No Times in Gillingham
Gilli ngham was beginning to get on my nerves by the time I left this morning. I tried to buy my daily copy of The Times, but one shop didn’t have it and the other two didsn’t accept my voucher. W H Smith was closed.
It didn’t seem to be a town worth a second visit, especially as the away supporters didn’t have the luxury of a roof.
I was glad to get on my way to St. Pancras.
Gillingham is certainly in the running for this week’s prize dump.
92 Clubs – Day 13 – Exeter City, Fulham
It wasn’t a particularly early start, but I was on the 11:06 to Exeter from Paddington.
The main station is at the bottom of a steep hill leading into the city, with the club on the other side of the centre. so as I had plenty of time, I walked it and didn’t get lost at all, as it was very well-signposted. The only problem was that Marks and Spencer didn’t have any gluten-free sandwiches, so I had to make do, with crisps and a Coke on the way home.
Exeter‘s ground is best described as compact and the staff were certainly friendly.
Inside St. James Park
This picture was taken by the receptionist and she certainly did her job well.
Let’s hope Ipswich get an away tie in a cup there at some point. I shall certainly go!
It is an almost unique stadium in that it has it’s own station, so I took the train down the hill to St. Davids to get back to London. It’s probably better to take the train on the way to the ground and walk down the hill on the way home. Although, this may play havoc with some people’s drinking habits.
After I got to London, I took the Underground to Fulham. The ground was deserted, as this picture shows.
Craven Cottage and Johnny Haynes
The statue in the picture is of the great Johnny Haynes. Luckily, I couldn’t find any other statues.
Getting back from Fulham wasn’t the easiest, as I ended up on a bus that got stuck in a jam at Hammersmith, caused mainly by roadwiorks. Eventually, I managed to cross the road to the Underground station and eventually got to Monument, where I got a bus home.
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.
92 Clubs – Day 11 – Coventry, Crawley, Crewe
This was three trips out of London and it was quite a long day.
I left Euston in late morning for Coventry and it was then a twenty minute walk to the bus station at the least customer-friendly interchange I’ve found in the UK. The town has form here, as on January the first, they didn’t provide any transport to the match except taxis.
It was then a twenty five minute wait for the bus, which wasn’t good, as I missed one, as they don’t announce the bus at the stop and you can’t see the numbers from the gate. Is this why in Cambridge, the buses always come nose in to the stand, so you can read where they are going?
The ground was deserted as this picture shows.
The Ricoh Arena, Coventry
It was then a walk round a retail park to find the bus home. Guess what, there were no signs to the bus station. Eventually, a bus inspector told me to walk out the back and get a bus from the main road. It was a 48 and it got me reasonably quickly back to the centre. It was still quite a walk to the train station, but not as much as from the bus station.
From Euston, i took the Victoria line to Victoria and tried to get a ticket to Crawley. Everything was rather busy and as I had plenty of time, I decided to use my freedom Pass to get me East Croydon, where I could get a return to Crawley. It should have been easy, but no-one seemed to know, which was the next platform for an East Croydon train. I was sent to platform 4, then 18, then 14 and finally back to 16. Organisation? No! Headless-chickenism of the worst kind.
Eventually, I got to Crawley stadium and the taxi driver took the picture.
Outside Crawley Town Stadium
I had been unsure, as to whether I would do Crewe, when I returned to London, but as Virgin have no rush-hour restrictions, I took the 18:10 to the famous railway junction.
It was raining when I got there and just walked the hundred metres or so to the deserted ground.
A Wet and Dark Alexandra Stadium
Thirty minutes after arriving in Crewe, I was back on the train south.
92 Clubs – Day 10 – Cheltenham, Chesterfield, Colchester
This was a day with three stadia well away from the train stations.
I took the 7:48 out of Paddington and didn’t mess about and got a taxi to the Cheltenham‘s ground.
Outside Cheltenham's Abbey Business Stadium
Getting back was a little more difficult, as I got to drop me near the town centre and got lost. There wasn’t many signs either. When will these towns learn, that not all visitors come by car?
Chesterfield was next after a rather tedious but thankfully short direct train from Cheltenham. Cross-country trains seem to always be crowded and thery definitely need some larger trains.
