St James Park Brackley: Brackley Town FC
Credit: Chris Tymon Wiki Commons
In the world of football, when you hear the words ‘St James Park’ you’re almost certainly going to think of Newcastle United. It is fair to say that this St James Park is not the same one, with the number of people that can fit in it barely taking up just one stand of the Newcastle-based football ground. With a capacity of 3,500, of which 300 are seats, you can see that it isn’t one of the biggest stadiums that is being used to hold matches in the lower leagues of the English football pyramid. That being said, it isn’t one of the smallest either, with the close nature of the supporters to the pitch allowing for an intimidating atmosphere.
Brackley Town Football Club was established in 1890, making it older than big-hitters such as Liverpool. The club spent its early years in the Oxfordshire Senior League, moving over to the North Bucks & District League in the wake of the conclusion of the First World War. It is fair to say that the side has moved around the various divisions in the lower leagues of English football, enjoying numerous relative successes and also suffering a fair share of heartbreak. They have, for example, made the second round of the FA Cup several times, but it says something of Hereford’s level that the record transfer fee received is the £2,000 that Oxford City paid for Phil Mason in 1998.
Stats
| St James Park Brackley Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Opened | 1974 |
| Capacity | 3500 |
| Average Attendance | 710 |
| Record Attendance | 3015 (Brackley Town vs Kidderminster Harriers (14/05/2023)) |
| Pitch Size | 100 x 73 (7300) |
| Owner | Brackley Town |
| Clubs Hosted | Brackley Town |
| Brackley Town FC Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1890 |
| Nickname | The Saints |
| Club Mascot | Sammy The Saint |
| Rivals | Leamington FC ; Oxford City ; Kettering Town |
| Previous Stadiums | Manor Road, Buckingham Road |
| Kit | Red & White (Home) / Yellow (Away) |
| Shirt Sponsor | Going Plural |
| Team Owner | Francis Oliver |
| Record Goalscorer | Paul Warrington (320) |
| Record Appearances | Glenn Walker (360) |
St James Park Brackley Photos
From Brackley Town FC
St James Park Brackley Seating Plan and Where to Sit
It is not unreasonable to describe St James Park as basic in its nature. The Social Club building has a small seating area in front of it and is slightly to one side of the halfway line, with open standing areas either side of it. The Cricket Club End is, as the name suggests, towards the nearby cricket club and promises a small covered area behind one of the goals. This is the area that is given over to away fans when segregation is in effect. The South Bank is at the opposite end and offers a covered seating area with open terracing either side.
Brackley Town FC Ticket Prices
When it comes to the cost of a ticket for a Brackley Town match, your own personal circumstance as well as when you buy your ticket are likely to be the biggest influences on what you’ll pay. Here is a look at the prices during the 2023-2024 season, so you can get some idea of how much you’re likely to pay:
- Adults: Advance – £15.00 / On the Day – £17.00
- Concessions: Advance – £10.00 / On the Day – £12.00
Although Under-5s tickets are free if booked in advance, you do still need to ensure that they have been registered for the free ticket or else you’ll have to pay the £2 on the gate.
How To Get Brackley Town FC Tickets
It is becoming more and more common for lower league sides to have good websites, knowing that that is one of the best ways that they’re going to be able to get younger fans interested in the football club in the first place. On that front, Brackley Town is no exception. If you want to get tickets for one of the club’s matches, therefore, then you’re best off heading to the official website. If you are a bit of a luddite, however, then you’ll still be able to buy a ticket on the gate.
Where to Buy
Getting To St James Park Brackley
Train – Sadly there is no longer a train station in operation in Brackley, so anyone looking to get to a Brackley Town game by train will have to go to Banbury and then taker the Stagecoach 500 through to Brackley, or else pay for a taxi.
Bus – If you’re hoping to get a bus out towards the stadium then the good news is that there are a few different ones that stop nearby. Lookout for any of the 80, 87, 131, 132 or 500 services and you should be ok.
Car – If your plan is to drive to a Brackley Town match then you’ll want to get off the M40 at Junction 11 if you’re coming from the north, taking the A422 until you get to Brackley Town Centre. From there you’ll want to follow the signs to St James Park. It’s Junction 10 of the M40 if you’re coming from the south, leaving onto the A43 towards Northampton.
By Air – If you’re looking to get a flight into the UK in order to go to a Brackley Town game then you’ll be looking at pretty much any of the London airports, albeit with London Luton being the closest as the crow flies.
Taxi – A taxi from the centre of Brackley out to the ground will likely cost you somewhere between £5 and £10, with a journey in from Banbury being significantly more expensive.
Parking Near St James Park Brackley
There is a car park at St James Park that is offered on a first-come, first served basis. It isn’t the largest, with blue badge holders able to reserve a space by contacting the club. If you can’t get in the car park then you’ll probably want to be looking towards on-street parking, which will obviously have the usual restrictions in place that you’ll need to look out for.
Useful Resources
- Parking - Just Park
Pubs and Bars Near St James Park Brackley
Rumours
The Bell Inn
Chequered Flag
About Brackley Town FC
Brackley Town Football Club was established in 1890, meaning that it has been around for longer than some of the most successful clubs in the English game. After knocking around the lower leagues in the club’s more formative years, it joined Division One of the Hellenic League in 1977 and won the Knock-Out Cup about six years later. The club’s successes have obviously been relative, but for a side as small as Brackley Town reaching the first round proper of the FA Cup, which they managed for the first time in the 2008-2009 season, is a really big deal; even if they did end up losing 2-1 to Eastwood Town.
In terms of those relative successes, Brackley Town won the FA Trophy in the 2017-2018 season, which came six years after they won the Premier Division of the Southern League. In a local sense, few clubs have been able to cope with them in the Northamptonshire Cup over the years, having won it in 2010-2011, 2011-2012 and 2014-2015. The club’s highest league finish at the time of writing was the second place that they enjoyed in the National League North in the 2021-2022 season. They have reached the second round proper of the FA Cup on three occasions at the time of writing, making it to the third round of the FA Vase in 1987-1988.
St James Park Brackley History
When the club was first formed, Brackley Town played their matches at Manor Road. This remained the case until 1968, at which point they moved to Buckingham Road. It is fair to say that that wasn’t a move that was done for the glamour, with the players having to get changed in the nearby Plough public house before playing in a match. The move to St James Park on Churchill Way didn’t take place until 1974, with the club calling the location home ever since. Upgrades to the stadium have been slow to come about, with floodlights not being installed until during the 1988-1989 campaign, as an example.
A 300-seat stand was built along one of the touchlines when the club first placed in the Southern League, both to cope with the expected demand and in order to meet the rules and regulations of the division. The ground itself sits in a rural setting, which is pleasant to cast your eyes over if there isn’t much of note happening on the football pitch. The social club that is at the ground welcomes away supporters, presuming that there is no segregation in effect at the time. The entire club has a friendly feel which is spread into the way that the stadium is set up and managed, so you’re likely to feel welcome when you visit.