92 Clubs – Week 4 – 11 Clubs – 18 Trains
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7
Day 22 Day 23 Day 24 Day 25 Day 26 Day 27 Day 28
This was a rather poor performance on my part, but it had got off to rather a bad start on Day 22 and I did take three days off.
Here are the awards.
Heroes of the Week
These have to be Peter, who at 84, guided me across Manchester to Oldham and the unknown driver of the 14:06 out of Paddington to Penzance, that I took to Plymouth.
Most Surprising Stadium of the Week
It has to be Port Vale, as it shows how a small club can create a stadium of whom any supporter can be proud.
Best Stadium of the Week
I’d give this to Port Vale as well, if it wasn’t so difficult to get to. I might give it to Norwich, but then I can’t, can I? Both the Nottingham clubs have good stadia, which are easy to get to, but the others with the exception of Peterborough, are public transport nightmares. So I think I’ll leave the award! in a few years time or on a match day, it will probably go to Port Vale.
Best Signposted Stadium of the Week
Portsmouth virtually has its own station at Fratton and even has separate signs to the ground for Home and Away Supporters, so it wins by a country mile.
Worst Signposted Stadium of the Week
Peterborough virtually lacks signposting and as it is fairly close to the station, some signs would help. But as I said on Day 27, the stadium is very much a work-in-progress, so perhaps it will be very much better in a few years time. I think I’ll give it to Northampton, as with a bit of thought, they could probably make a nice walking route to the ground.
Dump of the Week
After a couple of near misses Manchester finally gets the rewa4rd it deserves. It is a city with bad maps, no information and a completely indecipherable bus system. Perhaps some of the billions, they are spending on the new trams could be used to make sure the buses work or that the maps are correct.
Sign of the Week
It just has to be the one at Port Vale.
Best Train of the Week
The High Speed Train to Plymouth, where I sat on on the floor.
Worst Train of the Week
The two trains to Oxford, where there was no tables in the back of the seats in front. How can I do my Sudoku?
Worst Bus of the Week
The one I took from Boundary Park to Oldham Bus Station. If you were in a wheelchair or had a baby in a buggy, you ewouldn’t have been able to use it.
This was rather a dissappointing week, in that I could have done much more. I could make the excuse of my hay fever! So I will!
92 Clubs – Day 28 – Portsmouth, Port Vale, Preston
This was an easy day, in that I took a train to Fratton after 09:30 from Waterloo to Fratton to get to Portsmouth.
Portsmouth's Fratton Park Stadium
I was back into London ion the 11:28 and was able to catch the 13:20 out of Euston to Stoke-on-Trent for Port Vale.
Vale Park is not easy to get to from the station and although the 21 bus supposedly does most of the trip, this does mean a confusing change or stopover in Hanley. So I took a taxi to the ground from there.
Inside Vale Park
The staff were very welcoming and one of them took the picture.
I tried to get the bus back to the station from Vale Park and asctually found the stop,but no bus of any sort appeared for some time. A local told me they were often like that and caused him great distress. In the end it was a 21 that appeared, but as I needed to get on I jumped ship at Hanley and got a taxi to the station, where I caught another Virgin Pendolino to Manchester Piccadilly. By now, I know the station like one of the rats, who I suspect live between the tracks, sao it was a run to catch the train to Preston. As it was a Trans Pennine Express, it was very crowded.
I’d been to Deepdale once before in the 1960s to see Spurs play, whilst I was at University and can remember walking a long way to the staidum then. So this time it was a taxi in the dark to Preston‘s ground.
Deepdale in the Dark
I got back to the station about 18:00 and as I had an Off Peak Single to Euston, it was a situation, where I just took pot luck. I had a choice of taking the Glasgow train for Euston, which was rather full or waiting fifty minutes to get on an almost empty train starting from Preston. One of the Virgin train staff advised taking the latter, but I knew that the Glasgow train would have to unload a few passengers at Wigan and Warrington, so I took the chance. By Warrington, I had a backward facing corner seat with a window view all the way to Euston. They really are the most comfortable seats on a Pendolino, where I always prefer to travel with my back to the driver.
92 Clubs – Day 27 – Oxford, Peterborough, Plymouth
If I’d chosen different trains to go to Oxford, this day could have been subtitled a day of six HSTs or Inter City 125s, but time was tight, if I was to get back to London at a reasonable hour.
Oxford, must surely be one of the most difficult stadia to get to from the town centre, even if you have a car. And if you do, you have to actually drive along the by-pass where there are queues of traffic. Of all the taxis I have taken to get to and from grounds, Oxford was by far the most expesive.
