Saints visit Huddersfield for the first time since our League One Promotion season of 7 years ago, for those that didn't go then here are all the tips you need to enjoy your day.
The Ground
Currently called The John Smith's Stadium the ground opened in 94/95 season after the club moved a couple of hundred yards from their old Leeds Road ground, Saints were visitors five weeks after the first League game when they won 1-0 in the first leg of a League cup tie courtesy of a late Matthew Le Tissier goal with the second leg at the Dell seeing a 4-0 victory for Saints.
Each stand is semi circular rather than rectangular, and is further enhanced with large white steel tubing above the contours. The only disappointment is that the corners of the ground are open so it has a rather open feel to it with four very seperate stands.
The ground is shared with Huddersfield Giants Rugby club.
Getting There
Driving
The usual route should be taken when heading to Yorkshire or the North East via the A34 up to the M40 and then your preferred route to pick up the M1 and heading North, leave the M1 at Junction 38 and take the A637 towards and then the A642 into Huddersfield. As you approach the town centre try to keep to the right hand lane as you will turn right at the roundabout and onto the A62 Leeds Road. The stadium is a short distance down this road on the right.
Post Code for SAT NAV: HD1 6PX
Parking
There is a big car park at the ground for £6 but obviously there can be a bit of a queue to get out sometimes as at most on site stadium car parks.
Alternatively if coming up from the South and looking for somewhere to park then along St Andrews Road there are a number of small businesses that offer parking for around £5.
By Train
Huddersfield Station is no more than a 15 minute walk at a comfortable pace, so around about a 3/4 mile. After coming out of the Railway Station, turn down past the front of The George Hotel. Go straight over the crossroads into Northumberland Street and walk down across the Ring Road straight on into Leeds Road. Turn right down Gasworks Street. Straight over the crossroads to the ground.
The Away Section.
Away fans are located at one end of the ground in the Chadwick Lawrence (South) Stand, the nearest stand to the town centre, for the Premier League up to 2,400 visiting supporters can be accommodated with the rest of the stand now being allocated to home supporters.
The facilities in this stand and the view of the playing action are both good. It is a single tiered structure and there is a betting kiosk and a bar serving alcoholic drinks at the back of the stand, overall it is a roomy place for away fans albeit a little open to the elements if I remember rightly, given that after entering through the turnstiles the entrances to the seating deck take you into the back of the stand.
Pubs For Away Fans
In the past the Gasworks club in the road directly behind the away section has proved popular with visiting fans. The Club does charge a £1 entry fee, but both the drinks and food were reasonably priced. You can also park in their car park at a cost of £3'., but after the game the Club reverts to a 'home fans only' bar.
There are a number of pubs in fairly close proximity to the ground heading towards the town centre which is about 1/2 mile away and an entertainment complex behind the North Stand has a bar there.