Travelling Jacks – AFC Bournemouth

AFC Bournemouth on Thursday, 25 January 2024 at 7:45pm

Distance from the Swansea dot com Stadium: 156 miles ~ 3 hours 30 minutes.

Address: Vitality Stadium, Dean Court, Kings Park, Bournemouth. BH7 7AF
Telephone: 0844 576 1910
Web Site: www.afcb.co.uk

What’s the Vitality Stadium Like

Up to 1,500 Swans fans can be in the stand on the side of the pitch.

The view of the pitch is good and there’s usually a good atmosphere and facilities in the stand are great.

Food on offer inside the ground includes pies, sausage rolls, burgers and hot dogs. Alcohol, usually John Smiths and Fosters, is sold in the stadium.

Visiting Bournemouth

Bournemouth is a really nice part of the world and is well worth spending more than a day there.

Being a seaside destination, there are many, many hotels to lay your head, along with chain hotels such as Premier Inn, Best Western, Travelodge, Marriott and Ramada. 

There are loads on independent hotels, guesthouses and Bed & Breakfast places.

Eating and Drinking in Bournemouth

The 1910 Supporters Bar at the ground, is for home fans only, as is the closest pub, the Queens Park Hotel (BH8 9AR) so best to avoid both on match day.

A 15-minute walk away is Boscombe; which has the Mello Mello Bar (BH7 6AA), Chaplin’s & The Cellar Bar (BH1 4AG) is a little down the road. I’ve been a couple of times to Spectrum Snooker (BH7 6BY). The entrance can be easily missed as it’s a small doorway and then upstairs. There’s a number of pool and snooker tables with sport on TVs around the place and the bar is a decent size. The Conservative Club is members only.

Opposite Pokesdown Railway Station is the Bell Inn (BH7 6AX), which welcomes away fans.

Otherwise, it’s Bournemouth Town Centre before the game, although it’s 3 miles away from the stadium!

Parking near the Vitality Stadium

The car park is south of the ground and costs £1.  As you can imagine, it fills up early and it can take a while getting out.

A 10-minute walk across the park is Harewood College (BH7 6NZ), offering free matchday parking. You can get away quickly onto the A338, avoiding traffic around the stadium.  Turn left out of the College entrance road onto Harewood Avenue, then left onto Petersfield Road, left onto Holdenhurst Avenue and then left again onto Castle Lane East – A3060, which goes up to the A338.

Some fans park in Boscombe, walking to the ground.   The Sovereign Shopping Centre (BS23 1HL) also offers parking and is £2 for 4 hours.

Train to Bournemouth

Nearest station is Pokesdown, which is a mile from the ground, serving local trains and those from London Waterloo. Bournemouth Central also has connection there.

The yellow number 33 bus leaves the bus shelter by the Texaco garage (turn left out of the station).   Ask to get off near Kings Park Drive. 

The bus back to the station is the yellow number 2.

For the Travelling Jacks making the trip – Be Loud, Be Proud and Be Positive!