By the Pitch at Chesterfield
As you can see from the picture, I got a warm welcome at Chesterfield, after a taxi ride from the ground. On match-days, it’s easier as they have a shuttle bus. The stadium was the most impressive this week so far.
But I did get a bus to the station and had plenty of time before my London train.
I then had time for a meal at Carluccio’s in St. Pancras, before going home to dump some rubbish and then take the evening train for Colchester.
Outside a Well-Lit Colchester Stadium
This was the best picture we could get.
But then I was quickly on the train and back to London, where I was reasonably early to bed. At least I was able to pick up the gluten-free sandwiches for at Marks and Spencer in the station.
92 Clubs – A Change of Rules
The last few days have been very tiring. Especially when it rains.
So there are two rule changes.
- I will now use taxis, especially as the driver often makes an excellent cameraman for the picture.
- I’m not sure about this, but achieving all the grounds in a month may just be impossible. So I’ll attempt to set a record, by carrying on into November if required.
Is this a retrograde step?
The alternative would be to use hotels more often, but then that woud be expensive.
92 Clubs – Day 9 – Carlisle, Charlton, Chelsea
The trip to Carlisle was difficult because of engineering works. But I made it.
Outside Brunton Park, Carlisle
It was then back down to London on the train and on to a very dark Charlton, just a short trainride from Charing Cross.
The Valley in the Dark
And then it was Chelsea, which was all locked up too.
The Bus Stop for Chelsea
The bus stop was the only thing with the club’s name on it.
I was in bed by eleven.
92 Clubs – Day 8 – Bury, Cardiff
It’s not that I’m flagging, but I’m just finding out how difficult this challemge is.
It was an early start and I took the 08:20 to Manchester where I took the tram to Bury.
Outside Gigg Lane, Bury
The walk to the ground was fairly easy, even in the rain and an hour later I was back on the tram for Piccadilly.
It was then on the 12:30 train to Cardiff, which goes via Crewe and then through the Marches and Newport.
Scenery and Skies on the way to Cardiff
The picture shows some of the countryside on one of our best long distance train journeys for scenery, if the weather is good.
The train was on time at Cardiff or nearly so, and it was then a trip to Grangetown and a walk to the new stadium.
A Deserted Cardiff City Stadium
It was absolutely deserted, as you can see from the picture.
However, I was able to get back to Cardiff Central early and despite all the mayhem of a memorial concert for a pop singer with a rather unsavoury reputation, I was able to get the 17:25 back to London.
Surprisingly, it hadn’t been a particularly tiring day, but except for breakfast, one Marks and Spencer sandwich from Euston and a banana, I jadn’t had much time for getting any food. I was pleased though, that I was early and was able to eat a full meal in Carluccio’s in Upper Street.
92 Clubs – Week 1 – 18 Clubs – 33 Trains, 1 Coach
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7
I should add several Underground and Overground trains and quite a few buses.
But of those 33 trains, only one was late and that didn’t stop me doing what I wanted. One, incidentally, a train from Leeds to London on Day 1 was actually a few minutes early. I won’t complain about that!
The coach from Birmingham to Blackburn on Day 3 was an hour late because of traffic and the seemingly endless time, it took to get across Manchester. But it didn’t mean I had to make any serious changes to the schedule.
I shall give out a few awards each week.
Heroes of the Week
This has to go to the staff of First Great Western, who got me back to London from Bristol on Day 5, despite the fact I fell asleep on the train to Bristol Parkway and ended up in Gloucester.
Another award should go to Jeff on the same day, who helped me navigate Bristol’s buses.
Most Surprising Stadium of the Week
Given the problems they have had over the years, AFC Bournemouth was a relevation. The location was good, the stadium was easy to find from the station. And the coffee was excellent too.
Best Stadium of the Week
I haven’t seen a match there but Brighton seems to tick every possible box. When Ipswich play in February, I’ll be going.
Best Signposted Stadium of the Week
It hurts me to say this, as someone who supported their bitter rivals, Enfield, as a boy, but it has Barnet.
Worst Signposted Stadium of the Week
It has to be Bradford City. You can see the stadium from the station and this draws you the wrong way, where there are no signposts at all. As I said in the Day 4 post, for a stadium with such a tragic past, it is almost disrespectful.
