‘MINI WEMBLEY’ WILL HOST FINAL
BRISTOL CITY’S Ashton Gate is like a mini Wembley Stadium and will host a first-class occasion for this season’s National League promotion final.
That’s the view of National League general manager Mark Ives following the confirmation the culmination of the 2020-21 season will be played there on Sunday, June 20 with a 2pm kick-off.
Ashton Gate has undergone substantial renovation in recent seasons to take the all-seated capacity to 27,000, with Championship outfit Bristol City and Premiership Rugby side Bristol Bears calling it home.
Under the government guidelines, the ground can fill 25 per cent of capacity – around 6,500 – and crucially both finalists’ supporters will be able to attend.
Finding the appropriate venue has taken time with a number of clubs re-laying their pitches having not had the opportunity to do so last summer when the season resumed after a Covid break.
And Ives is confident the finalists will be suitably impressed with their surroundings on June 20.
“We are delighted to be working with Bristol City at Ashton Gate,” Ives said. “It’s a fantastic facility which will ensure whoever is in the final will have a fantastic experience at a ground that is befitting of a final. It’s a super stadium, a super playing facility.
“We looked at a number of venues and we are delighted Ashton Gate will be the host. It is going to be a firstclass occasion. It feels like a mini-Wembley in terms of the quality of the facility.”
It will be the fifth different venue for the promotion final since the inception of two-up into the Football League in 2002-03.
Stoke City hosted the first three, Hereford United were promoted at Leicester City’s Walkers Stadium before Morecambe won the first final at Wembley with a 2-1 win over Exeter City.
Wembley hosting the Champions League final in 2011 meant a switch to Manchester City’s home where AFC Wimbledon won 4-3 on penalties against Luton Town.
The last nine finals have been back under the arch – with last season’s behind closed doors – but with the home of English football the venue for seven European Championship games including England’s three group games, a round-of-16 clash, the semis and final.
The full National League play-off schedule has now been confirmed with BT Sport set to show all games live.
The Eliminators kick of the weekend after the season finishes with fifth place versus sixth on Saturday, June 5, before fourth plays seventh on Sunday, June 6.
The winners of the first game take on the runners-up in the semis on Saturday, June 12, before third takes on fourth or seventh on Sunday, June 13. From this week home fans will also be back in National League grounds, although Wrexham are under the jurisdiction of the Welsh Government meaning their return is on hold.
“I know it’s home fans only because of the current restrictions but at least the majority get a shot at having home fans before the end of the season,” Ives said. “That’s to be applauded. Let’s hope we get to the new season and we can play with full capacities.”
Wrexham have requested permission from the Welsh government to have fans in attendance should they host a play-off game.