £74.20 off peak day return fare. A few weeks ago we got ours for £25 return but we have had to book at antisocial hours to do it and this line remains the biggest rip off on the network.
From Piccadilly you can get a local service to Ashburys which is a ten to 15 minute walk from the ground (out the station, turn left, go straight on and you arrive at it) or a taxi from the station front, or a bus from Piccadilly Gardens. The guide seems to suggest it’s a bit of a hike to walk but to be honest looking at the map and reading the directions I think we’ve all probably tackled worse this season.
Coach: The official coaches and LSA bus have both sold out, the latter leaving from the Springbok at the revised time of 8am. Mel from the LFW message board is also running a coach from the Target Roundabout, he can be contacted at melh64@hotmail.co.uk for more details although that too was pretty full up the last I heard.
Pubs: Not a great deal of choice around the ground with The Stanley, which usually admits the odd away fan, likely to be rammed on such an occasion. The city centre is probably the best bet, with favourite QPR haunt the Lass O’Gowrie likely to do a roaring trade as always. That place apart the choice is pretty limited around Piccadilly and Oxford Road and the guide recommends heading the way of Deansgate and the Printworks near Victoria Station. Bear I mind that with everything that’s going on with the two Manchester clubs this Sunday there’s likely to be a big police presense and very few empty bars.
Tickets: QPR have, not surprisingly, sold out their allocation of around 3,000 tickets for this one.
Links >>> Detailed guide to Eastlands >>> Official website
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Pictures – Action Images