The Anonymous Widower

92 Clubs – Day 12 – Crystal Palace, Dagenham and Redbridge, Derby, Doncaster, Everton

If I had been predicting what would happen on this day as I started out, I’d have been very wrong.  But it does show what is possible.

I started by taking the Overground to Norwood junction for Crystal Palace. It took a lot longer than I thought it would, but some idiot had hit a bridge at Homerton with a truck.  And then as I walked to the ground another pair of idiots had a head-on on a cross-roads. Luckily no-one was physically hurt, although the words were flying.  Both drivers then started arguing with me, so that I could be their witness and I was delayed about ten minutes.  Then a policeman turned up and he extricated me from the argument and told me to get on with my business.  If I have one regrest, it was I didn’t take the car numbers, so that I could report them to an accident claims specialist.

A few minutes later, I was at Selhurst Park.

Selhurst Park

I didn’t stay long and it was a long drag on the Overground and the District line to Dagenham East for Dagenham and Redbridge.

The ground is a short distance away and rather tucked down a side-street, but at least it’s signposted well.

Dagenhajm and Redbridge

I was now running late for my 10:55 train out of St. Pancras and I didn’t get there until 12:30 or so.  But I had booked an Off-Peak rather than an Advanjce ticket deliberately, so the only inconvenience was that I lost my free reserved seat.  

Pride Park, is easy to reach at Derby, and I just walked out of the back of the now rather grand station through the business park to the ground.

Derby's Pride Park Stadium

I wasn’t there long and I was soon off to Doncaster on a direct train.

Doncaster is one of these inaccessible drive-to stadia, so it was a taxi from the station again.

Doncaster's Keepmoat Stadium

A few minutes after returning to the station, I was on a crowded Trans Pennine Express for Manchester, where I changed for Liverpool.

It got a bit of a fraught journey later on, as I point out in this post, however, once I got to Liverpool, it was redeemed by a proper Scouse taxi driver and Liverpool supporter, who took me quickly to Everton‘s Goodison Park.

Outside Goodison Park in the Dark

It was all very quick and he only charged me for the diesel and I was back in time to get the 19:48 for London.  The train conductor even held the train for perhaps a minute or so, so that several of us late comers got on-board.

We were just a few minutes late into Euston, but as I was two trains in front of where I thought I’d be, I’m not complsining.

October 13, 2011 - Posted by AnonW | Sport, Transport/Travel | 92CCBB, Football, London Overground, Trains