Thetownend.com

Burton Albion, the Shrimp is coming to get you......

This will be my son's first game at the County Ground. I think I'm way more excited than he is.......still, some questions.

Are there any disabled spaces in the main car park? If so, are they charged at normal rate?

Is there still a family area in the Arkells? Or should I just go in the DRS and keep as far away from Tans as possible?

What you trying to say?

I'll show him the way

How old is he, Pumbaa?

I'm going to take my 4 year old in a few weeks... I'm thinking the Arkells may be the best place to take him..

Thoughts anyone?

Arkell's, town end side is where the most kids are generally, but I've seen some nearly that young around me in the Town End.

I don't think my boy would tollerate the Town End, I think he'd be upset by the noise to be fair..

I was thinking sort of in line with the 18 yard box nearer the front of the Arkells.... can you stand around pitch side over that side? I know you can in the DRS, but haven't been in the Arkells for a long long time.. since David Ball and Matt Ritchie's (second) début (may not be strictly true) in the JPT... which I think was against Brentford and finished in a penalty shootout defeat..

I was an Arkell's season ticket holder until this year.

There are massive groups of (I think) school children in the furthest block of seats toward the Town End about half way up. The 'Family section' of Arkell's is basically that end. There are child-friendly loos and children's artwork up in that end, so I suggest you go near halfway up the stand to go in this area.

Or there's the legends lounge which is nice at half time.

Lovely, thanks.

The kids who sit in front of me in the DRS who are a little older (maybe 7/8) always go off somewhere at half time? The JR room or something? They always come back with bags of penny sweets which makes me a bit jealous

Isn't there the Sweet stall near the toilets at the TE side of the DRS?

There was, but towards the end of the season it was never open? Gutted!

The sweets were much more than a penny though!

For penny sweets? Rip off  :D

That was always the pay off for my kids.  We have to bring our own now.  Dont understand why the club shut it.  Very short sighted.

I assumed it was being run by an outside entity and for whatever reason wasn't profitable. Total guesswork.

Wasn't it the people that have the little sweet shop by the house of Fraser car park?

The J Town Room is in the DRS, Stratton Bank end and can be accessed from outside next to the mural. It's open from about 12 on match days and is great for the kids.
They've got table football, Xboxs, colouring in, loads of games etc and Sky Sports on the TV.
They sell tea, coffee, sweets, crisps etc all reasonably priced. 50p will buy the kids plenty of strawberry laces and Haribo.
Rockin Robin always turns up to see the kids and you sometimes get players turning up for Q and A's.
Whenever my kids come we spend a couple of hours there and they load up on sweets for the match.
If you sit in the DRS it's open at half time too, you can get in at the end of the concourse.

6, but there are days he behaves like Kevin the teenager :-)

Thanks for all the advice so far, esp Aldbourne, most useful. Might well do that - take it any kid can just go in there?

Yep, just wander in, you don't even need to have a ticket for the match - no one checks

I've been taking my two (now 7 & 5) in the Arkell's for the last 2+ seasons.  They love sitting high up over towards the Town End.  I've only ever had a bad language issue the once.  (Some would say you should expect it at football, but it was in a designated kids'/family area, so I did make a point of it.)  Good place to start.

Good luck with your little one.  I'll pass on the same advice that others on here gave me a few years ago - because it works.  Take as much in the way of food, drink, colouring books, crayons and games consoles as you can.  75 mins in to a game you really want to see the end of, and you'll understand why.

So the J Town room doesn't cost for non Junior Reds members?

Correct, before the match the door is open and you just walk in, no-one is there to check cards. I don't believe it's intended to be used just by Junior Reds members, it's a facility for anyone at the match with children.

At half time there is someone on the door from the DRS concourse, but all he checks is to make sure you have a kid with you, no cards get shown.

Disclaimer: This was all correct last season, they may have changed it this season but I doubt it

Lovely, thanks.

Further disclaimer: It is absolute carnage in there!