Carlisle United has reviewed the current arrangements for visiting supporters and, after careful consideration, we are making changes to improve the matchday experience for both home and away fans.
Our aim is always to balance the needs of visiting fans with the growing demand from our own supporters, while ensuring safety, comfort, and the best possible matchday experience for everyone. After carefully considering recent attendances, feedback, and logistical factors, we have reached an important decision on where away fans will be located going forward.
Historically, away fans have been housed in the East Stand. Internal segregation, security doors, toilets, and refreshment areas in this stand are all designed to accommodate up to 1,750 fans (10% of capacity), in a separate area inside the stand concourse.
As an alternative for the first three home games, away fans were housed in A Stand as a temporary measure. Feedback from fans in the Paddock and B Stand, particularly after the Braintree game, about away fans in A Stand was generally negative. A Stand is also now required for home fans (including use for the Community Ticket Scheme), so it is no longer available as an option.
At the same time, demand for seats in the East Stand from home fans has grown significantly in recent seasons. While this is very welcome, it also increases the strain on facilities and concessions in the East Stand — something reflected in fan feedback. Looking ahead, we expect this demand to continue rising, and we are planning accordingly to give our home supporters the best possible matchday experience.
This season, away attendances so far have been very low: 45, 58, and 59 fans at the first three home games, and 34 advance sales for Truro up to yesterday. It is absolutely clear that using the East Stand for away fans is no longer appropriate.
In this context, and having very carefully considered the situation, we cannot continue to allocate an area capable of hosting up to 1,750 fans to be used by so few. It is not viable to continue as we have in the past.
We have therefore decided to change immediately where away fans are housed going forward.
The club contacted Truro City straight away to inform them, and then emailed every single Truro fan who had bought a ticket to personally let them know. Truro fans will still be offered a warm welcome. They will be able to use all the food, drink, and bar facilities in the Fan Zone, both pre- and post-match, and the Paddock North refreshment concession during the game. For any Truro fan unable to stand, we will do all we can to provide an alternative.
This is not an easy decision, but it is a necessary one. We believe housing away fans in the Waterworks is the best option in the circumstances and, in time, it will enhance the atmosphere to have supporters on all four sides of the ground. This arrangement will continue unless new circumstances require a further change. Above all, we will continue to offer every visiting supporter a very warm welcome to Brunton Park.