Stadium/Tickets

Stadium Name: The Madejski Stadium

Stadium Address: London Irish Rugby Club

Madejski Stadium

Reading

Berkshire

RG2 0EL

Ground Information

The stadium opened in 1998. It is purpose-built on the very outskirts of   Reading, close to the M4, and the complex even boasts a hotel attached to the back of the West Stand if you have plenty of money and don't fancy the journey home. The stadium is of a fair size and is totally enclosed, with all four   corners being occupied. Three sides are single-tiered, whilst on one side the West Stand is two-tiered, including a row of executive boxes.

The ground has been designed with the supporter in mind as    they are very close to to the pitch and the acoustics are good. The changing rooms are   plush- even that of the away team is big and luxurious- and the pitch is in good condition.

The stadium is named after Reading football clubs   multi-millionaire chairman, who share the ground, and with whom the Irish have a successful    working relationship.

The Madejski Stadium was named the best stadium to watch rugby in England in a supporters survey conducted during 2009/10. The home of London Irish  claimed the top accolade in a survey of more than 1,500 rugby supporters and  compiled by sports specialist Drivers Jonas Deloitte.The stadium  secured nearly a quarter of overall votes in the Rugby Fans Survey 2010 regarding which   ground offered spectators the most comfortable matchday experience. The survey also praised the stadium's shop and transport links. Nearly every fan who cited    it as the best ground in terms of facilities mentioned the proximity to the M4 and    large on-site parking area.

The stadium cost more than £50m to build and the pitch incorporates a system of synthetic fibres interwoven with natural grass, installed at a cost of more than £750,000

The Eamonn Dolan Stand capacity is said to be 4,946 including 25 spaces for wheelchairs. Although in use for all Reading matches, the stand is normally closed for London Irish and only opened in exceptional circumstances where demand requires.

The South Stand has a capacity of 4,350 including 29 wheelchair spaces and is where visiting supporters sit for Reading games. The initial allocation visiting teams receive is 2,327 and is the half of the stand joining onto the East Stand. Under the terms of the original lease, London Irish only utilised the South Stand for the most popular matches. However, with the original renegotiation and extension of the lease, the South Stand was used for all London Irish matches with an unreserved seating plan. London Irish sold season tickets for South Stand between 2008 and 2014-15. Since 2014, with falling attendance at London Irish, the South stands remained closed for rugby and only opened if required.

The East Stand has a capacity of 7,286 including 18 spaces for wheelchairs. The stand also contains the stadium's video screen which is located in the corner adjoining the South Stand. The stand was open for all London Irish fixtures only until the end of the 2015-16 season.

The West Stand, the stadium's main stand, has a capacity of 7,579 including 15 wheelchair spaces and contains a lower and an upper tier. The upper level does not overhang the lower tier and the executive boxes are located between the two tiers. The tunnel and dugouts are located in this stand. From September 2016 the West Stand will be the only stand in regular use for London Irish home games. The outside of the stand contains the Millennium Madejski Hotel.

Ticket Office:

0844 2491871

www.lidirect.co.uk

Disabled Facilities

Contact: Fraser Boyd

01189 072277

Getting a Ticket

 London Irish offer a complementary carers ticket to anyone who purchases a ticket with a medium/high level of DLA mobility and/or care. We only need to see a proof copy of this once to add to our records.

 Disabled tickets can be purchased by phoning Jim Davis on 0118 907 2280, the Ticket Office on 0844 249 1871 or emailing jim.davis@london-irish.com.

Tickets for disabled supporters are not available online. Please visit www.london-irish.com for information on ticket pricing, stadium maps and London Irish RFC fixtures.

Spectator viewing areas

Madejski Stadium has 83 wheelchair positions for home supporters and 14 for away supporters. If required, a personal assistant can be accommodated in each position. The positions are located as follows: North Stand 25, East Stand 18, West Stand 15, South 29, plus a wheelchair accessible area within the hospitality areas. Please note that not all stands are open for every game of the Season.

Supporters who have difficulty in climbing large numbers of steps are able to request a seat in the most accessible part of the Stadium. Please advise the Ticket Office of this request at the time of booking.

Complementary carer’s tickets aren’t restricted to any particular area of the ground. London Irish do not operate a segregation policy between home and away fans

.

Accessible amenities

Accessible toilets are located in all of our stands. The club shop is accessible for all fans and does have a low level serving counter. Catering kiosks in the home and away sections do have low level serving counters and are fully accessible.

Accessible services & information

Madejski Stadium has 12 fixed positions in the South West corner for blind and partially sighted supporters. Match commentary is provided by local radio broadcasters.

London Irish Rugby Club also offer a portable radio system which carries the local radio commentary and which would allow a supporter to sit anywhere within the stadium bowl.

Neither commentary systems are currently audio described.

If you have any questions or possible improvements that London Irish can make to our match day, please get in touch with Jim Davis, 0118 907 2280 or jim.davis@london-irish.com.

Last Updated August  2016

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