I want this to be of use to away fans as well as entertaining for home fans, so here we go :
How to get to Brunton Park and Parking
Places to eat and drink outside the ground
Review of the facilities inside the ground
Other things to do in/around Carlisle
Come early to avoid congestion! There are plenty of bars, shops and touristy things in Carlisle to keep you all interested.
For those of you using Sat Nav, the post code for Brunton Park is CA1 1LL
For the direct route to the ground, leave the M6 motorway at junction 43. Turn off onto the A69 into the city. To get to the ground, follow traffic down Warwick Road and after about a mile you come to Brunton Park stadium.
Car parking:
Do not block residents' drives or park illegally, as the police are very unforgiving. Equally, observe all Highway Code rules when parking, and particularly ensure sufficient road width is left for emergency vehicles, as they are within their rights to force their way past vehicles causing damage, if necessary.
The only convenient filling station on Warwick Road is now Tesco.
Here is a plan of Brunton Park itself.
As always, fans should take care in case a few people are looking for a fight. Some bars will implement segregation or ''home fans only'' rules on match days. The bars near the ground that I recommend are:
There is a large collection of pubs, bars and restaurants on Carlisle's main entertainment area - the top part of Botchergate, leading south out of the city centre from the railway station. The Griffin (next to the railway station) is the usual Away Pub. As the Credit Crunch and recession start to bite, many places have closed and some reopened under other names, so for the moment I've removed references to other specific establishments.
And finally, a brief mention for my favourite eating out place - The Spice Enterprise, in Belah, in the north of Carlisle - just less than a mile down the road opposite Morrisons. A cracking curry restaurant.
In general, adults pay £18 on matchdays for seating, and £14 for standing. Check the club site for more detailed pricing information.
The refreshments and facilities at Brunton Park are good, but particularly good in the East Stand, where there are bars, hot food and drinks. As always with football grounds, refreshment prices are higher than elsewhere. It should be noted that CUFC stewards are very strict on fans not standing in seated areas, which can be a problem with the back row of the East Stand due to that row having very restricted leg room.
Unfortunately, the Waterworks End is not the best for away fans when it is in use, and in particular doesn't have a roof. Prepare for the cold and the wet if you're in there.
Entrance prices:
Seated
Adult £18 (£20)
Concession £12 (£14)
Junior £8 (£10)
Child £4 (£4)
Standing
Adult £14 (£16)
Concession £10 (£12)
Junior £7 (£9)
Child £3 (£3)
Prices in brackets are the matchday prices. There is a £2 discount when bought before 5pm on the last working day before the game.
Match Programme (76 pages, full colour) :
£3.00
available from the club shop and programme sellers inside ground. Generally
good, but watch out for the cheaper "slimline" issues for minor cup
games and friendlies - they usually aren't worth it.
Golden Gamble 50/50 draw :
£1.00 ticket for entry into
half-time draw. Winner receives 50% of the proceeds. Usually around £400.
Bags are normally checked at the turnstiles before entering the ground. No bottled drinks are allowed in. Although no-one has commented on being stopped going into the ground with a camera or stopped from taking photos during the game, this is no guarantee that it won't happen.
Other than the obvious "going to the Lake District" option when coming to Brunton park, Carlisle does have other things to offer. There is very good city centre shopping, a cathedral, a castle (also hosting the Kings Own Royal Border Regiment museum) and Tullie House (a museum of Carlisle and the Borders). Carlisle also sits upon the site of Hadrian's Wall, and there are many Roman sites to the east and west of Carlisle.
On the pop culture side, on the northern end of Botchergate (the southern route to/from the city centre) there are a multi-screen cinema and several nightclubs/bars/restaurants. Elsewhere there is a 10 pin bowling alley and other good bars and restaurants Most people will be able to direct you to these clubs.
Some Links:
Historic Carlisle
Visit Cumbria
Carlisle Racecourse
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