🔗 Share this article

Regarding the squad, management, and away fans of Truro City, the gruelling return journey of 914 miles to face Gateshead proved bittersweet in the end. The 12-hour bus journey 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 their National League match at 2-2 away at Gateshead on Saturday having led 2-0 by the 54th minute, in what is turning out to be a campaign defined by long travels and unrelenting hauls up and down English A roads and motorways. Following strikes by Dominic Johnson-Fisher and Christian 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

Already this term Truro have made a trek to face Carlisle for a 3-0 defeat that clocked up 878 miles. Such is the club’s relative isolation, even their nearest away game is against Yeovil Town, a roughly two-and-a-half-hour drive via the A30 to Huish Park, a 130-mile trip each direction.

Unifying Impact from Extended Journeys

On Saturday the first 90 Truro fans were treated to a £920 drinks tab, courtesy of the EFL sponsor, Sky Bet, with the generous free-drinks fund equating to £1 per mile covered. At least the players were able to break up their journey with a stop at Derby County’s training ground.

Even their Canadian chair, Eric Perez, who appreciates long-distance travel since he regularly flies seven hours from Toronto to London, understands the challenge confronting the club he acquired in 2023 aiming to emulate Wrexham's success.

All this time on the road also brings advantages for the region's first pro football team, in his view. “It's certainly not a brief trip, 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.”

Loyal Fans Endure Long Trips

A committed Truro follower, John Joyce, accepts the reality of extended travel yet stays devoted, notwithstanding occasional flight issues and exhausting rail journeys. He calculated the recent trip at roughly £400 in costs and missed income, 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.”

Reflecting on the situation, following the Carlisle expedition: “Truro's uniqueness as a club lies in the fans' unwavering support regardless of circumstances. I know last season we were very successful so it was easy to get behind the players, but from what I know the fans never even moan and they value the players' efforts.”