Bet365 Stadium: Stoke City FC
Despite the feeling that The Britannia Stadium, now the Bet365 Stadium, has been around forever, it was, in fact, opened officially on the 30th August 1997. It cost £14.7 million and was a replacement for The Victoria Ground, the stadium that Stoke had called home since 1878.
The Britannia Stadium gained its name from the fact that it was sponsored by The Britannia Building Society, the company being instrumental in the funding of the new ground. Unfortunately The Britannia Building Society has now gone bust, but Stoke City did keep the name of the ground due to fan pressure. As of 2016 the ground has been named after sponsors Bet365, the international bookie began life in Stoke, is owned by a family from Stoke, and still has offices based there employing a lot of local people. The owners of Bet365 are massive Stoke City fans and are sure to maintain investment in the stadium now they’ve added their name to it.
Stoke City themselves went from being one of the Premier League’s most unpopular teams thanks to the style of football introduced by former manager Tony Pulis, to becoming widely admired under the leadership of Mark Hughes. The former Manchester United midfielder got the team playing some attractive football with a squad containing more Champion’s League winning players than any other team in the league at one point, as well as attaining the club’s highest ever league position finishing 9th three seasons in a row. A sharp decline in 2018 saw Hughes sacked, and the club relegated to the Championship soon after.
Stats
| Bet365 Stadium Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Opened | 1997 |
| Capacity | 30089 |
| Average Attendance | 22742 |
| Record Attendance | 30022 (Stoke vs Evertom (17/03/2018)) |
| Pitch Size | 100 x 64 (6400) |
| Former Name | Britannia Stadium |
| Owner | Stoke City |
| Sponsor | Bet365 |
| Clubs Hosted | Stoke City FC |
| First Fixture | Stoke v Rochdale (27/08/1997) |
| Stoke City Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1863 |
| Nickname | The Potters |
| Club Mascot | Pottermus Hippo & Pottermiss Hippo |
| Rivals | West Brom, Wolves, Port Vale |
| Previous Stadiums | Victoria Ground |
| Kit | Red & White stripes (Home) / Dark Blue & Green (Away) |
| Training Ground | Clayton Wood Training Complex |
| Shirt Sponsor | Bet365 |
| Team Owner | Bet365 |
| Record Goalscorer | John Ritchie (176) |
| Record Appearances | Eric Skeels (592) |
Bet365 Stadium Photos
By dom fellowes from UK (The Britannia) [CC BY 2.0]
By yellow book (Britannia Stadium) [CC BY 2.0]
By Ronnie Macdonald (Flickr: Stoke City FC V Arsenal 22) [CC BY 2.0]
Bet365 Stadium Seating Plan and Where to Sit
The Bet365 Stadium is considered to be one of the trickiest club grounds to play in thanks to its location and design. There are essentially only two stands in the stadium, owing to the fact that the East Stand and North Stand were actually one L-shaped structure and the South East corner between them and the South stand was filled in with more seating in 2017. That means that two corners of the ground are still exposed to the wind and the rain, allowing for tricky playing conditions on days when the weather is found wanting.
- Boothen End sponsored by Staffordshire University & The Tile Mountain Stand – The Boothen End, or North Stand, is connected to The Tile Mountain Stand (East) to make one large stand that surrounds half of the pitch. The Tile Mountain Stand also houses the Family area.
- The Franklyn Stand – Also known as The West Stand, The Franklyn Stand is two-tiered and houses not only the club’s spectators but also the corporate and media facilities.
- The South Stand – The South Stand is the stand that houses the away supporters and is now connected to the Tile Mountain Stand. Because home supporters can also sit in this stand there is some segregation that means the stadium loses some seats from its overall capacity.
Stoke City Ticket Prices
Stoke have gone for the game categorisation approach employed by many clubs, with prices for A, B and C category matches. The price you pay will also depend on your age, and where you want to sit.
