Silverlake Stadium – Eastleigh FC
- Chris Tuck
- Aug 19, 2019
- 6 min read
Photos by Chris Tuck, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.14
Silverlake Stadium
Stoneham Lane
Eastleigh, England SO50 9NW
Year Opened: 1957
Capacity: 5,500
Spitfires Flying High
The development of the Silverlake Stadium was a primary objective of former Eastleigh FC owner Stewart Donald, who delivered real progress both on and off the pitch.
Whilst Donald has now moved on (to the mammoth challenge of running Sunderland AFC), his biggest legacy at Eastleigh is surely the modern and functional stadium he left, fit for league football, with a capacity of over 5k.
Eastleigh Football club (nickname the spitfires) have risen through the English non-league pyramid in recent times, a far cry from playing their matches on Southampton common under their former name Swaythling Athletic. Now established in the National League, the top level of English non-league football, Eastleigh retain the ambition to make it into the Football League one day.
Eastleigh itself is a town in southern England built on the old roman road between Winchester and Clausentum (now part of Southampton). It became known as a railway town when the London and South Western Railway company built a train line along a similar route. The area is perhaps most famous for the Spitfire, the iconic WW2 aeroplane built down the road in Southampton which was first flown from Eastleigh Aerodrome, a ten-minute walk from the stadium.
Food & Beverage 4
The main refreshments options at the Silverlake are Sherwoods (with an executive club upstairs), the Hangar Bar, Mel’s Kitchen and the Spitfire Grill.
Most of the food action can be found at the north (shed end) of the ground.
The shiny and new ‘Sherwoods’ bar and restaurant is accessible from inside the ground with a £3 entrance fee. It’s also open Monday to Friday for breakfast and lunch and for carvery’s on Sunday lunchtimes.
The Hangar Bar is accessible before you enter the ground itself and admits both home and away supporters. From half time it is only open to home fans accessible from the inside the northern end of the ground.
The Spitfire Grill in the northwest corner and Mel’s Kitchen in the northeast corner both sell a good range of drinks, burgers etc.
There is also a small food kiosk at the north end of the ground which serves tea, coffee soft drinks and the famous roly poly goalie pies!
Atmosphere 3
The atmosphere at the Silverlake has certainly improved in recent years. In their national league south days, playing in front of just over 500 people the ground had quite a soulless feel to it. The overall layout of the ground means the noise escapes rather than echoes around the stadium. However more fans, better fan engagement, increasing numbers of away fans and a newly introduced singing area have all had a positive effect.
The atmosphere can differ depending on whether away fans are segregated. A nice nod to the friendly nature of non-league means some fixtures allow home and away fans to mix freely. These days with increased away followings (Notts County brought over 800 fans for the first game of 19/20) segregation is often in place.
The north stand has a terrace called ‘the shed’ where the singing area is housed. The stand covers about a third of the whole end and its low roof helps amplify the noise created.
The east stand, acquired from the Exeter Chiefs, is also a terrace holding around 1250 people. When segregated, the south end of this stand is given to away fans.
The ‘Mackoy Community’ south stand (2290) is similarly split, the southeast corner seats away fans, the rest of the carnivorous stand is home fans.
Finally, the main (west) stand where the changing rooms and dugouts are located and which was recently extended, offers excellent views of the field of play.
The scoreboard is located in the northeast corner of the ground. Whilst it has limited graphics it does clearly display the score line, its primary function!
Neighbourhood 2
Within a five-minute walk of the ground, the only real option is the Concorde Club which provides accommodation, refreshments and entertainment, use this option if you have a hearty budget for your visit. Otherwise, the Cricketers pub on Chestnut Avenue is the other ‘close’ option for a pre-match drink, just under a mile walk away.
If you have time then head to Eastleigh town centre first for accommodation, refreshments and shopping. From the main train station to the ground it’s a 2-mile walk, approx. 40 mins. Maybe best to take a taxi!
For real ale drinkers head away from the ground first to visit the Steam Town Brew on Bishopstoke Rd. For cheap lager drinkers, the Wagon Works, a Wetherspoons pub is directly opposite the station and serves hot food too. There is also a Travelodge next door with rooms at a reasonable cost. The main shops can be found in the Swan Centre, again just across from the train station.
If you are bringing the whole family, then younger kids will love you forever if you incorporate a visit to Paulton’s Park. Just off junction 3 of the M27 it’s an award-winning theme park, a Peppa Pig lovers paradise!
A replica of the famous spitfire can be found on a small roundabout just outside the airport and adjacent to the Mercedes garage.
If you want to visit more grounds in the area, then AFC Stoneham have a new facility just up the road from the Silverlake. A little further away is St Mary’s Stadium home of Southampton FC.
Fans 3
Like most clubs that have experienced speedy growth, the fans are still developing their own identity. As the spitfires climbed the leagues the hard-core support was often increased by local Southampton FC fans. Whilst this is still the case to an extent, EFC now boast a supporter base who are ‘Eastleigh first’ and follow the Spitfires at home and away. Average attendance in the last 5 years are as follows:
18/19 – 1849
17/18 – 1959
16/17 – 2245
15/16 – 1957
14/15 – 1814
Hopes are high for the 19/20 season as they have surpassed 1150 season tickets – a new club record. The club has a well-run supporters club (The Spitfires Supporters Club) who offer cheap travel to away games and various social gatherings.
Access 3
Good access? Yes and no! There’s an international airport within a twenty-minute walk (Southampton Airport). It’s a similar walk from the adjacent train station (Southampton Parkway) with regular trains to London. Finally, the stadium is located just a goal kick from two major motorways (M3, M27). Many clubs would dream of such transport links! However, the stadium itself is tucked away in a wooded area, on a country lane which only recently understood the value of a pavement!
To walk from the airport / Southampton parkway station turn right onto Southampton road then cut through a path that takes you through the Lakeside Country Park.
Once at the Ten Acres site access is good. Parking is available on site at £5 per car and everything is on the flat with no stairs to negotiate to gain entry.
Home fans generally enter the ground through gates 3 and 4 or 5. When there is segregation in place, away fans use gates 10 and 11.
Tickets can be purchased easily through the club website which provides bar code entry. Tickets can also be purchased in person from the office behind the north stand.
Return on Investment 4
For the 19/20 season an adult ticket costs £15 which is average for the National League. Concessions are £10, Students £5, 12-16 year olds £2 and under 11s free. These prices are mirrored for away fans too. Food and drink prices are average for the area, match day programme costs £2 with a free team sheet available from the club shop near kick off time.
Extras 3
Tickets that can be scanned from your phone is a neat little advancement, although for those of us who collect ticket stubs, not so much!
Just over an hour on the train from London Waterloo means Eastleigh is accessible to the masses!
Train-spotters will love spending time at Eastleigh station with numerous sidings, old stock and history aplenty!
Final Thoughts
The development of the ten-acre site in the last ten years has produced a stadium fit for league football. Whilst its slightly remote location doesn’t help, once at the ground everything is well organised and plenty of refreshment options are available. Just one more promotion and Eastleigh FC would take their place in the football league and the Silverlake would become one of the coveted 92, visit now just on case!
