🔗 Share this article

For the squad, management, and away fans of Truro City, the gruelling return journey of 914 miles to Gateshead proved bittersweet ultimately. Their lengthy coach ride from Cornwall in the south-west all the way up England’s spine to the north-east region yielded one league point and a free pint or two.

The team tied the National League fixture two goals apiece away at Gateshead this past Saturday after holding a two-goal lead in the 54th minute, in what is turning out to be a campaign defined by long travels and unrelenting hauls across England's highways. Following strikes by Johnson-Fisher and Oxlade-Chamberlain, the hosts fought back via Adom and a 70th-minute equalizer from Nouble.

“Clubs that come down to us, most of them are flying down and staying over on the Friday, so for us to have to do it on the coach is not ideal, but because we have so many long journeys, that’s the way we have to do it.” — John Askey

Earlier in the season the club undertook a journey to face Carlisle resulting in a 3-0 loss covering 878 miles. Due to the team's remote location, even their nearest away game is at Yeovil Town, a roughly two-and-a-half-hour drive along the A30 to Huish Park, 130 miles each way.

Unifying Impact of Long Travels

During the matchday the initial 90 supporters to arrive shared a £920 bar tab, sponsored by Sky Bet, the complimentary beverage fund representing £1 for every mile travelled. At least the players were able to break up their journey with a pause at Derby's training facility.

Their chairman from Canada, Eric Perez, who appreciates long-distance travel since he regularly flies seven hours from Toronto to London, understands the challenge facing the club he took over in 2023 aiming to emulate Wrexham's success.

All this time on the road has benefits too for Cornwall’s first professional football club, in his view. “It's certainly not a brief trip, It’s a ridiculously long journey in context,” Perez stated. However, it serves to strengthen our squad further – everybody spends time together, we are accustomed to journeying as a group.”

Dedicated Fans Endure Long Travels

A committed Truro follower, John Joyce, accepts the reality of extended travel but remains committed, despite the odd flight cancellation and wearisome train treks. He estimates Saturday’s trip cost him around £400 in costs and missed income, remarking, “During my naval career with Nato, the drive from Brussels to Cornwall was shorter than from Cornwall to Gateshead.”

Reflecting on the situation, following the Carlisle expedition: “Truro's uniqueness as a club is that the supporters get behind the team regardless of circumstances. Last term's promotion success made it easy to back the squad, yet the supporters rarely complain and they appreciate what the players have done.”