Truro's Record-Breaking 914-Mile Round Trip Creates English Football Record
Regarding the players, staff, and travelling supporters of Truro City, the gruelling return journey of 914 miles to Gateshead was a mixed blessing in the end. The 12-hour bus journey starting in south-west Cornwall travelling the length of England to the north-east region bore a single point plus complimentary drinks.
The team tied their National League match at 2-2 at Gateshead International Stadium on Saturday having led 2-0 by the 54th minute, in what is turning out to be a campaign defined by long travels and tireless road trips up and down English A roads and motorways. Following strikes by Dominic Johnson-Fisher and Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain, Gateshead rebounded through Kain Adom and, in the 70th minute, Frank Nouble.
“Opposition teams visiting us often fly in and stay overnight, making our coach travel less than ideal, yet with our extensive schedule, it’s our only option.” — John Askey
Earlier in the season Truro have made a trek to face Carlisle resulting in a 3-0 loss that clocked up 878 miles. Due to the team's remote location, even their nearest away game is at Yeovil Town, around a two-and-a-half-hour schlep along the A30 to Huish Park, a 130-mile trip each direction.
Unifying Impact of Long Travels
On Saturday the initial 90 supporters to arrive shared a £920 bar tab, sponsored by Sky Bet, the complimentary beverage fund equating to £1 per mile covered. Fortunately, the squad could interrupt their travel with a stop at Derby County’s training ground.
Their chairman from Canada, Eric Perez, who appreciates long-distance travel as he frequently flies seven hours from Toronto to London, recognizes the difficulties facing the club he took over in 2023 aiming to emulate Wrexham's success.
The extensive travel also brings advantages for the region's first pro football team, he believes. “I’m not going to say it’s a short journey, It's an exceptionally long distance relatively,” Perez stated. However, it serves to strengthen our squad further – everybody spends time together, we’re used to travelling together.”
Dedicated Fans Face Lengthy Trips
One of Truro’s stalwart supporters, John Joyce, is resigned to long days of travelling but remains committed, despite the odd flight cancellation and wearisome train treks. He estimates Saturday’s trip cost him around £400 in expenses and lost earnings, noting, “I worked for Nato in the last six years of my career in the navy, and it was a shorter drive from Brussels back to Cornwall than it is from Cornwall to Gateshead.”
As Askey said, after their Carlisle odyssey: “The thing that makes Truro special as a club is that the supporters get behind the team regardless of circumstances. Last term's promotion success so it was easy to get behind the players, yet the supporters rarely complain and they appreciate what the players have done.”
