The Millenium Stadium, Cardiff

last weekend the Millenium stadium in Cardiff was host to the FA CUP final. This bank holiday weekend it is staging the division 1,2, and 3 playoffs. The Millenium Stadium is built in the centre of Cardiff on the site of the old Cardiff Arms Park. However it is twice the size of the old stadium and can sit 72,500. As the name suggest the £130 million stadium was built with funding help of £46 million from the Millenium Commission, the rest being ...
...which is more central to the town than Cardiff. It is located within 5 minutes walk from the bus station, train station, shops, pubs and city centre hotels. It is also closely linked to the Cardiff rugby club ground which restricted full development of the stadium. All bar one stand (north – by Cardiff rugby club) are three tier. The North stand is two tier and on many occasions cheaper family tickets are available in this stand.

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last weekend the Millenium stadium in Cardiff was host to the FA CUP final. This bank holiday weekend it is staging the division 1,2, and 3 playoffs. The Millenium Stadium is built in the centre of Cardiff on the site of the old Cardiff Arms Park. However it is twice the size of the old stadium and can sit 72,500. As the name suggest the £130 million stadium was built with funding help of £46 million from the Millenium Commission, the rest being paid for by the Welsh Rugby Union and private funding.

You could not have a stadium which is more central to the town than Cardiff. It is located within 5 minutes walk from the bus station, train station, shops, pubs and city centre hotels. It is also closely linked to the Cardiff rugby club ground which restricted full development of the stadium. All bar one stand (north – by Cardiff rugby club) are three tier. The North stand is two tier and on many occasions cheaper family tickets are available in this stand.

One of the impressive things about the stadium is its fully retractable roof which takes just 20 minutes to fully close. The roof, however causes shadows to fall across the grass because of this the pitch was built on pallets so it can be fully removed allowing use of the stadium to be altered without too much difficulty. In the past the quality of the turf has come under scrutiny but this problem seems to have been resolved of late.

The view in the stadium has been designed so that no seats have obstructed views. As well as this at either end of the stadium are two gigantic TV screens which give close up shots through out the game. If you are sat in the lower tiers where the upper stands can restrict the view of the large TV screens then they have added smaller TV screens so that everyone can see close up action. I live near Cardiff and have been to many matches and sat in various seats around the stadium. I also work part time in the hospitality boxes in the stadium. I can honestly say that the view from different stands in the stadium are very similar. If I had a preference I would choose to sit in the middle tier of the stadium as the top tier can seem very high up and you can sometimes end up watching the screen more than the pitch.

The atmosphere in the stadium is very good when the stadium is full. However they have started to sell seats in certain areas only when they do not expect a full house and this improves the atmosphere. For smaller events they sell family tickets for around £25 for 2 adults and 2 children and you have the reassurance of knowing there will be similar people sat near you.

There are seven entrances to the ground the main one being 3\4 on Westgate street. This is where you will also find escalators to the higher levels – although use of these is restricted. There are lots of facilities in the ground. The are approximately 10 bars on each level as well as snack bars and stalls selling things such as tops, key rings etc as well as ref link sets for some matches. All drink is served in plastic glasses. There are plenty of toilets on each level and whilst they might not be luxurious they are clean and well maintained. Turnstiles for entry to the stadium are fast and efficient and they have wide aisles for disabled.

There are also over 10 hospitality boxes around the stadium which generally sit 12 people. Availability and options for these vary by event. Options may include, ticket only, bar only, buffet or sit down meal. There are also a few sit down hospitality bars and restaurants but access to these is limited to those with hospitality tickets.

Drinking is an issue in the stadium. You are allowed to purchase alcohol in the stadium for certain events including rugby but not for others such as football. The exception is in the hospitality boxes, however they also have restrictions on serving \ drinking of alcohol for a period before, after and during the game. I know it is a pain that you cannot drink during football matches whilst you can drink at your seat during rugby but this I have been told by stadium staff that there is a law regarding consumation of alcohol during football matches and this is why it is not sold. You will probably have your bag searched on entering the ground as you are not allowed to take any cans or bottles into the ground.

Big match days in Cardiff are very busy occasions. The police close all roads around the ground around two hours before kick off allowing the thousands of supporters to walk at ease to the ground.
Be warned the streets will be packed and the queues to get into pubs will be huge. There are over 50 pubs within close proximity to the ground. Favourites with fans include, Walkabout, O’neils, Flyhalf and Firkin and the Prince of Wales.

