Supporters Guide and Good Friday matchday update from CEO David Bottomley

We look forward to welcoming all supporters to Bower Fold for our match on Good Friday, April 3, vs Rochdale Hornets (3:45pm kick-off).

Whether you have attended before or you are a first timer, a warm welcome awaits you from Chairman Bill the directors, all the staff at the club plus our wonderful volunteers.

Tomorrow is not just a Betfred Championship fixture, it’s a match against our oldest rivals Rochdale Hornets and we are also contesting the Law cup.

We have sold out hospitality, but at the same time increased the bar area size for supporters in the Gray's lounge and Celtic Bar.

We’re delighted to have the fantastic Two Connors performing both before and after the match. In addition, changes will be made to Gray’s Lounge during the game to ensure as many supporters as possible can enjoy a drink while also following the post-match player and sponsor presentations. We hope these improvements enhance your experience and that you, our supporters, truly enjoy the occasion.

As a club, we have taken on board feedback from supporters following our four matches at Bower Fold. In our commitment to continually improving the matchday experience, we will be introducing the following changes this Friday.

We kindly encourage as many supporters as possible to purchase tickets online in advance of the match. However, we would also like to emphasise that, on this occasion, “walk-up” matchday prices will remain unchanged.

Just come and support the Roughyeds and spread the word!

Turnstile Entrance

The turnstiles in use on Friday – and marked on the ground pictures – as well as being easily identifiable by signage above each turnstile, will be:

Lower Turnstiles – Two in operation – Turnstile 1 will take cash and card payments while Turnstile 2 will be for pre-bought and season tickets only.

Middle Turnstile – For disabled supporters only.

End Turnstiles (just past the Celtic Lounge): – Two in operation – Turnstile 1 will take cash and card payments while Turnstile 2 will be for pre-bought and season tickets only.

The end turnstiles give instant access to the Celtic Lounge bar, kiosks selling drinks as well as toilet facilities. This entrance provides easier access to the main stand on the dugout side of the ground, as well as access to the Tom Pendry stand.

Toilet facilities

For supporters who do want to use the Gray's Lounge bar for drinks and struggled at our previous match to find toilets, we have paid for and installed portaloo toilet facilities including a disabled facility, this should much ease the congestion and confusion around the main lounge.

Hospitality

We’re pleased to confirm that hospitality for the Hornets match has now completely sold out.

The Gray’s Lounge will host a fantastic mix of guests, including our Match Sponsor, Player of the Match Sponsor, main club sponsors, and our ever-growing 450 Club members — with four new members joining just this week — as well as supporters who have purchased the pie and pea package.

For those who have booked pie and peas or a two-course meal, the Lounge will be open at 1pm, with food served from 1:30pm.

Thanks to the excellent efforts of the team at Bower Fold, all guests will be comfortably accommodated at tables in the Gray’s Lounge before the match. To enhance the post-match experience, some tables will be removed during the first half, allowing more supporters easier access to the bar and the opportunity to fully enjoy the post-match atmosphere and activities.

All hospitality guests should enter via the Gray's Lounge outside entrance – again clearly marked on the map.

To improve the flow of all guests to their designated spaces in the lounge, we will have both a reception check-in and personal guide to take people to their tables.

Club Shop

The ORLFC club shop will be on-site, please visit and ensure you grab one of the many bargains on offer. We will again have many items on sale at £10 and £5, please support the club

Golden Gamble

We will have several of our excellent volunteers operating around the lounges/various bars and stands selling tickets, please support the club and purchase a ticket.

Easter Egg Raffle

Tickets will be on sale pre-match to win a renowned chef-made 'egg-ceptionally' large Egg! Tickets are £3 each or four for £10 with all proceeds going to our charitable Foundation.

Thank you to everyone who attended the fans’ forum last night. We hope the changes the club is making demonstrate that we are listening and fully committed to improving the matchday experience for all our supporters.

If you’d like to get involved and volunteer on matchdays, we would love to hear from you. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me via david.bottomley@roughyeds.co.uk

Enjoy the game! Up The Roughyeds

Best David Bottomley, CEO