FOLLOW PORTSMOUTH TO BIRMINGHAM CITY
Portsmouth travel to Birmingham City with a fixture still months away. The table can change before matchday; plan the trip while the season develops.
THE ROUTE
PORTSMOUTH AWAY DAY / HOTELS
WHERE TO STAY
FOR BIRMINGHAM CITY
Choose the kind of away trip you want and we’ll show you the strongest base for Birmingham City, with the match journey kept in view.
WHERE TO STAY
Where should Portsmouth fans stay?
Start with our all-round pick, choose a ground-first base, or stay where the pubs and evening are.
Match night · 2 guests · 1 room
Aparthotel Adagio Birmingham City Centre
Bullring / Digbeth edge
This is the strongest all-round football-trip choice rather than simply the nearest hotel. It is on the east side of the centre, close to the Bullring and Digbeth, so supporters get a sensible walk towards St Andrew's and still come back to one of Birmingham's best evening areas.
- On the correct side of the city centre for St Andrew's, avoiding the extra distance of Broad Street/Brindleyplace hotels.
- Digbeth's independent bars, food and late venues are close enough to use before or after the match.
1.01 miles is the approximate straight-line distance from hotel coordinates to stadium coordinates; the actual walking route is longer. For planning, allow about 25-30 minutes via the Digbeth/Coventry Road side of the centre. Busy road crossings and matchday crowds can slow the final section.
It is not a turnstile-side hotel: allow roughly 25-30 minutes on foot to the ground depending on route, crowds and road crossings.
Compare live rates and room options for your dates.
The Moseley Arms
Digbeth / Highgate side
This is the proximity pick with caveats, not the quality winner. It is a simple pub-with-rooms on the Digbeth/Highgate side of the centre, substantially closer to St Andrew's than the main city-centre hotels and still walkable to Digbeth.
- Around two-thirds of a mile from the stadium as the crow flies, making it a realistically short matchday walk.
- Recent TripAdvisor evidence includes clean/value-focused stays and a football-specific review saying it worked well for an away match.
0.67 miles is the approximate straight-line distance from hotel coordinates to stadium coordinates; the street route is longer. Allow roughly 15-20 minutes on foot, with ordinary busy-road crossings on the Highgate/Bordesley side.
This is budget pub accommodation, not a polished full-service hotel.
Compare live rates and room options for your dates.
PREFER TO CHOOSE YOURSELF?
BUILD YOUR OWN STAY
Choose your nights, guests and preferred area. Find a stay that fits your away day.
Ground, station and nightlife searches use a location pin and show nearby stays first. Check the map and walking route before booking. Location data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
WHY EASTSIDE BIRMINGHAM WORKS
Use Eastside Birmingham as your overnight base and plan the journey to St Andrew's. More time for the football, fewer last-minute decisions.
What to expect at Birmingham City
All the key information for Portsmouth supporters heading to St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park — from the ground and atmosphere to food, access, parking and matchday practicalities.
PORTSMOUTHSupporter insights combine the site's existing official guidance, supporter-oriented research and fixture checks.
Travel & parking
Driving, parking and rail planning for Portsmouth supporters travelling to Birmingham City.
Choose a topic for the full journey advice.
Parking
Driving & road restrictions
Use B9 4RL for the stadium, but navigate directly to your booked car park rather than the main Cattell Road entrance. From the M6, Birmingham City directs drivers via junction 6 and the A38(M). From the M42, it directs drivers via junction 6 and the A45 towards Small Heath.
The club’s 2025/26 guide described closures on the Coventry Road–Cattell Road approach before kick-off and after full-time. Those exact arrangements have not been confirmed for 2026/27, so follow fixture-day signage and avoid planning a departure through the stadium frontage.
Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone operates inside the A4540 Middleway. Check your vehicle and route before driving into the centre; not every approach to St Andrew’s enters the charging area.
- Stadium sat-nav
- Cattell Road, Birmingham B9 4RL; use car-park-specific destination for actual parking.
- M6 route
- M6 junction 6, A38(M) then ring-road direction under club guidance.
- M42 route
- M42 junction 6 towards A45 and Small Heath according to club guide.
