Long Journeys To Home Games

Smog On The Medway

Smog On The Medway

Well-known member
I went to pretty much every home game and many away games between 86 and 97 but after a divorce and changing jobs a few times I ended up in the South East and started a new life.

My wife also loves the Boro and after taking my daughter to Fulham on the opening day of the season, she loves them too. They are now keen to go to more games, we have tickets for Peterborough and recently went to QPR. We came up for the Chelsea game and afterwards my wife suggested we get season tickets for next season, which not only means we obviously see more games but gives us better access for away games, which are easier for us to get to.

It seemed a great idea on Saturday night in the pub but in the cold light of day I’m beginning to wonder about the practicality of it. I have a company car so the travel isn’t too bad and we have good friends, also season ticket holders, who are happy for us to stay with them. It’s a minimum of 4.5 hours each way though, on very congested roads in the South.

I was wondering if anyone else goes through similar to attend home games and how they find it? Work commitments would stop us attending many midweek games but we’re happy to make the sacrifice to get to more away games.

Sorry for the long post.
 
Smog On The Medway said:
I went to pretty much every home game and many away games between 86 and 97 but after a divorce and changing jobs a few times I ended up in the South East and started a new life.

My wife also loves the Boro and after taking my daughter to Fulham on the opening day of the season, she loves them too. They are now keen to go to more games, we have tickets for Peterborough and recently went to QPR. We came up for the Chelsea game and afterwards my wife suggested we get season tickets for next season, which not only means we obviously see more games but gives us better access for away games, which are easier for us to get to.

It seemed a great idea on Saturday night in the pub but in the cold light of day I’m beginning to wonder about the practicality of it. I have a company car so the travel isn’t too bad and we have good friends, also season ticket holders, who are happy for us to stay with them. It’s a minimum of 4.5 hours each way though, on very congested roads in the South.

I was wondering if anyone else goes through similar to attend home games and how they find it? Work commitments would stop us attending many midweek games but we’re happy to make the sacrifice to get to more away games.

Sorry for the long post.
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You say you're "happy to make the sacrifice to get to more away games", but how many away games do you actually miss out on? (That sell out). I find it's not actually that many. Maybe you could attend more away games, and not be stuck with the commitment of having to make your season ticket 'worthwhile' by driving to Boro every other week.

(If we got in to the Prem, then it's different, as it's harder to get away tickets).
 
I have a season ticket, and have had it whilst living in Hertfordshire (where I now live) and California (although it didn't get much use then). Home games can be a pain (like during the Monk and Strachan years) but as long as you pick your games rather than forcing yourself to go to every one then it becomes a "treat" and even the drive isn't too bad.

The main reason I have it is to enable me to be high up the list for away games that are local to me (all the London ones mainly) which to me is worth the money in itself. If you can find some one to use it when you dont (my mother in laws partner uses it) then it doesn't feel too much of a waste either.
 
I live near Portsmouth and have done for nearly 25 years due to joining the Navy (no longer serving). It's actually weird that I've lived down here longer than I lived in Middlesbrough.

I am still Boro through and through and retain a bit of my accent. No doubt with random splatterings of 'southern' and pompey 😂. The only reason I have to go to Middlesbrough is football as all my mates moved away and imediate family now live in Cumbria.

So home games are a mission. I went on Saturday but its only my 4th home game of the season. That said I've been to 9 away and going to Peterborough. I try and do anything Birmingham South. I'd clearly love to go to Bournemouth but unlikely.

Despite my many years down here we hardly ever seen to he in the same league as Portsmouth. It does my head in lol. The worst part was that I joined the navy in 97 so missed so many games of the 'glory years' by being away at sea.

I do miss going every week. I've had 9 season tickets in my life (3 in the Holgate). I would love to go every week but simply not possible with work and more so distance.

That said if I win the lottery I'm buying a flash house up north and getting that season ticket. I'd go to every match😂
 
Smog On The Medway said:
I went to pretty much every home game and many away games between 86 and 97 but after a divorce and changing jobs a few times I ended up in the South East and started a new life.

My wife also loves the Boro and after taking my daughter to Fulham on the opening day of the season, she loves them too. They are now keen to go to more games, we have tickets for Peterborough and recently went to QPR. We came up for the Chelsea game and afterwards my wife suggested we get season tickets for next season, which not only means we obviously see more games but gives us better access for away games, which are easier for us to get to.

It seemed a great idea on Saturday night in the pub but in the cold light of day I’m beginning to wonder about the practicality of it. I have a company car so the travel isn’t too bad and we have good friends, also season ticket holders, who are happy for us to stay with them. It’s a minimum of 4.5 hours each way though, on very congested roads in the South.

I was wondering if anyone else goes through similar to attend home games and how they find it? Work commitments would stop us attending many midweek games but we’re happy to make the sacrifice to get to more away games.

