LFW Travel Guides — DW Stadium, Wigan
Tuesday, 4th Dec 2012 22:46 by Clive Whittingham

All up Wigan this Saturday as QPR hunt their first away win in more than a year, and first win of this season at the fifteenth attempt. If you're daft enough to want to join them, here's how…

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Ground Name: DW Stadium

Capacity: 25,023

Address: Loire Drive , Wigan , WN5 0UZ

Telephone: 01942 774 000

Box Office: 0871 663 3552

By Car

Just over 200 miles from Loftus Road this one, up the M1 and M6. Leave the M6 at junction 25 and take the A49 from there into Wigan . Follow that road two miles into town until you reach a large traffic light controlled roundabout after the Aldi store. Turn left there into Robin Park Road which leads to the ground and associated retail park. The ground is easily the biggest structure for some distance in either direction and should be visible from quite some way away. It's 207 miles and three hours 15 minutes from Loftus Road at the speed limit.

Map

Click on the map to zoom in or out and move around.

Parking

Unusually for a new stadium the DW has been built with more than adequate car parking for all supporters, with a designated away car park apparently charging £5 for cars, £10 for mini buses and £20 for coaches. This can take a while to clear after matches. Avoid the nearby retail park which has a strictly enforced two hour parking limit and a £50 fine for those who disobey the rules.

By Train

This late in the day (apologies for the guide being published later than usual) trains up the Virgin operated West Coast Mainline are going to be very expensive. Indeed a quick check of the direct services from London Euston to Wigan North Western only brought up the £74.20 standard return fare. There are two stations in Wigan though (literally right next door to each other) and a few ways to play around with this trip to get the cost down. There are still returns to Manchester Piccadilly kicking around for £65 with a £4 return available from there to Wigan Wallgate. Or you can brave the frequently stationary but nonetheless very cheap London Midland service to Crewe (with a journey time of three hours but a cost of just £8 at 0624, £12 at 0746 or £14 at 0846), then back in the evening on Virgin for £25 at 18.25 (pushing it) or £34.50 (19.51) with a £14.20 open return available from there to Wigan – potentially as low as £47.20 return if you weren't keeping track.

The guide says the ground is a taxi or bus ride away and takes at least 20 minutes to walk but I'm not having it. I'm sure it didn't take us that long last season and it was teeming with rain at the time so won't have felt short by accident. Come out of North Western and turn left, or Wallgate and turn right, and walk down the high street under the railway bridge. Take the third right down Miry Lane and then follow that through the industrial park until you reach a cul-de-sac on your left with a steel bridge over the canal at the end of it – this should be obvious with a stream of people heading over it to the match. The ground is clearly visible from there.

By Coach

The club coach leaves Loftus Road at 8am and the Target Roundabout at 8.30am priced £32 for adults, £21 for seniors and young adults, £19 for under 16s and season ticket holders get the usual discounts. The LSA coach leaves the Springbok at 8am but is now sold out.

Where to drink

Apparently for some matches Wigan now set up a marquee next to the away end offering beer, pies and live football although it wasn't there for our visit last season. There is also the Red Robin, a new build pub on the retail park which might be the best bet for those arriving by car and parking at the ground. The town centre is walkable and is where those arriving by train, to either station, will arrive. That has all the usual suspects. The Anvil is the CAMRA recognised pub, the Swan and Railway is the one best avoided. Many end up in the Moon Under Water Wetherspoons.

Match Tickets

Always a cheap day out this one – adults £20, seniors £15, juniors £5, and disabled or ambulant disabled tickets the same with a free carer. Rangers have 2,000 to sell in advance and basically as many as they want to flog on the day given the colossal size of the away end.

Links >>> Official website >>> Detailed ground guide

Photo: Action Images

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