It should be compulsory for every football club director to go to a match by public transport, at least once a year. But I suspect, some believe that anybody who doesn’t come by car is a loser and they don’t want losers as supporters. Surely any bum on any seat is a profit.
Welcoming Stadia of the Week
Some stadia were visited in the dark or when no-one was about, but I was very welcomed at most places and especially Accrington, Bournemouth, Bristol City and Burnley.
Best Town/City of the Week
I was very surprised by Bournemouth. But then you’d expect it to have things going for it, as its problems are far less than most places. If you were going to make a day or even a weekend of the match, then it would be ideal. Obviously, you could make a longer visit with any of the London or big city clubs, Brighton, or even somewhere like Accrington or Burnley, where there are other attractions.
Dump of the Week
Is there anything right about the town of Blackpool? You can understand, why even the Labour Party has deserted it for its conferences since 2002. I must admit I have a particular dislike of the place, as I’ve never been able to find any decent gluten-free food there, but others I spoke to on my travels around the north, seemed to feel exactly as I do about the place. And they were Northerners! Most said it wasn’t their scene or something like that!
Here’s a few things that must be fixed.
- There are no maps at the stations.
- There is no details about the trams and how to find or use them at the station. The trams are unique and should be the backbone of transport within the town, as they go quickly from the very north to the very south of the town.
- The bus stops have no details about where the buses go, that a visitor would understand.
- Most pedestrian crossings are not light controlled and many of those that are, were broken or vandalised.
- Many of the public toilets appear to be almost derelict.
The football ground too, might be modern, but the club has the worst attitude to visiting fans I’ve ever found. The view is very much restricted too, because the seating has all the wrong angles. I bet none of the directors of Blackpool have ever sat and watched a game from the visiting supporters section.
Humour of the Week
Surely the sign at Burnley!
So I may be a few stadia behind, but it has been an interesting week. Thanks must go to all of the supporting people, I’ve met on my journey. One even tried to give me forty pounds on the Underground. I said no, as I want all donations to go through JustGiving, because the charity gets more.
92 Clubs – Day 7 – Burnley, Burton Albion
As I said in an earlier post, I took the morning easy and just turned up at Euston, bought a ticket and took the 11:30 train to Preston, where I changed for Burnley Manchester Road, which is the nearest station to the Burnley ground, Turf Moor. The walk-up ticket cost me £48.70, as opposed to the £13.85, I’d paid for an advance ticket, for an early train. But of course I couldn’t use that one after my troubles in Bristol! Well that is if I wanted to stay sane, fit and well.
Turf Moor
I arrived at the ground just before two after about 30 minutes walk. The trouble is that the station is on one hill and the ground is on another and the only public transport between the two is a taxi. I’ve said before, that crossing the main road by the station in Welcome to Burnley is not the easiest. I met a lady at the station as I moved on to Leeds, when I left and she agreed.
But the people at the club are very friendly and I got a good welcome there.
Welcome to Burnley FC
The receptionist took the picture, which sums up the club well, and told me about one of their former players who has suffered a serious stroke. My best wishes go out to him and his family.
She also told me, how she and a few friends were having an expedition to Brighton to see Burnley play in December, staying for the weekend nearby. Sadly, I won’t be going to Burnley this season as Ipswich play them on a Tuesday night.
From Burnley, I took the train to Leeds, on my way to Burton Albion. It was in fact three trains and I suffered my first delay of the week as it was a bit of a tortuous journey, where I had to change at both Leeds and Derby. The late train, was the service from Leeds to Derby, which was twenty-two minutes late and that knocked on. I dfo wonder how many tickets are issued between Burnley and Burton Albion
Outside Burton Albion's Pirelli Stadium
The picture sums up Burton, although it wasn’t the club or the twon’s fault. To say it was raining would be an understatement, so I chickened out walking to the ground, as pneumonia would not be something to add to my ailments. The picture was taken by a cheery taxi driver, originally from Wimbledon.
Originally, when this day was planned, I would have moved on to Bury. But walking around Manchester, late at night and in the rain, I decided that to return home would be a better idea. After changing trains at Birmingham, I was in London around ten and asleep in bed, just after eleven.
The Anonymous Widower 