SEAGULLS HOST THE ROBINS IN FIRST OPTIMA FRIENDLY
Weston play their first home 2023/24 pre-season friendly at the Optima as they take on Cheltenham Town this Saturday, July 15th. The match kicks off at 3pm.
It has been just under three months since The Seagulls’ last home fixture, the thrilling 4-1 victory over Hendon that secured the Southern League Premier South title. After two away friendlies at Nailsea & Tickenham and Dorchester Town, it is a welcome return to home soil after the post-season break.
In the most recent game at Dorchester last Saturday, Cheltenham-born Jamie Soule scored his first goal for The Seagulls with a well-taken finish in the 1-0 victory at The Avenue. Soule also had a spell with his hometown club and will be looking forward to his home debut.
Weston will face a tough test against League One Cheltenham. The Robins finished 16th in the third tier last season under the stewardship of former Bristol City captain, Wade Elliott.
Goalkeeper Max Harris may well play some part between the sticks for the Gloucestershire side. Harris was, of course, a fans’ favourite during his two spells on loan here at the Optima and will receive a warm welcome. Harris played the last 30 minutes of Cheltenham’s 4-2 friendly win at Evesham United last Saturday, keeping a clean sheet during his time on the pitch. Ex-Bristol Rovers and Exeter City midfielder Liam Sercombe scored twice for Cheltenham in their victory at Evesham.
On Tuesday, Harris played another 45 minutes as he started in their 6-0 victory in their last friendly at Swindon Supermarine.
This is Cheltenham’s first visit to BS24 for five years. In a pre-season friendly on July 24th 2018, The Seagulls ran out 4-1 winners against The Robins after a brace from Jamie Lucas and one each from Gethyn Hill and Jarrad Welch.
KEY MATCHDAY INFORMATION:
ADMISSION:
Adult – £10.00
Concession – (Over 60s, Students with ID, Armed Forces with ID, NHS staff with ID) £7.00
Under 16s – (accompanied by an adult) £3.00
Under 8s – (accompanied by an adult) FREE
Family – (two adults and two Under 16s) £20.00
Pay on the turnstiles only.
Season Tickets Holders receive half-price entry to pre-season games. Please see the Season Tickets Holders section below for full information.
TURNSTILES:
For this fixture, we will have a total of four turnstiles in operation.
We will be operating two turnstiles at our main turnstile block (Turnstiles 1 & 2) next to the club shop and they will operate on a card-only basis.
There will also be an additional two turnstiles on the other side of the ground by our 3G facility (Turnstiles 3 & 4), Turnstile 3 will be cash only and Turnstile 4 will be Season Ticket Holder access only.
It helps with congestion and access to the ground if you queue at the correct turnstile.
Turnstiles will open 90 minutes before kick-off.
As always, we do recommend arriving as early as possible to avoid last-minute arrival queue times.
WESTON-SUPER-MARE AFC WALKING FOOTBALL & ACADEMY MEMBERS:
Please note all Walking Football and Junior Academy members will be required to pay relevant admission fee as stated above.
WESTON-SUPER-MARE AFC SEASON TICKET HOLDERS:
For pre-season games, your entrance will be via Turnstile 4, by the facilities block.
Parking is available in that area free of charge when showing your 2023-2024 Season Ticket Holder Car Park Pass.
CAR PARK:
Our Supporters’ Car Park charges £2.00 to park on a match day. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept card payments for this. So please ensure you have £2.00 available to pay on arrival.
For Season Ticket holders, early arrival is recommended. You will be required to park in the normal Supporters Car Park, as the Season Ticket Holders car park is reserved for opposition teams during pre-season games.
FACILITIES WITHIN THE GROUND:
Please note our Sportsman Bar will close 90 minutes prior to kick-off, at which time the turnstiles will be open and access can be made into the ground. Our Somerset Suite bar, Supporters’ Kitchen and inside ground Joe’s Bar will all be open.
Card payment can be made at all three locations.
At busy times, such as half-time, we will be placing stewards in these locations to assist supporters queueing.
GROUND REGULATIONS:
Please note our full ground regulations are detailed on our website – All spectators are expected to adhere to these regulations during any game held at The Optima Stadium.
Failure to do so can result in expulsion from the Optima Stadium and its facilities with no refund.
SUPPORTERS’ KITCHEN MENU & PRICES:
Beefburger – £3.50
Cheeseburger – £4.00
Hot Dog – £3.00
Chips – £2.00
Cheesy Chips – £3.00
Curry Sauce & Chips – £3.00
Tea/Coffee/Bovril – £1.50
Extra Burger – £2.50
Cans – £1.40
KITCHEN @ JOE’S BAR MENU & PRICES:
Pies – £3.50
Sausage Rolls – £3.00
Chips – £2.00
We look forward to welcoming you all to the Optima Stadium, and we hope that you enjoy the match.