- Historic 2025/26 road closure
- Cattell Road section towards Coventry Road and Garrison Lane: from one hour before kick-off; again shortly before full-time for approximately 45 minutes. Not verified for 2026/27.
- Clean Air Zone extent
- Inside the A4540 Middleway, operational 24 hours a day.
- Clean Air Zone fee eligibility
- Vehicle-dependent; check GOV.UK using registration before choosing route.
Parking & park-and-ride
**Book parking if you are driving to St Andrew’s.** The ground has no general visitor car park, and we could not confirm a named residential street that is unrestricted for a complete matchday visit. Do not mistake a previously proposed stadium permit scheme for an active rule: the council rejected that proposal in 2016, although normal street restrictions remain.
Frederick Cooper, B9 4BZ, is a useful staffed matchday option. The independent operator lists RingGo code 44773 and requires pre-booking there. It also lists Carter Environmental on Lawley Middleway and Martell Timber on Coventry Road. Typical prices are advertised at £6–£10, not as guaranteed rates for your fixture. Most sites open three hours before kick-off and close one hour after full-time.
Free parking on nearby streets is not something we can safely recommend. In the Digbeth and Irish Quarter controlled zone, signed pay-by-phone bays charge Monday to Saturday, 8am–6pm, with a four-hour maximum. Sunday and bank-holiday charging exceptions do not override other signs or prove a particular bay is suitable.
For a straightforward cheaper fallback, Green Parking’s Digbeth High Street car park, B5 6DY, advertises £4.50 all day, RingGo code 2855 and 24-hour access. You can walk onward or check the free ticket-holder shuttle from the centre. It is not a reserved space, and the operator advises against overnight parking following wider-area vehicle incidents.
Arrive with at least an hour to spare and allow four to five hours for parking, walking, the match and getting back. Morrisons Small Heath permits three hours for shoppers, which is not a suitable ordinary football-parking arrangement. Do not leave your car in supermarket customer bays for the game unless the operator separately authorises your complete stay.
- Parking verdict
- Booking advisable. No safely confirmed free on-street bay for the full match visit; choose authorised pre-booked parking or an established pay car park.
- Legal restrictions — stadium matchday permit-zone proposal
- Council declined to proceed with proposed local St Andrew’s stadium matchday CPZ in 2016. Does not remove existing restrictions.
- Legal restrictions — Digbeth and Irish Quarter zone
- On-street signed paid bays: Mon–Sat 08:00–18:00, maximum 4 hours, RingGo payment, no return for one hour. Sundays not within the published charging days; individual signs remain decisive.
- Matchday availability — local streets
- 2026 fan reports describe heavy competition, post-match congestion and vehicle-security concerns; reports are anecdotal and do not establish legal parking permission.
- Arrive by — authorised matchday parking
- Plan to be parked around 60–90 minutes before kick-off; most operator sites open 3 hours before and close 1 hour after full-time.
- Paid fallback — Frederick Cooper
- Frederick Cooper, B9 4BZ; RingGo 44773; pre-booking only.
- Paid fallback — Carter Environmental
- 2 Lawley Middleway, B4 7XL; RingGo 44774; provider says roughly 0.8 miles from St Andrew’s.
- Paid fallback — Martell Timber
- Martell Timber, 25 Coventry Road, B10 0RX; RingGo 44782; check venue route and CAZ independently.
- Booking recommendation — RingGo event car parks
- Provider says £6–£10 typical, prices depend on fixture/site, reservation guarantees space under provider terms; pre-bookings open seven days before matches.
- Opening/closing — RingGo event sites
- Most open three hours before kick-off and close one hour after full-time; check individual confirmation, no overnight parking.
- Paid fallback — Digbeth High Street
- Green Parking, Digbeth High Street B5 6DY; £4.50 all day, RingGo 2855, 140 spaces, 24/7 access, sessions end 23:59, no pre-booked allocated space specified.
- Paid alternative — St Vincents School
- Independent pre-booked St Vincent’s Catholic Primary School, Vauxhall Grove B7 4HP; operator advertises 20–25 minute walk and from £19.99 for 17 Oct 2026 fixture (not a universal tariff).
- Supermarket permission/time limit — Morrisons Small Heath
- Morrisons at 280 Coventry Road B10 0XA advertises three-hour maximum customer parking; no permission for football parking established.
