CREWE ALEXANDRA v BARNET
Sky Bet League 2
Saturday 6th May 2017
Kick-Off 5:30pm
The Stadium:
Alexandra Stadium, Gresty Road, Crewe, Cheshire, CW2 6EB
Telephone:
01270 213 014
Club Colours:
Red and White Nickname: The Railwaymen
Key Personnel:
David Artell has been in charge at Crewe since January 2017 replacing Steve Davis. Artell had to that point been the Academy Operations Manager at Gresty Road for 3 years. His playing career at Centre Half included spells at Rotherham, Mansfield, Chester Morecambe and Crewe and he won 7 caps for the Gibraltar National Team.
Brief Directions By Road:
The ground is best accessible from junction 16 of the M6. Follow signs to Crewe on the A500 and then at the roundabout take the A5020 (now signposted Town Centre and Railway Station). Pass Crewe Hall on your right and at the next roundabout go straight on into Weston Road. There is parking facilities on the Weston Road Industrial estate and these are 10 minutes walk to the ground. However continue to the next roundabout and turn left passing the Railway Station. The second left is Gresty Road. Brief Directions by Sat Nav: CW2 6EB
Car Parking:
There is a huge car park at the ground behind the main stand but I have been unable to find out whether it is available for visiting supporters. Worth a try I think! There is an Industrial Estate and a council pay and display locally and local street parking is also available.
Directions By Train:
The way to go and a no brainer! London trains from Euston are exceptionally fast to reach Crewe. Therefore you can be sitting in the Euston Flyer or The Royal George opposite Euston station with a pint and a bacon and mushroom breakfast sandwich and in less time than the game with a half time interval and injury time, be in Crewe for lunch! The stadium is just a short five minute stroll from Crewe station, you can see the ground as you turn left out of the main entrance. (I have seen teams get out the trains and push the skips full of kit from the platform straight into the dressing room. It’s that close! Prog.Ed.)
Eating And Drinking Locally:
A very pleasant jaunt/crawl awaits as all the pubs in the immediate vicinity are safe and welcoming. The following are within 10 minutes of the ground; The Royal Hotel Corner Bar on Nantwich Road (50 yards past the station and opposite Gresty Road), further along you will find The Cheshire Inn which has a good range of real ales. The British Lion was my personal favourite last visit and there is one pub in the district (lord knows what it is called) with the piano in the bar. I just about remember downing a very large Vodka and Tonic before bashing out a few pre match sing-a-long tunes to my little band of brothers one year! For a great meal seek out Ye Old
Manor Nantwich Road, CW2 6PB a Stone House pub which is a ½ mile walk from the ground. It offers the best value Carvery Roast in the district – it is seriously good and great value
The Social Club:
The social facilities at the ground allow away fans in small numbers subject to space – so get there early, a friendly welcome awaits.
Ground Description:
The current stadium more than copes with the demands of League 2 with four all seated stands in a healthy capacity of around 11,000. The £5.2 million Main stand is the latest edition and focal point built in 2000. It is a large single tiered arrangement with room for 6,800. Behind the goal to it’s left we find the “home fan” Gresty Road Stand which occupies the site of the old open Gresty Road Terrace while the Wulvern Housing Family Stand is at the other end (previously the Railway End). Our home for the afternoon will be the Whitby Morrison Ice Cream Stand, formally the Popular Side Terrace. It can accommodate up to 1,700 spectators.
Rivals:
Stoke City and Port Vale.
Admission Prices:
Adults £22.
12-16 Years £10.50.
U11’s £6.50.
Senior Citizens £17.
Disabled £17.
Our Last Meeting & Memories:
Our last visit was in September 2011 when a goal from Izale McLeod was not enough in a 3-1 defeat. 21st August 2010 is a day to forget as we returned to Hertfordshire on the end of a 7-0 drubbing. The 1992 Division 3 season, before the infamous summer of 1993, culminated in a game at Gresty Road where the Bees were already assured of promotion and Crewe a play-off berth. The 4-1 victory to Crewe featured a Mark Carter goal for Barnet and much inter mingling of fans on the pitch after the final whistle in front of the old main stand. Staying in a local hotel (can’t remember it’s name now), later that night I discovered the delights of Rasam Soup, Cured Rice and Pathiri in an Indian Restaurant somewhere in the town centre! Of course we all know the outcome of Crewe’s visit to Underhill in August 1991 (4-7 to jog your memories) but the Bees were also well beaten in the return game in December by 3-0.
Celebrity Watch:
Most Crewe residents will be found scratching their heads when asked to name local celebs – there just isn’t any! Oh yeah, do you want to know a secret? Well, Billy J Kramer lived in Crewe during the 1960s but keep it quiet.