Oxford United’s Kassam Stadium
Oxford‘s stadium is just a rather anonymous pile stuck by the Science Park. I will not be sad, if I never ever go there again. It should be said, that Oxford is not noted for its wonderful traffic systems, as every time I go, it always seems to be totally gridlocked. A couple of years ago, I went there to play real tennis and walked to the court from the station. It would appear that or a bicycle is the only sane way to get about. If ever a city needed a second or parkway station it is Oxford.
Peterborough was a very different kettle of fish and it was just a short run in a High Speed Train to the city and then about 15 minutes walk.
Peterborough’s London Road Stadium
I should say that the walk could be made easier, but I suspect that as the ground is still not finished, that this will come later.
I was soon back on another HST to Kings Cross and then it was on the Circle Line to Paddington for Plymouth.
Sitting in Style on a First Great Western HST
I had been unable to get a seat online, so I just bought an Off Peak Return and made the best of what was available, as the picture shows.
I should say that it wasn’t that uncomfortable and I got a seat from Taunton, when the train started to clear. I wouldn’t like to sit like that in a Pendolino, as they certainly don’t ride like forty-year old HSTs.
It did look like it was all going to go pear-shaped, as the train had been delayed at Paddington for about fifteen minutes by a fault and this meant it had got stuck behind a stopping train along the Devon Coast. We were nearly thirty minutes late at Totnes and it was starting to look like I’d miss the 18:00 back to London. But then driver got a clear line and let the HST go, so much so that it was only twenty minutes late at Plymouth, giving me just ten minutes to get to the stadium and back.
Outside Home Park
As you can see I made it.
I did get a seat all the way back, but the train was late due to someone falling under a train at Reading West station.
But if the day did prove one thing, it was that the stopgap Intercity 125 is a superb train. But then I know that, having been through the Highlands at 90 mph.
There are plans to make sure these trains continue for a few years yet. Who’s to say that in the 2060s, they won’t be a tourist attraction in their own right, as they speed passengers to the West Country. Probably to the consternation of politicians, who can find all sorts of reasons to not use a what would be then be a nearly ninety year old train. After all, I doubt that electrifying this line to Plymouth will ever be done.
92 Clubs – Day 26 – Norwich, Nottingham Forest, Notts County, Oldham
It was back on the road on Wednesday. I was actually a five club day, as I passed Ipswich on the way to Norwich and took this picture from the train.
Portman Road From The Train
Not the best, but when I had a very good view, National Express East Anglia decided to put another train in the way. It was only a quick trip to the ground as I wanted to get on my way to Nottingham.
Outside Carrow Road
The Norwich fan, who took the picture wasn’t happy and I think it shows in the quality.
There is a direct train link from Norwich to Nottingham and I was in the city with three major grounds before midday.
Signpost to Forest and County
The picture shows the signage to the grounds. This sign actually solved the problem of whether to to County or Forest first. So it was Forest.
It is not a safe walk to the grounds, as you walk up a main road, with no pedestrian lights where you cross side roads. I couldn’t even hitch a life on a bu, as there were no stops until I got to Trent Bridge and all the buses seem to go another way.
Outside Nottingham Forest
But I made it. The Nottingham Forest must have one of only a couple of grounds on a major river. Fulham being the other obvious example.
It was then back to the station taking in Notts County on the way.
Notts County’s Meadow Lane Stadium
From there it was on to Manchester Piccadilly for Oldham. Strangely on a train that had started in Norwich. It was a walk to Piccadilly Gardens for the bus, but as ever the information was extremely useless. There was even a map of the stops, where a You Are Here sticker had been placed so that it obscured the stop I wanted.
Then I bumped into Peter, an Oldham season ticket holder, who escorted me to Oldham on an 81 bus. Or was it a 181? Certainly, the bus didn’t know, but eventually with some further help at Oldham Bus Station, I walked to Boundary Park.
Boundary Park in the Dark
As you can see it was now getting dark, so I made a hasty retreat, by means of two buses back to Manchester.
After supper in Carluccio’s, it was on the late train home to London. I actually travelled First Class, as it was only seven pounds more than Standard with a coffee and a banana thrown in. On the other hand it was about half an Off Peak Standard Class ticket. I know it’s all to do with demand, but certainly not many seem to want to travel First on Virgin after about 21:00.
92 Clubs – Day 24 – A Day Off
I did the same on the Monday. I’m slacking a bit, but then I’m trying to get my health a bit better. I just can’t believe that pollen levels have been high or moderate every day since the end of May.
