Colour plan (approx. to scale). Red block = usual away allocation in the East Stand.
The SMH Group Stadium sits on Sheffield Road at Whittington Moor, about a mile and a half north of Chesterfield town centre. Opened in 2010 on the old Dema Glassworks site, it is a compact, all-seater ground of around 10,300. Four separate covered stands wrap a grass pitch. Views are unobstructed from every seat, which is a welcome change if you remember the pillars at Saltergate.
Visiting supporters are normally placed in the northern blocks of the Chesterfield College Community (East) Stand, typically E1 and, when the following is larger, E2 and E3. That is a sideline seat, not behind a goal. Entry is usually through turnstiles E1–E3. The allocation can shift by fixture, so check your ticket. The stand is single-tier, close to the pitch, and the seats have decent leg room. Facilities on the concourse are modern: toilets, Jackson’s pies from the local bakery, hot drinks, and Brampton Brewery ale.
Opposite you is the LMD Vacuum Excavation (West) Stand, the main stand. That is where the directors’ box, hospitality, dugouts, and players’ tunnel sit. Behind the south goal is the Motan Colortronic Stand, the home Kop and the noisiest part of the ground. The Auto Windscreen (North) Stand, behind the other goal, is used mainly as a family area for home supporters. If your club is given an unusually large allocation you may also see visitors in part of the North Stand, but the default away home is those East Stand blocks marked in red on the plan.
Tickets are cashless at the turnstiles. Buy in advance from your own club or Chesterfield’s ticket office (01246 269300). Printed stadium tickets can carry a small surcharge; phone or wallet tickets scan fine. Concourses typically open about ninety minutes before kick-off. All seats are numbered; sit where the ticket says.
By car, leave the M1 at junction 29, follow the A617 toward Chesterfield, then the A61 toward Sheffield. The stadium postcode is S41 8NZ (older sat-navs often work better with S41 8LF). On-site parking is permit-only and the car park closes about thirty minutes before kick-off. Street parking exists on nearby roads but restrictions are enforced; Sanforth Crescent and Nelson Street opposite the ground are access-only. Tesco Extra and other retail parks a short walk away are commonly used. Disabled bays for visitors are limited and should be booked through the club in the week before the match.
Chesterfield station is roughly a twenty-five to thirty minute walk along Sheffield Road, or a short taxi. Coaches drop near the away turnstiles. Across Sheffield Road, the Glassworks (Brampton ales) is the closest pub. The Derby Tup, a little further up the same road, is a CAMRA-friendly option that travelling fans often use. Closer pubs on the home side of the ground can be less welcoming in colours. In town, the area around the crooked spire has plenty of alternatives if you arrive early by train.
The South Stand will try to drown you out; that is the point of a compact new ground. Stewards are generally calm, banners have size limits, and a drum is usually allowed if it stays at the far end of the away block. Leave a little extra time after the whistle: the car park stays shut for half an hour, and the A61 backs up. It is a tidy, straightforward away day if you plan the parking and buy the ticket before you travel.