If there is a big event in the stadium then the hotels in the city centre will be fully booked up before hand. Brand hotels in the centre include Jury’s. Hilton and Marriott. For budget options there is an Ibis and walkabout and a variety of smaller B & B’s within walking distance of the centre. For a nice change try and book a room in The Big Sleep. Prices for this hotel do not change dependent on events in Cardiff and you can have the Penthouse room or a suite for just £99 a room.

If you cannot get a room in Cardiff then many fans tend to book a room somewhere close by like Newport, Barry or Bridgend. Rooms in these places will be cheaper and there are plenty of train services although these can be packed.

If you are catching a train then be warned that the station will be very busy after a match and you should check the time of your return journey and try and arrive at the station in plenty of time. The station is well manned and has set queues for journeys in different directions but can still be chaotic.

For further information regarding travel arrangements I would look at any of the web sites listed in the additional info section below. They give accurate information for individual events as train timetables, car parking and coach pickups may be different for different events.

I have heard stories of violence in Cardiff following some events in the stadium. However I have not witnessed any of these myself. There is also a high police presence all around the city centre for the entire weekend of an event. If they are expecting trouble with any fans the police will ensure fans are kept in separate areas of the town.

If you are in Cardiff on a non event weekend you may choose to take a tour around the stadium. It costs around £5.00 and for this you get a tour of the whole stadium including the players baths, dressing rooms, boxes, press room and tunnel.

Additional Info :-

www.cardiff-stadium.co.uk - provides info on events and some ticket sales

Millenium Stadium
Westgate Street
City Centre, Cardiff
CF10 1JE
Tour bookings Tel : 08705582582 Mon-Sat 10-6pm, Sun 10-5pm tours only

www.traffic-wales.com or call 0845 6026020 for info on travel into Cardiff.

WWW.Cardiff.gov.uk - this site has a section on travel arrangements for the any large events for approximately a week before hand

I should add a personal view of my experiences at the stadium. However I thought I’d just mention a few events that I’d been to and talk a bit about what’s happening there this weekend:-

Rugby Union – was at the stadium for the rugby world cup including opening and closing ceremonies. Were spectacular events which included some very good firework displays. I have also watched the six nations heineken cup. The atmosphere for welsh games is very good with the crowds getting behind their team and singing unfortunatley they have not done well this year.

Rugby League – A few weeks ago I was at The Bradford v Leeds cup final. The atmosphere at this event was electric and very family friendly. I had not been to a rugby league match before but I would recommend it as a very exciting day out.

Football – variety of cup finals, worthington cup, FA cup, Charity shield, playoffs. All bring their unique identity to the stadium with different fans. Events have been well organised.

Welsh Football Team – Can’t help but mention them seperately with how well they have been doing at the moment. The atmosphere when Wales are playing is very good with some matches selling out within 24hours – and Cardiff have reached the playoffs here too.

Music – stereophonics, Manics, Tina Turner, Robbie Williams, to name a few. The stadium has struggled to attract a large number of music events recently. Although the Stereophonics have anounced a December gig.

***********This weekend - FA CUP!!!!!***************

The F.A. Challenge Cup is the oldest and most famous football competition in the world. The number of entries in the competition has risen steadily from the original 15 clubs in 1871. Nowdays clubs have tohave a certain standard ground and number of facilities before they can enter. This year appoximately 600 clubs entered the competition. Now its down to two – ARSENAL and SOUTHAMPTON.

The Competition begins with an Extra-Preliminary Round in August. There is then a Preliminary Round, four Qualfying Rounds, followed by six Rounds in the Competition Proper, a Semi-Final and a Final. All matches except the Semi-Final and Final ties are replayed if drawn after 90 minutes. The Semi-Finals and Final tie are played to a finish on the day.

The final was staged at Wembley from 1923 to 2000. From 2001 it has been staged at the Millenium stadium in Cardiff. This year for the third time in Cardiff Arsenal are in the final.
2001 Liverpool v Arsenal 2-1
2002 Arsenal v Chelsea 2-0

Updated 22/05/03
2003 Arsenal v Southampton 1-0
 

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