City's Sky Bet League One campaign resumes at Stadium of Light as the Bantams face Sunderland in front of a record crowd.
More than 45,000 tickets have been sold for the festive clash and we have put together your matchday guide to help supporters along the way...
THE ADDRESS
Stadium of Light
Sunderland
SR5 1SU
THE GROUND
Sunderland's home holds a capacity of 49,000 and the club is hoping to fill every seat - making it the biggest crowd of the football league season.
The club moved to the Stadium of Light in 1997 - after leaving their former home of Roker Park where they had played for 99 years.
City supporters will be housed in the upper tier of the North Stand at one end of the stadium, with the away turnstiles situated within blocks 69-72 in the Carling North Stand.
TICKETS
All of the pre-advanced tickets were snapped up by City supporters – but don’t worry if you didn’t get a ticket, you can pay on the gate.
Around 500 tickets are available on the day, though supporters are advised to arrive early in order to avoid disappointment. The cash turnstiles will open at 1.30pm.
ADMISSION PRICES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
ADULTS - £22
OVER 65s - £19.50
UNDER 22s - £15
UNDER 16s - £10
Disabled fans pay the age related amounts and are entitled to a free carer subject to being in receipt of DLA or PIP at the mid or enhanced rates.
Any tickets which were not collected by 3.00pm on Saturday December 22, can be picked up at the Stadium of Light today.
GETTING THERE
By car…
The Stadium of Light (SR5 1SU) is easily accessible from the A19 and A1 via the Wessington Way (A1231).
By train…
Sunderland is the nearest main line station, located 10-15 minutes’ walk away in the city centre. For journey planning and other rail information, visit National Rail.
By bus…
Bus numbers 2, 3, 4, 12, 13, 15 and 16 all stop nearby. The city’s main bus station, Park Lane Interchange, is within walking distance of the stadium
Visit Nexus for more information on Metro, including journey planning.
CAR PARKING
Parking at the stadium is limited and parking passes are sold out. On matchdays, stadium car parks are closed from five minutes before full time until 30 minutes after the final whistle. Police and local authority parking restrictions, including permit schemes, are in place on more than 60 streets surrounding the stadium and are heavily enforced.
Park and walk...
Car parking is available from two sites at the University of Sunderland – the A183 (Chester Road) and St Peter’s. Both are clearly signposted. Follow signs for matchday parking.
Park and ride...
Fans should use the Park and Ride facility on Wessington Way (A1231). This is easily accessible from the A19 and is clearly signposted. Buses will pick up from the permanent bus stops on Sunderland Enterprise Park while pick-up points from the stadium are to the north on Kier Hardie Way.
Buses run every five minutes before the game from 90 minutes prior to kick-off and regularly after the game until all fans have been transported back to their cars.
ENTERTAINMENT & REFRESHMENTS
If you fancy carrying on the festive celebrations, there are plenty of options available.
The ground…
The Club have opened a Fan Zone which is located outside the South East part of the stadium. The area has entertainment in the form of live bands, large screens etc.. Plus food and drink outlets. It is available to both home and away supporters. It is open three hours before kick off and for one hour after the game has ended. Entry is free.
Otherwise, alcohol is also available inside the stadium, in the form of Carling Lager (£4), Carling Cider (£3.80) and Worthingtons (£3.80) and various wines (£3.90). However, for certain games the Club opt not to sell alcohol to away supporters. The Club also offer 2 Pies and 2 Pints for £12.
The pubs…
If you have a bit of time of your hands, then you may like to try the Harbour View on the sea front, which is around a 15-20 minute walk away. Simply go along Roker Avenue (opposite the main entrance to the stadium) until you reach the seafront. Turn left along the front and you will see the pub up on the left. The pub which is listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide, serves good beer (up to six ales), reasonably priced food (with its own matchday menu) and has a large screen television. As the name of the pub suggests you get some good views along the coast from its location.