⚽ SILVERLAKE STADIUM ⚽

Eastleigh FC – Your Complete Travel Guide for 2026-27

ℹ️ 2026-27 Season Guide: All information has been researched and verified for the 2026-27 National League season. Always check eastleighfc.com for the latest ticketing and matchday updates before you travel. Note that the ground is officially the Silverlake Stadium for sponsorship reasons but is also widely known by its historic name, Ten Acres.

🏟️ ABOUT THE SILVERLAKE STADIUM

The Silverlake Stadium, or Ten Acres to most who know it, has been Eastleigh’s home since 1957, when the club moved from their previous ground at Walnut Avenue. Tucked just off the M27 in Hampshire, between Southampton and Winchester, it has grown steadily over the decades into a tidy, well-run National League venue with a capacity of 5,192. Floodlights arrived in 1976, and the ground has seen consistent investment since, including a new South Stand in 2014.

The stadium has four stands. The Main Stand on the west side is the largest seated area, originally built in 2004 following promotion to the Isthmian League. The Premier Telecom Stand runs along the east side, offering covered terracing. The South Stand, opened in December 2014 with 2,290 seats, is the modern centrepiece of the ground. The Silverlake Stand sits at the north (clubhouse) end and is traditionally where the most vocal home support gathers — sometimes referred to as the Shed End.

Away fans are allocated the South Stand and enter via turnstiles 1-4. It’s an all-seated, covered section with a decent view of the pitch; one of the better away-end setups in the division given it’s purpose-built rather than an afterthought. The Hangar, the stadium’s bar, is open to both home and away supporters on matchdays, which is a welcome touch.

Eastleigh FC, known as the Spitfires (a nod to the town’s aviation heritage; the Spitfire was designed nearby, and Eastleigh has a long association with Southampton Airport, formerly Eastleigh Aerodrome), were founded in 1946 as Swaythling Athletic before adopting their current name in 1980. They play in blue and have been a fixture of the National League for well over a decade, with a steady, mid-table profile in recent seasons — finishing 13th in 2024-25 and 17th in 2025-26.

Local rivals include Aldershot Town (the only one of Eastleigh’s traditional rivals currently in the National League), Havant & Waterlooville, and Salisbury City. The town of Eastleigh itself grew up around the railway and aviation industries, and that heritage is still visible in the local area today.

📊 STADIUM SPECIFICATIONS – 2026-27

🚗 GETTING TO THE SILVERLAKE STADIUM

The Silverlake Stadium sits just off junction 5 of the M27, on Stoneham Lane in Eastleigh, Hampshire. The nearest station is Southampton Airport Parkway, around a 20-minute walk away across a pleasant country park route. Eastleigh railway station itself is a little further but also walkable. By car, the ground is one of the easiest in the National League to reach, sitting right by the motorway junction. There is a large car park on site at the Lower Hardmoor area behind the South Stand.

🗺️ STADIUM LOCATION MAP

Silverlake Stadium Address: Stoneham Lane, Eastleigh, Hampshire, SO50 9NW | Satnav: SO50 9NW

🚂 BY TRAIN – Southampton Airport Parkway, 20 Minutes Away

A Pleasant Walk Across the Country Park: Southampton Airport Parkway is the nearest station, served by frequent CrossCountry and South Western Railway services from London Waterloo, Southampton, Winchester and beyond. From the station, the walk to the ground takes around 20 minutes, with one popular route taking you across a country park, a nice change of pace from a typical urban stadium walk.

Journey Times to Southampton Airport Parkway:

Getting from Southampton Airport Parkway to the Stadium

💡 Top Tip: Southampton Airport Parkway also has a station car park if you’re combining road and rail; one away fan review mentioned parking here (around £7) and walking across the country park, calling the journey “an absolute doddle.”, so could be worth a go.

🔗 Train Times & Tickets: nationalrail.co.uk | thetrainline.com

🚗 BY CAR – M27 Junction 5, Right at the Ground

The Silverlake Stadium is one of the most car-friendly grounds in the National League, sitting right off junction 5 of the M27. There’s a stadium car park at Lower Hardmoor behind the South Stand, available on a first-come, first-served basis, plus additional street parking in the surrounding area.

