Emirates Stadium

For most people of a certain age it is impossible to separate Arsenal from Highbury, their home from 1913 until 2006. Much as that ground was only ever known as Highbury despite its official name being Arsenal Stadium, so modern day football fans will perhaps only ever call the club’s new stadium The Emirates no matter what happens in the future. Arsenal themselves are one of the most successful British clubs ever. They were the first club from the South of England to join the Football League.

General information

Arena capacity: 59,867 spectators

Address: Arsenal Football Club, Hornsey Road, London, N7 7AJ

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 51°33′18″N 0°6′31″W

Year of construction: 22 July 2006

Construction cost: 390 million pounds

Field: GrassMaster lawn with dimensions of 105 by 68 metres (114.8 yd × 74.4 yd)

Seating plan of the Emirates Stadium

With a capacity of over 60,000, the Emirates Stadium is the third largest football ground in the Premier League. The stadium is four-tiered all the way around, which is impressive. The lower tier, is large and shallow, set well back from the playing surface as a cinder track surrounds the playing area.

A small second tier, which is called the Club tier, has seating but is only eight rows high. Inside it has a number of lounges/restaurants, earning it the nickname the ‘prawn circle’. This Club tier slightly overhangs the bottom tier.

The third tier is even smaller, being entirely comprised of executive boxes, some 150 in total and fits entirely under the large fourth tier. This upper tier has been designed in a semi-circular fashion and is topped by an impressive looking roof, that includes a lot of visible white tubular steelwork and perspex panels to allow more light to get to the pitch.

The roofs though do not follow the semi-circular shape of the stands but in fact, run across the top of them and even dip down towards them giving them a strange look. Two excellent looking large video screens situated in the North West and South East corners, below the roof line, complete the stadium.

Outside the Emirates Stadium, there are bronze statues of former manager Herbert Chapman and former players Tony Adams, Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry.

Visiting supporters

Away fans at the Emirates Stadium are housed in the lower tier of the South East corner. The normal allocation for away fans is just under 3,000 tickets, but this can be increased for cup games. Although fans have big padded seats and plenty of leg room, the lower tier of the stadium is quite shallow (unlike the upper tiers which have plenty of height between rows), meaning that the view might not be as good as you would expect from a modern stadium.

Entrance to the stadium is by a ‘smart ticket’, whereby rather than giving your ticket to a turnstile operator, you enter it into a ticket reader to gain entry. After being searched on entry, the steward takes your ticket and insert it into the ticket reader, which speed up the process (which makes sense as it is not clear on the ticket as to which way it should be inserted).

The concourse inside is not that spacious, but just about adequate. There is quite a choice of food on offer, although some of it is rather pricey, for example, a Hot Dog will set you back £5.30. However, the crowd of fans formed into a scrum around the kiosk can put you off even trying to buy anything. It would be nice if a proper queuing system was put in the place. There are plenty of flat screen televisions on the concourse to keep you entertained, plus there is a Ladbroke betting facility.

You can almost question if the stadium does indeed hold 60,000, as the large gaps in the corners below the stadium roof, give the illusion that it is smaller than what it is. The away fans are also located very close to the home fans, which led to a fair amount of rather unsavoury banter.

On the positive side the stadium is indeed one of quality. It looks and feels that it has not been ‘built on the cheap’ and is a ‘cut above’ most other new stadiums built in this country. The atmosphere is okay and the pitch even in January looked immaculate. On a lighter note look out for the rather odd looking mascot called ‘Gunnersaurus, which is not as you would expect coloured red and white, but instead a bright green, fluffy looking dinosaur.

On a separate note, then if you like your pies then on Gillespie Road not far from Arsenal Tube Station (going towards the Emirates), is a stall called Piebury Corner which is popular on matchdays. Although it is actually set up in someones front garden, then don’t let that put you off as the range of pies are excellent and cost in the region of £3.80 – £4.50.

Where to buy tickets?

Ticket prices for matches at The Emirates are amongst the most expensive in the league. The prices of tickets are different depending on whether or not you’re an Arsenal ‘member’. This requires you joining the membership scheme and paying a yearly fee, in return for which you’ll be able to buy tickets in advance of general sale and for less money than non-members will have to pay.

Here we’ll give you the price for non-members to go to a game at The Emirates. Arsenal make it very difficult to find out their ticket prices for juniors, concessions and so on, so here you’ll see the least expensive and the most expensive ticket prices for adults. Like most clubs, Arsenal separate their league fixtures into categories depending on how popular they imagine the matches will be. For that reason we’ll give you each category and the prices therein.

The Club operates a category system for ticket prices (A, B & C), whereby the most popular games cost more to watch. Category A prices are shown below for Premier League games with Category B & C prices shown in brackets.