- Supermarket permission/time limit — Asda Small Heath
- Asda at 859 Coventry Road B10 0HH has no verified matchday parking permission or complete-stay limit in inspected store listing.
- Total dwell time
- Allow roughly 4–5 hours including arrival, both walks, 90-minute match, half-time/stoppage time and getting out; longer for cup extra time.
- After the match
- Allow time for crowd movement and traffic, and return to managed car parks before their one-hour post-match closing deadline.
- Bank holiday charging distinction
- Council on-street charges generally waived on recognised bank holidays, subject to signage and substituted weekdays; not an assurance of free unrestricted parking at stadium.
- Operator warning — Digbeth High Street
- Green Parking advises against overnight parking due to vehicle incidents reported in wider Birmingham area.
Driving
Fratton Park to St Andrew's
Plan the stadium-to-stadium drive from Fratton Park to St Andrew's, then check live traffic before setting off.
Parking
Where to leave the car for Birmingham City.
Matchday advice: **Book parking if you are driving to St Andrew’s.** The ground has no general visitor car park, and we could not confirm a named residential street that is unrestricted for a complete matchday visit. Do not mistake a previously proposed stadium permit scheme for an active rule: the council rejected that proposal in 2016, although normal street restrictions remain.
Trains
Rail, Underground & tram
Use Birmingham Moor Street or New Street for a reliable arrival, then walk through Digbeth or use the matchday shuttle. Moor Street is closer to the ground, while New Street has the widest choice of connecting trains. Allow extra time for the walk and the roads around the stadium.
Bordesley is physically nearer, with roughly ten minutes to the ground, but its ordinary train service is extremely limited. Extra football trains only run when advertised, so check your actual match in the journey planner before depending on it for either direction.
Bordesley has no step-free access to its platforms. New Street and Moor Street both have step-free station access, although you still need to consider the onward street journey.
- Recommended arrival stations
- Birmingham Moor Street and Birmingham New Street; walk via Digbeth or use a matchday bus.
- Closest local railway station
- Bordesley; about 0.6 miles from the ground according to TfWM.
- Bordesley scheduled service
- One train weekly on Saturdays towards Birmingham, with extra football calls when specifically shown on the National Rail journey planner.
- Bordesley station accessibility
- No step-free access to platforms.
- Birmingham New Street platform access
- Step-free access to all platforms.
- Birmingham Moor Street platform access
- Step-free access to all platforms.
- Football extra services
- West Midlands Railway additional Bordesley calls from Whitlocks End/Dorridge are advertised subject to matchday and disruption.
Station to ground & away entrance
Head for the Gil Merrick Stand and the away entrance on the Coventry Road side of St Andrew’s. Birmingham City’s stadium plan places the visiting coach park and away ticket collection point beside that entrance. Follow your match ticket and stewards if your allocation or entry arrangements differ.
From the city centre, follow the route through Digbeth towards Coventry Road rather than walking round to the home turnstiles on Cattell Road. If you are arriving by shuttle, follow the signed pedestrian approach from its stop on St Andrew’s Road.
Give yourself time for turnstile checks and the final approach, particularly when road closures separate pedestrians from traffic around the ground.
- Away stand
- Gil Merrick Stand, away allocation in the stand as indicated by club stadium map.
- Away entrance
- Coventry Road side, beside visitors coach park and away ticket collection point on club plan.
- Main stadium entrance
- Cattell Road, B9 4RL; distinct from away-side entry.
- Away ticket collection
- Shown adjacent to visiting fans’ entrance on the official stadium plan.
- Walking route
- City centre through Digbeth towards Coventry Road, then Gil Merrick visiting entrance.
- Entrance numbers
- Club 2025/26 plan labels visitor entrance 8 / 9A; confirm entry on current ticket.
Rail
Fri, 1 Jan 2027 · 15:00 kick-off
Reach Bordesley Rail Station by 13:10. The departure is a rough planning allowance, not a scheduled train.
About 20 minutes from New Street or 10 minutes from Bordesley
This allows for the final whistle, leaving the ground and reaching the station.
These are matchday planning targets, not confirmed train services. Check the timetable and the last train home before booking.
