Tickets
Over 400 tickets had been sold by the time they went off sale on Thursday afternoon and tickets will be available from New York Stadium on the day, albeit with a £2 increase to the previous price. The matchday prices are:
Adult: £23
Over 60s: £13
Student: £13
Armed Forces: £13
U22s: £13
U18s: £8
U13s: £6
Turnstiles
The visiting section is behind the goal in The Mears Group South Stand, aka the Mears South Stand according to your ticket. The ground is wholly functional and quite compact for a new build.
We enter at ground level then, as is often the case, it's a case of how far you want to climb, what sort of proximity you want to the pitch etc…
It is a little open to the elements at the front, but on the whole fine. The concourses are exactly what you would expect but overall a pleasant and friendly experience.
Food and Refreshments
A good and reasonably-priced choice inside the ground in terms of food, but again the fact that the ground is so close to the centre of town means each discerning palate should be sated within a relatively short distance.
In terms of pubs, the tick in the box on previous visits has been The Bridge Inn opposite the station. Spacious yet with a few compact booths, nice, simple matchday food, good service, decent pint and good value.
Going into town, Westgate in the centre boasts a few nice places that range from traditional to modern, while the JD fans are spoilt for choice.
Travel
Quite a straightforward journey by road. The postcode is S60 1AH.
Parking is not available at the ground. Take the M1 north and leave at Junction 33, taking the third exit onto the A630 towards Rotherham. At the first roundabout which is a Junction with the A631 take the first exit and proceed to the Canklow Roundabout, taking the second exit.
Still on the the A630, next up is the Ickles Roundabout, again take the second exit. After the first set of traffic lights filter right then having come back on yourself do a left onto Main Street, then after the council offices turn right onto Don Street from where town centre parking is signposted, as is the ground where you can drop off.
The car parks are about a ten to fifteen walk to the ground.
By train, it’s easy enough getting up north, it's the initial bit that could be fun. There are no trains into London Bridge, Waterloo East or Charing Cross, with services reduced across the board.
Just to add to the fun, Euston station is shut so whilst this does not affect our routes, be it via Sheffield or Doncaster, the trains are likely to be pretty busy.
Once you've hit Yorkshire, it is a short ride from either. You pass the ground on the way into Rotherham Central if coming from Sheffield. Come out of the station and you will see the Bridge Inn. On the opposite side of the road there is a footpath that takes you alongside the River Don, making for quite a pleasant stroll, then just follow your nose, the ground is well signposted throughout and is soon visible.