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We are looking forward to welcoming visitors to Sophia Gardens for our England vs South Africa Vitality IT20 next Thursday, 28th July.
To ensure your experience is as enjoyable as possible, please read through the below information ahead of your arrival, and share it with others in your group who are not signed up to receive our communications.
Tickets for this match have SOLD OUT, so will NOT be available to purchase. Only those with valid tickets will be eligible to enter the ground. On-the-day ticket enquiries will be dealt with by the ticket office at Gate 2.
DIOLCH | THANK YOU
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MATCH TIMINGS
GATES OPEN – 16.30
START OF PLAY – 18.30
FIRST INNINGS – 18.30-19.55
INTERVAL – 19.55-20.15
SECOND INNINGS – 20.15-21.40
(times subject to change)
TRAVEL TO THE GROUND
BY FOOT - the most popular and picturesque means of reaching the stadium from the city centre is by walking. The final part of the leisurely stroll takes you by the grounds of Cardiff Castle and along the banks of the famous River Taff (walking time approx. 20 mins). Use this google maps link, or enter the following postcode to your preferred map provider: CF11 9XR.
Please be aware that Bute Park (on the opposite side of the river from the stadium) closes its gates at 8pm, so be sure to plan your exit route from Sophia Gardens accordingly. Stick to the stadium side of the river if you wish to walk into the city centre.
BY BUS: Regular bus services run from Westgate Street to and from Cathedral Road (Sophia Gardens nearest bus stop). For further information and routes, please visit cardiffbus.com.
BY TRAIN: Cardiff Central railway station is about 1 mile from Sophia Gardens (walking time approx. 20 mins). Our volunteers will be on hand to provide directions. There are regular high-speed trains that run between Cardiff and all major towns and cities including London, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester and Swansea.
BY ROAD: From London: Travel time is approximately 3 hours via the M4 Westbound. From Birmingham: Travel time is approximately 2.5 hours via the M5/M50 Southbound and then the M4 Westbound. If travelling Westbound along the M4, exit at junction 29 and follow the signs to the city centre. If travelling Eastbound along the M4, exit at junction 33 and follow the signs to the city centre
PARKING: There is no parking in the vicinity of Sophia Gardens other than disabled parking. There are a number of independent car parks located throughout the city. For the nearest Pontcanna and City Centre car parks, please visit Cardiff Council’s website here. A park and ride service will run from Cardiff City stadium. This costs £10 and runs between 2pm-11pm. Please use the following postcode to get to Cardiff City stadium: CF11 8AZ and follow the park and ride signs.
ENTRY TO SOPHIA GARDENS
Stadium access will be via e-tickets.
Your e-ticket is a pdf within the email you will have already received from the club. This contains barcodes which must be scanned at the gate from either your phone, or a printed copy. We suggest you download your e-ticket(s) prior to your arrival at the stadium, to make your entry as smooth as possible.
Tickets will be available in advance only; none will be available to purchase on the day. Gates will open at 4.30 pm, ready for you to make your way to your allocated seat safely. Check your e-ticket for entry and seat details.
SECURITY AND GROUND REGULATIONS
Our stadium stewards will be on hand at all times. We suggest that you bring with you only essential items or leave bags at home if possible. Bag searches will be in place upon your entry so please read our stadium Ground Regulations to understand authorised and prohibited items before your visit.
If you have any concerns on the day, or see something that doesn't look right, please contact your nearest steward who will be able to help.
 SEATING
This is a reserved seating fixture. Please only sit in your allocated seat as this will remain yours for the duration of the match. Check your e-ticket for your entry and seat details.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
The safety of our visitors remains of primary importance to us, and we continue to implement thorough cleaning procedures and good hygiene practices at the stadium.
We ask that stadium visitors remain considerate and respectful whilst at the venue and remember that others may have ongoing health challenges that may affect them or their close families. Maintain sensible distancing where possible and do not come on-site if you have symptoms or if you have tested positive.
CALL IT OUT
Glamorgan Cricket and Sophia Gardens ask visitors to UNITE against all forms of discrimination. There is no place for it in our sport.
We’re dedicated to raising the game and making our stadium welcoming for all. If you witness inappropriate, anti-social or racist behaviour, please inform your nearest steward or Text UNITE to 60650.
If you witness it, challenge it and CALL IT OUT.
STADIUM UPGRADE
Sophia Gardens is now 14 years old and has needed refurbishment and an upgrade for some time. Over the winter, the Club has undertaken a major maintenance project around the ground to improve facilities and enhance our customer experience. We have been busy replacing more than 12,000 old seats, painting the stadium infrastructure and upgrading the toilets.
We thank you for your patience as the remainder of these works are finalised.
FOOD AND DRINK
A range of food and drink outlets will be on-site and are able to cater to all tastes and requirements, including vegan and halal options. Bars will open at 4.30 pm, as gates open. The main Food Village will be located on the road between our stadium (Gates 1 & 2) and Sport Wales. We also have food and drink outlets on the Pavilion Lawn area. The following vendors are confirmed, to whet your foodie appetite!
Dewi's Den | Wing Stack | Crave Burger | Hog Roast | French Galette | Keralan Karavan | The Meating Point | Chang's Wok | Hello Good Pie | The Twister | Bring & Braai
Public bars will close 4 overs before the end of the match. Hospitality areas will close half an hour after the match ends.
Please note: we are still operating as a cashless stadium so please bring card payment rather than cash.
PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY
We will not admit those who are visibly drunk and we have breathalysers in place to check.
SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability has long been an important topic at Sophia Gardens and during the winter we undertook several initiatives to reduce our waste and become more sustainable as a Club. In our public areas we have removed plastic single-use disposable pint glasses. We have also implemented new recycling facilities in more locations around the ground – these are all signposted.
Use our Green Goblet reusable cups for your drink – return your reusable cup to the collection points, located throughout the stadium. Please do not place these in any other bins.
WE ARE A WELCOMING STADIUM
Everyone is welcome at Sophia Gardens and we strive to provide facilities to make our visitors feel at home. Our Multi-faith room for this particular fixture is located in the Sport Wales building and will be clearly signposted. Please refer to the stadium map for directions to facilities you wish to use, or ask any steward. Please treat everyone with kindness and respect.
ENTERTAINMENT
There are plenty of activities going on around the stadium to keep you entertained. There will be live music from Winfield & Soriano, located underneath the Pro Steel Engineering Stand. Head to the Family Zone located on the Pavilion Lawn to enjoy football darts, have your face painted, or test your cricket skills with our community friends!
All of these activities are free, so beat the queues and come down early to enjoy!
ACCESSIBILITY
It is our intention to provide helpful information about accessibility, including the facilities we have in place. Visit this website page for more information. Glamorgan Cricket is a proud member of the Level Playing Field organisation. A fully accessible ("changing places") toilet, with an adult hoist and changing table, will be located under the Castell Howell stand.
CLUB SHOP
The Official Club Shop is located at Gate 2 and will be open from gates opening at 4.30pm. Glamorgan 2022 shirts and England Cricket merchandise are available in-store.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOMING YOU TO SOPHIA GARDENS ON 28TH JULY!
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