Supporter Information: Watford v Bristol City

Watford FC are back at Vicarage Road for Saturday’s Sky Bet Championship fixture against Bristol City (April 15, 3pm KO), with the Hornets looking to build on Easter Monday’s 2-2 draw at Coventry City last time out.

All at the club are delighted to have welcomed fans back once again for the 2022/23 season, however it is vital that everyone works together to keep matchdays safe. Ahead of kick-off, below is a list of everything stadium visitors need to know…

Stadium address:

Vicarage Road Stadium
Vicarage Road
Watford
WD18 0ER

By Train Or Tube

The nearest station is Watford High Street, a 10-minute walk away from the ground. Watford Junction train station is about a 20-minute walk.

Watford has its own London Underground tube station, which is on the Metropolitan Line and is situated just under one mile from Vicarage Road.

By Car

Due to the club’s partnership with Event Support Team (EST), fans are able to reserve parking spaces in the Holywell Primary School, Watford Grammar School for Boys or Westfield Academy car parks on a match-by-match or seasonal basis, by clicking HERE.

There is no parking available at the ground and street parking is restricted for local residents with matchday permits. Watford General Hospital ensure that their security and parking staff monitor the entrances to the hospital car parks to prevent people from parking on-site.

All accessible entrances will be open as detailed in the stadium map below:

Full details of the club’s provision for supporters with all types of disability, including visiting supporters, can be found in our Access Statement HERE.

For any access queries please email disabled.supporters@watfordfc.com or call 01923 496262.

Fans can now use Apple Wallet or Google Wallet to store their NFC (Near-Field Communication) matchday and season tickets. Click HERE for details on how to add your ticket to your mobile device, and click HERE for all information relating to NFC mobile ticketing and entering the stadium.

We encourage anyone who experiences difficulties downloading or using their tickets to get in touch with the club directly by emailing supporters@watfordfc.com or calling 01923 223023, so these issues can be resolved.

To quicken the flow of fans into the ground, we would ask that supporters prepare their phones before reaching the turnstiles. Your NFC pass will remain live for 90 seconds once it is opened from your digital phone wallet, so if you are scanning more than one pass from your device, you may need to close and re-open the wallet.

Dedicated ticketing staff will be on hand at the turnstiles, as well as at the Ticket Information pods, to provide further assistance on the day to anyone who needs it.

Early Arrival

In order to reduce the potential for delayed access into the stadium, supporters are asked to arrive as early as possible. Turnstiles will open 90 minutes before kick-off, and the clock-style graphic above gives a visual representation that the ideal latest arrival point to the stadium is over half-an-hour before kick-off time, please.

Searches & Bag Checks

There continues to be an increase in our security operation this season, in particular with searches and bag checks at the turnstiles. Bags will be checked at an outer cordon before entering the stadium, and those larger than A4 size (height: 297mm width: 210mm depth: 210mm) will not be permitted entry.

We Campaign

The We campaign - now into its fourth season - has provided a clearer route for supporters to report incidents of discrimination, excessive anti-social behaviour or safeguarding issues, which led to a record number of reports last season (58).

As a result of feedback received from those who made a report during 2021/22, we have changed the number to make it even easier to report issues.

Please text ‘We’, followed by seat numbers and details, to 66777 straight away. Our team will then investigate and take action accordingly.

The same details will be used at all Watford FC men’s and women’s matches, and Community Trust events, so please work with us to make our stadiums and events enjoyable for all supporters.

Click HERE for more information.

Love Football. Protect The Game.

The Hornets have backed the introduction of strong measures across football to tackle antisocial and criminal behaviours within football grounds.

This includes entering the pitch without permission, carrying or using smoke devices or pyros and throwing objects onto the pitch, as well as discriminatory behaviour and taking drugs. For everyone’s safety, Watford FC will report anyone carrying out these offences to the police.

Click HERE for more information.

The FA, Premier League, EFL & WSL recently released a joint statement reiterating their zero-tolerance stance on the use of pyrotechnics at football stadiums. Click HERE for further details.

Use of the ‘G-word’

Here at Watford FC, we regard ourselves as ‘The Original Family Club’. While it’s a pleasant tag to use, it’s a statement deliberately made to invite scrutiny and measure of our work to be as inclusive a club as possible.

While we certainly would not want to dampen anyone’s enthusiasm during a game, and we encourage you to be noisy in your support of the team, we’d like to remind everyone that use of the ‘G-word’ in chants is both contrary to our image and deeply offensive. It would also be classed as a hate crime in the eyes of the law and as such, could result in arrest and ejection from Vicarage Road.

Everyone, regardless of their background or beliefs, should feel truly welcome to be part of or associated with our club, so please help us ensure Vicarage Road remains free of racial abuse.

Smoking

Smoking (including e-cigarettes) is not permitted in any area of the stadium.

Prohibited Items

The following articles are prohibited and must not be brought to the stadium:

• Knives
  
• Fireworks
  
• Smoke canisters
  
• Air-horns
  
• Flares
  
• Weapons
  
• Dangerous or hazardous items
  
• Laser devices
  
• Bottles or other glass vessels
  
• Cans
  
• Poles
  
• Any other article that might compromise public safety and/or illegal substances

Any person in possession of such items will be refused entry to the ground.

Further, you may not bring into the ground any sponsorship, promotional or marketing materials save in respect of official merchandise. Any flags or banners larger than those maximum dimensions permitted by the club (or, in the absence of such stipulations, 2m x 1m) and/or of an offensive nature are also prohibited.

Despite restrictions having ended, it is still important to do all you can to minimise the risk of passing on Covid-19. If possible, take a Covid-19 test on the day of the game, to check there is no risk of passing on the virus. You can also wear a face covering in indoor and crowded areas, and continue to wash your hands regularly or use hand sanitiser provided around the stadium.

Our Supporter Services team are here to help with any queries you may have.

You can get in touch by emailing supporters@watfordfc.com, or via Twitter (@WatfordFCHelp).

On matchday, fans can seek assistance from the team of Vicarage Roadies. The team are dressed in green and are armed with the tools and knowledge to answer all the common queries we receive. They are here to help their fellow Hornets, so if you see a member of the team, please take the time to say hello!