Travel Information for Visiting Rugby Fans supplied by Sale Sharks Supporters

The following information is intended to assist Away Supporters when travelling to Sale Sharks.

Specific "How To Find Us" information is available on the Official Sale Sharks Site. Follow this link.

Sale Sharks Official Site - How to Find us Information

The following info is useful knowledge supplied by Home Supporters. It may assist you in your travel plans.

Where to Stay

Accommodation in the Stockport Area

Travel Tips

Friday night games bring their own problems for supporters travelling by road. The M6, M56 and M60 can be particularly busy on a Friday evening.

As a rough guide if kick off is scheduled for 19.45 and you are travelling North via the M6 then try and time your journey to be at Knutsford services (Junction 19) at approx. 18.15. That should give you enough time to get to the ground – Park up and get some refreshments before kick off.

Saturday/Sunday Games – Check the football fixtures. If it’s a Manchester United home game then the M6/M56/M60 will be busy with the home supporters travelling from the South. Make allowances.

The following alternative routes have also been suggested:

• For those coming from the south-east/east midlands
  
• Forget the M6. It's not worth it. It takes just one pillock at the M6/M5 interchange, and you've got 20 mile tailbacks each way. People have spent their entire childhoods in cars stuck at junction 8.
  
• The M6 toll works pretty well, but it's £4 each way for cars.
  
• If you are coming up the M1, stay on it until junction 23A and cut across on the A50 (Leicester fans will know this one). This brings you out at J16 of the M6, usually well away from the car park known as Birmingham/Wolverhampton. You might hit a delay on the M1/A50 junction, but it won't be nearly as bad as junctions 6 to 10 on the M6.
• One word of warning about the A50 route - if you look at a map, it may appear that J24 is the best one to come off at; it isn't. You come off at J23A (look for the brown Alton Towers sign) and travel alongside the motorway for a couple of miles before getting to the A50. Read the signs carefully!
• Also, if you decide to go for the M6 (see below), turn left at the Brittania Stadium towards J16 (approx 1 mile). Don't turn right for J15 - there are about 500 roundabouts and Stoke city centre between you and the motorway in that direction.
  
• You can avoid the M6 entirely:
• If you come over from the M1 along the A50, turn off at Meir and follow the signs for Leek, then Macclesfield and finally Stockport and you avoid the M6 completely.
• "My route is along the M1, then A50, A515 to Ashbourne, and then follow signs to Leek, then Macclesfield, then Stockport. Even with a clear run on the toll road this route is quicker as it is about 15 miles shorter and mainly either dual carriageway or motorway."
• For people coming up from the south-west or west midlands
• You have our sympathy. I'd set off now, if I were you. If any Glos/Bath/Worcester fans wish to share top tips, please let us know.
• For Geordies and Tykes:
• M62, turn left on to the M60. Get off at J1. Sorted.
  

Parking

Street map - surrounding area to Edgeley Park

Some Parking in the streets around the ground is strictly residents / permit holders only. If you ignore this you will incur the Wrath of the authorities and residents alike. Please do not park where you shouldn’t.

The following information has been supplied re parking.

As far as I can ascertain there is no supporter car parking at the ground – The club car park is reserved for officials etc.

Best places to park

• Grand Central in the centre of Stockport next to the Railway station. CCTV covered. Not free, but not too expensive, and a 5-10 minute walk away through the station.
• Do not, I repeat do not park anywhere that is badly lit such as 300 yards past the ground near the reservoirs. Cars have been damaged or stolen in the past. Ditto for the Edgeley shopping area - make sure your car can't be isolated.
• At the moment the main restrictions to street parking is on the south (ground) side of Mercian Way, with some around the top end of Station Road/King Street West. I'd give the common-sense advice of parking in well-lit areas and ensuring valuables are out of sight. Obvious, but it sometimes needs saying.

To avoid the hassle of parking near the ground and to avoid the last leg of the M6 M56 M60 some supporters head for the railway at Crewe.

Sandbach, Holmes Chapel, Wilmslow or Cheadle Hulme

• For those wanting to get near without coming into Stockport, Cheadle Hulme station has bags of parking and has a couple of trains an hour into Stockport station. Wilmslow is good for trains, with local 'stopppers', inter-city trains and 'express' trains all stopping here on the Crewe-Stockport line.
• For those who decide to go to the bright lights of Manchester city centre, there are bags of trains coming out of Piccadilly. Buses out of Manchester are from Piccadilly, the main one being the 192, which runs regularly to and from Stockport. Leave a bit of time as it takes a while getting up the A6. The stop to ask for is Stockport College and then walk up Greek Street. 10mins walk from stop to ground.
• All Times and Prices of Trains are subject to change by the train companies – Please double check if using this route into Stockport.
• Sandbach and Holmes Chapel are approx 5 and 10 mins from Crewe and 25, 30 mins from Stockport.

As of Oct 2004 Crewe - Stockport £8:05 return presumably marginally cheaper from the other two.

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