SportNation.bet Stadium – Solihull Moors

With the Club’s success on the field and rising attendances, the ground has seen some quite a lot of development in the last couple of seasons and this transformation is continuing with the building of a new Main Stand. Called the Damson Homes Stand, it is two-storey and runs the full length of the pitch. With a capacity of 1,219 seats, it is effectively a ‘double-decker’ stand with a seating area below and up above areas for corporate hospitality boxes, press etc.. Disappointingly for a new stand, it does have a number of supporting pillars running along the front of the lower tier. 

Opposite is the Gas Centre Stand, or also known as the Car Park or Airport side. In fact, you can see one of the nearby Birmingham Airport Conning Towers in the distance behind it. This is comprised of three blocks of temporary seating, comprising around 1,300 seats. Although covered, two of the blocks have more flimsy material meaning they flap up and down a little if it is a bit windy.

At the Draintech End of the ground, is a small covered terrace. Although it is only seven steps high, it does run for the full width of the pitch and has a capacity of just under 1,000. If segregation is in place then, most if not all of this end is given to visiting supporters. At the opposite end is the Jerroms Stand, which is also known as the Damson Lane End. This small covered terrace is known to the local fans as the ‘Shed End’. The ground has a set of seven tall floodlight pylons, three of which are located on the Main Stand side and four running down the opposite side. 

Solihull Moors were formed after the amalgamation of Solihull Borough and Moor Green Football Clubs in 2007. Moor Green were forced to leave their Moorlands Ground after their Main Stand was destroyed by fire. The ground was known as Damson Park for many years but has been renamed in 2019 SportNation.bet Stadium in a corporate sponsorship deal. The stadium is also home to Birmingham City Ladies FC and occasionally it is also used for Birmingham City development squad matches.

In a continued effort to bring the ground up to Football League standard, the Club are planning at the end of the 2019/20 season to build a new stand on the Car Park/Airport side of the ground. The new stand will have a capacity of 1,219 covered seats.

Most matches at Damson Park are segregated. Away fans are mostly housed in the Draintech Terrace at one end of the ground. Dependant on numbers then all or part of this terrace is given to visiting supporters. This terrace is mostly covered to the rear and has seven steps with a capacity of just under 1,000. In addition, visiting supporters are also allocated a temporary covered stand on the Gas Centre Stand side of the ground. Where 504 seats are made available. This stand does have a roof, but only covers the central parts of the stand, which is not normally a problem unless it is raining and there is a big crowd in attendance. There are also four supporting pillars running along the front of this stand that could slightly impede your view. The acoustics of the away terrace are good, meaning that a good atmosphere can be generated. Please note that on reaching the ground then the away end is at the opposite end to the ground entrance, so you have to go around the club car park to your right to reach the visitors turnstiles.

The Damson Lane ground is sandwiched in-between Birmingham Airport on one side (to which you are ‘treated’ to a procession of planes taking off throughout the game) and the Jaguar Land Rover plant on the other. Consequently, there is not much around in the local area, so once at the Damson Lane Ground, you tend to be a bit marooned. Still, if you get to the ground reasonably early then you will find that the Clubhouse Bar sizeable and friendly. However if you arrive less than 90 minutes before kick off time and there is healthy support in attendance, then don’t be surprised to find the car park full (and you then having to try and find some street parking, which can be a challenge) and the scrum four deep at the bar.

There is a clubhouse just outside the ground which welcomes away supporters. This has a staggering four bars inside, three downstairs and one upstairs. The number of bars that are open on a matchday depends on what attendance is expected. If the game is segregated then normally one of these bars is specifically allocated to visiting supporters. The clubhouse also has a small external seated area situated out front. If the game is not segregated then the Club kindly allows away fans to leave the ground at half time to access the Club bars. Inside the ground near the corner of the away sections is a small indoor area called the ‘Sadlers Bar’ that amongst other alcoholic drinks serves Sadlers Peaky Blinders Ale.

If parking at the Birmingham Airport Cargo Terminal NCP Car Park, then there is a Holiday Inn on site which also has a bar. Otherwise, there are no other places to drink close by to the ground, so it would be a case of stopping somewhere en route.

