Home Supporters Information

The largest stand is the Jack Walker Stand, which runs the length of the pitch on the Bolton Road side of the ground and offers a good, unobstructed view from either the upper or lower tier (as long as you don’t get behind the tubular barriers leading to the exits).

To its left, the Blackburn End stand (recently re-styled the Walkersteel Stand under a sponsorship for season 2006-7), contains the Family Stand in the smaller, upper tier while the lower tier houses most of the home supporters who like to sing, plus the drummers about whom views among the home fans are mixed at best!

The facing stand is the CIS Stand. Although the CIS Stand spoils the aesthetic look of the ground, conversely it is often a great place from which to watch the game, especially when the other three sides are full and noisy for a big game. On the downside, supporters in the CIS Stand may find they face the setting sun early and late in the season and there are fewer facilities (and less space!) in the concourses. The stand is also further back from the pitch than its neighbours and there are a number of pillars (at about Row 11/12), though the club does clearly designate the worst affected seats “obstructed view” – there’s no discount, though! For all that, the CIS Stand is popular with a cross-section of home fans and this season the club has extended its policy of charging slightly less for the uncovered seats, and the wings of the stands.

The lower tier to the left of the goal at the Darwen End (as viewed from the pitch) is open to home supporters, except for the times when the whole end or whole lower tier is allocated to away fans for security reasons, or where a large away following is expected. Consequently, it can be sparsely populated at times, and is the area the club uses to bring in parties of schoolchildren for selected matches.

All three home stands have toilets and catering facilities within them (also at either end of the CIS Stand). The quality of the catering isn’t bad, and the club has recently signed a deal to supply locally made Holland’s pies, which was well received. Beer and lager is also available from bars on the concourses away from sight of the pitch (again a recent deal has been done with Blackburn brewer Daniel Thwaites).

One feature of the ground not mentioned to date is the giant screen (Jumbotron) positioned between the CIS Stand and the Darwen End. This screens “RoverVision” from around 1.30 till after the match, with features on Rovers, ticket news for forthcoming matches, and (at half-time and full-time) replays of significant action from the day’s match. The screen is pretty well visible from most parts of the ground, although you won’t see much from the rear seats of the CIS Stand, because of the pitched roof over that side of the ground.

Away Supporters Information

The Darwen End of the ground houses the away supporters. How much of this stand is allocated to visitors depends on the likely size of the following. Where the demand is less than around 2000 seats, the lower tier to the right of the goal (as viewed from the pitch) is normally used.

If more away supporters are expected, the upper tier is used and, for the biggest followings (and sometimes on security advice), the whole of the stand will be given over to visiting supporters.

The views from anywhere in the stand are very good: there are no obstructed views and if the stand is not full, it’s usually possible to drape one or more flags across the centre section of seats (right behind the goal) which are used to segregate the supporters on the lower tier.

There are toilets and refreshment facilities (including one or more licensed bars) in the concourses behind the stand and everything is in pretty decent condition, since this is a modern stand, only opened about 10 years ago.

As mentioned under Tickets Information, there is a dedicated ticket office for away supporters (clearly signposted) outside the ground in the corner between the Darwen End and the Jack Walker Stand. Do check beforehand though that tickets are being sold to away fans on the day as this is not always the case.

Matchday Arrangements

Bolton Road in front of the ground is a major road (A666) but normally the police will stop all traffic on a matchday for about 15/20 minutes after the final whistle.

Away fans are not normally kept behind after the game and it’s usually pretty easy to get away (on foot at least – the roads can get pretty congested!) after the end of the game.