Getting to Reading

[Long slender neck]

Seems like a pain in the arse considering its relatively close.

Elizabeth line is over £30 one way! and then you need a shuttle bus their end +£6 return pp.
Driving? they'll sting you for a park and ride instead, even though theres a retail park next to the stadium.

At least its on Sky.

[Dunners]

The Elizabeth Line can take ages to get there. If going by train you're better of changing at Paddington and getting the Great Western service.

Parking is a bit rubbish, plus that end of the M4 and M25 junction can get very busy. For a place not far away it's a real pain in the backside.

[Chicken Dhansak]

If you drive, M4

[LPE]

And it’s a soulless bowl with nothing nearby.

One I’ve done twice but can’t ever see a return trip to.

[Rich Tea Wellin]

Was gonna go but they moved it to my birthday, and a milestone one at that so i don't want to ruin it. Gonna sit in my pants, on the sofa, eating cake whilst I watch it instead.

[Dunners]

Was gonna go but they moved it to my birthday, and a milestone one at that so i don't want to ruin it. Gonna sit in my pants, on the sofa, eating cake whilst I watch it instead.

Does this mean you can now legally get a round in?

[BIGRON]

Being and old b*stard i can get to Reading free on my pass as i did last year , it was a pain in the arse waiting for the bus back to the station after the game so this time I'll be on the supporters coach t

[VeganO]

I went last season. Very easy trip from Cardiff on GWR then a bus from the town centre.
I also thought it was a real pain getting the bus back into the town centre after the match, particularly as we'd lost.

[Stamford O]

Pain of a journey for huntingdon branch,tv calling I think

[Red_Army]

If you're getting the train, I woukd strongly recommend going to Reading Green Park Station, changing at Reading. 2 stops from there, and an easy 15 min walk from the station through a pleasant park.

[The Reverend]

Seems like a pain in the arse considering its relatively close.

Elizabeth line is over £30 one way! and then you need a shuttle bus their end +£6 return pp.
Driving? they'll sting you for a park and ride instead, even though theres a retail park next to the stadium.

At least its on Sky.

I’ve found it quite a pain in ars* to drive to on both occasions I’ve gone - even though it’s not that far away really.

You get stuck in traffic for ages coming into Reading and again on the way out. You also have a high chance of getting caught in traffic on the M25 too.

It’s a dull, half empty bowl of a stadium surrounded by a soulless retail park. A good insight into what the Gandler Thunderdome will be like.

[Stamford O]

If you're getting the train, I woukd strongly recommend going to Reading Green Park Station, changing at Reading. 2 stops from there, and an easy 15 min walk from the station through a pleasant park.

Is it a pleasant park at past 10 at night

[Real Al]

Why is it that the Madejski and Stadium MK are labelled soulless bowls, but the Emirates or the Etihad aren't?

[Hoover Attack]

There's plenty of on-street residential parking a 10 minute stroll away, no hassle at all.

[Long slender neck]

Isnt the Emirates at least in town?

[Real Al]

So, they're not soulless stadia, just soulless locations?

[aylesburyos]

I like both Reading and MK stadiums. Better than our tiny ground with 4 blocks of flats, BRoad is a better location though

[Chief crazy horse]

So, they're not soulless stadia, just soulless locations?

Yes, good point. Nevertheless, give me the old four sided stand stadiums any day of the week. Like Man u, Newcastle etc. So much more character, real football stadiums compared to a bowl.

[Real Al]

While I do agree, I find the soulless argument tiresome. After all Colchester is a four sided stadium and it is regularly called soulless on here. Soulless seems to be shorthand for modern and out of town.

Meanwhile, Huddersfield often gets positive comments, even though it's modern and surrounded by a massive industrial park.

I guess there's just no pleasing football fans.

[Dunners]

There's good and bad examples of new stadia, but location is important. You basically want to be able to walk from the local railway station, and pass some decent pubs, and cafes on the way. I can take most new designs and accept their functionality but, in the larger grounds, I do think the presence of a corporate tier between the normal tiers acts as an atmosphere sponge.

[BIGRON]

On the subject of Reading , I purchased tickets on Tuesday morning , tickets hadn't arrived this morning on my phone so I called the office and they said they'd resend them , still no sign of them and the payment has been taken

[LPE]

Soulless for me is easy criteria to categorise:

- no character, looking like most other new builds (usually a bowl)
- in the middle of nowhere with minimal amenities nearby
- an arse to get to because of the transport infrastructure in the remote locale
- often only 50% full fir matches and therefore has a limited atmosphere

With those categorisation it means, for me, that Arse isn’t a soulless bowl but Reading, Southampton, Boro and Brighton are. Same goes for Col U.

Whoever said we should get used to it as the Gandler mega bowl Safe Rugby dome will be similar is sadly probably right.

[Hoover Attack]

Is Tottenham a soulless bowl?

[Long slender neck]

whenever i've been, yes. I think a stadium being too big doesnt help

[Red_Army]

It's a pretty subjective measure, but I think sentiment towards a stadium is largely determined by the atmosphere generated by the fans. Obviously the design is an important factor in that, but also is how lively the fans happen to be and the performances on the pitch.

I had plenty of my West Ham mates telling me how good the atmosphere was the year they won the conference league and how they were starting to feel at home there - that wasn't the case last season.

I've been to a few 'bowls' that have had brilliant atmospheres, like Derby when they beat us in League One, Frankfurt for England v Denmark in 2024, Dragao in Porto for Portugal v Netherlands Nations League final. I also was at Wembley when England beat Germany 2 0 in the '21 Euros and that was an incredible atmosphere amd only half full.