City head to Aston Villa on Saturday, and for some Blues making the journey to Birmingham it will be a first visit to Villa Park.
This guide isn’t really aimed at the City supporters who spend most weekends following Manchester City around the country and already know the routine. Instead, it’s for those visiting Villa Park for the first time, perhaps taking a youngster to an away game or simply wondering where to go, which station to use and what to expect when they arrive.
Enzo Maresca’s side face Villa at 12.30pm on Saturday, with City’s 3,000-ticket allocation sold out. If you’re one of those travelling, here’s what you need to know.
Where will the Man City fans be?
Visiting supporters at Villa Park are housed in the Doug Ellis Stand on the Witton Lane side of the ground. City have received an allocation of 3,000 tickets, including 14 wheelchair bays and a number of places for ambulant disabled supporters.
The majority of the visiting section operates licensed standing, although supporters should remain in their allocated position and keep gangways clear. With Villa Park currently undergoing redevelopment, City fans would be wise to allow additional time to make their way around the stadium and find the correct entrance.
What is Villa Park like?
Villa Park is one of the traditional big English football grounds and offers a very different away day from newer stadiums such as the Emirates or Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Villa have played there since 1897, and its four-stand design gives the ground a more enclosed feel than many modern Premier League venues.
For a first-time visitor, the Holte End is probably its defining feature, while the surrounding residential streets retain much of the character associated with older English grounds. There is currently significant redevelopment taking place at Villa Park, however, and Villa have advised supporters to arrive earlier than usual because one end of the stadium is an active construction site.
Which station should Man City fans use?
Witton is generally the most convenient railway station for away supporters and is only a short walk from Villa Park. It brings visiting fans out on the Witton side of the stadium and is the obvious option for many supporters arriving in Birmingham by train.
Most City fans travelling from Manchester will first arrive at Birmingham New Street, from where local rail services can take them towards Witton. Aston station is another option and is within walking distance of Villa Park, so it may be worth considering if services or queues around Witton are particularly busy.
Whichever route you choose, check the latest rail information before setting off. A 12.30pm kick-off leaves rather less room for delays than a traditional Saturday afternoon game.
What if you’re travelling through Birmingham New Street?
New Street is likely to be the main arrival point for City supporters coming into Birmingham city centre, and there is an alternative to taking another train from there. Aston Villa’s AV82 matchday shuttle picks supporters up from Dudley Street, outside New Street station, and runs directly towards Villa Park.
Buses are scheduled approximately every 15 minutes from three hours before kick-off. The service also operates back towards Birmingham New Street after the game, with buses running for up to 90 minutes following the final whistle.
For a first-time visitor who doesn’t fancy negotiating a busy local train, the AV82 is therefore worth knowing about. As ever on a matchday, leaving enough time for queues and traffic is sensible.
What about Man City’s mobile tickets?
City’s entire allocation has been issued as mobile tickets, with the club saying they should be sent to supporters no later than three days before the game. Make sure yours is downloaded and accessible before leaving home rather than waiting until you’re standing outside Villa Park.
Tickets are issued solely for the use of the named holder and are non-transferable. City have also warned that a limited number of ticket checks will take place on matchday, so supporters should have their ticket available if requested.
Fans under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult when entering Villa Park.
Where can Man City fans have a drink?
This is another part of the trip where planning ahead makes sense. Villa Park is surrounded largely by residential streets and supporters shouldn’t assume that pubs immediately around the ground will admit visiting fans, particularly when wearing colours.
For first-time visitors, Birmingham city centre can be the simpler option. There are plenty of pubs and bars within walking distance of New Street, after which supporters can take either a local train or the AV82 towards Villa Park.
The 12.30pm kick-off obviously limits the amount of time available before the game, so check opening times if you have somewhere particular in mind. Food and drink are also available at Villa Park, which operates as a cashless stadium.
Can you take a bag into Villa Park?
Villa operate a strict stadium-wide bag policy. Bags larger than 20cm x 15cm x 5cm are not permitted on the stadium footprint, and bags brought to the ground will be physically or visually searched at the entrance.
There is a matchday bag-drop facility on the corner of Witton Lane and Station Road for anything exceeding the permitted dimensions. It costs £10 per item and operates from two hours before the game until two hours after it finishes.
Unless you genuinely need to bring a bag, travelling without one is the simplest option. Villa Park is cashless for purchases inside the stadium, with card and mobile payments widely accepted.
What if you’re driving?
Public transport is generally the easier option for Villa Park. Parking around the stadium is limited and a traffic exclusion zone operates on matchdays, restricting vehicles on roads including Trinity Road and Witton Lane as kick-off approaches.
Villa do provide pre-bookable matchday parking through their official travel service, so anybody intending to drive should arrange a space before setting off rather than hoping to find somewhere close to the ground.
Traffic around Aston and Witton can also be heavy after the final whistle. If you’re travelling by car, allowing additional time for the journey away from Villa Park is sensible.
Anything else first-time visitors should know?
The game is sold out, so don’t travel to Villa Park expecting to buy a ticket on the day. The biggest practical consideration is probably the early start: a 12.30pm kick-off gives supporters less margin for delayed trains, breakfast stops or time in Birmingham city centre than they would have for a 3pm game.
Villa Park is also one of those grounds worth seeing properly if you’ve never visited before. Getting there early enough to find the away section, take in the stadium and get through the turnstiles without rushing should make for a much easier morning, particularly while redevelopment work continues around the ground.
For the latest team news, television information and match officials, we’ve also put together our complete Aston Villa v Man City match guide. And if you want something for the journey down, take a look at our Man City v Aston Villa history, famous matches and head-to-head record.
For all the latest Manchester City news ahead of Saturday’s game, visit our Man City news page.
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