What's The Ground Like?
The ground at the moment is comprised of just three sides as the Club have embarked on the building of a new stand on the Broadway side of the stadium.
At one end is the comparatively new Rochdale Road End, a good sized all seater covered stand with an excellent view of the pitch. It has windshields to either side of it and an electric scoreboard on its roof. Part of this stand is given to away supporters. The other end, the Chadderton Road Stand (also known as the 'Chaddy End'), is a medium sized all seater covered stand. Again there are windshields to either side, but the elderly nature of this stand is apparent from the supporting pillars running across the front of it. On one side there is an old two tiered Main Stand. This used to have terracing in front, since filled with seating. There is still some old unused terracing on one side of this stand. Opposite is currently a building site as a new stand is being constructed. The ground also benefits from four large floodlight pylons, leaving the visitor in no doubt that this is a football ground. The Club has a mascot called 'Chaddy The Champion Owl'.
What Is It Like For Visiting Supporters?
Away fans are housed in the Rochdale Road Stand at one end of the ground. This stand is split between a larger section on side, which houses 3,000 fans and a smaller section on the other side which houses 1,600 supporters. It is intended with the development of the stadium that this season the stand will be shared between home and away fans. For most games away supporters will be given the smaller section (shown as Away 1 on the ground layout below), whilst for some clubs that have a larger following then the bigger section will be allocated (shown as Away 2 on the ground layout below). The sections are kept separate by a large moat like gap, which certainly makes for a lot of banter. The facilities in this newish stand are fairly good, as are the acoustics. If you get chance, make sure to try a Pukka pie (£1.50). Some fans reckon that this is the best part of a visit to Boundary Park.
This club I found to be particularly friendly. They have an unofficial motto that 'the only club we hate is Man United', everyone else is very welcome. The only complaint that I had about visiting the ground was that it always seems to be cold, with a biting wind that goes right through you. This is due to Oldham being on the edge of the Pennines.
Where To Drink?
Unfortunately 'The Clayton Arms' pub that was situated on one corner of the ground, has now closed. However there is a new pub, called the 'Clayton Green' (no connection), which can be found two hundred yards from the corner of the main stand and the Chaddy End.
Chippy Lees, an exiled Latics fans in Cornwall, recommends the following; "The Old Grey Mare on Rochdale Road is worth a visit. If you walk to the top of Sheepfoot Lane and turn left at the newspaper shop, the pub is about 100 yards down the road on the right. There's a varied selection of beers available, and again a warm welcome is assured. Further down on the right is The White Hart. If you turn right at the top of Sheepfoot Lane, you'll eventually come to The Queens. It's on the corner of a junction. It was frequented by several West Ham fans one night, who found the beer to be so good, and cheap compared to London prices, that they decided to stay there for the rest of the evening. It was just as well, as it was the usual bone chilling night, and they lost! Across the road from there is The Royal, which is a cosy little local, and next door is a larger more modern one, the Brook Tavern".
Bill Harris a visiting Millwall fan adds; 'I went for a drink in the Rifle Range pub on Burnley Road, which is about a ten minute walk away from the ground. I found it to be a very friendly accommodating pub, with a family room, TV screens, good food and local ale. There is also a beer garden outside, which you can take advantage of, when the weather is good. There is also parking at the back of the pub and is easy to get away after the game onto the A627 which connects to the M62'.
How To Get There By Car & Where To Park
Leave the M62 at Junction 20 and take the A627(M) towards Oldham. Take the second slip road off the A627(M) following the signs for Royton (A663). At the top of the slip road you will find a large roundabout that around it has a McDonalds and a KFC. Turn left at the roundabout onto the A663 towards Royton (beware though of 30mph speed cameras on this stretch). You will be able to see Boundary Park over on your right. Take the next right hand turn into Hilbre Avenue which will take you up to the large Club car park, situated behind the Lookers Stand. The cost of the car park is; cars £2, mini buses £5, coaches £10.
If you want to go straight to the Club main entrance, then at the roundabout take the second exit onto A627 Chadderton Way (signposted Oldham). After around 300 yards take the first left into Boundary Park Road and at the end of the road turn right into Sheepfoot Lane.
By Train
There are three stations that you could use to get to Boundary Park. Oldham Mumps, Oldham Werneth or Mill Hills. However Oldham Mumps and Mill Hills are both around a 45 minute walk away from the ground and are not really practical. Therefore it is best to use Oldham Werneth, which is served by North West Trains on the Oldham Rochdale loop. Trains for Oldham depart from Manchester Victoria platforms 1 or 6. If you buy a ticket to Oldham and arrive from the South at Manchester Piccadilly your fare includes travel on the Metrolink to Victoria station. As you exit the platforms at Piccadilly turn left for the Metrolink station. Take the tram for BURY only to get to Manchester Victoria.
Oldham Werneth station is around a 15 minute walk away from the ground. Exit the station and turn right onto Featherstall Road South and walk for about 3/4 miles through one set of traffic lights and a small roundabout at Tesco until you come to a large roundabout. Turn left onto Chadderton Way (cross over at the underpass as Chadderton Way is a dual carriageway) and follow for another ¼ miles until you come to Boundary Park Road (by the B&Q Warehouse) turn right and Boundary Park is ahead. You will be approaching the ground from the home supporters end, so at the end of Boundary Park Road turn right up Sheepfoot Lane past the main stand to the other end of the ground. It is extremely unusual for any taxi's to be at Werneth station.
Chippy Lees adds; "As you walk along Featherstall Road away from Werneth station, you will encounter quite a few Indian restaurants and pubs, which are worth a visit. Turn right from the station and walk until you come to Tesco's at the top of the road. Turn left at the dual-carriageway, and Boundary Park is on the right. Again, there are several pubs on the way, the best being The Spinners across from the dual-carriageway".
Jon Brierley adds; 'Alternatively, rather than getting a train from Manchester to Oldham, you may find it easier to take a bus from Manchester Piccadilly Bus Station. Services operate every 15 minutes or so on Saturday afternoon. Numbers 24, 181 & 182 make the 25 minute trip to Oldham and go past the ground. Doing this would allow you to nip into the Rifle Range pub on Burnley Lane, where the beer is both good and cheap'.