Rodney Parade is the second oldest ground in the Football League, beaten only by Preston North End’s Deepdale. Officially opened in 1877, it is not only the home of Newport County Association Football Club but also of Newport Rugby Club and Newport Gwent Dragons. The first time the stadium was used was actually in December 1876 when Newport played Cardiff in a rugby game.
Newport County AFC was formed in 1912 under the somewhat longer name Newport & Monmouth County Association Football Club. For obvious reasons it became simply ‘Newport County rather quickly. The club started its life playing its matches at Somerton Park before moving to Newport Stadium, via numerous other grounds, in 1994. They only moved to Rodney Parade in 2012.
| Rodney Parade Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Opened | 1877 |
| Capacity | 8700 |
| Average Attendance | 4336 |
| Record Attendance | 9836 (Newport v Tottenham Hotspur (2018)) |
| Pitch Size | 102 x 65 (6680) |
| Owner | Newport RFC |
| Clubs Hosted | Newport RFC, Newport County A.F.C., Newport Gwent Dragons |
| First Fixture | Newport v Cardiff (02/12/1876) |
| Newport County Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1912 |
| Nickname | The Exiles, The Ironsides, The Port, The County |
| Club Mascot | Spytty the Dog |
| Rivals | Cardiff City, Swansea City, Bristol City, Bristol Rovers |
| Previous Stadiums | Somerton Park, Newport Stadium |
| Kit | Yellow & Black Pinstripe (Home) / White & Grey (Away) / Black (Third) |
| Training Ground | Newport County AFC Training Ground |
| Shirt Sponsor | Pure Vans |
| Team Owner | Huw Jenkins, Newport County AFC Supporters Trust |
| Record Goalscorer | Reg Parker (99) |
| Record Appearances | Len Weare (526) |
There are four stands that run along the edges of the pitch. The North Terrace is where the noisiest fans go, The South Stand houses the away supporters in an uncovered terrace section, The Bisley Stand is the newest section of the ground and The Compeed Stand is the largest part of the stadium.
Tickets are cheaper if you want to watch from the terrace rather than from a seated area, and apart from that only your age will affect the price you pay for your ticket. Adults and concessions prices range as follows:
Tickets are £2 more expensive if you buy on the day.
Tickets can be bought at the ground or on the club’s official website.
Train – The stadium is a short walk from Newport Gwent train station which is reachable in less than two hours from London Paddington.
Bus – The ground is virtually next door to the cities main bus station, so don’t catch the bus from there as you will probably end up further away than when you started.
Car – Exit the M4 at either Junction 25a or 26 depending on if you’re coming from the East or West. Follow the signs.
By Air – Cardiff Airport is the closest the ground and has rail links to the centre of Cardiff. It will take you just over an hour to go from the airport to the stadium.
Taxi – A taxi will take you less than ten minutes from the train station to Rodney Parade and will cost just over £7.
There is no parking at the stadium but there’s two hours free parking at Kingsway Centre which is five minutes away. Other than that you will be looking for street parking.
If you are coming a long way and need to stay they night, try one of these as a first port of call:
Budget really does mean budget as far as ibis hotels are concerned, so expect thin mattresses and ‘functional’ decor. You’ll still get free Wi-Fi, free parking and tea and coffee making facilities, though, and it’s only a mile from the ground. More details.
Although there is no onsite parking, The Silurian has a bar plus free wifi and breakfast, as well as only being half a mile from the ground. It's pretty high spec for the price too. More details.
You know what you are getting with Mercure; it's a lot better than average but won't break the bank. You can use the gym, restaurant, bar, wifi, and breakfast is available. No parking onsite but they do have alternative arrangements. It's a big high rise building so there are some nice views from the balconies too. More details.
Good news, there are pubs in Newport! Here are a few of them:
We’d be lying if we said that this was the most welcoming bar in the area, but it’s near to the ground, has plenty of TVs for watching sport and is good enough if you’re a home supporter.
It almost feels as if our stadium reviews wouldn’t be complete without a comment about a JD Wetherspoon carpet. You’ll be able to see the chain pub’s famous swirly whirly carpet here whilst you also enjoy a pint and a cheap bite to eat. Just don't eat anything that's been on the carpet.
There is genuinely a woman who is touring the country in order to take a photo of every Wetherspoon’s carpet that exists - apparently they’re all slightly different - so she’d have been made up with Newport having two of them near each other. Cheap food & cheaper drinks etc. here.
This is Wales, so the food on offer isn’t exactly healthy, but fans of burgers, hot dogs, and deep fill fries will be in greasy heaven.
Newport County’s most popular hospitality options are their boxes, where you’ll enjoy a two-course meal and a private bar, interviews with former players and a VIP entrance plus padded seats.
A £7 million conference centre opened at the stadium in 2011, meaning virtually any event can be catered for.
As of right now this second, there is no museum or tour option. Sorry.
If you had unlimited time to name every British football club that had played in a quarter-final of the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup you still may never think to mention Newport County. They did exactly that, however, having qualified for the competition by winning the Welsh Cup in 1980. That is just one example of the quirky and exciting life fans of the Welsh club have enjoyed since it was originally formed in 1912.
We say that’s when it was originally formed because, although the current version of the club has ties to that original team, it was been reformed twice during its existence. The most recent reformation occurred in 1989 after it had gone bust in February of that year. There were rumours of a foreign investor being interested back then, but it later turned out they thought they were buying Newcastle United and pulled the plug when they found out the truth. A little research goes a long way… Newport County was also one of the founding members of the Football League Third Division.
There are two histories to speak of as far as Rodney Parade is concerned. The first is the history of Newport County at the ground and that is short lived and not particularly interesting, given that the club only started playing their games there in 2012. Before that they called Somerton Park home until 1994 when they moved to Newport Stadium for eight years.
The second is the history of the stadium itself, before the arrival of Newport County, and that is a genuinely interesting one. Located on the East bank of the River Usk and within easy walking distance of the city’s bus and train stations, Rodney Parade began life as the home of an Athletics Club that also allowed the playing of cricket, tennis and rugby on its grounds. It has since hosted mainly rugby, including international matches, and now football.
Numerous developments have been undertaken at the ground since 2007 including the addition of new drainage and irrigation systems in 2013 and 2014. More recently a grass hybrid pitch was installed after the Welsh Rugby Union bought the ground, and in 2021 4G signage was installed along with LED flood lights, plus upgrades to the hospitality boxes including balconies.
