Ground Guide
London City Lionesses
By Paul Donegan
This ground guide is based on two visits to Princes Park to watch London City Lionesses play Crystal Palace on 5th September and West Ham on 13th October 2021. As I found with my two visits, things can be slightly different when visiting a ground on different occasions.
Address
Darenth Rd, Dartford, DA1 1RT
Location and Ground History
Dartford is on the Kent/London border and probably most famous for the crossings over/under the River Thames. Princes Park opened in 2006 as the new home of Dartford FC and can hold around 4,000 people with just over 600 seats. The stadium has been described as being one of the most ecological ever built with solar panels on the roof, rain water is collected and low energy lighting is used amongst other things. Greenwich Borough, Thamesmead Town and Millwall Lionesses have also played at the ground. London City Lionesses have played at Princes Park since they were formed in 2019 as an independent breakaway club from Millwall Lionesses.
Getting There
Dartford station is served by trains from London (London Bridge, Charing Cross and Victoria stations). Thameslink trains also serve Dartford which go through London and up to Luton. Trains going the other way head into Kent. Oyster cards can be used at Dartford station. It took about 20 minutes to walk from the station to the ground. If driving, the ground is just off the A282 which forms part of the M25 in that section (not sure why that part is an A road) and there is a big car park at the ground which is free to use. The B Fastrack bus goes from near the station/town centre and passes along Princes Road (Brooklands Lake stop) near the ground.
Tickets
Tickets are only available to buy online (as far as I am aware) for London City Lionesses home matches from the link below and they are available to buy right up until kick off time if available. It cost me £8 and the ticket came as an attachment on the confirmation email.
Buy Tickets
The Stadium
On my two visits, there have different ways to enter the stadium. For the Palace match it was through an exit gate at the far end of the main stand near the bar and burger bar whilst for the West Ham match it was through an exit gate at the other end of the main stand, by the car park as you approach the stadium. Both times, I showed my ticket just inside the gate. Once inside the ground, it is fully covered with terracing along one side and behind both goals and unreserved seating on the main stand side. There is a walkway all the way around the ground at the top of the terracing/seats (can’t get all the way around though as there is scaffolding up for cameras above the tunnel blocking the way) and there are toilets at either end of the ground off this. On the side opposite the main stand, there is the oak man sculpture which is something a bit different inside a football ground. There was a scoreboard in one corner of the ground but this had disappeared on my second visit.
Food and Drink
There was no food and drink available inside the ground on either visit. Outside, at the far end of the main stand there is Champions Bar and a burger bar across that. You can go out during the match if you want to get food and drink. Dartford town centre is about 15 minutes walk away if you want something different.
Merchandise
On the website it does say that merchandise is available to buy at the ground on match days but I didn’t see any on both my visits. If you do want some it might be best to ask when there. The programme is online only and available from the link below or a link is posted on London City Lionesses Twitter page on the day of the match.