Leave the M42 at Junction 6 and take the A45 towards Birmingham. After around two miles, you will come to a major set of traffic lights that has a Holiday Inn over to your right and the entrance to Birmingham Freight Cargo Terminal. Turn left at these lights (Sign Posted, Land Rover/Damsonwood) into Damson Parkway. Go up to the roundabout, on which there is an entrance to the Land Rover car plant. Go completely around the roundabout to come back on yourself. The entrance to the ground is a short distance down on the left.

The post code used by the Club takes you a fair distance from the stadium. I have found using this post code for SatNavs: B92 0PF takes you much closer to the roundabout by the Land Rovers Works next to the stadium.

Car Parking

There is a fair sized car park at the ground which costs £5. However, it does fill up quickly so make sure you arrive in plenty of time. For some bigger games then the NCP Car Park at the Birmingham Airport Cargo Terminal (B26 3QT) allows fans to park there at a cost of £2. But you need to inform the NCP staff on entry that you are there for the football and they will issue you with a ticket. The NCP Car Park is just under a mile away from the ground, or about a 20 minute walk.

Solihull Railway Station is served by trains from Birmingham Moor Street and London Marylebone. The ground is situated two and half miles away from the station in a roughly north-easterly direction.

Brian Scott informs me; ‘It is quite a difficult walking route to describe. However there is a half hourly bus service available throughout most of the day. From the station platforms descend the steps and turn right and exit the station to the east into what is Station Approach (not to be confused with Station Road which is actually in the town centre). To get to the ground you need the X12 which departs from the Station Road bus stops opposite John Lewis (stop SB). It is a six minute walk. Once in Station Approach turn right and head in an approximately easterly direction, crossing several roads, and going to the south of the big roundabout. It might be possible to catch a bus from Station Approach to the first stop which is Station Road. Bus number 957 goes every 15 minutes plus others.

Once on the X12 bus be sure to ask the driver to drop you off at the Rover Works entrance at the Damson Parkway/Damson Lane roundabout. You cannot see the Rover Works or the football ground until it is too late and the bus will be on the dual carriageway! It is then a two minute walk further up Damson Parkway crossing the Rover Works entrances by the roundabout. You can view the X12 timetables on the National Express website. Please note that the last X12 bus back into Solihull on weekday evenings departs at 21:35, so you may need to arrange for a taxi instead’.

Doug a visiting Wealstone fan adds; ‘To get to the ground it may be easier to go via train to Birmingham International Railway Station on the Euston to Birmingham New Street line. Then simply catch the X12 bus towards Solihull. That is the same bus that passes the ground from Solihull Town centre (as mentioned above). On Saturday afternoons the X12 runs every 20 minutes, from bus stop SB at the Birmingham International Station, which is roughly one and half miles from the ground, however but it is not a good idea to walk from the station to the ground it as it is mostly busy roads with no footpath. The journey time is around eight minutes and costs £2.30 for adults. The same bus also stops at Birmingham Airport for those who want to fly in!’

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

Seating*
Adults £18
Concessions**
£12 Under 19’s*** £7

Terrace*
Adults £16
Concessions** £9
Under 19’s*** £5

* A £1 discount is available on these prices if the ticket is purchased online.
** Concessions apply to Over 65’s, Students (with valid ID), Serving Members Of The Armed Forces
In addition, Adult concession prices for league matches are available to current season ticket holders of Birmingham City, Aston Villa, Coventry City, Walsall, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
*** Under 12’s are admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult.

Official Programme £3

Redditch United, Leamington, Tamworth and Nuneaton

Record Attendance 
3,681 v Leyton Orient
National League, 22nd April 2019.

Average Attendance
2018-2019: 1,282 (National League)
2017-2018: 879 (National League)
2016-2017: 1,013 (National League)

If you require hotel accommodation in Solihull or Birmingham then first try a hotel booking service provided by Booking.com. They offer all types of accommodation to suit all tastes and pockets from; Budget Hotels, Traditional Bed & Breakfast establishments to Five Star Hotels and Serviced Apartments. Plus their booking system is straightforward and easy to use.

Official Website: www.solihullmoorsfc.co.uk
Unnofficial Website: Fans Forum

If anything is incorrect or you have something to add, please e-mail me at: [email protected] and I’ll update the guide.

Special thanks to Alex manners Mike Cleave for providing the photos of the expanded Airport Side and new Main Stand at Damson Park Solihull Moors.