Sorry for the long post.
Click to expand...
I travel up from London and have done for 20 years to home games. It’s great when you win but on a dark cold wet Saturday evening in January after you have just lost it can be wearing a bit. Going back to the 70s to 90s many exiled Teessiders used to travel back home for home games and through MSS got subsidised rail travel. Sadly those days have passed.

Travelling up from Medway that will be 9 hours in the car on a Saturday that would be tough.
 
I met my boro-bird online several years ago. We spent two years doing alternate weekends, driving between bormuff & boro. Racked up some miles, but all very enjoyable. She's down here now..... waiting for the day we move to boro!
 
afcb_acklam said:
I met my boro-bird online several years ago. We spent two years doing alternate weekends, driving between bormuff & boro. Racked up some miles, but all very enjoyable. She's down here now..... waiting for the day we move to boro!
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That's some journey, about 7 hours I would imagine, with a break?
 
afcb_acklam said:
I used to do it at nightime, albeit in a nissan almera. record was just over 5 hours. She used to travel down from work in hartlepool, took 9 hours sometimes! made us make sure we appreciated our weekends, great times. theres a lot to be said for relationships based 312 miles apart ;-)
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Must be good cars those Almeras, my mate put 200K on one doing Southend/Cardiff every weekend for years.
 
I live just outside Peterborough. So it’s a reasonably easy three hours up the A1-A19 or on the train take the east coast mainline to Darlo.

I had a season ticket for four years under McClaren and Southgate. Tended to buy really cheap train tickets months in advance so it only cost £20 odd return. The odd game got moved and you couldn’t use the ticket but it still worked out cost Effective. Same with overnight stays, booked early for cheap rates.

It was the travel that got too much for me in the end, I get anxious and stressed easily and I began to find it stressful so I gave it up. Also had a bad experience coming back from a game against spurs (or maybe it was West Ham) where i got stuck with a bunch of moronic away fans and felt decidedly uncomfortable and a bit threatened. Spent the money for the next few years on a few trips to the states and Australia instead and then eventually bought a house.

I’ve done four home games this year - including the two big cup games - drove to them all. Can be tiring but enjoyable. Come up for an overnight and I visit all the old haunts like saltburn, whitby, skinningrove, Got back about 10:30 pm on Saturday. So not as bad as Bournemouth, Norwich or Kent.

I too was thinking about buying a season card, but it’s the travel that puts me off. So just the odd home game for me.
 
I’ve been up here 21 years, kept my season ticket, I have a 334 mile round trip from here to the Riverside and I don’t drive. Saturday 3 o’clock kick offs mean I can be back in my local by 8.30 as long as the trains are running properly. 2 days off work for a night match. I try to get to the occasional away game.
Home games are great to catch up with mates and especially under Strachan, Monk, Pulis and sometimes Warnock it was more about the catch up than the football.
I still enjoy it, the whole day is good fun usually.
 
I did 8 years as Season Ticket holder from Berkshire from 1990 to 1998 and made all home matches inc through the fallow years following relegations. 265 miles home after a midweek defeat in the second tier under Rioch, Todd or Lawrence was no fun whatsoever.
If I'd not moved back north in 1998 I would have kept my SC, but am sure would have started missing matches.
 
S7DiscoDown said:
I live near Portsmouth and have done for nearly 25 years due to joining the Navy (no longer serving). It's actually weird that I've lived down here longer than I lived in Middlesbrough.

I am still Boro through and through and retain a bit of my accent. No doubt with random splatterings of 'southern' and pompey 😂. The only reason I have to go to Middlesbrough is football as all my mates moved away and imediate family now live in Cumbria.

So home games are a mission. I went on Saturday but its only my 4th home game of the season. That said I've been to 9 away and going to Peterborough. I try and do anything Birmingham South. I'd clearly love to go to Bournemouth but unlikely.

Despite my many years down here we hardly ever seen to he in the same league as Portsmouth. It does my head in lol. The worst part was that I joined the navy in 97 so missed so many games of the 'glory years' by being away at sea.

I do miss going every week. I've had 9 season tickets in my life (3 in the Holgate). I would love to go every week but simply not possible with work and more so distance.

That said if I win the lottery I'm buying a flash house up north and getting that season ticket. I'd go to every match😂
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I live in Fareham so if you fancy the odd car share sometime let me know.

I've been concentrating on trying to do the 92 in recent years so Riverside visits have been sadly lacking.

I even went to Newcastle v Bournemouth a few years back with a couple of Bournemouth mates, it was weird driving by Boro as we were playing Wigan at home the same day!
 
Thanks for all the replies guys, could do with a Crystal Ball to see if we’re going up this season. Will give it a bit more thought and will have a chat with my wife and daughter before committing.
 
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