If You’re Driving:

• From the M27 (Either Direction): Leave the M27 at junction 5 and take the Stoneham Lane exit towards Eastleigh. You’ll pass the back of the stadium on your left almost immediately. Continue to the end of the road and at the roundabout, go fully around to come back on yourself towards the motorway, passing the Concorde Club on your left before turning right into Stoneham Lane. The ground entrance is around the bend on the left.
• Alternative Route: Leave the M27 at junction 5 and take the A335 towards Swaythling and Southampton, which offers an alternative approach if the main route is congested.
• ⚠️ Road Closure Note: The club closes the north part of Stoneham Lane from 12:30 pm for Saturday afternoon kick-offs and from 5 pm for evening kick-offs, so plan your route accordingly and don’t leave it too late to arrive.

Parking Options:

• Lower Hardmoor Car Park (at the stadium): The main matchday car park, located behind the South Stand. First-come, first-served — arrive in good time for popular fixtures.
• Street Parking: Additional street parking is available in the surrounding area — park considerately and observe local restrictions.
• Southampton Airport Parkway Station: Park here (around £7) and walk across the country park — a popular alternative if the stadium car park looks busy.

💡 Top Tip: Given the proximity to the motorway, this is a genuinely easy in-and-out away day by car; just remember the Stoneham Lane closure times if you’re cutting it fine before kick-off.

🍺 PUBS & DRINKS NEAR THE SILVERLAKE STADIUM

👍 The Hangar at the Ground: The stadium’s own bar, The Hangar, is open to both home and away supporters on matchdays; a solid first option if you want to keep things simple. For something more traditional, The Cricketers Arms is a well-regarded pub a 10-minute walk from the ground.

🍻 At the Stadium

🍺 Near the Ground

🍺 Near Eastleigh Station

🍴 Food Options: The Hangar at the ground and the Cricketers Arms both offer food options before the match. Eastleigh town centre, a little further out, has the usual range of cafes and takeaways. Inside the ground, standard concourse catering is available for those in the South Stand.

✈️ Aviation Tip: Eastleigh’s connection to aviation runs deep; the ground’s bar name and the town’s history with Southampton Airport (formerly Eastleigh Aerodrome, where the Spitfire was developed nearby) are a nice bit of local colour worth knowing about before you visit.

🏨 WHERE TO STAY NEAR EASTLEIGH

Eastleigh itself has a reasonable range of accommodation, helped by its proximity to Southampton Airport, and Southampton city centre is just a short hop away with a much wider range of options if needed. Winchester, with its cathedral and historic charm, is another excellent nearby base if you fancy something with a bit more character.

💷 Budget Options (£50-80 per night)

💷💷 Mid-Range Options (£80-130 per night)

💷💷💷 Luxury Options (£130+ per night)

🎯 THINGS TO DO NEAR EASTLEIGH

Eastleigh itself is a fairly modest town, but its location between Southampton and Winchester means there’s plenty to explore nearby. Whether you want maritime history, a historic cathedral city, or a fun, family-friendly day out, this part of Hampshire rewards a little extra time.

Nearby

🏴️ THE EASTLEIGH EXPERIENCE

⚽ MATCHDAY EXPERIENCE

💭 FINAL THOUGHTS

The Silverlake Stadium is one of the National League’s more unassuming away days, not a ground that will blow you away with character or scale, but a well-run, tidy venue that gets the basics right. The all-seated, covered South Stand for away fans is a genuinely decent setup, and the stadium’s own bar, welcoming both sets of supporters, is a nice touch that not every club offers.

What really makes this fixture work as an away day is the location. Eastleigh sits neatly between Southampton and Winchester, both a short hop away by train, giving you genuine flexibility to build a fuller day out around the football. Winchester Cathedral, Southampton’s maritime history, or simply the Lakeside Steam Railway for families, there’s enough variety nearby to suit most tastes.

Getting here is straightforward by both road and rail; the M27 junction 5 location is about as convenient as National League grounds get by car, and the walk from Southampton Airport Parkway across the country park is a pleasant alternative to the usual urban stadium trudge. The Cricketers Arms makes for a solid pre-match pub if you want something more traditional than the stadium bar. All in all, a sensible, well-organised away day in a genuinely useful part of Hampshire.

Easy to reach, well run, and Hampshire’s best bits on the doorstep. ⚽

⚽ Up the Spitfires! ⚽

📞 USEFUL CONTACTS

⚡ QUICK REFERENCE – SILVERLAKE STADIUM

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