Cardiff City fans watching from around globe

Apr 5 2008 by Gareth Rogers, South Wales Echo

City fans watching from around globe

How to get there and where to get a pint...

AS 34,000 Bluebirds will descend on London this weekend, here is the Echo’s guide to England’s national stadium.

As more than 80 coaches leave Ninian Park at breakfast time tomorrow, packed trains will head to London alongside thousands of cars and minibuses filling the M4.

If you’re looking for pre or post-match refreshment at Wembley, some pubs near the stadium are welcoming Cardiff fans.

The Parish is the closest pub to the ground, on Wembley Park Drive, and will take Cardiff fans, from 11am. The pub has a capacity of just 150 so get there early.

The Greyhound on Harrow Road is a five-minute walk from the stadium and will also be Cardiff-friendly. It will be open from 10am-11pm and has a spacious beer garden.

Inside the stadium, fish and chips will set you back a cool £8 and a pint will cost £3.50.

Wembley Stadium advises anyone who doesn’t have a specific parking pass to leave their vehicles outside and take public transport system – which has been vastly improved since its renovation.

Overground trains will be running on the Midland mainline from Northolt Park to the new Wembley Stadium station, courtesy of Chiltern Trains, while tubes will the Jubilee and Metropolitan tube lines service Wembley Park underground station and the Bakeloo line runs through Wembley Central station.

London buses will also be travelling to Wembley on Sunday from Ealing, Harrow, Park Royal and Hendon to Wembley park all day Sunday.

Anyone planning on parking their car near Wembley should take heed of this advice given to the Echo by a Grimsby Town fan who went to Wembley to watch his team’s LDV Cup final against MK Dons last weekend.

“I parked roadside in an unrestricted area just outside of the matchday exclusion zone.

“But, like many people often do, I parked with the left two wheels off the road and on a grass verge in order to minimise blocking the road itself.

“What I didn't know is that this is illegal. I returned to find the car missing. It had been towed away by the council, and I had to pay £250 for its retrieval.”