Stonebridge Road: Ebbsfleet United FC

The nature of football clubs in the lower leagues is such that they need to seek income streams from wherever they can find them. As such, it isn’t unusual for their football stadiums to be considered as multi-purpose venues, which is exactly the case with Stonebridge Road. Whilst it is primarily a football ground, other sports and events take place here from time to time. Known as Kufflink Stadium at the time of writing because of a sponsorship deal, it was first opened in 1905 and was the home of Northfleet FC before the merger between that club and Gravesend FC, which took place in 1946 and created Gravesend & Northfleet FC.

When it comes to the football club that uses the ground nowadays, Ebbsfleet was created in 2007 when a decision was taken to rename Gravesend & Northfleet Football Club. In other words, the club’s actual history dates back to 1946 when those two sides merged. They have played at Stonebridge Road ever since the club’s formation, with one of the club’s most interesting periods coming between 2008 and 2013. During that time Ebbsfleet United was owned by MyFootballClub, a web-based venture that saw members voting on the likes of ticket prices, budgets and player transfers rather than the club management making such decisions.

Stats

Stonebridge Road Photos

Stonebridge Road Stadium on Matchday

Stonebridge United Stadium Sign

Stonebridge Road Seating Plan and Where to Sit

In terms of how much you’re going to pay for your ticket to an Ebbsfleet United match, the main thing that will influence that is how old you are. During the 2023-2024 season, for example, adults were asked to pay £19 whilst concessions paid £15, which applied to those over the age of 60 and anyone aged between 17 and 21 in full-time education. Juniors, which is the tag given to people aged 12-16, paid £9, whilst anyone under 12 had to pay just £1 and needed to be accompanied by a paying adult.

Ebbsfleet United Ticket Prices

In terms of how much you’re going to pay for your ticket to an Ebbsfleet United match, the main thing that will influence that is how old you are. During the 2023-2024 season, for example, adults were asked to pay £19 whilst concessions paid £15, which applied to those over the age of 60 and anyone aged between 17 and 21 in full-time education. Juniors, which is the tag given to people aged 12-16, paid £9, whilst anyone under 12 had to pay just £1 and needed to be accompanied by a paying adult.

How To Get Ebbsfleet United Tickets

Clubs continue to do what they can to move online, so it is no real surprise that Ebbsfleet United allow you to buy your tickets for their games ahead of time through the official website. If you’re not sure whether you’ll be able to make it or not until just before kick-off, however, then you’ll be able to purchase your ticket from the ticket window at the ground instead.

Where to Buy

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Getting To Stonebridge Road

Train – Northfleet Station is served by the Gravesend service from London’s Charing Cross, Waterloo East and London Bridge, whilst Ebbsfleet International is another option. That sees high-speed trains run from St. Pancras and takes less than 20 minutes to do the journey from the capital. Both stations are within walking distance of the ground, should you have the ability to walk there under your own steam.

Bus – Anyone hoping to get a bus to the ground will be able to do so from Gravesend Station. The 480 and 490 services both drop punters off right outside the ground, with the fast-track B service also taking in Ebbsfleet International.

Car – If you’re driving then you’ll want to leave the M25 at Junction 2 and get onto the A2, which is signposted for Canterbury. Unsurprisingly, you get off at the Northfleet/Gravesend West exit and follow signs for Ebbsfleet International Station, keeping your eye out for signposts to the ground itself.

By Air – The proximity of the stadium to London and the easy transport links mean that any of the airports that serve the UK capital will be more than convenient enough for you to fly into. Heathrow is probably the closes, being around an hour away, but none of London City, Gatwick or Stanstead are likely to be nightmares to get to the ground from.

Taxi – If you need to get a taxi from one of the stations out to the ground then you’re unlikely to end up paying more than £10 for the privilege, traffic dependent.

Parking Near Stonebridge Road

There isn’t any parking at the stadium itself that isn’t limited to staff members, but you can pay in Car Park C of Ebbsfleet International Stadium for £3. There is parking around the stadium itself, but the likelihood is that you’ll get a ticket if you park in the wrong place, so make sure that you obey the rules of the road. Anyone with a blue badge is recommended to contact the club so that they can be accommodated where possible.

• See Available Parking Near Stonebridge Road

Useful Resources

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Pubs and Bars Near Stonebridge Road

About Ebbsfleet United

In 1946, during the aftermath of the Second World War, Gravesend & Northfleet Football Club was formed when Gravesend United, which was formed in 1893, merged with Northfleet United, which had been created three years earlier. The club kept both the Stonebridge Road home and the red and white colours of Northfleet United. Between 1969 and 1971, Roy Hodgson, who would go on to manage England and Crystal Palace amongst other clubs, made 59 appearances for the relatively new side. In 1979, Gravesend & Northfleet FC helped to form the Alliance Premier League, being relegated out of it three seasons later.

In 2007, the club was renamed as Ebbsfleet United, then in November it was announced that MyFootballClub had entered an agreement in principle to take over the club. That deal went through a few months later after around 27,000 people spent £35 each in order to provide the £700,000 necessary to make it happen. What followed was five years of decisions being made according to the will of the MyFootballClub members, even though membership numbers dwindled year-on-year. There were some relative successes under the MyFootballClub model, but in 2013 two-thirds of the shares were sold to a supporters’ trust.

Stonebridge Road History

Stonebridge Road was built in 1905, opening later that same year. It was the home of Northfleet United and remained the home of Gravesend & Northfleet Football Club when it was formed in 1946. When that club rebranded as Ebbsfleet United in 2007 the side continued to play its games at Stonebridge Road. In 2014, PHB, a construction company, agreed a sponsorship deal to have the ground renamed as PHB Stadium, Stonebridge Road. In 2017 a new sponsorship deal was signed, this time seeing the venue become The Kufflink Stadium, although most people still refer to it simply as Stonebridge Road instead.

The multi-purpose venue was used by Dartford, one of Ebbsfleet’s rivals, between 2000 and 2006 when a ground-sharing agreement was signed between the two sides. That followed on from Gillingham briefly using Stonebridge Road as their stadium for a few home matches back in 1961. With a capacity of 4,769, Stonebridge Road sees home fans tending to take up the Main Stand and the Plough End. Although it is a basic stadium, the club has done plenty to update it and ensure that supporters are as comfortable as possible when they head to the ground to watch Ebbsfleet United play their games here.

Future Developments

In 2009, proposals were made to see a new stadium built, but they were rejected by the local council. The stadium was bought by Gravesham Borough Council in 2009, leasing it back to the club for £1 a year but with the option to buy it back. That happened a few years later, with plans being put in place to effectively build a new stadium on the site of the current one. There is no real sense of when that is likely to happen, but there are artist’s impressions from 2022 of how it will look on the club website.