Arsenal – Emirates Stadium

Stadium Information

The Emirates was opened in 2006 and Aston Villa were the first Premier League side to play at the venue. The ground has a capacity of 60,432 and is currently the second largest football stadium in the country. The ground also boasts an underground carpark for club staff and comercial vehicles. It was initially known as Ashburton Grove until the naming rights were sold to airline Emirates was struck in October 2004. The ground cost the football club £390million.

Away Fans

Upto 3,000 visiting supporters can be accomodated and they’re housed in the lower tier of the south east corner of the stadium. Cup matches will see bigger allocations given, if required. The tickets, and food/drink within the ground, are pricey. An exception is made for the League Cup, when the home side often vastly reduce the admission price to ensure a greater attendance (tickets sometimes available for as low as £10).

Food & Drinks

The Drayton Arms is away friendly, and is usually absolutely chocker on a matchday with fans spilling out onto the streets around it. There’s usually a couple of burger vans there, too, to keep the blood-sugar levels up.

Another option is to drink around Finsbury Park tube, to the north of the ground, where The Blackstock and The Twelve Pins (both easy to find as soon as you come out of Finsbury Park tube station) are both welcoming of home and away supporters, and are not much more than a 10 minute stroll away from the ground.

Parking

Parking is almost impossible to find around the stadium. Permit holder signs adorn the lamp posts of many a street and to be honest, unless you’re willing to pay £8 to park in any of the near by ‘football’ car parks, travelling in by tube always seems to be the best option.

Train

The nearest train station is Drayton Park, which is about 150 metres from the ground. However, the station is closed on weekends and on matchdays so the only use it will be to you is if you’re going to pick up match tickets or do the stadium tour.

The nearest tube stations are Holloway Road and Arsenal, which are on the Piccadilly line. Both of these are around a 5 minute walk from the stadium. The other stations serving Ashburton Grove are Finsbury Park, roughly ten minutes walk away and served by both the Victoria and Piccadilly lines, aswell as suburban rail services; and Highbury and Islington, also approximately ten minutes away, which is served by the Victoria Line and the North London Line.

Map & Directions

Discuss your upcoming or recent visits to the Emirates on the Aston Villa Forums.