Matchday Information for Derby County (A) - 27th January 2024

— 11 minute read

Cheltenham Town’s information about tickets and travel to Pride Park is available here: https://www.ctfc.com/news/2024/january/tickets-and-travel-for-derby-county/

Derby have allocated Cheltenham supporters seats in the South East Corner.

Regular seating is available in the South East Corner Lower and Safe Standing is available in the South East Corner Upper. No standing is permitted in the Lower Blocks.

Any tickets not collected from the Completely-Suzuki Stadium by 3pm on Friday 26th January will be taken to Pride Park for collection on the day from the ticket office located on the Toyota West Stand.

This game is an all ticket fixture, and there will be strictly NO sales on the day to Cheltenham Town supporters

The Derby County Away Supporters Guide is available here: https://www.dcfc.co.uk/media/get/Away Supporter Guide_V5.pdf – we’ve extracted the most important information below:

Away Turnstile Location

Our away turnstiles are located at the South-east corner of the stadium (see map on p. 16 of the linked guide) and will open from 1 hour and 30 minutes prior to kick-off.

Collecting tickets

The away ticket office is located in the Southeast corner of Pride Park, between turnstiles 46 & 47 – see p. 16 of the guide linked to above.

Travelling to Pride Park

With as many as 32,000 people trying to get to Pride Park Stadium on a matchday, we are very conscious of the club’s impact on the environment, as well as the disruption caused by matchdays on Pride Park for some of our neighbours. When making your journey to Pride Park Stadium we encourage supporters to travel by public transport and avoid travelling by car if possible; this will help us to reduce local traffic jams and inconsiderate parking around the stadium.

By Car

Sharing your car journey is a great way of getting to Pride Park Stadium, and Derby County is keen to promote it as a way of travelling to the stadium for the following reasons:

  • Sharing fuel and parking charges reduces the cost of travelling to matches.
  • More people arriving in fewer cars reduce demand for matchday parking spaces around Pride Park Stadium and limits post-match traffic congestion.
  • Travelling with 4 or more people is an efficient use of your car, reducing emissions. For more information on car sharing, please visit, www.footballcarshare.com

For up-to-date travel information please visit Derby traffic conditions - incidents & roadworks (traffic-update.co.uk)

By Rail

East Midlands Railway operates high-speed trains to and from London and regional train services across the East Midlands and South Yorkshire. You can also book all UK train tickets through the East Midlands Railway website ensuring your arrival at Pride Park Stadium is quick and comfortable. Derby Train Station is the closest train station to Pride Park Stadium and is approximately a 14-minute walk (0.8 miles) and the shortest route on foot is as follows:

  • Walk east on Roundhouse Road
  • Turn right to stay on Roundhouse Road
  • At the roundabout, take the 1st exit onto Pride Park Way/A6
  • At the Roundabout, take the 1st exit onto Derwent Parade
  • At the roundabout, take the 1st exit onto Royal Way
  • You have reached Pride Park Stadium

For more information, please visit www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk

By Bus

Local bus travel is a great way of reducing the traffic around Pride Park Stadium on matchday and with a stop located directly outside the stadium it prevents you having to walk from the Away Car Park to Pride Park Stadium.

Please visit the following links for information about local bus travel. www.transportdirect.info www.derby.gov.uk www.trentbarton.co.uk www.arrivabus.co.uk

For further travel options, information, and directions, please visit https://www.dcfc.co.uk/page/matchday-travel-2

Away Supporter Parking

Parking for away supporters is provided at the Derby Conference Centre on London Road (A6), which is located at DE24 8UX about a 10–15-minute walk from Pride Park Stadium. There is space for 200 vehicles, and the charge is £8 per car. As you come into Derby you can follow the road signs for Away Supporter parking which will guide you towards the Conference Centre.

Matchday First Aid Medical Provision

There are two St John Ambulance medical rooms located at Pride Park Stadium on matchdays. These are in the Northwest corner of the lower concourse and in the Southwest corner of the lower concourse. Matchday stewards are first aid trained and senior matchday stewards are trained in how to use a defibrillator which is located within the Security Office adjacent to the Toyota West Stand Main Entrance.

Medication

Please email slo@dcfc.co.uk or call 01332 667528 if you need to bring essential medication into Pride Park Stadium.

Flag Policy

Obviously, the club wants an exciting atmosphere at Pride Park Stadium and encourages all supporters to bring flags and banners, however these must adhere to our guidelines.

The club reserves the right to refuse flags or banners to be displayed, particularly if:

  • The content is considered offensive, discriminatory, defamatory or inflammatory
  • Any part of the flag or banner could potentially be used as a weapon or compromises public safety
  • Any item above the area of 600mm x1000mm must be flame retardant and carry a fire safety certificate provided in advance of matchday
  • The flagpole should be no bigger than 7mm in diameter and 1000mm in length
  • The flagpole material should be plastic and rounded covered at each end
  • Flags and banners should be presented to a matchday steward prior to entry where they will be inspected for compliance with the guidelines
  • The club reserves the right to confiscate any flags or banners not approved

Supporters with Impairments

At Derby County we take our responsibilities towards disabled supporters very seriously. We recognise that disabled supporters may need assistance to fully enjoy the matchday experience and offer a variety of reasonable adjustments. Please note, all reasonable adjustments are subject to qualification and availability. Please contact your CTFC’s Ticket Office to ensure that the appropriate reasonable adjustments are allocated to you.

