The Anonymous Widower

The Friendly Wilfrunians

I went to see Ipswich play Wolverhampton Wanderers yesterday.

After a sort of brunch in Carluccio’s in Islington, where I had a gluten-free eggs florentine with a portion of pancetta added to mop up the egg yolk and sauce, I took the 12:23 train from Euston.

The ticket was good value in that after my Senior Railcard discount, I paid just £15.50 each way for the direct train. That would have been good value in Standard Class, but I was travelling First both ways. And like most First Class in trains timed for three o’clock football, there was plenty of space both ways. Compare this with the nearly 80 Euros I would have been charged for one way between Brussels and Den Haag.

It was a ticket, that I’d bought a few days ago on-line, but then if you’re going away to watch a football match, you have your schedule days or even weeks before. It would certainly cost you more than £31 to go by road, and you wouldn’t be sitting there doing nothing, except read the paper and drink free coffee.

We arrived on time in Wolverhampton and it isn’t the longest walk to the ground from the station. Especially after directions from a friendly local policeman, who was pleased to give me excellent directions.  Not a feature of all places in the UK.

But I’d forgotten my ticket, so I had to buy another one. The supervisor said that if I returned the unused ticket to Ipswich, I might get my money back.

Molineux is a good stadium, with wide comfortable seats.  Not that I need the wide bit! The view was good too!

Inside Molineux

Wolves too, followed the tone set by the city and were very friendly. So Ipswich left with a two-nil victory.

The only unfriendly thing, was the loud booing of the home side by their own fans.

I don’t think I’ll return the unused ticket, but at £24 to the £14 I paid on the day, it wasn’t as good a value.

So perhaps on large grounds well away from Ipswich, it might be better to buy the ticket on the day.

I finished the day by getting a 30 bus to the Angel and having a curry in the Angel Curry Centre.  This is ideal after a trip that ends in one of the stations on Euston Road, as the bus stops just a few metres from the door.

December 30, 2012 - Posted by AnonW | Food, Sport, Transport/Travel | Coeliac/Gluten-Free, Football, Ipswich Town, Trains, Virgin Trains, Wolverhampton