Rodney Parade: Newport County AFC
From Newport County FC
Rodney Parade is the second oldest ground in the Football League, beaten only by Preston North End’s Deepdale. Officially opened in 1877, it is not only the home of Newport County Association Football Club but also of Newport Rugby Club and Newport Gwent Dragons. The first time the stadium was used was actually in December 1876 when Newport played Cardiff in a rugby game.
Newport County AFC was formed in 1912 under the somewhat longer name Newport & Monmouth County Association Football Club. For obvious reasons it became simply ‘Newport County rather quickly. The club started its life playing its matches at Somerton Park before moving to Newport Stadium, via numerous other grounds, in 1994. They only moved to Rodney Parade in 2012.
Stats
| Rodney Parade Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Opened | 1877 |
| Capacity | 8700 |
| Average Attendance | 4336 |
| Record Attendance | 9836 (Newport v Tottenham Hotspur (2018)) |
| Pitch Size | 102 x 65 (6680) |
| Owner | Newport RFC |
| Clubs Hosted | Newport RFC, Newport County A.F.C., Newport Gwent Dragons |
| First Fixture | Newport v Cardiff (02/12/1876) |
| Newport County Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1912 |
| Nickname | The Exiles, The Ironsides, The Port, The County |
| Club Mascot | Spytty the Dog |
| Rivals | Cardiff City, Swansea City, Bristol City, Bristol Rovers |
| Previous Stadiums | Somerton Park, Newport Stadium |
| Kit | Yellow & Black Pinstripe (Home) / White & Grey (Away) / Black (Third) |
| Training Ground | Newport County AFC Training Ground |
| Shirt Sponsor | Pure Vans |
| Team Owner | Huw Jenkins, Newport County AFC Supporters Trust |
| Record Goalscorer | Reg Parker (99) |
| Record Appearances | Len Weare (526) |
Rodney Parade Photos
Credit: Lee Taylor
Rodney Parade Seating Plan and Where to Sit
There are four stands that run along the edges of the pitch. The North Terrace is where the noisiest fans go, The South Stand houses the away supporters in an uncovered terrace section, The Bisley Stand is the newest section of the ground and The Compeed Stand is the largest part of the stadium.
Newport County Ticket Prices
Tickets are cheaper if you want to watch from the terrace rather than from a seated area, and apart from that only your age will affect the price you pay for your ticket. Adults and concessions prices range as follows:
- Adults: £21.00 – £24.00
- Concession: £19.00 – £20.00
Tickets are £2 more expensive if you buy on the day.
How To Get Newport County Tickets
Tickets can be bought at the ground or on the club’s official website.
Where to Buy
Getting To Rodney Parade
Train – The stadium is a short walk from Newport Gwent train station which is reachable in less than two hours from London Paddington.
Bus – The ground is virtually next door to the cities main bus station, so don’t catch the bus from there as you will probably end up further away than when you started.
Car – Exit the M4 at either Junction 25a or 26 depending on if you’re coming from the East or West. Follow the signs.
By Air – Cardiff Airport is the closest the ground and has rail links to the centre of Cardiff. It will take you just over an hour to go from the airport to the stadium.
Taxi – A taxi will take you less than ten minutes from the train station to Rodney Parade and will cost just over £7.
Parking Near Rodney Parade
There is no parking at the stadium but there’s two hours free parking at Kingsway Centre which is five minutes away. Other than that you will be looking for street parking.
Useful Resources
- Parking - Just Park
Rodney Parade Hotels
If you are coming a long way and need to stay they night, try one of these as a first port of call:
ibis budget Newport - £40+
Silurian Hotel - £60+
Mercure Newport - £107+
Pubs and Bars Near Rodney Parade
Good news, there are pubs in Newport! Here are a few of them:
Blu Sports Bar & Victoria Hotel
Godfrey Morgan
The John Wallace Linton
Facilities
This is Wales, so the food on offer isn’t exactly healthy, but fans of burgers, hot dogs, and deep fill fries will be in greasy heaven.
Prices
- Programme: £3.5
- Pie: £2.8
- Cup of tea: £1.5
- Beer: £3.5
Hospitality
Newport County’s most popular hospitality options are their boxes, where you’ll enjoy a two-course meal and a private bar, interviews with former players and a VIP entrance plus padded seats.
Private Hire
A £7 million conference centre opened at the stadium in 2011, meaning virtually any event can be catered for.
Stadium Tours & Museum
As of right now this second, there is no museum or tour option. Sorry.
About Newport County
If you had unlimited time to name every British football club that had played in a quarter-final of the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup you still may never think to mention Newport County. They did exactly that, however, having qualified for the competition by winning the Welsh Cup in 1980. That is just one example of the quirky and exciting life fans of the Welsh club have enjoyed since it was originally formed in 1912.
We say that’s when it was originally formed because, although the current version of the club has ties to that original team, it was been reformed twice during its existence. The most recent reformation occurred in 1989 after it had gone bust in February of that year. There were rumours of a foreign investor being interested back then, but it later turned out they thought they were buying Newcastle United and pulled the plug when they found out the truth. A little research goes a long way… Newport County was also one of the founding members of the Football League Third Division.
Rodney Parade History
There are two histories to speak of as far as Rodney Parade is concerned. The first is the history of Newport County at the ground and that is short lived and not particularly interesting, given that the club only started playing their games there in 2012. Before that they called Somerton Park home until 1994 when they moved to Newport Stadium for eight years.
The second is the history of the stadium itself, before the arrival of Newport County, and that is a genuinely interesting one. Located on the East bank of the River Usk and within easy walking distance of the city’s bus and train stations, Rodney Parade began life as the home of an Athletics Club that also allowed the playing of cricket, tennis and rugby on its grounds. It has since hosted mainly rugby, including international matches, and now football.
Future Developments
Numerous developments have been undertaken at the ground since 2007 including the addition of new drainage and irrigation systems in 2013 and 2014. More recently a grass hybrid pitch was installed after the Welsh Rugby Union bought the ground, and in 2021 4G signage was installed along with LED flood lights, plus upgrades to the hospitality boxes including balconies.