Villa Park Stadium

Names: Villa Park Stadium | Aston Lower Grounds
Location: Trinity Road, Birmingham B6 6HE
Coordinates: 52°30′33″N 1°53′5″WCoordinates: 52°30′33″N 1°53′5″W
Opened: 1897
Owner: Aston Villa F.C.
Operator: Aston Villa F.C.
Surface: Desso GrassMaster
Construction cost: £16,733 (£25 mil)
Capacity: 42,788
Field dimensions: 105 × 68 metres, 344 × 226 feet

Villa Park was initially part of a pleasure ground, and consisted of a football and cricket pitch, athletics track, and a small grandstand. Aston Villa at that time still played its matches at the Perry Barr ground, but in 1897 moved to the arguably superior Villa Park.

Transport and Directions
Villa Park is located toward the north of the city of Birmingham, approximately 2.5 miles of the city centre.

Arriving by car from outside the city, the stadium is best reached from the M6 motorway. Take exit 6 and follow the signs for the A38 (not the A38M). On the island turn right (A5127), and follow the signs to Villa Park.

If coming from the east, one can also take exit 7 from the same motorway, and then follow the A34 south for a few miles. Passing Alexandra Stadium make sure to stay in the nearside lane and leave the carriageway before the flyover. Follow the signs for matchday parking.

If using public transport, the stadium is best reached by train. Aston Station and Witton Station are just a short train ride away from Birmingham New Street Station. Witton Station is closest, a 5-minute walk to the stadium, whereas it takes 15 minutes to walk from Aston Station.

Alternatively, the stadium is served by bus 7 and 11. Bus 7 leaves from Upper Bull Street in the city centre.

Villa Park is within a short distance of two mainline railway stations. Witton railway station is approximately 500 metres (0.3 miles) from Villa Park, and Aston railway station is approximately 1.5 kilometres (0.9 miles). Under current owner Randy Lerner, there have been discussions on changing the name of Witton Station to Villa Park as is the case with West Bromwich Albion's local railway station, The Hawthorns. Aston Villa's former CEO, Bruce Langham, has said that the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive (Centro) are amenable to the idea as long as it is done at the expense of the club. No action has yet been taken.

Tickets
Tickets can be bought online, by phone +44 (0) 800 6120 970, or at the Villa Village store at Villa Park.

Tickets can also be bought at the same store before the start of the match. Aston Villa only very occasionally sells out.

Aston Villa has divided its home matches in three pricing categories. Tickets for category A matches, the most expensive, range in price from £25.00 for a lower-tier seat at the North Stand to £45.00 for a central seat at one of the long sides. Tickets for category VV matches, the cheapest, range in price from £20.00 to £37.00.

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Craven Cottage Stadium - Seating Chart and Information

Craven Cottage Stadium seating charts and stadium tickets. Please select one of the upcoming concerts or events from the dates below to view available tickets at the Craven Cottage Stadium We carry arena seating, box office seats and stadium club seating. We have seating charts, phone numbers, layouts, and map locations for all venues. To buy tickets for Craven Cottage Stadium at low prices online, choose from the Craven Cottage Stadium schedule and dates. Ticket Seating provides premium tickets for the best and sold-out events including cheap Craven Cottage Stadium tickets as well as Craven Cottage Stadium information.

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Craven Cottage Stadium

Name: Craven Cottage Stadium
Location: Fulham, London, SW6 6HH
Coordinates: 51°28′30″N 0°13′18″WCoordinates: 51°28′30″N 0°13′18″W
Opened: 1896 (as a stadium)
Owner: Fulham F.C.
Operator: Fulham F.C.
Surface: Grass (Fibrelastic)
Architect: Archibald Leitch
Capacity: 25,700[1][2] (increasing to 30,000)

Craven Cottage is the name of a football stadium located in Fulham, London. It has been the home ground of the English Premier League team Fulham F.C. since 1896. Craven Cottage at that time consisted of nothing more than a basic wooden stand.

Transport and Directions
Craven Cottage is located in the Hammersmith and Fulham borough in the west of London, about 5 miles from the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. It sits on top of the banks of the river Thames and is bordered by Bishops Park.

