Supporters are being urged to arrive early for Sunderland AFC’s Boxing Day fixture against Bradford City, with over 43,500 tickets already sold for the game. With a significantly increased attendance, the ticket office and stadium turnstiles will be extremely busy on the day of the game. Supporters are urged to please take into account the higher numbers of people who will be collecting tickets and accessing the stadium, when planning their journey. Anyone collecting pre-paid tickets should do so as early as possible. There are an exceptionally high number of tickets being collected and queues will build at the ticket office as kick off nears. Those wishing to avoid the queues are advised that the ticket office will be open from 10am on the morning of the game, for both collections and sales. Turnstiles will open at 1.30pm and again, supporters should leave additional time to enter the stadium. Queues are expected at the turnstiles, particularly from 2.30pm onwards and supporters are strongly advised to enter the stadium prior to this time to avoid delays.
‘Print At Home ‘Ticket Option
Supporters who have purchased tickets and clicked the ‘print at home’ option MUST print their tickets prior to coming to the game. The ‘print at home’ option does not allow access with a mobile phone and supporters must bring a hard copy of their ticket print out. They should also ensure that the barcode on the printed ticket is fully visible and not damaged or smudged, as this could prevent entry.
Travel
Supporters travelling to the game are advised that Metro trains and buses will be operating across the region. To help supporters to plan their journey, information on the services are listed in the timetables below:
METRO: https://www.nexus.org.uk/metro/updates?open=t_timetable-updates
BUS: www.gonortheast.co.uk/christmas
Sunderland station in the City Centre is closed on Boxing Day. Supporters should use the Stadium of Light and St Peter’s as the nearest stations for the Stadium of Light. Passengers wishing to access the City Centre should use Park Lane Interchange. Sunderland AFC’s park and ride service, which operates from Sunderland Enterprise Park just off the A1231, will be running as normal and offers a quick and easy way to get to the stadium. There is also ample car parking available in Sunderland City Centre. Supporters are reminded of the parking restrictions in the vicinity of the Stadium of Light. Police and local authority parking restrictions, including permit schemes, are in place on more than 60 streets and are heavily enforced.
Fanzone
The FanZone will be open in the Beacon of Light before the game, offering a wide range of activities and entertainment for all the family, from live music from The Lake Poets, a visit from club mascots Samson and Delilah, come-and-try football, table tennis and a SAFC versus Bradford City fans 5-a-side. Supporters will also get the chance to have their picture taken with current and former players, as well as meet Sunderland AFC directors. The FanZone at the Beacon will open at 12noon.
Fabulous Festive Ticket Offer At The SOL
Sunderland AFC season card holders can enjoy a festive ticket offer for the Black Cats forthcoming game against Shrewsbury Town. Sunderland AFC welcome Shrewsbury Town to the Stadium of Light on Saturday 29th December 2018 and season card holders can buy up to two additional tickets for this game for just £10 each, giving them the opportunity to bring along family and friends to enjoy the matchday experience.
The £10 tickets are available from the ticket office and cannot be purchased online. The ticket office is open from 9am until 3pm on Christmas Eve, closed on Christmas Day and then re-opens at 10am on Boxing Day.
How To Buy Tickets:
Online: www.safc.com (24-hour service)
Telephone: 0371 911 1973 (operating hours replicate the ticket office opening hours listed below.
Calls charged at standard rate, plus your phone company’s access charge. The cost of calls from mobile phones may vary. In-person: Stadium of Light ticket office, opening hours as listed -
Monday-Friday, 9am - 5pm
Matchday Saturday 10am-kick off
Non-matchday Saturday CLOSED (home tickets available from the stadium store, 9am-5pm)
Sunday, CLOSED (home tickets available from the stadium store 10am-4pm) Bookings are subject to a fee of £1.25 per ticket and a postage charge (where applicable) of £1 per transaction, on all telephone and online orders to cover service charges and administrative costs.
