Seating plan
The story of Selhurst Park started in 1924 when the ground designed by a world-famous architect Archibald Leitch was completed. It immediately became the home stadium of Crystal Palace. The venue faced numerous ups and downs of the club. Many changes to the stands, the roof, and the pitch had been made in 1969, 1983, and 1994, with the latest renovation taking place in 2014.
Today, Selhurst Park boasts with one of the most striking atmospheres in Britain. Of course, there are many stadiums with a larger number of seats, brighter décor, and larger LED screens. But not so many football venues in the world are regularly 98% full.
Speaking about Selhurst Park’s shape, it’s a classic British stadium with four separate stands. Holmesdale Road Stand and Whitehorse Lane Stand are the ones located behind the goals. Arthur Wait Stand has the largest capacity of over 9,500 seats. The away supporters have several sections there. On the opposite side, there is the Main Stand. Crystal Palace F.C. has a serious plan to rebuild the Main Stand in the nearest future completely. It will allow increasing the ground’s capacity to 34,000 seats. It’s expected that the 32% capacity expansion should be prominent for the club’s finances and popularity.
The categories of seats are:
- Premium seats at the Main Stand;
- Executive Boxes at the Whitehorse Lane Stand;
- Family Lounge at the Main Stand;
- Cat 1 seats located at the Arthur Wait Stand and under the Premium seats;
- Cat 2 seats located from both sides of the ground behind the goals.
Charlton Athletic F.C. from 1985 till 1991 and Wimbledon F.C. from 1991 till 2003 also had Selhurst Park as their temporary home ground. The venue witnessed some unforgettable victories of Crystal Palace, including Palace v. Brighton, 6-0, in 1950, Palace v. Brighton, 5-0, in 2002, and the most recent Palace v. Arsenal, 3-0, in 2017.
Tickets
Since Crystal Palace’s home ground is often packed, I recommend you to secure your tickets in advance Ticket-Compare can be your best helper with this. This ticket aggregator is a perfect timesaving solution which will help you to buy the best tickets to any game at Selhurst Park at a reasonable price. The service has an intuitive interface and other wonderful features.
There are more ways to get tickets:
- At the official website of Crystal Palace FC;
- Via email – boxoffice@cpfc.co.uk;
- At the ticket office located right at the stadium.
The cheapest tickets for the matches at Selhurst Park cost about £26, while the most expensive Category 1 tickets cost about £39. The price goes about £10 higher when it comes to category A matches against top clubs.
Hotels near
Selhurst Park is located about 9 miles to the south from the central streets of London. When it comes to entertainment, Selhurst area is far from being perfect. Therefore, tourists might prefer to stay closer to the centre of London. But if you consider choosing accommodations close to the stadium of Crystal Palace, in overall, it’s a safe, green, and relatively clean area located just above the town. Below I’ll give you some recommendations.
Highest-rated
- Westciti Caroco Aparthotel – you can find tons of benefits in this hotel, and one of them is the price. Their deluxe double studio with incredible amenities, including kitchenware, only costs £91. It’s a 7-minute drive from the ground of the Dragons.
- Best Western Plus London Croydon Aparthotel – is another excellent choice of accommodations within walking distance from the ground of Crystal Palace FC. They’ll charge you £106 per night, and you’ll probably enjoy everything about this lovely aparthotel. There is free parking, among other things.
- Leonardo Hotel London Croydon – the distance to Selhurst Park is less than 2 miles. The hotel was recently renovated, and you’ll love their wonderful personnel. The price per night is £127. Most of the rooms have amazing city views.
- Clarion Croydon Park Hotel – is another decent 4-star hotel which is likely to satisfy your needs. You’ll enjoy the bar, restaurant, swimming pool, sauna, great room service, and some greenery nearby. It’s located in Croydon, 2 miles to the south from the sports ground of CPFC. Their rooms cost £105 per night.
- Best Western London Queens Crystal Palace – is a 25-minute walk from the ground of the Glaziers. It’s located on the way to the centre of London from Selhurst Park. It should be very convenient for travellers who want to enjoy both football and exploration of the British capital. It costs £86 per night.