At least I got a start on some of my planning for the rest of the week.
92 Clubs – Day 23 – A Day Off
It was a Sunday and because of the hay fever and things that I needed to do, like sort out my tablets and get some food in, I took the day off.
92 Clubs – Day 22 – Northampton
That was all I managed, on a day, when I intended to do Northampton in the morning, then take the train to Ipswich for the match against Crystal Palace and then visit Norwich in the evening.
But I did get to Northampton on a train from Euston and a taxi from the station.
Northampton Town's Sixfields Stadium
I got back to London quickly and then my troubles started.
I thought I might get my paper at Euston, but in the end I gave up, as despite about twenty people queuing in W H Smith’s there was only one till open. The obvious way to Liverpool Street on the Circle line was closed due to engineering work, so I took the Northern line to Moorgate and walked to the station.
I tried to buy another paper and guess what. Twenty people queuing and one harrassed and very overworked assistant trying desperately to show customers how to use the automatic tills. I can’t use those, as they don’t accept my prepayment vouchers for The Times. So I left, vowing never to cross the threshold of any of their shops again in a very loud voice. I am very stubborn and never ever will.
I then got my gluten-free sandwiches for lunch in Marks and Spencer, and then knew that I could just about catch the one o’clock train to Ipswich to get me to the match on time. So instead of buying a ticket from the booking office, where I can get a cheaper ticket to Ipswich from the Zone 6 boundary, I bought a slightly more expensive one in a machine.
I then needed to look for the platform and found that the indicator board showed only a few trains. Nation Express East Anglia were advising people to go to Newbury Park on the Underground and then get a replacement bus. In other words, I might get to Ipswich in time for the second half.
But of course it had completely mucked up my day, as if they were in this state now, what was it going to be like getting back from Norwich later in the evening.
I thought perhaps that if I got to Cambridge, I might be able to replan, so using my Freedom Pass, I took a train to Cambridge via Tottenham Hale. On the train, I phoned a fellow Ipswich fan, who I thought might be going. But he wasn’t, so I got out at Tottenham Hale, intending to get a bus home, as I knew the Victoria line wasn’t running.
In the end, I walked to South Tottenham station and got the Overground to Harringay Green Lanes, from where I got a 141 bus home.
And then of course Ipswich lost!
What particulaely annoys me about all this, was that there were no prominent signs about the engineering works in the station and especially at the entrance, where London Underground always place prominent signs.
I suppose I should have checked more thoroughly, so when I got home I checked the National Express East Anglia web site and they allow you to book tickets without warning you that your journey will be on a replacement bus. The only clue on the booking page is that it was two changes between Liverpool Street and Ipswich.
After all of the disruption of Tuesday, I had hoped I would have had a better trip. But then Tuesday was much better, as we at least had a train.
My heartfelt thanks go out to National Express East Anglia for ruining my day and charging me £22.30 for the privilege.
I know I wasn’t the only person, who’d missed the disruption, as several other Ipswich and Crystal Palace fans were at Liverpool Street in a seriously muddled state.
I know it was my fault for not spotting that engineering work was taking place. In fact, I usually buy my ticket a few days in advance at the station and tried to on Tuesday, but it was impossible in the chaos that evening. And of course on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, I had better things to do than make a special trip to Liverpool Street to buy a ticket. On the other hand, what idiot decided that the best day to do engineering work, was when quite a few football fans would be travelling between London and Ipswich?
In all my travels around the country visiting the 92 clubs, I’ve never had a wasted day like this.
I should also say that I’ve never missed a football match, after leaving home with the intention of going in all of my sixty-four years.
So what would I have done, if I had been the Fat Controller at National Express East Anglia.
- I know that engineering work has to be done, but surely to organise it when Ipswich are at home to a London club is not a good idea. Especially, when the day is the first day of half-term and there will be a lot of families trvelling on the trains anyway. So I would have made sure that the work was done at some other time, or if it had to be done then, I’d have arranged for announcements and program notices at the two clubs previous home matches. I was at Ipswich on the Tuesday and no announcement was made, either at the stadium or on the train. I can’t speak for the program, as I didn’t buy one, as I was so tired and stressed after the journey up, due to the crowded train.
- I’d make sure that the engineering works were fully publicised throughout the week, with notices at the entrance to the station.
- I would have made sure that Radio London and BBC Radio 5, gave full details on the Saturday, so that passemgers were forewarned.
