Exciting developments are on the horizon to elevate the supporter experience at St James Park, the home of Exeter City Football Club.
A planning application has been submitted to Exeter City Council for the installation of a cover over the Fan Zone, a hub of activity for supporters before matches. The addition of a covered structure to the area will improve the pre-match experience, offering fans shelter from the elements and ensuring their enjoyment of the space regardless of weather conditions.
The Fan Zone has long been a focal point for supporters on arrival at the stadium. With the introduction of a cover, supporters can look forward to a more comfortable and inviting environment, adding to the overall matchday experience.
The funding of this project forms part of a commitment from the Supporters' Trust to continue improvements across the stadium and a fundraising campaign will start soon to allow the club to make the covered area bigger and better for all supporters to enjoy whatever the weather.
This initiative underscores the club's commitment to continuously improving and enhancing the facilities for its fanbase. In addition to the above, the club is due to open an additional food and drink outlet within the Nevada main stand. This will provide improved speed of service, a subject that was raised in our recent supporter survey.
Other recent improvements include an accessible toilet facility to the away end of the stadium. The club is also planning to install accessible entrance to the shop over the coming months to improve facilities for disabled supporters as identified by our Disabled Supporters Association as priority areas.
Clive Harrison, Chairman of the Supporter Experience Committee, said: “Our supporters love St James Park but there is no doubt that its uniqueness presents its fair share of challenges.
“The results of our supporter surveys and roundtable meetings have been consistent in that reducing queues at the bars and kiosks is the number one priority when it comes to improving the supporter experience.
Clive added: “A cover and associated improvements to the Fan Zone will help to reduce queues in the Centre Spot and create a year-round weatherproof facility for supporters to enjoy.
“The addition of another kiosk will help to provide extra capacity, thus reducing queues in the Nevada main stand. Further works to install disabled facilities in the away end, now completed, and to aid access to the Club Shop will help to ensure that St James Park is accessible to everyone. We will continue to listen to supporters’ feedback and make improvements wherever possible."
As crowds continue to grow, the club continues to seek out opportunities to improve the match day experience for all supporters and will work closely with the Supporter Experience Committee and supporters focus groups where relevant to identify opportunities to improve.