TICKETS
Almost 400 tickets had been sold by the time they went sale from The Valley on Thursday afternoon. Seats will be available to buy on the day from Glanford Park but will be subject to a price increase from the advanced rate.
Saturday’s prices are:
Adult: £25
Over 65: £17
Student: £17
U21: £17
U18: £6
U12: Free
TURNSTILES
You may still think of Glanford Park as a new ground. The Iron were the prime movers in relocating from their traditional home, in this case the wonderfully picturesque Old Show Ground, but they have actually been there for the best part of 30 years and is already starting to creak a wee bit.
It is archetypally identikit and could prove to be a warning sign to some, but has served Scunthorpe well and they have enjoyed a pretty successful upward curve overall since taking the plunge.
Though there is a retail park, but no cinema or bowling alley. Anyway, we are, with a degree of inevitability, situated behind the goal in the AMS Stand at the south end of the ground, one of four stands of equal height and design. Entrance is a ground level and it doesn't have too much of a climb, although the leg room isn't brilliant.
A bit of a quirk is that your ticket merely gives you a seat number and not a row, but the signage is good, the stewards helpful and it is likely to not be too stringent as to which seat you choose to take up. On the whole, the view is not bad, quite close to the pitch, although the other end seems a bit distant. The concourse area is a bit cosy but have seen/will see a lot worse.
FOOD AND REFRESHMENT
Yes, they are all there within the adjacent retail park, although this is not all bad news. Food is available within the ground, with the little tea bar inside the ground a bit of a nod to tradition. There are chippies nearer the town but, on the whole, it's more the fast food route than fry up in the immediate vicinity.
As for the not all bad news bit, the most adjacent, ground excepted, is The Old Farmhouse, which is part of a chain that does nice food, a decent pint, shows football and, if you happen to have a discount card, even better. There are bars at either end of the ground, both of which are fine and the one at the away end is accessible once the other side of the turnstiles. Slightly further away, there is a nice place on the brow of the hill going towards the town on the main Doncaster Road, along with the nearby Berkeley.
In town itself, The Honest Lawyer is the one for the box tickers, just a short walk from the station, while just up the road is a large Wetherspoons called The Blue Bell.
TRAVEL
The Post Code is DN15 8TD. Basically aim up the M1 to the M180, join this then leave at Junction 3 onto the M181 and this takes you pretty much to the ground.
Follow your nose onto the A18 where you will then find the ground which has ample parking facilities. Word to the wise - don't park on the retail park.
No doubt the bulk of the train types will come via Doncaster, although there are trains that come from Sheffield. On the way out of Doncaster there are two trains per hour at 08 and 37 past the hour, the latter being a 26-minute journey, add on 12 minutes for the latter.
The return is a little less simple with trains at 08 and 19 past the hour, 30 minutes for the former, 40 the latter. The station itself is a fair old trot to the ground. If you fancy the walk, turn left out of the station then right onto Oswald Road where you encounter The Honest Lawyer then some traffic lights which take you onto Doncaster Road - then just keep going. There is the choice of a nice cab man, or alternatively the bus from the bottom of Doncaster Road or the town centre, numbers 32, 35, 361 and 909 all drop within a few minute’s walk of the ground. A useful bus guide that has timetable updates is www.traveline.info.