How to get to
The distance from Central London to Selhurst Park is about 9 miles. Considering that the British capital has a wide choice of public transport, it shouldn’t be difficult to reach the ground of Crystal Palace. The tips below must be helpful.
By Rail – Selhurst, Thornton Heath, and Norwood Junction are three stations where you can get off if you want to find yourself within walking distance from the sports ground of Crystal Palace. By the way, there is a confusing thing about another station in London. It’s called the Crystal Palace station, but you shouldn’t get off there. It’s located almost 2 miles away from the venue.
By Bus – I should mention several bus lines which stop not far away from Selhurst Park. Among them are 50, 75, 130, 157, 250, 410, and 468.
By Car – it can be hard to drive in the area near Selhurst Park before the kick-off. Certainly, public transport is a smarter choice. However, if you want to go to the match by car, it normally takes under an hour to reach the stadium from Central London.
By Plane – Luton Airport is 77 miles away from Selhurst Park. Therefore your best pick is London City Airport. The distance from there to the venue is 16 miles, and you can use Overground if you aren’t renting a car. Another decent choice is Gatwick. It will take you under an hour to drive from Gatwick Airport to the stadium of the Dragons in London.
Parking
Unfortunately, you can’t park your car at the ground of the Dragons in Selhurst. However, there is always a solution. The approximate matchday paid parking price near the sports venue in the London suburb of Selhurst is £5.
Eating out nearby
If you want to enjoy spending time in some of the world’s best pubs and restaurants, London is the right place to go. Unsurprisingly, those venues aren’t exactly situated in the suburb of the capital. But if you need to kill time or have a meal not far away from Selhurst Park, I’ll give you some good recommendations.
Pubs, bars & cafes
- The Pawson’s Arms – is around a 15-minute walk away from the stadium. It’s a highly-rated venue with a fantastic crowd and lively atmosphere. If you are looking for an old school local pub, you won’t be disappointed.
- The Prince George – is less than 1 mile away from Selhurst Park. It’s another cool football pub which becomes a great place to listen to stylish music at night.
- The Railway Telegraph – is also less than 1 mile away from the ground of the Glaziers. It’s always packed during the matches because of its reasonable prices, friendly atmosphere, and excellent service.
Restaurants
- Tasty Jerk – I was not a fan of Jamaican food myself. Not many of my friends know anything about it. It turns out to be very spicy. You can try fried snapper or tuna sandwich but prepare to have lots of chilli in your food. In any case, it’s a wonderful restaurant, just a few steps away from the ground of CPFC.
- Blue & Orange – a short 10-minute walk from the venue will bring you to this amazing Mediterranean restaurant. The venue has been there for years, and it’s loved by the locals, which is always a good sign.
- Mantanah Thai Cuisine – is also easily reachable from the stadium on feet. You can feel the true hospitality of Thai personnel, see their warm smiles, and enjoy authentic tastes of the land of the elephants and pineapples. Surprisingly, it’s also a very affordable place to eat.
Things to see at the stadium
The stadium offers a range of opportunities for those interested in celebrations and enjoying special events in a unique setting. Christmas parties, weddings, birthdays, and corporate events can be garnished by Michelin level catering and the unique atmosphere of the football fest.
Tour
While there is nothing special about the stadium tour at Selhurst Park, according to the reviews on TripAdvisor, many people still like experiencing it. If you are one of the fans of the Dragons, you’ll like it. Right now, the tours rarely take place at the venue, and you should inquire about it here to get more information.
Fan store
Crystal Palace F.C. owns the stadium in Selhurst and, of course, there is a fan store located directly onsite. It’s called Selhurst Park Club Shop, and it’s located near the Whitehorse Lane Stand. The Dragons’ official website is another opportunity to buy the club’s official merchandise.
