QPR head to The Hawthorns next Saturday for their latest meeting with West Bromwich Albion. If you're making the trip, read on for some travel hints and tips.
Ground Name: The Hawthorns
Capacity: 26,500
Address: Halfords Lane, West Bromwich, West Midlands , B71 4LF
Main Number: 0871 271 1100
Box Office: 0871 271 9780
By Car: It's 125 miles to The Hawthorns from Loftus Road and about two and a half hours at the speed limit. Take the A40, M40 and then finally a little bit of the M42 out of town for about 100 miles before joining the north bound M5 south of Birmingham . Head north for 20 miles or so to junction one then leave and join the A41 which is the fourth exit at that roundabout. Follow the A41 for half a mile and you're there.
Map:
Click the map to zoom in and tour around.
Parking: Street parking is in reasonably decent supply around the ground, although take it from me it’s frowned upon if you leave it on the hard shoulder of the M5 even if standstill traffic means you’re going to miss the kick off. The ground is surrounded by industrial units, many of which charge around £4 for use of their car parks. It’s not a bad one for parking overall this one in my experience.
Train: The savvy travelling supporter knows by now that Chiltern Trains from Marylebone is a much cheaper option for matches in and around Birmingham than the faster but ludicrously expensive Virgin services from Euston. The LFW crew booked some time ago for this and are going for a tenner return, and there are still some bargains to be had at this late stage. There are single tickets on the 0900 and 1100 (arrives 1102 or 1302) available for £12 and coming back it's £15 at 1842 (arrives 2042) or £9 at 1942 (arrives 2157). From there it's a short hop either on the tram or the local train service to The Hawthorns which is right next to the ground.
There are some cheap deals out of Euston to New Street thanks to London Midland – try the 0913 (arrives 1116) and the 1853 (arrives 2109) for a £20 round trip. The faster Virgin trains start at £30 return.
Coach: The official coach leaves Loftus Road at 10.30am and the Target Roundabout at 11am. It's priced £26 Adults, £16 Seniors Over 60/Young Adults Under 21, £14 Under 16s with the usual discount for season ticket holders. The LSA Coach is leaving the Sprinbok at 9am priced £25 adults, £15 concessions, and a £5 surcharge for non-members. Please call Gary on 07506 028 189 to book that one in advance.
Pubs: If arriving by train then staying in Birmingham city centre and drinking there would seem to be the best option as it’s slim pickings for away fans around the ground. The guide recommends The Vine near West Bromwich town centre, although says it’s a good 15-20 minute walk from the stadium. Closer to the ground try The Park Hotel off junction one of the M5 where you can also park for a fiver, or the Royal Oak which is half a mile further down the main road after you’ve passed the ground on your right. Offers an Asian food menu apparently.
Tickets: QPR have sold out their allocation for this game.
Links >>> Detailed guide to The Hawthorns >>> Official Website
Tweet @loftforwords
Pictures – Action Images