Ground Guide
Chelsea
By Paul Donegan
This guide is based on two visits to Kingsmeadow to watch Chelsea play Brighton on Saturday 2nd October and Wolfsburg on Wednesday 6th October 2021. As normal with these guides, things might be different from this if you decide to visit Kingsmeadow to watch a match. Also, I have never sat at the north end (maybe will need to do that at some point and then update this) so not sure what facilities are available there once you go through the turnstiles.
Address
Kingsmeadow, Kingston Rd, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 3PB
Location and Ground History
Kingsmeadow is located in Kingston upon Thames in South West London. The River Thames flows through the town and the main A3 road passes close by. Kingsmeadow opened in 1989 as the new home for non-league side Kingstonian. AFC Wimbledon started sharing the ground with them when they were formed in 2002 and took ownership of the ground a year later. Chelsea purchased the ground in 2016/17 with the women’s side playing there since 2017 (Kingstonian moved out at this point) and youth sides joining them in 2020 after AFC Wimbledon moved to their new stadium. The two ends were built and the main stand extended during AFC Wimbledon’s time there and the ground has had a slight redevelopment (new food kiosk, bar entrance, ticket office) since Chelsea became the only side to play there.
Getting There
The closest station is Norbiton which is about a 15 minute walk from the ground. Trains go there from Waterloo station in London via Vauxhall, Clapham Junction and Wimbledon. Going the other way they pass through Kingston and either go to Shepperton or back to Waterloo a longer way via Twickenham and Richmond. Surbiton, Kingston and New Malden stations are also close by. The 131 bus goes along Kingston Road which runs past the ground and these buses go to Kingston one way and to Raynes Park, Wimbledon and Tooting the other. Kingston town centre is about a 20/25 minute walk from the ground. There is a car park at the ground and parking is free until it is full then it would probably have to be street parking.
Tickets
For both the matches I went to, I bought tickets online and printed the attached ticket on the email off (got these a few hours/days after booking the tickets and getting confirmation email). For the Brighton match, I only had the option of standing tickets at the south end which cost £9 but for the Wolfsburg match, I also had the option of seats in the west and north stands as well and these cost £10. There is a ticket office at the ground (located on the corner of the west and north stands, next to the merchandise kiosk) which opens 90 minutes before kick off. You can buy tickets on the day from there if they are available and the person I spoke to there said they are the same prices as above. The stadium is cashless so need to pay by card for tickets, food/drink, programme etc.
Buy Tickets
The Stadium
The north and west stands at Kingsmeadow are covered seated stands whilst the south end is a covered terrace. The east side of the ground is also a terrace and covered for most of its length but this side isn’t normally open. The east side has the camera gantry on top of it, the dugouts in front and there is also a scoreboard on this side. There are some places for disabled people in the south west corner near the entrance. The capacity of the ground is 4,850. The turnstiles for the north end are in front of you as you approach the ground whilst the turnstiles for the other 3 stands are at the far end of the main stand/car park. They open 90 minutes before kick off. When I went, I had to show proof I was double vaccinated or had a negative Covid test and think this is a requirement for everyone to prove at the moment before entering the ground. There is also a quick bag search before going in (had to give in the lid from my plastic water bottle for the Wolfsburg match but not the Brighton one). For the west and south stands, there are toilets between these stands near the turnstiles.
Food and Drink
There are two food kiosks available for the west and south stands. One is at the end of the south stand in the corner with the east side (not open for the Wolfsburg match) and the other is near the entrance/toilets between the south and west stands. The south west area of the ground can get a bit congested with queues for the food kiosk and toilets. See pictures below for what is available to eat/drink and prices. There is an entrance into the bar between the food kiosk and the west stand. Outside of the ground, there are a few takeaways/shops along Kingston Road but if you want pubs/restaurants then Kingston town centre is probably the best place to go.
Merchandise
As you approach the ground, between the north stand turnstile and the ticket office, there is a merchandise kiosk where you can buy shirts, scarfs, hats, pens, key rings and much more. A programme is available to buy on the day and these were being sold from near the turnstiles to the south and west stands for the Brighton match and on the approach to the ground, near the north stand turnstiles, for the Wolfsburg match.
