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Today will have been the first visit to the New Stadium for virtually all Hereford United supporters.
The general reaction seems to have been positive but it's position and the lack of 'corners' have proved talking points.
From the outside, with it's large car park, it looks impressive. In fact, despite publicity saying there wouldn't be any room for Hereford supporters to park, there was quite a lot of empty bays. Getting in was easy, getting out was slow. The coaches ferrying fans to the station or park and ride had preference. One good idea was an area for supporters to leave their bicylces.
Being cashless the turnstiles worked well with few delays.
The club shop appeared a little small but there was plenty of stock including easter eggs in Shrewsbury Town mugs.
Shrewsbury have included various extras in the stadium including conference facilties and entertainment areas for supporters and clients to enjoy their day at Shrewsbury.
There is a small practice pitch to the east of the stadium. And at the back of the stadium was the railway line. To have had a small station for use on match days has been suggested but ruled out, at least at present.
Inside the stadium didn't look quite finished as it still had large open corners which seemed to make the stadium cold and prone to gusty winds.
The seating, which was well laid out and quite comfortable, gave supporters a good view of the game. The refreshment area was equipped with Sky TV. The catering was done by a local company but probably needed a little more room and a few more staff and there looked to be a need for a few more waste bins around. However the food was deemed an improvement on the regular fayre sold at many grounds.
In essence the New Stadium is perfectly adequate for its needs.
And as Brucie would say: So much nicer than Chester's!