- I’d also set up an alternative route out of London for Norwich and Ipswich passengers. The new trains to Cambridge are much bigger and could be used to shuttle passengers to Whittlesford, which has a large parking area, from where buses could be used to take passengers to an onward station like Needham Market, where they connect to Ipswich, Norwich and Colchester. It wouldn’t be perfect, but better and faster than the current route via Newbury Park and Ingatestone.
92 Clubs – Week 3 – 16 Clubs – 28 Trains, 3 Trams, 3 Metros
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7
Day 15 Day 16 Day 17 Day 18 Day 19 Day 20 Day 21
Perhaps not as many clubs, as I would have wanted, but there was a lot of public transport.
I also had a late train, but that actually helped me at Hereford on Day 12, by giving me some extra time.
As with Week 1 and Week 2, I’ll put in a few awards.
Heroes of the Week
Everything went fairly smoothly and no-one really stood out, except for some very cheery people who sent me on my way.
Most Surprising Stadium of the Week
This has to be Morecambe in possibly the town that surprised me most. The whole town deserves an award for going from being a place berated in various papers for benefit tourists, to a place, where you’d be pleased to go for a few days.
Best Stadium of the Week
Huddersfield was the first of the new stadia to be built. It has a grace and engineering-style beauty that so many modern stadia lack. Access from the train is pretty good too. And the staff at the stadium I met, were friendly too. If the club make it to the Championship, they will be a welcome addition to the League.
Best Signposted Stadium of the Week
There wasn’t really one, but Manchester United and Newcastle with their own tram and metro stops are the easiest to find from the station. Newcastle probably wins because of the station in team colours and the fact that it’s so near to the ground.
Worst Signposted Stadium of the Week
A pedant would say Leyton Orient, as I don’t think I saw a single signpost after the Underground station at Leyton. But then you pass umpteen bus stops, all with maps showing you where the ground is located.
They could also include Millwall, but as the ground effectively has its own station at South Bermondsey and soon will have another at Surrey Canal Road, it is rather irrelevant.
So it has to be Manchester City, where there is no information at Piccadilly station and you have to get a bus from Piccadilly Gardens a short walk away. And then the bus doesn’t give any indication you are arriving at the stadium.
Best Town of the Week
Only Morecambe deserves any award. Just as with Hartlepool last week, they have done their best with very limited resources. The Town really shows up Blackpool to be the real dump it is. It was a pity I had so little time there on a very busy Day 21.
Dump of the Week
It’s a toss-up here between three places, Manchester, Leeds and Milton Keynes. I think I’ll give it to Milton Keynes because of the fact that it would be an impossible place to live without a car and even then the signposting leaves a lot to be desired.
The problem with Leeds and Manchester, is that their buses are so badly organised and totally unusable by visitors except with a guide. But that also applies to Blackpool and Bristol.
I haven’t really caught up much, but I’m keeping going.
92 Clubs – Day 21 – Milton Keynes, Morecambe, Newcastle
althoughy, I only visited three clubs it was one of the longer days including eight trains, three on the Newcastle Metro and two taxis.
Milton Keynes is one of those stadia built where the land was available and not in a place convenient for public transport. But it would appear that publicf transport is not of much account in the city of roundabouts and few signs. As I went to the stadium in a taxi, I couldn’t see many signs to either the stadium or the station. This caught me out years ago, when I drove to the city to get a train to Warrington. In the end I got a rare parking ticket, for leaving my car in the wrong place.
Outside MK Dons Stadium
I wasn’t there long and was quickly on a train to Crewe, where I changed for Lancaster on my way to Morecambe.
The town was a bit of a surprise, as I thought it would be like Blackpool only smaller. It is smaller, but it is in much better state than its larger resort down the coast. You wouldn’t see anything as tasteful as this on a roundabout in Blackpool.
Outside Morecambe Station
The stadium is new and a bit of a way away from the town centre.
Outside Morecambe's Globe Arena
But it looks pretty good and as the town was nice although a bit blowy, I’ll be back, if Ipswich play there. The beach looked a good place to walk too!
Morecambe Beach
It would be three trains from Morecambe to Newcastle, via Lancaster and Carlisle. I’ll say more on this journey later.
On arrival in Newcastle, I took the metro to St. James’ Park.
St. James' Park, Newcastle
They’ve even got the Metro station in the club’s colours.
St. James Metro Station in Newcastle Colours
Is this unique?
I was on the train to London on time and in bed before midnight.
when I looked at the schedule at the start of yesterday, I thought a lot of things could go wrong!
Nothing did!
