Travel to the Match

[crocks]

I drove down from Swindon yesterday for the game and what a nightmare journey. Started off at 12 thinking that I would have plenty of time (normal journey time is 2 hours tops). I first hit queueing traffic just past Leigh Delamare and it took an hour just to get to the Bath turnoff. The M4/M5 interchange was slow but passible and then the usual queueing to get up the hill to the split. Traffic was pretty slow from there on and at times the M5 was a massive car park (both sides stopped).

The final straw was when I had signs that there were serious delays between Wellington and Cullompton. So, I came off at Wellington and took the old A38 to Cullompton where I rejoined the M5. No further problems but I was still trying to find somewhere to park at 3.15pm. Managed to park, then ran to the ground (well jogged in truth). Got to the road that runs parallel with the railway line just in time to hear the roar from the BB as Nichols puts us one up.

Then to get my ticket. Of course, the hut on the jungle path was closed by this time. So I asked a steward just inside the gate for the entrance to the BB where to get it. I had to go all the way around to the ticket booth in Stadium Way. So, I jogged down Well Street, then into St James Road and then had the bright idea of cutting through the car park. But no, the gate from the car park was closed as well, and the steward there said I had to go all the way around.

So back into St james Road, turned left into Old Tiverton Road and finally down Stadium Way. A further 2-3 minutes as the girl in the booth found my ticket, luckily she said that if I knocked on the disabled entrance to the BB, then a steward would take my around. Which I duly did. A very nice lady escorted me in front of the BB, then along the jungle path to the OG entrance, which was also shut. A further knock on the door and after a couple of minutes an elderly steward opened the door. I have to say that he was a miserable sod.

He complained that my ticket was missing the end stub. I said that the girl in the ticket booth had taken that and he moaned that I shouldnt be allowed in without this precious stub part of the ticket. After I explained that it had taken me 3.5 hours to get there, he grudgingly let me in.

I finally took my seat with only 10 minutes to go until half time.

Really pleased that City held on for the point so that I had the feeling that all that effort was worth it.

Do you have any similar tales to tell?

 

[LOG]

A friend of mine was caught in the motorway traffic around Tivvy yesterday as well.

I made a last-minute decision to go to the Bristol City PSF a few years ago. I left, i thought, with plenty of time to get something to eat on arrival and a trip to the pub but it took nearly 3 hours to get from Bristol to Exeter because of an accident on the M5. Once i got through the traffic, every time i came up to a junction i almost convinced myself to turn back but never quite managed it. I arrived about 2 minutes before kick off and went straight back afterwards. We won and played well but i hardly think it was worth the hassle.

 

[motorservices]

I was sat in traffic from callington to plymouth yesterday, i normally leave work at midday, go from there to plymouth, pick up my mate at around 12.40 and get to SJP around 1:45, i picked him up yesterday at 1:35 we got to SJP at 2:45

 

[Antony Moxey]

I don't suppose it hurt having to do a bit of exercise though Crocks? A bit of light jogging is far better for you than strolling round a golf course...

 

[contrabombarde]

A great tale crocs but a disappointing end. I was half expecting you to say that your boots were filled with lead and the entrance to S.J.P was a swamp. Waking up in a cold sweat would have been the icing on the cake.

 

[Grecian O'Grecian]

Last season I got the train to Bristol for Bristol Rovers away. Me and a few others got off the train at around 2:10 and headed straight to the taxis outside the station. Long story short the taxi driver didn't speak very good English and took us to Bristol citys ground. Despite us checking with him many times that he knew that it was Bristol Rovers we were going to. We were in such a rush that we had no time to argue on the price and ended up paying the fare despite it being about 15/20 pounds more than it should have cost. A quick sprint around the ground a through the car park and we made it in no more than a few seconds before kick off.

 

[angelic upstart]

I once travelled up from ex mouth in a taxi for the game to be called off. I believe it was Barnet home on New Year's Day circa 1995.

 

[Avening Posse]

When we played Charlton away in the cup a few years ago, I was living in London at the time. My Dad drove up to mine and stayed over, and we travelled across London together (I lived in west London).

Anyway, we got to Charlton about midday and walked up this big hill to Charlton Village for a few pints. We left the pub at 2.50pm for a 5 minute walk to the ground. We actually got in the ground about 3.30 after asking a policeman to direct us to the away end, only to be given completely wrong directions and walking around aimlessly through suburbia for half an hour.......to be fair we'd had a few and not really related to your "bad travels" theme Crocks, but it still sticks in my mind

 

[Antony Moxey]

Went to see City away at Doncaster back in the 90s. Me and a couple of mates headed north in my trusty Astra despite torrential rain everywhere and a forecast for the entire country to be under a deluge all day. The further we go into the journey the more games were being called off with it eventually turning to the radio presenters announcing which games were on rather than off.

We arrived in Doncaster at around midday and parked up at the ground. There weren't many people around, but it was early so perhaps the game was still on. After a couple of minutes a steward spotted us - we were the only car there - and told us the game was off. At 1:15.

The radio soon told us one of only six games to survive the weather that day was the Premiership clash between Sheffield Wednesday and Newcastle so as fast a we dared we raced to Hillsborough and looked for somewhere to park. Eventually we found somewhere and legged it to the ground, arriving at the ticket office about 20 minutes after kick off.

Sorry, sold out was the message the miserable woman in the office took great delight in telling us, so we had little choice but to head home. 600 miles, two grounds and no football. Great. Especially watching the game on MOTD later that night and seeing literally hundreds of empty seats at the ground...

 

[wemissmoxey]

I once travelled up from ex mouth in a taxi for the game to be called off. I believe it was Barnet home on New Year's Day circa 1995.

You often make me laugh quite hard Upstart and you have delivered again.