Check trains for these times →Stations and the onward journey
- Birmingham New Street
- Check the onward route before travelling. · Step-free access recorded
Station data checked 2026-10-14 - Birmingham Moor Street
- Check the onward route before travelling. · Step-free access recorded
Station data checked 2026-10-14 - Bordesley
- 10 minutes on foot · Check step-free access with the operator
Station data checked 2026-10-14 - Adderley Park
- Check the onward route before travelling. · Check step-free access with the operator
Station data checked 2026-10-14
Coaches
Away coaches
If you are travelling on an official away coach, follow your organiser’s drop-off and collection instructions rather than selecting a public parking site. Birmingham City’s published stadium plan identifies a visitors’ coach park beside the away entrance at the Gil Merrick Stand, reached from the Coventry Road side.
That is the most convenient approach for the visiting turnstiles, but traffic management can change how coaches enter and leave. Confirm the actual collection point with your driver before leaving the coach, and keep enough time after the final whistle for controlled departure.
- Visitors coach facility
- Visiting coach park shown next to Gil Merrick away entrance on Coventry Road side of club map.
- Away-side pedestrian route
- From visiting coach park to adjacent visiting turnstiles.
- Coach road restrictions
- 2025/26 closure operated on Cattell Road towards Coventry Road; latest season and club instructions require check.
Buses
Buses & local travel
For the simplest ride from the city centre, use Birmingham City’s free 1875 matchday shuttle if it is running for your fixture. Transport for West Midlands confirms a service for men’s home matches, with a valid match or season ticket required to board. Check the boarding stop before setting off.
The operator originally advertised departures from Smallbrook Queensway, with buses reaching St Andrew’s Road and returning towards the centre. Those detailed stop and time arrangements date from the service launch and should be checked for the current game.
Ordinary buses 17 and 60 also serve the ground. They are useful when you do not want to walk, but allow for diversions and heavier traffic after full-time.
- Recommended matchday shuttle
- Free 1875 shuttle for match/season ticket holders to men’s home fixtures; current operation confirmed by TfWM.
- Historic shuttle outbound stop
- Smallbrook Queensway NS7 according to 2024 launch notice; current precise stop requires fixture check.
- Historic shuttle return stop
- St Andrew’s Road to Smallbrook Queensway NS5 according to 2024 launch notice; verify present service plan.
- Ordinary stadium buses
- Services 17 and 60.
- Club away-guide 2025 boarding references
- Service 17 from MS9 and service 60 from MS4; stand assignments may change.
- Tube or tram
- No Tube or tram stop serves St Andrew’s stadium itself; use rail, bus or walking for last leg.
Accessibility
Accessible journeys
Arrange accessible matchday parking through your own club’s ticket office before travelling. Birmingham City’s visiting-supporter guide places its accessible visitor spaces in the away car park on Coventry Road and says entry closes one hour before kick-off. Spaces are limited and should not be treated as available without prior confirmation.
The club provides accessible viewing arrangements, commentary headsets and induction loops on request. Speak to the visiting ticket office for seating, parking or assistance-dog arrangements, and ask a steward for the matchday disability liaison officer when you arrive.
Bordesley railway station is not step-free. For rail travellers who need step-free platforms, New Street and Moor Street have them, but a suitable onward route to the away entrance should still be arranged.
- Away Blue Badge spaces
- Level Playing Field identifies five designated accessible away parking spaces, requiring advance contact through the visiting club.
- Away accessible car park
- Coventry Road visitor car park; arrival permitted only up to one hour before kick-off in 2025/26 club guide; confirm current arrangement.
- Accessible parking allocation
- Club guide describes first-come allocation for eligible visitors following prior contact; not guaranteed.
- Commentary for visually impaired supporters
- Headsets can be requested in advance from Birmingham City ticketing.
- Induction loops
- Club offers induction loops on request.
- Assistance dogs
- Contact club ticket office before attending with assistance dog.
- Station step-free distinction
- Bordesley no step-free platforms; Birmingham New Street and Birmingham Moor Street have step-free platforms.
After the match
After the match
For the smoothest return, leave time to get away from the stadium before expecting to move quickly through traffic. The road layout around Cattell Road and Coventry Road is constrained, and the club has previously operated road closures immediately after matches. Follow the stewards rather than trying to drive through the stadium frontage.
