Swansway Chester Stadium – Chester

This tidy looking ground was opened in 1992. All four sides are covered and are roughly the same height, making the stadium look quite tidy. Each stand has perspex windshields to each side, whilst the corners of the ground are open. The stadium is a small, fairly simple affair with three sides being seated and the home end being terrace. The Main (East) Stand is slightly taller than the facing Centurion Community Stand, having a few more rows of seating and some enclosed glassed viewing areas at the back of it. The home end is the only terraced area at the stadium and is called the Harry McNally Terrace after a former manager. The stadium is completed with a set of four thin modern floodlight pylons. One interesting fact about the ground is that most of it (apart from the club offices and front car park) is in actually situated in Wales.

In 2018 the stadium was renamed the Swansway Chester Stadium in a corporate sponsorship deal with a local car dealership.

Away fans are normally housed in part of the Centurion Community Stand on one side of the pitch. For teams with a larger following then the Swansway Chester Stand at one end of the stadium can also be allocated. This former covered terrace is now all seated having a capacity of 400. The facilities and view of the playing action are okay. Food on offer inside the ground includes a range of Holland’s Pies (Peppered Steak, Meat and Potato, Cheese and Onion, all £3), Rollover Burgers (£3) and Rollover Hot Dogs (£2.50). Normally a friendly, relaxed day out and a good atmosphere can be created inside the stadium. Please note that Under 18’s paying on the turnstile may be asked for proof of age if required. 

There is a Social Club at the ground that does admit away supporters, for an entrance fee of £1. However the Club is on the small size (having a capacity of 120 people) so can quickly get full. There are not many drinking outlets near to the ground so it may be advisable to drink in Chester City Centre before the match, although this is a good 20 minute walk away from the ground. Ben Trasler a visiting Northampton Town fan informs me; ‘The nearby Megabowl has a bar inside, which was popular with Cobblers fans on our last visit’. 

Lee Wilcox informs me; ‘Near to the train station down by the canal is the excellent Old Harkers Arms which also serves good food and ale’. Whilst Mark Pilling adds; ‘Also worth a visit are the ‘Ship Victory’ on George Street and the Mill Hotel, which is also canalside. The latter serves a large selection of real ales’. Also in the City Centre on Northgate Street is the Pied Bull, which along with the Old Harkers Arms and the Mill Hotel is listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. Whilst on Foregate is a Wetherspoon pub called the Square Bottle.

The ground is located out of town on an industrial estate. Stay on the M56 until its end and then continue along the A494 towards Queensferry and North Wales. Take the A548 turn off towards Chester & Flint and at the roundabout take the first exit towards Chester (A548).

At the next roundabout again go left continuing along the A548 towards Chester. Head straight through the first set of traffic lights and after passing a Vauxhall and then a Renault garage on your left, turn right at the next lights (there is a Volvo & Jaguar delaership on the corner) into Sovereign Way. Continue to the end of Sovereign Way and then turn right into Bumpers Lane and the entrance to the Club car park is just down on the right. If you team is bringing a large following then allow some more time for your journey as the roads around the stadium can quickly become jammed.

There is plenty of car parking available at the ground, at a cost of £2 per car. However if you use the club car park, it can be quite difficult to get away easily after the match. Henry Willard a visiting Yeovil fan adds; ‘It may be an idea if you can plan an appropriate route, to stay in the left hand lane as you leave the car park and head westwards away from the city centre, as most of the traffic after the game seems to go towards town’.

Chester Railway Station is over two miles from the ground, so it is probably best to jump in a taxi which will cost around £6. Leave the station by the main exit opposite the Town Crier, and turn right into Station Road. Head between the Egerton Arms and the Railway Inn, and at the end of the street enter the underpass. In the underpass look for the first exit and then steps signed for Frodsham Street. Head towards the Oddfellows Arms but just before the bridge turn right into Gorse Stacks. When reaching the crossroads by the Bull & Stirrup go straight over into Canal Street and on under the dual carriageway ring road. At the next junction turn left, past Telford’s Warehouse on the right hand side, and over the canal. The road then divides. Take the right hand option, South View Road. At the T-junction at the end of South View Road turn right. You are now in Sealand Road. Carry along Sealand Road for half a mile or so until you see Bumpers Lane on your left. Around half a mile down Bumpers Lane you’ll reach the stadium.

Paul Williams adds; ‘If you want to go by public transport then take the Railink bus to the bus exchange and then the No. 10 which runs along Sealand Road’

Thanks to David Lucas for providing the above directions.

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:

Remember if travelling by train then you can normally save on the cost of fares by booking in advance.

Visit the the trainline website to see how much you can save on the price of train tickets.

Click on the trainline logo below:

Seating
Adults £15, Concessions £12, Under 21’s £10, Under 18’s £3, Under 5’s Free

Terrace
Adults £12, Concessions £10, Under 21’s £10, Under 18’s £3, Under 5’s Free 

Concessions apply to Senior Citizens, Students with a valid NUS card, Members of the Armed Forces and the Unemployed.

Official Programme £2.50.

Chester FC fixture list (takes you to the BBC Sports Website)

Wrexham and Tranmere Rovers.

For details of disabled facilities and club contact at the ground please visit the relevant page on the  Level Playing Field website.

Record Attendance

For Chester FC:
5,009 v Northwich Victoria
Northern Premier League, 9th April 2002

For the stadium:
5,987 Chester City v Scarborough
Conference League, 17th April 2004

Average Attendance
2018-2019: 1,839 (National League North)
2017-2018: 1,827 (National League)
2016-2017: 2,031 (National League)

If you require hotel accommodation in Chester 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. Just input the relevant dates and click on “Search” below or on the hotel of interest on the map to get more information. The map is centered on the football ground. However, you can drag the map around or click on +/- to reveal more hotels in the city centre or further afield.

Chester is a very historic town and has some great looking black and white timbered buildings in it’s centre. It is well worth getting there a bit earlier and having a wander around the centre, having a couple of drinks and some lunch before the game.

Official Web Site:  www.chesterfc.com

Unofficial Web Sites: 
www.chester-city.co.uk
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If anything is incorrect or you have something to add, please e-mail me [email protected] and I’ll update the guide.