The stadium is best reached by metro (tube). From Putney Bridge station, which is on the District Line, it is a 10-minute walk to the stadium. An alternative is Hammersmith station, which is served by trains on the Circle, District, Hammersmith & City, and Piccadilly lines, from where it is a 20-minute walk.

Craven Cottage is difficult to reach by car, and due to parking restrictions it is not advised to arrive by car on matchdays.

How To Get There By Car
From the North M1
At the end of the M1, turn right (west) onto the A406 (North Circular) and follow it towards Harrow for nearly 4.5 miles. Turn left (east) onto the A40 heading into London (passing close to Loftus Road and after a little over 4 miles turn right (west) onto the A402 for just about 350 yards. Here you turn left (south) along the A219 for a little over half a mile. This brings you into Hammersmith where you turn right onto the A315 and then after just 130 yards or so turn left (south) back onto the A219. Follow this road for a little over a mile, and the ground down the side streets off to your right.

From The North M40 & West M25
Leave the M25 at Junction 15 and take the M4, which then becomes the A4, towards Central London. After around two miles branch off left into Hammersmith Broadway (before the flyover). Go around the ring road around central Hammersmith, keeping to the right. Then take the A219 Fulham Palace Road. Keep straight on this road, passing Charing Cross Hospital on your left. After about another half a mile turn right into Crabtree Lane for the ground.

From the South M25
Leave the M25 at Junction 10 and take the A3 towards Central London. After around eight miles, leave the A3 at the turn off for the A219. Take the A219 towards Putney. Continue straight on this road, down Putney High Street and across Putney Bridge. You will see the ground on your left.

How To Get There By Train/Tube
The nearest London Underground station is Putney Bridge, which is on the District Line. The ground is about a fifteen minute walk. Turn left out of the station and then immediately turn right into a street called Ranelagh Gardens. As the road bends around to the right you will see the Eight Bells pub on your right. Turn left after the pub to take you up to the main road by Putney Bridge. Cross over to the other side of the main road and proceed up to the bridge and then on reaching the bridge turn right to enter into Bishops Park alongside the Thames. Just proceed through the park (keeping the Thames on your left) and you will reach the ground ahead.

Tony Baker adds; 'Those wishing to avoid the Tube can use the Putney National Rail station, which can be reached from Waterloo and Clapham Junction. Its about a 15 or 20 minute walk to the ground. Turn right upon leaving the station, and keep going straight, down Putney High Street and over Putney Bridge. You will meet the crowds from the Tube station here. Follow them along the river bank through Bishops Park and to the ground'.

Tickets
Tickets for Fulham matches can be bought online, by phone +44 (0) 843 208 1234, or in person at the ticket office at the stadium.

If tickets remain available, these can also be bought at the ticket office on the day of the match. Fulham tend to sell out regularly though, in the last few seasons about two-third of their home matches.

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Warner backs down over e-mail claims

Suspended CONCACAF president Jack Warner has backed down after promising to release a 'tsunami' on the football world with his revelations about FIFA.

Warner had claimed he was about to release emails containing confidential discussions with FIFA president Sepp Blatter but, instead, said his lawyers had advised him against such action.

"I had plans to speak to you today a bit more on this matter but the best legal advice I received has suggested that I do not do so at this point in time and that advice I am going to respect," Warner, who is Trinidad's Minister of Works and Transport, told supporters from his political party at the rally.

Warner has been suspended amid an investigation into bribery and corruption at world football's governing body and is under the spotlight for an alleged meeting he organised with Asian Football Confederation head Mohammed Bin Hammam.

However, Warner has denied any wrongdoing, adding: "I haven't thieved anything, I haven't given anybody anything and I don't know what the hullabaloo is all about."

Meanwhile, the FIFA 'whistleblower' who was fired and then reinstated within the space of a few hours, Chuck Blazer, also refused to add fuel to the fire when speaking ahead of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

"I can assure that things are normal, that it is business as usual. This is very much the Cup that you have seen before and the Cup you will see in the future and everything is being done by the direction of the executive committee and I am in place as the general secretary," he said.