The 1875 shuttle back towards Smallbrook Queensway can avoid a long walk to the city centre, but expect demand when the crowd leaves together. Check the current service times before relying on it for a tight train connection.
If you booked staffed matchday parking, be back before its stated closing time, generally one hour after full-time. A more distant city-centre car park trades a longer walk for avoiding some of the roads closest to the ground.
- Road closure precedent
- 2025/26 club plan closed Cattell Road before and after matches; current fixture application unconfirmed.
- Stadium-side traffic
- Supporters in August 2026 reported slow car exits and congestion; anecdotal rather than an official traffic guarantee.
- Return shuttle
- TfWM lists free matchday shuttle; 2024 launch route returned from St Andrew’s Road to Smallbrook Queensway.
- Matchday parking closing
- Independent staffed sites generally close one hour after full-time.
- Rail fallback
- Bordesley additional football trains operate only if shown in timetable; otherwise travel via main Birmingham stations.
- Suggested connection planning
- Allow generous buffer for crowd exit, onward walking/shuttle queues, and rail check-in; no guaranteed clearance time verified.
Where to stay
Stay on the Bullring or Digbeth side of central Birmingham for the best balance of match access and an evening out. It keeps the main railway stations, food and bars within reach, and gives you a sensible walking or shuttle route towards St Andrew’s. There is little advantage to sleeping immediately beside the ground unless proximity matters most.
Digbeth has a useful choice of independent pubs, restaurants and late venues around the Custard Factory and High Street. For a railway-led trip, staying near New Street or Moor Street is just as practical, especially if your train home leaves soon after the final whistle.
There is no need to book a hotel solely for the football. If you are travelling a long distance for an evening match, check the last useful train before deciding.
- Best overnight base
- Bullring, Digbeth or eastern city centre for stadium access and evening food/drinks.
- Rail-led base
- New Street or Moor Street area for rail arrivals and connection to free shuttle.
- Stadium accommodation trade-off
- St Andrew’s is east of city-centre hotel/restaurant clusters; Digbeth offers broader overnight facilities.
Choose an area, then view hotel options
Each option uses its own venue, mainline-station, centre or approved driving-area mapping.
Make a night of your Portsmouth away day
Travelling with family, meeting mates or following the team as you do every week? These selected stays are intended to make the trip easier and give you more time to enjoy the destination.
Stay after the final whistle for food, drinks or a relaxed evening, then travel home the next morning without the same rush.St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park stadium area
Best for a simple walk or short taxi after full time.
This search uses the mapped destination and radius shown. Mapping confidence 75/100. Last reviewed 2026-08-02. Search dates: 2027-01-01 to 2027-01-02.You can still compare hotels using the correct match dates, guest numbers and preferred area.
Compare hotels for this away dayOpen the permanent near the ground hotel guide
See all hotels in this area
Make a night of your Portsmouth away day
Travelling with family, meeting mates or following the team as you do every week? These selected stays are intended to make the trip easier and give you more time to enjoy the destination.
Stay after the final whistle for food, drinks or a relaxed evening, then travel home the next morning without the same rush.Bordesley Rail Station station area
Best for National Rail arrivals, late check-in and an easier departure tomorrow.
This search uses the mapped destination and radius shown. Mapping confidence 75/100. Last reviewed 2026-08-02. Search dates: 2027-01-01 to 2027-01-02.You can still compare hotels using the correct match dates, guest numbers and preferred area.
Compare hotels for this away dayOpen the permanent near the main station hotel guide
See all hotels in this area
Make a night of your Portsmouth away day
Travelling with family, meeting mates or following the team as you do every week? These selected stays are intended to make the trip easier and give you more time to enjoy the destination.
Stay after the final whistle for food, drinks or a relaxed evening, then travel home the next morning without the same rush.Birmingham centre
Best for food, pubs and making more of the away day.
This search uses the mapped destination and radius shown. Mapping confidence 75/100. Last reviewed 2026-08-02. Search dates: 2027-01-01 to 2027-01-02.You can still compare hotels using the correct match dates, guest numbers and preferred area.
Compare hotels for this away dayOpen the permanent city or town centre hotel guide
See all hotels in this area
Make a night of your Portsmouth away day
Travelling with family, meeting mates or following the team as you do every week? These selected stays are intended to make the trip easier and give you more time to enjoy the destination.
