Boston Community Stadium: Boston United
From Boston United
Currently known as the Jakemans Stadium because of a sponsorship agreement, York Street was the home of semi-professional football club Boston United until the club moved to Boston Community Stadium in 2020. The club decided to build a new stadium outside of town, with the 2019-2020 campaign being their final one at their former home. The main reason behind the decision to move was that the former ground was, in the eyes of the Chairman, not up the standard of the Football League, meaning that the Pilgrims needed a new one to play in whilst they were there, only for them to get relegated out of it.
As you can probably surmise from that, Boston United’s time in English football has been a mixed one. Known as the Pilgrims as a reference to those that left England to settle in North America, living in Boston Massachusetts, the club is based in Boston, Lincolnshire. Formed in 1933 as the successors to Boston Town, the club competed in the Midland League before joining the Southern League for four years in 1958. The rise to the Football League came under controversial manager Steve Evans, who took them out of the Southern League into the Conference and out of the Conference into the upper echelons of the sport.
Stats
| Boston Community Stadium Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Opened | 2020 |
| Capacity | 5061 |
| Average Attendance | 1597 |
| Record Attendance | 2694 (Boston United vs Kings Lynn Town (26/12/2022)) |
| Pitch Size | 105 x 68 (7140) |
| Owner | Boston United |
| Sponsor | Jakemans |
| Clubs Hosted | Boston United |
| First Fixture | Boston United v Chorley (05/12/2020) |
| Boston United Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1933 |
| Nickname | The Pilgrims |
| Club Mascot | Percy Penguin |
| Rivals | Gainsborough Trinity, Grimsby Town, Lincoln City, Scunthorpe United |
| Previous Stadiums | York Street |
| Kit | Yellow & Black (Home) / Purple & White (Away) |
| Shirt Sponsor | KIA |
| Team Owner | David Newton |
| Record Goalscorer | Chris Cook (181) |
| Record Appearances | Paul Bastock (679) |
Boston Community Stadium Photos
Boston Community Stadium Seating Plan and Where to Sit
As you might imagine for a purpose-built stadium that was designed to be able to feature in the Football League, Boston Community Stadium is more impressive than a lot of the grounds within the lower leagues of the English game. Boasting a capacity of just over 5,000, there is a decent-sized stand on the Western side of the ground and a terrace on both the North and East side. At the time of writing, there is nothing on the Southern side, but that gives the club room for expansion in the future.
Boston United Ticket Prices
If you’re planning on going to see Boston United play then buying your ticket online might be the best thing to do, if for no other reason than it is quite confusing how they price their tickets. They charge you based not only on your person circumstance but also on where in the ground you’d like to sit.
The following is how much they were charging for the 2023-2024 season, to give you some sense of how it would work:
| Where You’ll Be | Adult | Concession | U16 |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Stand Seating | £17 | £13 | £7 |
| West Stand Hospitality | £52.50 | £47.50 | £42.50 |
| North Stand Terrace | £15 | £12 | £6 |
| East Stand Terrace | £15 | £12 | £6 |
The East Stand Terrace hosts both home and away supporters, but the price you’ll pay will be the same regardless. You can also buy family tickets, which come in packages of £19, £24, £32 and £37 depending on how many adults and how many kids there are.
How To Get Boston United Tickets
The way that lower league teams work, they know that a decent website offers them the chance of attracting younger people who tend to do everything online. As a result, Boston United’s ‘s site is decent and is where you’ll want to go if you’re planning on buying tickets for the game in advance. You will still be able to buy at the ground itself if you wish to, of course.
Where to Buy
Getting To Boston Community Stadium
Train – Anyone hoping to attend a Boston United match by train will almost certainly be arriving into Boston Railway Station, which is owned by Network Rail and operated by East Midlands Railway. It is about 30 minutes away from the ground on foot, so many people will instead choose to take a taxi or head into the centre of the town to try to get a bus.
Bus – If you’ve taken a wander into Boston and are wondering how it is that you make your way out to the Community Stadium, you’ll want to look out for the Brylaine bus services B13 and K58. There are also shuttle buses that run from various parts of the town out to the ground, costing £1.50 each-way and leaving at given times.
Car – If you are planning on heading to a Boston United match in the car then you’ll be wanting to to take the A16 or the A52 towards Boston, depending on which direction you’re coming from. The stadium is located just off the A16 to the south of the town, so follow signs for it once you get closer.
By Air – In terms of flying in to see a Boston United, the nearest airport that you’ll want to aim for is Humber International Airport, located in North Lincolnshire. That is about one and three-quarter hours away if you’re in a car, with East Midlands Airport being another option but further away.
Taxi – It doesn’t take long for a taxi to get from Boston Railway Station out to the football ground, so you’re going to be looking at between £5 and £10 for the privilege.
Parking Near Boston Community Stadium
You can park directly at the stadium, but in order to do so you will need to have pre-arranged a car park pass with the club, which are sold on a seasonal basis. There is room for disabled supporters, but you will also need to contact the club to arrange this. Alternatively, you can look to park on the street around the stadium, but do make sure that you’re looking out for any restrictions on that front.
Useful Resources
- Parking - Just Park
Pubs and Bars Near Boston Community Stadium
The Sportsman Pool Hall and Sports Bar
The Railway Pub
The Eagle
About Boston United
Boston Town had been a short-lived club in the town of Boston, but when that folded there was a desire amongst some to set up another team instead. That is why Boston United was formed in 1933, competing in the Midland League during the club’s early years before a brief sojourn into the Southern League a couple of decades later. The club returned to the Midland League and then eventually joined the United Counties League, winning the title there at the end of the 1965-1966 season. The club spent the next couple of decades bouncing around a few different regional leagues, being a founding member of the Northern Premier League in the 1970s.
When Steve Evans was the manager of Boston United he managed to get the club promoted into the Football League for the first time in its history, but was causing problems off the pitch when he was prosecuted for tax evasion. Wining the Southern Football League Premier Division and the Football Conference across a space of three years was an impressive achievement for the club, but in the December of 2006 the club’s future was plunged into doubt and financial issues followed. The club entered a Company Voluntary Arrangement in the May of 2007, later going into administration, which they made it out of by the end of the summer.
Boston Community Stadium History
For most of the club’s existence, Boston United played its games at York Street. In 2006, there was a plan for the club to move to a new venue on The Boardsides, but it got rejected by Boston Borough Council. This caused major problems for the club, largely because York Street wasn’t good enough to allow it to operate at a profit. As a result, Boston continued to play at York Street for another decade or so, eventually building a new stadium on the outside of the town. They left York Street at the end of the 2019-2020 season, playing the first part of the following season at Gainsborough Trinity’s Northolme ground.
Once the finishing touches had been put on the club’s new ground they were able to move in, playing at the Boston Community Stadium for the first time on the fifth of December 2020. As with York Street, the club was able to secure sponsorship with Jakemans, which resulted in the football ground being official re-named to the Jakemans Community Stadium. The move allowed the club to not only be brought up-to-date in terms of a stadium with modern facilities, it also allowed them to begin making a profit from their new home ground. Close to the centre of the local town and therefore being a hub for locals, it has room for more than 5,000 people.