"I think (the fans) can have confidence in the future because this is a major effort to do things in the right way and if we accomplish that by the end of this entire process, we will have done a lot of good and for the right reasons.''

Meanwhile, Blatter said he would not support a lifetime ban for people who offer bribes despite his new 'zero tolerance' approach.

He told CNN: "No - to say if there is an offence against an ethic code, it is a life ban - everyone has the right to defend itself.

"Zero tolerance is not a killing instinct that we have to kill people. Zero tolerance means that if you commit something outside the play of field, you will have a punishment. But it can be a yellow card, it can be a red card, it can be a suspension for two games, three game [or] a lifetime."

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Romania coach Lucescu steps down

Razvan Lucescu has resigned as coach of Romania - less than 24 hours after masterminding a 3-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Lucescu, who would have celebrated 12 months in the job on Monday, met with Romanian Football Federation president Mircea Sandu this morning and informed him of his decision to stand down.

His final game in charge saw Romania turn in an impressive display with two goals from Ciprian Marica and an Adrian Mutu strike handing them a win which moved them up to third place in Group D.

Lucescu won seven of his 21 games in charge and Sandu was quick to stress they had parted on amicable terms.

"I wish him success wherever he works next and I hope the next coach and his staff will continue to get the same results as the one Lucescu managed last night,'' Sandu said in a statement.

Romaina now travel to South America for friendlies against Brazil and Paraguay. They will be led on a temporary basis by Under-21s boss Emil Sandoi and Lucescu's assistant Stefan Iovan.

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Diabate signs extension

Bordeaux striker Cheick Diabate has signed a two-year contract extension to keep him at the Ligue 1 club until 2015.

Diabate, 23, joined Les Girondins' youth team in 2006 and has had loan spells at AC Ajaccio and Nancy.

A club statement read: "FC Girondins de Bordeaux are pleased to announce the contract extension of Cheick Diabate.

"The Mali international has signed for two more seasons. He is now under contract until June 2015 with our club."

The news comes just days after a similar deal for goalkeeper Cedric Carrasso, who extended his contract by two years to summer 2015 at the weekend.

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Bin Hammam hits back at claims

FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed Bin Hammam says he is "confident there is no charge to answer'' after FIFA opened an investigation into bribery allegations against him, FIFA vice-president Jack Warner and two other officials.

FIFA announced on Wednesday that its ethics commission would examine the conduct of Bin Hammam and Warner, along with CFU officials Debbie Minguell and Jason Sylvester, in relation to claims made by executive committee member Chuck Blazer.

Blazer, who is the general secretary of the CONCACAF federation, has alleged that violations were committed under the FIFA code of ethics during a meeting organised by Bin Hammam and Warner on May 10 and 11 - the same time Lord Triesman had accused Warner of demanding money for a World Cup 2018 vote - in relation to the upcoming FIFA presidential election, which takes place on June 1.

Bin Hammam, who is the president of the Asian Football Confederation and is running against Sepp Blatter to be the new president of world football's governing body, denies the accusations.

"This has been a difficult and painful day for me today. But, if there is even the slightest justice in the world, these allegations will vanish in the wind," Bin Hammam said in a statement.

"This move is little more than a tactic being used by those who have no confidence in their own ability to emerge successfully from the FIFA presidential election.''

All four officials must be in position by Friday to attend a hearing in Zurich on Sunday, May 29.

Bin Hammam added: "I remain deeply indebted to Mr Warner for his sense of fair play because without his support and understanding I would not have been able to meet with several important member associations of FIFA to discuss my election manifesto.

"Here I completely deny any allegations of wrongdoing either intentionally or unknowingly while I was in the Caribbean. I will speak to Mr Warner on this subject and offer him my full support in ensuring we are discharged honourably by the FIFA Ethics Committee, a body which I hold in the highest esteem.

"I am confident that there is no charge to answer and that I will be free to stand in the FIFA presidential election on June 1 as originally planned.''

The chairman of the ethics committee, Claudio Sulser, will not oversee the proceedings because he shares Swiss nationality with Bin Hammam's presidential rival Blatter, and this could be construed as a conflict of interests. The meeting will instead be chaired by the committee's deputy chairman Petrus Damaseb of Namibia.

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