Personal Assistant Tickets

We offer complimentary PA/Essential Companion tickets to supporters that need support from another person to be able to enjoy the matchday experience to the same standard as all supporters (subject to qualification), Please contact your own club’s Ticket Office for further information.

Wheelchair Spaces

Wheelchair users are accommodated on the Southeast Corner Elevated Wheelchair Platform, or the front row of the Southeast Corner Lower tier (AA row). Wheelchair space locations are subject to change based on Pride Park Stadium seating configuration for certain matches.

Easy Access Seating

Disabled supporters that require easy access seating must stipulate their seating requirements at the time of purchase to ensure appropriate seating is provided (subject to availability). It is recommended for those disabled supporters requiring easy access seating to purchase tickets on either AA, BB, or CC rows, as these rows have minimal steps (no more than 3 steps up). Seating locations are subject to change based on Pride Park Stadium seating configuration for certain matches.

Accessible Entrances

We have accessible entrances available on a matchday for away disabled supporters and it is recommended that you use Gate S; this entrance is located at the South-east corner of the stadium (please see map on page 16 of the guide)

Audio Descriptive Commentary

An audio descriptive commentary service will be available for the 23/24 season for blind or partially sighted supporters. Please contact the Disability Team on 01332 667528 to reserve a headset/receiver no later than 24 hours prior to the fixture date (subject to availability).

Assistance Dogs

Any supporter wishing to attend Pride Park Stadium with an assistance dog needs to contact the Disabled Liaison Officer on 01332 667528 or via email at disability.access@dcfc.co.uk, so that we can ensure the appropriate match tickets are allocated and adequate arrangements have been made (subject to availability).

Accessible Toilets

Accessible toilets can be found in each stand concourse area, and these are clearly signposted. Should you require assistance, please seek advice from the nearest steward. All accessible toilets operate using a ‘radar’ key system. We would advise you to bring your ‘radar’ access key with you.

Accessible Car Parking

The club has a dedicated car parking area at Pride Park Stadium for away disabled supporters (Blue Badge Holders only) - at a cost of £10 and this area of parking is located within 100 yards of the away seating area in the Southeast Corner. Spaces are allocated on a first come first served basis and please be aware that you will be asked to show and display your Blue Badge. These must be booked no later than 24 hours prior to the match. Please contact the Derby County Ticket Office, on 01332 667528 to book your space (subject to availability).

Catering Facilities

We have catering facilities located within the away concourse area of the stadium, however, these serving counters located in this area are high level counters. The club makes reasonable adjustments to enable disabled spectators to access the catering facilities by instructing one of our dedicated stewards to monitor the areas in which wheelchair users are located to ascertain whether any additional help is required. We offer a range and food and drinks in each concourse.

Shuttle Service

The club operates a free shuttle service using buggies to transfer disabled supporters who require extra help from our car parks. This service runs up to kick-off and resumes after the final whistle, although supporters should note that due to congestion, the shuttle service may suspend operation for a brief period for the safety of all our supporters.

Pubs for away fans

Update 26/01/2024: Katie from the Derby Supporter Services team has informed us that the Navigation Inn (Postcode: DE24 8UU) is the away pub.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/he4baTNfAhD6jLob9 - located to the South of Pride Park on London Road.

Other Options: (third party information taken from the Football Ground Guide): https://footballgroundguide.com/leagues/england/championship/pride-park-stadium-derby-county.html

With Pride Park being located in a retail park/industrial estate then there is little choice in the way of drinking outlets. Pete Stump informs me; ‘On a recent visit, the police directed us to a “Harvester” about five minutes walk away from the stadium. It was full of away fans, however, we were told that they don’t always admit visiting supporters.’ Nigel Summers a visiting Brighton fan adds; ‘The Navigation Inn on London Road, is okay for away supporters. It has free street parking outside, is on the A6 (so an easy getaway after the game) and it is just a ten minute walk away from the stadium. There is a basic burger and chips food menu, decent beers, including Doom Bar on my last visit and shows televised football. Home fans also frequent the pub, but it was friendly enough.’ Across the road from the Navigation Inn is the Derby Conference Centre which has a bar facility inside and welcomes visiting supporters. You can also park at the centre at a cost of £5. A discount off a particular beer inside the centre is sometimes offered for those who park there.

There are a few pubs opposite Derby Railway Station, but they are for home supporters only. A couple of exceptions are the Station Inn on Midland Road and a little further along the Tiffany Lounge, both of which are only a few minutes walk away. If not wearing colours and arriving early then further along the Railway Terrace you may be able to enjoy a decent ale at the Brunswick Inn or the nearby Alexandra Hotel, both of which are included in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. If you have time on your hands and don’t arrive mob-handed, then it may be best to wander into the city centre where there are plenty of pubs to be found. Jon Thompson a visiting Sheffield United fan informs me; ‘We ended up in the Exeter Arms on Meadow Road, which I’d highly recommend, is about a 15 minute walk from there to Pride Park.’ There are bars at the back of the stands, offering pints of Lager or Cider (both £4.30), however they do get, quite crowded.

If you enjoy your real ale, then Derby is somewhat of a ‘Mecca’ destination for the discerning drinker. With a staggering 18 pub entries in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide, most of which are located fairly central, plus a host of other good pubs too, it may be an idea to arrive earlier and explore some of these fine watering holes.