92 Clubs – Day 20 – Liverpool, Macclesfield, Manchester City, Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Millwall
Not quite the Magnificent Seven, but I’ll take six after a total of nine trains, four buses, three trams, two taxis, one Underground train and quite a bit of walking, it was a long day well done.
I started very early in the morning by taking the 05:27 direct to Liverpool. I got another friendly taxi-driver, who took me to the ground for a discount and took my picture in front of the Anfield Gates.
Outside the Anfield Gates
I was all very quick and I was on a train to Macclesfield just after nine. I changed at Stockport for Macclesfield and as there was no information at all at the station, it was another taxi.
Macclesfield Town's Ground
I got the impression the driver couldn’t use a camera, so this is the best picture I took of the ground.
To get to Manchester I took one of Virgin’s Pendolinos, which as I had the right ticket was OK. However, it could be possible that you end up with a cheaper and incorrect ticket at Macclesfield, that is not valid on Virgin. So if you do buy a ticket there, check you have the right one for the train you are catching.
Piccadilly station at Manchester, is an information desert, so don’t do what I did and go there without total preparation. You’d think that directions to the Etihad Stadium, where Manchester City play would be displayed prominently. But you would be very wrong! Eventually, someone from Virgin, who I suspect was a City fan, suggested I walk to Picadilly Gardens, as any of the buses to Ashton would get me there. But there would be staff there, who I could ask! There was and I got a bus that passed the stadium.
One of the problems of buses in the provinces is that few announce the stops, as all London buses do. So it was try and peer out the dirty window on a typical rainy Manchester morning and see the stadium. In the end, I felt that I might have gone far enough, so I pressed the bell and got off a couple of stops early, so I could get wet in the drizzle.
If Manchester thinks it is an important city, it could spent a few pence on getting more information and maps for the buses and making them more user friendly. But then only the elderly, the unemployed and losers use buses. I suppose, I’m in at least two of those categories.
The stadium is impressive, but there wasn’t anybody to take a picture, which probably shows how unwelcoming and sterile many grounds have become these days.
Manchester City's Etihad Stsdium
At least I had no problem finding the bus to get me back to the city centre, although crossing the road, you were just a target for speeding motorists.
Again though, I found it difficult to find the right tram in Piccadilly Gardens, as they don’t believe in telling the punters what they need to know. There does seem to be this belief up north that public transport is for the locals and they don’t need information, as they know where they are going.
I did pass the other Old Trafford on the way to Manchester United ‘s ground.
Old Trafford on Brian Statham Way
The walk to Manchester United ‘s ground from the tram stop at Old Trafford is easy, but it does pass Trafford Town Hall.
Trafford Town Hall
And this street of healthy eating establishments.
Healthy Eating By Manchester United's Ground
Note one appears to be taking Lou Macari‘s name. But then he comes from the Land of the Deep-Fried Mars Bar. Something that is definitely not gluten-free.
Manchester United's Stadium
I did pass the stadium and took this photograph. Obviously, I didn’t want to be photographed outside, but if I had, there were lots of people about, many who seemed to be from the more eastern parts of Asia. They would probably know how to use a camera better than some I have asked on my journey.
I carried walking past the ground aiming for a Metrolink station called Pomona. However, it wasn’t signposted. I eventually found another station with the aim of getting back to Piccadilly.
Information on the Manchester Metrolink
Note the non-functioning information system, which sums up Manchester well. Eventually, I got back to Piccadilly for a train to Middlesbrough.Finding trains at Piccadilly isn’t the easiest as this board isn’t the best.
Information Board at Manchester Piccadilly
Why can’t they use the system they have at Leeds or London Bridge, which is a list of all the places served by all of the trains? This would appear to be doing something similar, but it doesn’t show all of the stations all of the time and they move about from place to place. Quite frankly, it’s one of the worst and most useless information displays I’ve seen, except for some in places like Egypt, all in Arabic.
Eventually, I arrived at Middlesbrough and walked to the Riverside Stadium.
Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium
It is another one of those modern stadia, that are surrounded by fast roads, with no crossings for pedestrians. But at least in the only match, I’ve seen there, Ipswich won.
I walked easily to and from the stadium from the station, although I wouldn’t do it in the dark with all the fast traffic about.
I got the late train back to London from Darlington and then it was off to London Bridge to catch a train to South Bermondsey for Millwall. It was dark by now and this is the best of the pictures I took.
The New Den's Behind the Bars
I couldn’t get any closer without climbing the unfriendly fence. But I suppose it is Millwall and there might be lions loose inside.
I was in bed just after midnight, after a friendly and talkable 141 bus from London Bridge.
The Anonymous Widower 