Stratford Town FC’s New Under-16s Rule: What Parents Need to Know

Under-16s now need an adult with them or a free Junior Bards card to get into the Knights Lane ground. How to apply, and why the club says it had to act.

By Alex Harrington 2 min read Source: Stratford Town FC
Knights Lane at its junction with Loxley Road, Tiddington, on the edge of Stratford-upon-Avon
Knights Lane, Tiddington. Photo: David P Howard, CC BY-SA 2.0

Stratford Town FC no longer admits under-16s to its Knights Lane ground in Tiddington without an accompanying adult, unless they hold a free Junior Bards membership card. The Stratford Town FC under-16s rule took effect on 26 October, and the next home game it applies to is Banbury United on Tuesday 10 November, kick-off 7.45pm.

On this page
  1. Why has the club done this?
  2. How do you get a Junior Bards card?
  3. Is this happening at other clubs?
  4. What happens next?

Why has the club done this?

The club says it has had reports of under-16s coming from other towns, supporting neither team, with the clear intention of causing trouble in Stratford before and after its last two home games. It stresses there was no disorder inside the ground. Its statement calls the decision “a very sad day” for the club, and says it was made to calm things in the town and for residents of Tiddington.

How do you get a Junior Bards card?

  • Who: children under 16. Membership is free.
  • How: a parent or guardian completes and signs the club’s online form, linked from that page. The club checks it and returns the card to you.
  • Tickets: Junior Bards ticket holders get in free, according to the club’s match day prices.
  • The catch: a member caught causing anti-social behaviour loses the membership.

Everyone else pays the usual prices: adults £14, over-65s and full-time students £10, ages 12 to 17 £5 with ID. Under-12s are free with a paying adult. Parking at the ground is £3 on match days.

Is this happening at other clubs?

Yes. The change was first reported by the Stratford Observer, and the BBC reported on 2 November that non-league clubs across the West Midlands are working on the same problem. It says Leamington FC has had police at a match and Racing Club Warwick has brought in extra security. Warwickshire Police told the BBC it is planning extra patrols and staffing at matches where needed, and is in regular contact with Stratford Town.

What happens next?

The club says it will keep the arrangements under review and speak to the police and the council. Its statement also mentions continuing talks about a new stadium nearer road or train links, though it gives no site or date. Our Stratford crime figures page has anti-social behaviour counts for the town, month by month, and you can report anti-social behaviour to Warwickshire Police on 101, or 999 in an emergency.

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Alex Harrington

Alex Harrington grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon and runs What's up, Stratford? as an independent guide to the town.

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