Huish Park: Yeovil Town

Eugene Birchall [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Huish Park opened in 1990 as a replacement for Yeovil Town’s previous home, Huish Athletic Ground. In fact, negotiations over the sale of their former stadium began as early as 1985, with said negotiations dragging on for years as both parties involved tried to get the best possible deal for themselves. In the end the deal went through and the club moved to their new stadium in Houndstone in time for a friendly against Newcastle United on the 4th of August 1990.

As well as Yeovil Town games, Huish Park has also been used to host Yeovil Town’s Women’s team’s matches. On numerous occasions it has also hosted international games for both England’s men’s and women’s teams. England Under-18s, Under16s and Schools teams have all played at the Huish Park site since 1991. The record attendance at the ground was 9,527, achieved when Leeds United turned up in Yeovil for a League One game in 2008.

Stats

Huish Park Photos

• Yeovil Town vs Nottingham Forest Yeovil Town vs Nottingham Forest
• Northern Terrace Northern Terrace
• Away End (Northern Terrace) Away End (Northern Terrace)
• Huish Park Huish Park
• Cowlin Stand Cowlin Stand
• Main stand Main stand
•  

Huish Park Seating Plan & Where to Sit

All of the stands at Huish Park have different names for sponsorship reasons, but as these change often we’ll also give their geographical locations. The Martin Baker Terrace is a single-tier terraced section that tends to house the away support and is opposite The Thatchers Gold, or South, Stand. This is where the noisiest Yeovil fans tend to go. The East Screwfix Community Stand runs along the side of the pitch and is a single-tier section of seating. Finally, The West Tamburino Stand is the main part of the stadium and houses the players’ tunnel, the dugouts and the changing rooms.

Yeovil Town Ticket Prices

The cheapest way to get tickets is to buy them in advance and online, but the other things that will alter the price you’ll pay for your ticket are your age and where in the ground you’d like to go. The cheapest and most expensive options for adults and concessions bought online in advance are below:

• Adults: £15.00 - £18.00
• Concessions: £12.00 - £16.00

How To Get Yeovil Town Tickets

You can get your Yeovil Town tickets online, over the phone, from the club shop or from the stadium itself.

Where to Buy

Getting To Huish Park

Yeovil is down towards the bottom of the country, so if you’re heading there from the North then you’ve got a long journey on your hands! Here are some of the typical modes of transport for your consideration:

Train - Yeovil Pen Mill Station links to Bristol and Birmingham, whilst Yeovil Junction is where you’ll head from London and Exeter. Both are around three miles from the stadium.

Bus - There are a number of buses that serve Yeovil so your best bet is to head to the bus station and ask; you won't have to wait too long.

Car - From the Midlands and North you’ll want the M5 to Junction 25 then the A358 to the A303 before the A3088. Follow signs as you get closer to Yeovil. From London take the M3 then the A303 then the A3088 as above, whilst from the South take the A30 until you see the signs. from the West Country take either the A30 or the A303.

By Air - Bristol Airport is the closest to the ground.

Taxi - A taxi from Yeovil Junction to Huish Park will cost £15 and take about fifteen minutes.

Parking Near Huish Park

There is a car park at the ground that charges £3 per car.

• See Available Parking Near Huish Park

Useful Resources

Huish Park Hotels

As a town that is difficult to reach if you’re not coming from the local area it’s fair to say that Yeovil is used to putting people up. Here are some of the best hotel options:

The Masons Arms - £108+

41 Lower Odcombe, Yeovil, England

Perhaps not the typical place for rowdy football supporters to lay their head, but this delightful thatched country retreat is a real gem, with free parking, wifi, breakfast, and a traditional old pub thrown into the bargain. More details.

The Preston Hotel - £65+

64 Preston Road, Yeovil, BA20 2DL

This 3-star hotel has a restaurant on the grounds and thirteen rooms. It’s only a mile from the stadium, too, so it’s a decent option if you like free continental breakfasts, free Wi-Fi and free parking. More details.

Halfway House Inn Country Lodge - £80+

Ilchester Road, Yeovil, BA22 8RE

This 3-star Inn has got nineteen rooms, a garden and a meeting room. It is just over a mile away from Huish Park and promises a free English breakfast, free Wi-Fi and free parking. More details.

Pubs & Bars Near Huish Park

Somerset is cider country, so make sure you try a glass of Scrumpy whilst you’re there. Here are some of our favourite haunts:

Facilities

It’s not the best stadium in the Football League but neither is it one of the worst. All of the usual places to buy food and drink exist behind the scenes, and the views are generally reasonably good from inside the ground.

Prices

• Programme: 3.00
• Pie: 3.20
• Cup of tea: 1.80

Hospitality

You can enjoy either the hire of the Executive Suite at Huish Park for up to 10 guests, or you could opt for the Alec Stock/Legends Lounge Package, which is less exclusive. With the latter you get a car parking space, a two course carvery meal, access to a pay bar and you’re able to hang around in the Legends Lounge.

Private Hire

Huish Park is a ‘unique conferencing and banqueting centre’, according to the club, so you know that if there’s an event you’re hoping to put on then they’ll do their best to cover it. They promise to tailor the package to suit your individual needs. Anything from a Christmas party through to a small business meeting can be hosted here, as long as you don't need to host more than 130 people as that seems to be the limit.

Stadium Tours & Museum

Stadium tours do happen, but they seem to be organised through the Community Sports Trust rather than through the club. It doesn't have a museum though, sorry about that.

About Yeovil Town

Founded in 1895 as Yeovil Casuals, Yeovil Town shared its ground with the local rugby team for the first few years of the club’s life. The Glovers had to wait 108 years before they were able to join the Football League, something they achieved in 2003 when they won the Football Conference.

Despite never having won it, Yeovil made something of a name for themselves as ‘Giant Killers’ in the FA Cup. The knocked Sunderland out of the Fourth Round of the competition in 1949 earning themselves a game against Manchester United in the process. In 2004 they played Liverpool in the Third Round of the competition and released a single called “Yeovil True” that reached number 36 in the UK charts.

Huish Park History

The most interesting part of Huish Park’s history actually came about before it was built, thanks to the protracted nature of the negotiations over the sale of its predecessor, Huish Athletic Ground, and the purchase of the ground the stadium was to be built on. The club had earmarked the site of an old army camp as the place they wanted their new stadium to be built.

The first competitive goal at the new home of Yeovil Town was scored by Mickey Spencer on the 18th of August 1990. The Glovers were up against Colchester United and ran out 2-0 winners in their new ground. The first season at the stadium ended with it hosting an England v Wales Under-18 match in front of just over 6000 people.

Future Developments

In March 2011 a plan was announced to build a brand new stand to replace the away section of the ground, with the training pitches developed into a retail outlet. As things currently stand these plans have dropped off the agenda as far as the club is concerned.

It's a shame, because as you can see from the artists impression, it looked great. Still, at least they got the pictures.