Here we’ll give you the cheapest and the most expensive ticket prices for matches at The Britannia for both adults and concessions. A concession, according to Stoke, is anyone over 65, though there are cheaper tickets available for under 18’s.
League Games
- Adults: A – £30 – £40 / B – £25 – £35 / C – £20 – £30
- Concessions: A – £23 – £32 / B – £19 – £27 / C – £15 – £22
How To Get Stoke City Tickets
The club’s website is the best place to start if you’re looking to get tickets. You can also phone the club’s ticket sales hotline and you’ll be able to pick tickets up from official third party sources, too. It is likely that some people will be offering match tickets near the ground on the day of games, but these aren’t always genuine so we’d advise that you avoid them. Stoke rarely sell out their games, so you’ll almost certainly be able to pick a genuine ticket up from the box office located at the ground.
Where to Buy
Getting To Bet365 Stadium
Located in the heart of Staffordshire, access to The Bet365 Stadium is reasonably easy by numerous means.
Train – Stoke-on-Trent Railway Station can be reached on a direct train from London, Birmingham, Manchester, Derby and Crewe. From there the club actually puts on shuttle buses from Glebe Street in the town centre to the stadium itself..
Bus – The number 20 bus runs from Stand N at Stoke’s centrally located bus station all the way to the ground.
Car – The stadium itself is located just off the A50, so leave the M6 at junction 15 and take the second exit for the A500. Exit the A500 onto the A50 and you’ll be able to see the Britannia in front of you. If you’re coming from the East just get onto the A50 and follow it until you get to the stadium.
By Air – Both Manchester Airport and East Midlands Airport have relatively good access to Stoke-On-Trent. From East Midlands you get a connecting bus to Derby and then the train to Stoke, whilst from Manchester you get a train from the airport to Piccadilly station and then another train to Stoke from there.
Taxi – There is a taxi stand right outside Stoke-on-Trent Railway Station. It’ll cost you about £8 and take around 10 minutes, traffic dependent.
Parking Near Bet365 Stadium
Officially the North, West 1 and West 2 car parks are restricted on match days to those who have parking permits. There is another car park to the South that sells its limited spaces on a first come first served basis. Unofficially there is plenty of on-street parking in Hanley, about 2 miles or so from the stadium and with good access to the ground.
Useful Resources
- Parking - Just Park
Bet365 Stadium Hotels
As The Bet365 Stadium itself is smack bang on the A50 you might find it easier to look for a hotel in Stoke city centre or in nearby Newcaslte-Under-Lyme.
Holiday Inn Express - £48+
North Stafford Hotel - £55+
Whiston Hall Golf Club - £90+
Pubs and Bars Near Bet365 Stadium
Stoke is the world capital of ceramics, and has been for many years. All those hard-working thirsty potters needed somewhere to go for a drink after a hard days pottering so plenty of pubs sprang up, and luckily for us, a lot of them are still there.
The Glebe
The Power League
The White Star
Facilities
Like all top end clubs in England, the facilities at Stoke City are as good as you’d imagine. In fact, with recent improvements being made throughout the stadium The Britannia’s facilities are better than most. From places to buy a bite to eat or a quick drink before the match through to places to stick a bet on the game with the club’s partner Bet365, The Britannia won’t disappoint from the point of view of what you can get in the stadium itself.
Prices
- Programme: £3.5
- Pie: £3.2
- Cup of tea: £2.2
- Beer: £4.2
Hospitality
The Bet365 Stadium offers the sort of match day hospitality we’ve come to expect from Premier League clubs, so given that Stoke are in the Championship it is something of a cut above. From the Tony Waddington Suite through to The Stanley Matthews Lounge via The 1863 Lounge and numerous executive boxes, there are choices to suit most budgets and desires.