Home Fans*

1. West and East Stands Upper Tier Centre Back £97 (B £56.50) (C £39.50).
2. North and South Stands Upper Tier Centre £92 (B £53.50) (C £37.50).
3. West and East Stands Upper Tier Next To Centre Back £85.50 (B £50.50) (C £35.50).
4. West and East Stands Upper Tier Wings £85.50 (B £50.50) (C £35.50) Upper Tier Corners: £85.50 (B £50.50) (C £35.50).
5. West and East Stands Upper Tier Wings Back £76 (B £43.50) (C £31).
6. North and South Stands Upper Tier Back £76 (B £43.50) (C £31).
7. West and East Stands Lower Tier Centre £71.50 (B £40.50) (C £29).
8. West and East Stands Lower Tier Wings £65.50 (B £37.50) (C £27).
9. Lower Corners £65.50 (B £37.50) (C £27).
10. North and South Stands Lower £65.50 (B £37.50) (C £27).

Away Fans

As per an agreement with all Premier League Clubs, away fans will be charged a maximum price of those shown below for all League games:

• Adults £30;
• Over 65’s £16;
• Under 19’s £16;
• Under 17’s £10.

* Fans who become Club Members can receive a small discount on these prices and also purchase concessionary tickets in the Family Enclosure.

These ticket prices are provided courtesy of www.arsenal.com.

You can buy tickets for Arsenal matches via the club’s website, their telephone booking line, by post and in person by heading to the box office which is beside the Arsenal club shop on Drayton Park. There’s a strong chance that people will be selling tickets near the ground on the day of the match, but it’s strongly recommended not buying from such types.

How to get there?

The Emirates is located in the Islington area of London, so the transport options are numerous and top-notch. However you want to get to Arsenal’s ground you should find it a reasonably pain free experience.

Leave the M1 at Junction 2 and onto the A1, following the signs for City (Central London). Keep going on the A1 for around six miles, until you see Holloway Road Tube Station on your right. Take the next left at the traffic lights into Hornsey Road and the stadium is about a 1/4 of a mile further down this road.

There is little parking at the stadium itself or in nearby streets. An extensive residents only parking scheme operates around the stadium on matchdays. It’s probably better to park further out of London around a tube station such as Cockfosters and get the tube to the ground.

There is parking available at the Sobell Leisure Centre on Hornsey Road (N7 7NY). Just a 10 minute walk away from the Emirates Stadium, it costs £6 up to four hours, or £15 for longer. There is also the option of renting a private driveway near the Emirates Stadium via YourParkingSpace.co.uk.

Cockfosters underground station is the obvious station for fans travelling from the north – it is only about 4 miles south of the M25. It has its own car park but this can be full by as early as 12.30pm. What’s more, it can be difficult to exit after the game, with most drivers seeking to come out and cross the main road to head north.

Unless you have an encyclopedic knowledge of the streets around the general area of the Emirates, it really isn’t worth trying to find some street parking. Football fans on matchdays are easy pickings for the traffic wardens, who contrary to popular belief, do work on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Post Code for SAT NAV: N5 1BU

By train

The nearest London Underground tube station to the Emirates Stadium is Holloway Road on the Piccadilly line. It is only a few minutes walk from the stadium, however, to exit this stadium you need to go up by lift or tackle a rather steep spiral staircase. Also please note that the station is also closed after matches. On exiting the station turn right, cross over the road to the other side and then turn left for the stadium.

It may be a better idea to alight at the next stop on the Piccadilly line which is Arsenal tube station. Again it is only a few minutes walk from here to the stadium. On exiting the station turn right and follow Drayton Park Road around to the left. Then take one of the large bridges over the railway line to the stadium. Other tube stations in walking distance of the stadium are Finsbury Park on the Piccadilly Line and Highbury & Islington on the Victoria Line.

Otherwise you can take an overland train to Finsbury Park Railway Station from London Kings Cross. It is then about a 10 to 15 minute walk from Finsbury Park to the stadium. Drayton Park Station which is situated right by the stadium is closed at weekends.

After the game if the Arsenal underground has been shut by the police you can take the mainline train into Kings Cross and be back in central London within 10 minutes.

Unless you are team are being stuffed and you are leaving the game a little early, then Arsenal tube station should be fine. If though you are staying to the final whistle, then you are better off walking to Finsbury Park, rather than wait in the long queues at Arsenal tube. To get to Finsbury Park, simple walk past Arsenal tube station on your left and then take a left into St Thomas’s Road. The station is at the end of the road. The Police also do a good job of controlling the flow of the numbers of fans onto the station.

For travelling across London by public transport it’s recommended planning your journey ahead with the use of the Travel For London Plan your journey website.

Booking train tickets in advance will normally save you money! Find train times, prices and book tickets with Trainline. Visit the Trainline website below to see how much you can save on the price of your tickets.

Bus

There are bus stops on each side of The Emirates, so your options for this form of travel are plentiful. There are direct routes to the ground from most of North & Central London, so consult TfL for more specific information.