Stay after the final whistle for food, drinks or a relaxed evening, then travel home the next morning without the same rush.Birmingham hotels with parking
Hotels in the wider ground area that list parking as a property facility. This searches for hotel accommodation with parking; it does not sell or reserve matchday parking spaces.
This search uses the mapped destination and radius shown. Mapping confidence 75/100. Last reviewed 2026-08-02. Birmingham hotels with parking is close to St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park stadium area; the search remains distinct through its area label and 5.0 km radius. Search dates: 2027-01-01 to 2027-01-02.You can still compare hotels using the correct match dates, guest numbers and preferred area.
Compare hotels for this away dayOpen the permanent parking hotel guide
See all hotels in this areaMake a night of it
Stay near the ground, the station or the city centre and enjoy the away day without rushing straight home.
The return journey could not be confirmed, so the planning estimate remains available alongside hotel options.
- The return journey could not be confirmed, so the planning estimate remains available alongside hotel options.
- Staying over breaks up the longer journey and avoids a late trip home.
- Staying near the station can make the next-morning journey home easier.
Portsmouth at Birmingham City
Fri 01 Jan 2027
1 night · 2 people · 1 room
Recommended area: City centre
£50 per person · £100 for 1 room · 1 night
Stay over. Enjoy the away day properly.
Use the verified away-guide cards to plan a pre-match stop without guessing at venue names.
Staying over gives you time to eat without rushing for the last train or a long drive home.
Choose a city-centre stay and make more of the trip before travelling home.
A station-area stay can make arrival and the next-morning journey easier.
Pubs & food
at Birmingham City
A focused shortlist of where to drink and where to eat around Birmingham City, combining established destination research with only relevant current pub and food signals.
BIRMINGHAM CITY
Pubs & bars
Established pub and bar recommendations for the destination — no filler, just places retained by the research.
Alcohol: 18+ · Please drink responsibly Drinkaware
Before you head to the ground
Read full overview Hide full overview
For most visiting supporters, Birmingham works best as a city-centre-to-Digbeth away day rather than a hunt for a pub beside St Andrew’s. New Street is the obvious rail meeting point; The Shakespeare is virtually outside, while The Wellington suits adult real-ale groups. From there the walk through Digbeth brings The Anchor and Old Crown into play before the last stretch to the Gil Merrick Stand. Near the ground, Cricketers Arms is the clearest exception to a largely home-fan pub scene, but recent matchday reviews warn of queues and crowding. Keep colours sensible once you leave Digbeth: current independent guidance discourages them immediately around the stadium, and doors can tighten for higher-risk fixtures. Food is stronger away from the turnstiles: Old Crown for a proper pub meal, Original Patty Men for burgers, Indian Streatery for quick Punjabi street food, or Shababs if a Birmingham balti is worth a deliberate detour. Inside the away end, expect pies, burgers and hot dogs; alcohol is fixture-dependent, and outside food cannot be taken in.
The Old Crown
Cricketers Arms
The Anchor Digbeth
The Shakespeare, Lower Temple Street
The Wellington
Food & quick bites
Where to grab a bite, have a proper meal or try the local matchday favourite.
St Andrew’s - Gil Merrick away concourse
The reliable away-end option is basic rather than adventurous: the latest club guide lists pies, burgers, hot dogs and hot drinks in the Gil Merrick concourse. Wider stadium street food exists, but access varies by stand.
Original Patty Men - Digbeth
A strong Digbeth food stop for burgers rather than beers: Cheezy-E, Alabama Slammer fried chicken, gravy fries and wings. It is casual and on the route east, making most sense for Saturday arrivals with time to eat.
The Indian Streatery - Bennetts Hill
Near New Street on Bennetts Hill, this is the practical quick-food alternative to a pub: chicken or pakora chaat, masala fries and grab-and-go curries. Good for groups who want to eat before beginning the walk.
Shababs Balti Restaurant
For a proper Birmingham food stop, Shababs still serves traditional balti from noon daily in the Balti Triangle. It is worth the detour for the local speciality, not as a last-minute stop on the ground route.
St Andrew's · Struway · CC BY-SA 3.0