For example, The 1863 Lounge was named after the year that the club was founded and here you’ll get complimentary refreshments at both half-time and full-time, tasty hot food and premium seating for the match itself. In The Stanley Matthews Suite, named after one of the club’s most famous players, you’ll get a two course buffet, waiter/waitress service, Executive VIP padded seating, and a cash bar.
There are also executive boxes and even the boardroom if you want to be really fancy, or the Sky Bar for a more laid back feel where you can enjoy something a little bit special with other fans.
Private Hire
Whether you’re hoping to hold a party in the home of your favourite football club or you want to host a conference in unique surroundings, The Bet365 Stadium has got you covered. The club have ploughed a huge amount of money into ensuring their conference facilities are amongst the best in the country, hoping that their location in Staffordshire will attract business from both the North and the South.
For the ultimate Potters fan that is hoping to tie the knot, the club also hosts weddings at The Bet365 Stadium. Stoke have dedicated wedding planners to help you organise your special day, so you can hold a big affair in The Tony Waddington Suite or a smaller gathering in one of the club’s 3 licensed suites.
Stadium Tours & Museum
You can tour The Bet365 Stadium throughout the week, though you need to book in advance to avoid disappointment. You’ll get to see both sets of dressing rooms, The Sir Stanley Matthews Lounge, executive boxes, the tunnel and, of course, the pitch side dugouts.
Tours are expected to last for around 45 minutes and are priced per group rather than per person, costing £40 for groups of 5 or less, £50 for groups of 6-10 and £60 for groups of 11-15. This goes up to groups of 50 which costs £95. The club can also accommodate larger groups but you’ll need to contact them directly in order to organise that.
About Stoke City
Founded in 1863 at Stoke Ramblers, the club changed its name to Stoke City in 1925, the same year that Stoke-On-Trent was granted city status. One of their claims to fame is that they’re the second oldest professional club in the world after Notts County. That also means that they’re one of the founding members of the Football League.
The main success the club boasts comes from the boast, with their promotion to the Premier League in 2008 the first time they’d enjoyed top-flight football for 23 years. Their honours include the Football League trophy in 1992 and 2000. They finished as FA Cup runners up in 2011, losing out to Manchester City, and have reached the semi-finals of that competition three times.
Notable former managers include Alan Ball, the former Arsenal and Everton player who was the youngest member of England’s 1966 World Cup winning squad. Lou Macari, who played over 400 games for Mancheser United, had two spells as Stoke manager in the early and mid nineties. The club has also been managed by Chris Kamara, the former player who is now better known for his punditry and laughing fits on Sky Sports.
Bet365 Stadium History
The Britannia is a purpose built, all-seater stadium that replaced the Victoria Ground, Stoke’s previous home, in 1997. As well as hosting football matches, the ground has also been the location for numerous concerts by performers as diverse as Bryan Adams, Elton John and Bon Jovi. There is a bar on-site, called Delilah’s Bar, and a club shop with Stoke specific merchandise on sale.
The ground cost £14.7 million to build and has a capacity of 27,902. The capacity was originally 28,384 but had to be reduced in order to allow for the segregation of fans. Former Stoke City player Sir Stanley Matthews, who officially opened the stadium on August 30th 1997, had his ashes buried underneath the center circle when he died in February 2000.
The ground was renamed for the 2016/17 season after sponsors Bet365, although it may take a while for the new name to stick, fans will likely always know it as the Britannia Stadium.
Future Developments
The plans to expand The Bet365 Stadium to a 30,000+ seater stadium had been floating around since 2006. However it took ten years before anything was done about it. Eventually, work began and the South East corner was filled in adding much needed extra seating for the beginning of the 2018 season.
In 2022, the club began a 5 year upgrade process which will sweep through almost the entire stadium, and even update the training ground too. Concourses will be developed and improved, an extra 8,400 seats will be added to the Franklyn Stand, and all of the lounges including the player’s lounge will be upgraded and renovated. More than £4 million is expected to be spent initially, but these things tend to go over budget.