Macron Stadium – Bolton

Bolton Wanderers Club Contact Info
Official Website: www.bwfc.co.uk
Address:Bolton Wanderers Football Club, Macron Stadium, Burnden Way, Bolton, BL6 6JW
Telephone No: 01204 673 673
Ticket Office No: 0844 871 2932 or ticketsales@bwfc.co.uk

General Info
Built as the Reebok Stadium between 1996 and 1997, the Macron as it is now known is home to Bolton Wanderers and replaced the Trotters’ old home of Burnden Park. Rather disappointingly, the first Premier League game here between Bolton and Everton in September ’97 ended in a 0-0 draw.

The modern design makes it an aesthetically pleasing stadium and it can even boast a hotel as part of the overall complex.

Macron Stadium

As became the way with football clubs in the 90’s and 2000’s, Bolton moved to a new arena in what is essentially an out of town retail area, devoid of much character and fully five miles from the centre of Bolton.

The pitch at the Macron measures almost 101 metres by 66 metres, rather on the small side despite it being within a very modern stadium. The surface is a mixture of synthetic fibres and natural grass while a modern undersoil heating system is utilised to ensure games are not missed due to frozen pitches.

Capacity
The current capacity of the Macron Stadium for football matches is 28,700, though the largest crowds seen here have tended to be for music concerts where around 40,000 are permitted entry.

Stands
Simply; the Macron is made up of the North, South, East and West Stands. All of the corners are filled in at the lower level however and the overall construction is that of a bowl, looking like a perfect circle from the outside in fact.

Away Fans At The Macron
Visiting fans at the Macron Stadium usually sit in the South Stand; a two-tier stand offering up to 6,000 seats should demand be high enough and home support not sufficient to warrant a lower allocation. The general allocation though is 3,000 with the stand being shared with home fans.

The bowl-like structure does lend itself to swirling noise and it’s something not missed by fans housed usually in the upper tier of the away end. The general feedback is decent although it’s a shame the stadium is planted so far away from a town centre.

Ticket Prices
Single adult matchday tickets at the Macron for a Championship fixture range from £15 for D Grade fixtures all around the ground, up to £30/£32/£35 for A Grade games depending where you choose to sit. Family tickets are available for as little as £20 while under-12’s can get in for just £7 each and every time.

Hospitality
Prices are available direct from the club for seating in the Lion of Vienna, Hall of Fame, Platinum Suite or the Executive Boxes. All areas offer unrivalled views of the action, comfortable seating and terrific choice of food and drink as well as other matchday perks.

How To Get To The Macron Stadium
Given the move to this soulless area, the stadium is unfortunately around five miles from the middle of Bolton. Trains to Horwich Parkway then are the best way to get there as the station lies only a couple of minutes walk away. Trains to here are regular from Blackpool, Bolton, Manchester and Preston.

The stadium sits very close to the M61 motorway. Simply leave the motorway at junction 6 and the stadium is visible straight away.

Future Developments
Given that the Reebok Stadium, as it was then, was built to host Premier League football and did for a while, there are no current plans to modernise, redevelop or extend the Macron given that the club are playing at a lower level and the demand does not exist.