Where to go, what will be open - everything you need to know for our Emirates FA Cup home game against Cheltenham Town.
How to access the Stadium
Cherry Red Records Stadium will open for home fans from 1pm (two hours before kick-off) and it is advised that these fans arrive as early as possible. Away supporters can arrive from 1:30pm onwards. Supporters must enter the Stadium via their designated entrance for their stand which is indicated on their ticket. Additionally, fans will be required to go through security where bags may be searched.
Below is a colour-coded map of the Stadium entrances to help fans find their allocated point of entry.
All home fans will enter via the Plough Lane end of the Stadium only. Please note that fans in the Movers Stand or Ry Stand can only enter via Gates 3, 4 and 5. Gate 6 is not open for this game. Fans seated in the Cappagh Stand can only enter via Gate 2.
Away fans can only access the Stadium by Gate 7, which is accessed via St Martin’s Way or Maskell Road.
For fans who have purchased matchday hospitality, please enter the Stadium via Gate 1 which will open at 12pm. The map below highlights the hospitality blocks and lounges.
Parking
There will be no parking on site (accessible spectators will be given separate guidelines). We recommend fans travel to the Stadium by train, bus, or, if you are local, by simply walking to the ground. There will be no parking available at Garrett Business Park.
Bags
To help reduce queues at checkpoints, we ask fans not to bring bags into the Stadium where possible. If essential, then please only bring an A5 sized bag (21cm x 15 cm x 10cm) or a clear bag only. Large bags or suitcases (including cabin bags) are not permitted.
Cashless Stadium
We are currently operating a semi-cashless Stadium. This means that most of the Stadium will only accept card payments apart from the club shop and matchday magazine sellers. Fans who turn up on the day with only cash will be able to purchase vouchers in denominations of £10 at the matchday magazine stalls and the club shop, which can then be used to buy food and drinks in the concessions.
Food, Drinks and Pub
Food and drinks will be available to purchase at the Stadium, including the food park, which offers several different types of cuisines on offer from local food businesses. The food trucks that will be at the Emirates FA Cup game against Cheltenham Town are the following: Dough Shack, Vegan Express and Naked Chips. Fans are also permitted to bring water in a clear plastic bottle if they wish. However, no glass, cans, metal bottles or thermos flasks will be allowed.
All fans will have access to food and drink concessions around the Stadium including the food park behind the Movers stand. Unfortunately due to fire regulations, fans in the Ry and Movers Stands will not have access to the first floor concessions in the Cappagh Stand. As a result, all fans seated in the Cappagh Stand will need to show their match ticket or have their hand stamped in order to get back to the first floor concourse.
The food trucks will stop serving at 6:30pm with last drink orders on the Movers Stand bar at the same time. The pub will also remain open after the game.
The Club Shop
The club shop will be open on Saturday from 11:30am to 2:45pm before the game and from 5pm to 6pm after the game.
Kids Zone
The Kids Zone will be open on Saturday for our match against Cheltenham Town. Not only will fans be able to meet Haydon, our favourite Womble, there'll also be tons of fun activities such as colouring, Lego, Duplo and Stickle Brix - as well as an inflatable football shooting game. The Kids Zone is positioned on the concourse behind the Family Section on the corner of the East and South stands. Specifically for kids aged between 5-12, it is open from 1.30pm to 2.45pm with activities organised on a rotation basis. Please note that children MUST be supervised by parents at all times.
The map below shows the location of the Food Park, Pub, Club Shop, and the Kids Zone.
Matchday Magazine
The matchday magazine can be purchased for £3 at the club shop and also inside each of our four stands. Sellers will also be positioned outside the Cappagh Stand entrance and along Plough Lane.
Reusable Cups
The club has implemented a reusable beer cup scheme to replace all single use plastic pint cups around the Stadium. Once fans have finished their beer, they are required to put these cups within the reusable cup bins located around the Stadium.
Man of the Match
The presentation will be held behind the Movers Stand next to the pub entrance at approximately 5:30pm. Our very own Ivor Heller will finish the presentation by interviewing the chosen Man of the Match.
Dons Local Action Group Food Collection Point
We will once again be organising collection points at Cherry Red Records Stadium on Saturday with supporters invited to donate food to those less fortunate in the community. Masterminded by our award-winning Dons Local Action Group (DLAG), fans will be able to drop off tinned supplies - with an urgent need for tinned meat, tinned vegetables, tinned fish, tinned fruit, and tinned pulses. Food collection points will be located at every entrance into the stadium.
Election Ballot Box at the Dons Trust Stall
Saturday marks the last day of this year’s Dons Trust Board elections and the Elections Steering Group will be staffing the stall with the Ballot Box from around 1:15pm to 2:45pm. Most members vote electronically but if you have a paper ballot or require a replacement paper vote then volunteers on the stall will be happy to help.
The Dons Trust Stall can be found at the South East corner of the ground behind the Movers Stand opposite the Food Park.
The ballot box will also be available to deposit your vote after the game until 6pm at the Club Shop after which paper ballots will be closed. Electronic voters have until midnight to send in their vote. The count is scheduled to take place on Sunday.
Covid-19
We’d like to encourage fans to adhere to the Covid protocols:
- When inside the concourse areas, corridors, toilets and other internal areas, fans are encouraged to wear a face covering. Masks will not be required in the stands and external areas however you can continue to wear a mask if you wish.
- Fans will have the option to scan a track and trace QR code upon arrival to the Stadium as we look to reduce the spread of the virus – this is not, however, a mandatory requirement to enter the Stadium.
- Fans are asked to read to the Supporters Code of Conduct prior to being able to download their tickets. In particular, you must agree to the following:
- Please do not attend the match if you display Covid-19 symptoms 48 hours prior to the test event;
- Please do not attend the match if you have tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 10 days;
- Please do not attend the match if you are currently self-isolating.
We will be reinforcing the NHS track and trace QR code, which we would kindly ask fans to scan upon entry to the stadium. We would also ask supporters to observe social distancing and use the hand sanitiser stations where possible.
For our home game on Saturday 18th December against Portsmouth, we will be introducing a random spot check prior to entry to the stadium. This will require our stewards/volunteers to ask fans to show either a negative lateral flow test or a covid passport in digital or print form.
It must be stressed that these checks are for research purposes only to provide Covid data to help support the work of the local health authority. If fans are unable to provide evidence of one of these documents, they will NOT be refused entry to the Stadium. We will be providing further details about these protocols prior to Saturday 18th December.