West Ham United Women – Victoria Road (Chigwell Construction Stadium)

Victoria Road, currently known as (Redbridge’s) Chigwell Construction Stadium for sponsorship purposes, is the home football ground of Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. from Dagenham, Greater London, England, and has a capacity of 6,078.

The floor was used for a number of important home games and matches, including a women’s full international match between England and Sweden, an FA Women’s super league semi-final, UEFA international youth matches with England, San Marino and Cyprus, various cup finals of the league and county and a FAXI against a representative of the Isthmian League. Premier League West Ham United also used the site to host U23 games and West Ham United women’s games.

The Victoria Road Dagenham site has been a football field since 1917 when it was used by Sterling Athletic, the work team at the adjacent Sterling Telegraph and Electric Company factory. The land was later used by another factory team, Briggs Motor Bodies, later known as Briggs Sports. Recently, there have been some good ground improvements with the playing field levelled and re seeded, stones were removed from the crumbling pitch perimeter wall and playing area, and the embankments and terraces were widened.

The only deck was a tiny wooden stand that was steep and narrow and had a few rows of seats across the floor, enough to see the football league playing on the playing surface. In the summer of 1958, the cover was installed on the other side for £1,400. The first lit game on Victoria Road was Dagenham against Woodford Town at the FA Youth Cup in September 1957, and the first senior match was a friendly against Rainham Town in March 1958. The attendance record was set with Reading’s visit to the FA Cup in 1967 when 7,200 crowded the ground.

How to Get to Victoria Road

By Car

From The North

Leave the M25 at Junction 27 and take the M11 towards London. At the end of the M11, join the A406 towards Docklands (A13) and London City Airport. At the junction with the A13, turn onto this road towards Dartford Crossing. At the junction with the A1306, exit the A13 and merge onto the A1306 towards Dagenham. At the third traffic light, turn left onto Ballards Road. At the end of this street, you’ll come to a large roundabout. Turn left onto Rainham Road, head straight, and you’ll see Dagenham East tube station should be on the left. Victoria Road is a quarter-mile down the same side of the street.

From The South

Leave the M25 at Junction 31 and take the A13 towards Central London. After approximately 7.4 miles, exit the A13 onto the ramp which is signposted Dagenham / Dagenham East. At the end of the driveway, turn right at the double roundabout and go under the A13. At the intersection, turn left onto A1306. At the second traffic light, turn right onto the B178 (Ballards Road). At the end of this street, you will come to a large roundabout where you will turn left onto Rainham Road. Head up Rainham Road past Dagenham East tube station on the left. Victoria Road should be a quarter mile down the same side of that street.

By Train

Take the District line to Dagenham East, not Dagenham Heathway. When you exit the train station turn left and the ground is clearly marked and only a five minute walk away. Note that the tube ride from central London can take about 45 minutes. The tube ride can be a nightmare and it is probably best to take a train from Fenchurch St to Barking station and from there take a tube to Dagenham`. Oyster and Travelcard are valid for this trip.

Where to Park

There are no parking spaces available on the Ham United Women’s team home ground site. However, there is plenty of street parking spots nearby, some of which is available on Rainham’s main street.

Away Friendly Pubs Near Victoria Road

There’re two bars on-site – one is a sizeable social club that, in addition to some high-profile games, also welcomes fans and costs 50p to enter. It’s quite simple but comfortable and shows SKY Sports TV. If this doesn’t suit your taste, alcohol is also available in this other underground bar for fans which you can find at the A13 steel booth.

If you fancy a pub, the Pipe Major is close to Dagenham East tube station. This pub is very popular with fans due to its proximity to the train station. The pub serves real beer and also offers food. Though if you have time, get off the tube at Barking. Exit the train station and on your left, you will find a Wetherspoon called The Barking Dog and next to it is the Spotted Dog – a real beer joint that usually serves beers from the Brentwood Brewing Company.

Alternatively, if you get off at the nearest tube station along Dagenham East, Dagenham Heathway, there is a Wetherspoons pub called The Lord Denman across the street. It’s about a 15-minute walk from where buses drop you off at the back of Wantz Road.

Hotels Near Victoria Road

The nearby Hornchurch the Devonshire Hotel and Romford offer great accommodation options, though they’re not directly near the arena. There’s also the Premier Inn Romford Central and a Travelodge that always seem to offer great deals.

What Have Other Away Fans Said About Their Trip to Victoria Road?

Visiting fans are accommodated in the modern west stand at one end of the West Ham Ladies stadium. At present day, unlike the old stand, both the view of the game and the facilities are good. The entrance is in the lower right corner of the site. Visiting coaches can be approached at the back of the visitor area, however, this is located across a park, which can be quite a hike.

The grandstand itself is by far the best grandstand in the stadium, so it’s fascinating that it’s gifted to fans. It rises above the level of the field, which means you have to climb a small flight of stairs to enter. A disadvantage is that the team’s tunnel is in this grandstand and the canopy is taken out onto the field before kick-off. This means that at this point the fans cannot easily access the other side of the bracket along the front, as they will effectively be “cut off” until the canopy is removed again. On the bright side, visiting fans are spoiled with their own indoor bar area, so you can watch the team play games while having a pint.

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Stadium Key Facts

• Capacity – 6,078
• Address – Dagenham, Essex RM10 7XL
• Pitch Size – 110 x 70 yards
• Pitch Type – Grass
• Year Ground Opened – 1917
• Record Attendance – 5,949 v Ipswich Town FA Cup 3rd Round
• Coordinates – TQ497854

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