Things to do in Selhurst
About 200 years ago, the area of Crystal Palace in South London was an oak forest. Today there are still plenty of places with relaxing woodland trails, thrilling hill-top views, and even the dinosaurs, which are luckily artificial. The local families love green zones. Selhurst is also known for its bustling ‘Triangle’ of independent eateries and shopping opportunities, including the stylish vintage market.
Sightseeing tour
While there are so many opportunities to take the tour of any kind in Central London, including famous hop-on-hop-off double-decker, you can also have some fun during your stay in London’s suburb of Selhurst. For example, you can visit Horniman Aquarium or Dulwich Picture Gallery, which are both about 3 miles away from the stadium of Crystal Palace. If you are interested in local history, you can go to Brixton Windmill or Morden Hall Park.
Top 3 places to visit
Crystal Palace Transmitting Station – is a 719-feet tall broadcasting site which provides 12 million people with the TV signal. The spire doesn’t lure as many tourists as the Eifel Tower in Paris, but it’s not any less impressive. They have a limited amount of exclusive tours there.
Yuki’s Kitchen – is an enjoyable place to attend for every fan of Japanese food. The venue offers Japanese cooking classes which can be a fun way to spend an afternoon, try new Japanese dishes, learn a few things about the culture of Japan, and make new friends. So even if you don’t care much about ramen soup and fried gyoza, you should give it a try.
Crystal Palace Dinosaurs – is a free attraction which can be found in a huge park. The park itself and the sculptures of the dinosaurs need some maintenance. However, kids and parents love visiting this place. It’s a very calm and relaxing oasis with some pretty spectacular show-pieces. You can also find a paddleboat rental at the nearby lake.
Key facts
| Address | Whitehorse Lane, Selhurst, London, UK |
| Postcode | SE25 6PU |
| Capacity | 26,047 seats |
| Club | Crystal Palace F.C. |
| Build Date | 1924 |
| Architect | Archibald Leitch |
| Average Attendance | 25,455 (Season 2018/19, Premier League) |
| Record Attendance | 51,801 (Crystal Palace v. Burnley, May 11, 1979, 2–0, Football League Second Division) |
| Stadium Cost | £30,000 |
| Roof | Yes, a separate roof for each stand |
| Who is the owner of Selhurst Park? | Crystal Palace F.C. |
| Pitch Size | 101 m × 68 m |
| Where is Selhurst Park located? | 51°23′54″N 0°5′8″W |
| Nickname | n/a |
| Surface | Desso GrassMaster |
FAQ
Selhurst Park has a seating capacity of approximately 25,486.
Selhurst Park has four main stands:
Main Stand (south);
Arthur Wait Stand (east);
Holmesdale Road Stand (north);
Whitehorse Lane Stand (west).
The Holmesdale Road Stand is considered to have some of the best views in the stadium. It’s also known for its passionate atmosphere.
Yes, some seats in the Arthur Wait Stand and the Main Stand have partially obstructed views due to supporting pillars. These are usually clearly marked when purchasing tickets.
Yes, the Family Stand is located in the Whitehorse Lane Stand.
Tickets can be purchased online through the official Crystal Palace FC website, by phone, or at the box office at the stadium.
Yes, Selhurst Park offers stadium tours. Check the official Crystal Palace FC website for availability and booking information.
Yes, the stadium has dedicated spaces for wheelchair users and ambulant disabled supporters in various stands. There are also accessible toilets and catering facilities.
Yes, each stand has various kiosks offering a range of food and beverages. The Fanzone, located outside the stadium, also offers pre-match refreshments.
The stadium is well-served by public transport. Selhurst, Thornton Heath, and Norwood Junction railway stations are all within walking distance. Several bus routes also serve the area.
Parking at the stadium is very limited and usually restricted to permit holders. It’s recommended to use public transport or park further away and walk to the ground.
Selhurst Park is known for its passionate atmosphere, particularly in the Holmesdale Road Stand where the most vocal supporters are located. The proximity of the stands to the pitch contributes to the intense atmosphere.
One unique feature is the large eagle statue outside the Main Stand, which has become a popular photo spot for fans. The stadium also retains a traditional English football ground feel, with stands close to the pitch.
