Sky Blues On The Road - Birmingham City

Last updated : 12 August 2011 By Covsupport News Service
BIRMINGHAM CITY V COVENTRY CITY
SATURDAY AUGUST 13TH AT 3PM
AT ST ANDREWS STADIUM, BIRMINGHAM,B9 4NH
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MATCH DETAILS
Kick off at 3pm.
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TRAVEL
Club coach leaves the Ricoh Arena at 1.15pm and costs £12.

By Car
A45 from Coventry, past Airport and Sheldon to Bordsley Green. At round about, take the fourth right onto the B4128 Cattell Road and the ground is on your left.

Leave the M6 at Junction 6 and take the A38(M) (known locally as the Aston Expressway) for Birmingham City Centre. Continue past the first turn off (Aston, Waterlinks) and then take the next turn off, for the Inner Ring Road. Turn left at the island at the top of the slip road and take the Ring Road East, sign posted Coventry/Stratford. Continue along the ring road for two miles, crossing straight across three islands. At the fourth island (there is a large McDonalds on the far left hand corner) turn left towards Small Heath. Birmingham City's ground is about a 1/4 of a mile up this road on your left. The ground is well sign posted on the Inner Ring Road.

By Train
Adderley Park station is a ten-fifteen minute walk away. The 12.49 and 13.39 train from Coventry will both get you there in time for kick off. 17.17 and 17.44 back.

From Birmingham New Street
As you come onto the concourse of New St station, bear to the left of the escalators and through the glass doors. Walk down towards to the end of the Station Service Road. Cross to the other side of the road at the bottom (where there is a new shopping centre) turn right and follow the purple pedestrian signs for Digbeth Coach Station. These will see you descending a flight of stairs at the side of the shopping centre on your left and then going down a road with the Markets on your right and a large church on your left. Follow this road around to the right and then take the next left to take you up to the main dual carriage way. Turn right along the dual carriageway, passing Digbeth Coach Station on your right and the impressive looking Crown Pub on your left. Cross over the dual carriageway to the Crown pub side of the road and continue walking away from the City Centre. You will come to a fork in the road where you want to bear left going underneath a railway bridge. Passing the Clements Arms on your left just continue straight down this road, crossing a large roundabout (with a McDonalds over on one corner). The entrance to the away section is further up the road on your left.

Otherwise you can take the following buses from the city centre; 57A, 58 & 60. These can be caught near to Moor Street Railway Station on Queensway. 900 bus from Coventry also goes not far from the ground.

National Express from Coventry leaves at 12.40. Get off at Digbeth Coach Station and get the 97A and get off at Garrison Lane.
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ADMISSION PRICES

Tickets will be available via the ticket office at the Ricoh Arena or on-line and are priced at £30 for adults, £18 for over 65's and students aged between 19 and 22 on production of a valid NUS card (Make sure you take your NUS card to the game with you).

Tickets for 13-18 years olds are £13.

Tickets for ambulant disabled and wheelchairbound supporters are in short supply but are priced at £22 for adults, £11 for over 65's, £11 students, £9 13-18 year olds and £7 for U13's.

Those who qualify should visit the ticket office at the Ricoh Arena in person for their tickets or call 0844 873 1883.

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MATCH OFFICIALS

The referee for this fixture is Anthony Bates from Staffordshire.

Mr Bates works in the pottery industry and is one of the longest serving referees on the list having been qualified since 1983. He made it to the National List Of Assistant Referee in 1993 and onto the FIFA Assistant Referee list in 1996 where he was on the line for Euro 1996 matches. When the next season started he was promoted to the National List of Referees.

Mr Bates had two  City matches last season including the 3-0 win over Barnsley and the home game against Scunthorpe United. He was the fourth official for City's FA Cup tie at Birmingham City.

Before that he was in charge of the following City matches: The 1-0 victory at Birmingham City on November 3rd 2008 and previous matches include the 3-2 home League Cup defeat to Newcastle in August 2008, the 2-0 defeat at Burnley where he failed to spot a deliberate handball by Kyle Lafferty which lead to the opening goal in February 2008, the 2-1 win at QPR in November 2007, the 2-0 defeat at Reading in January 2006, the 5-2 win at Gillingham on May 1st 2004 and the 2-1 defeat at Ipswich in November 2002.

His assistants are Carl Dunn from Staffordshire and Danny Gratton from Staffordshire. Dunn ran the line for Mr Bates at the home game versus Scunthorpe and Gratton was the fourth official in the same game.

The Fourth Official is John Farries