Taxi

A taxi from Euston, for example, would set you back about £15 and would take around the same amount of minutes, traffic depending.

Facilities

As one of the newest stadiums in the country, the facilities available at The Emirates are excellent. From kiosks selling food and drink through to areas for you to place bets before and during the match, the ground has got everything you’d expect a modern day Premier League stadium to offer.

Hospitality

The hospitality options at The Emirates are excellent and numerous. The fact that the website for information about Arsenal’s hospitality is premiumconcierge.arsenal.com should tell you everything you need to know about the quality of the experience you’re likely to enjoy should you choose to watch a match in that manner!

We won’t tell you every single different hospitality on offer, so instead here are three that are from different price brackets so that you know the sort of thing you’ll be getting if you go down the hospitality route:

• Club Arsenal. Here you’ll enjoy a champagne reception, a three course buffet before the game on a private table, complimentary beers, wines and soft drinks, a match programme, an Arsenal gift and premium seating.
• The Heritage Package. Tickets for this package are sold in pairs, so you and your guest will enjoy a cocktail on arrival, a five course meal with half-time and full-time snacks, a private table at the club’s exclusive restaurant, champagne at the table as well as complimentary drinks, a match day programme and premium seating in the midfield section of the pitch.
• What can you bet on today? The answer is here.
• Club Level VIP. No messing around here; you’ll receive a champagne reception in the director’s box with a club legend, a pre-match four course meal on a private table, complimentary drinks for the duration of the match day, a souvenir photograph alongside your club legend, a signed Arsenal item and a match day programme as well as premium seating on the Club Level.

Private hire

Much like with the hospitality options, there are numerous different types of private hire you can opt for at The Emirates. Their website is an excellent place to start, allowing you to say what sort of layout you want for your event – from boardroom to cabaret via dinner dance and theatre – and then saying the amount of guests you want to bring.

Both its location in one of London’s suburbs and the excellent facilities on offer mean that The Emirates is one of the countries premier locations for events and private hire occasions. From product launches to business meetings, the options on offer at The Emirates are truly excellent.

The Emirates Hotels

As you may have gathered from reading this guide, The Emirates is close to Central London. That means that your hotel options are virtually limitless. We’ve found some that are near to the ground for you here, though.

1. The Milestone Apartments – £75. Address: 105 Seven Sisters Road, London, N7 7QP. Just over half a mile from the stadium lie these self-catering apartments that offer housekeeping and laundry service along with free Wi-Fi. A good option if you’re thinking of coming to London with someone who doesn’t want to go to the match and would quite like a home from home.
2. The Montcalm At Brewery London City – £120. Address: 52 Chiswell Street, Sundial Court, London, EC1Y 4SB. Around 2.5 miles from the ground, this hotel has a fitness centre, a top-class restaurant and free Wi-Fi.
• Go to a bookmaker and place your bets right now.
3. Hilton London Angel Islington – £199. Address: 53 Upper Street, London, England, N1 0UY. Around 1.4 miles to The Emirates Stadium, The Hilton offers free Wi-Fi, a restaurant and bar and self-parking, something that is often at a premium in London.

Pubs & Bars Near The Emirates

The traditional pub for away supporters is the Drayton Park, which is located near to Arsenal tube station and Drayton Park railway station. This Courage pub overlooks the Emirates Stadium and is only a few minutes walk away.

However as you would expect it can get extremely busy on matchdays, with drinkers spilling outside onto the pavements. Just outside the entrance to the away turnstiles at the Emirates Stadium itself, there are some food and drink kiosks, one of which sells alcohol.

Twelve Pins (formerly the Finsbury Park Tavern) near Finsbury Park Tube Station normally has a good mix of home and away fans and about a ten minute walk from the ground. The Blackstock opposite The Twelve Pins, also welcomes away fans, plus it has a big screen showing Sky Sports.

Along Holloway Road and again around a ten minute walk from the Emirates Stadium is the Coronet, a Wetherspoons outlet, which normally has a good mix of home and visiting supporters on matchdays. Otherwise, alcohol is available inside the stadium (Fosters, John Smith’s and Strongbow), costing around £4.90 a pint.

History

Called The Emirates Stadium because of sponsorship, the ground originally started life as Ashburton Grove and is the third largest stadium in England. Only Wembley and Old Trafford boast larger capacities than Arsenal’s ground.

Tentative steps towards moving to a new stadium began for Arsenal when they explored the notion of buying Wembley. The club won the council’s approval to build on the site where the stadium now stands and work was completed in 2006, costing £390 million.

Over the last few years the ground has gone through a process of “Arsenalisation” after fans said they felt it lacked the feel of any of Arsenal’s history or heritage. They have attempted to turn it into a ‘visible stronghold of all things Arsenal’ via methods such as the installation of ‘The Spirit of Highbury’, a shrine that depicts every player to have played for Arsenal over the years.

As well as some classy football The Emirates has also witnessed concerts by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay and Muse.