Truro's Record-Breaking 914-Mile Journey Creates English Football History
For the squad, management, and away fans of Truro City, the gruelling return journey of 914 miles to face Gateshead proved bittersweet ultimately. Their lengthy coach ride from Cornwall in the south-west travelling the length of England to the north-east region bore a single point plus complimentary drinks.
The team tied their National League match two goals apiece 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, the hosts fought back 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
Already this term 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, a roughly two-and-a-half-hour drive along the A30 to Huish Park, 130 miles each way.
Unifying Effect from Extended Journeys
On Saturday the initial 90 supporters were treated to a £920 drinks tab, courtesy of the EFL sponsor, Sky Bet, with the generous free-drinks 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.
Even their Canadian chair, Eric Perez, who appreciates long-distance travel as he frequently flies seven hours long-haul from Toronto to London, recognizes the difficulties facing the club he took over in 2023 aiming to emulate Wrexham's success.
The extensive travel has benefits too for the region's first pro football team, in his view. “I’m not going to say it’s a short journey, It's an exceptionally long distance relatively,” Perez told BBC Sport. However, it serves to strengthen our squad further – everybody spends time together, we are accustomed to journeying as a group.”
Loyal Supporters Endure Long Trips
A committed Truro follower, John Joyce, is resigned to long days of travelling but remains committed, notwithstanding occasional flight issues and exhausting rail journeys. He calculated the recent trip at roughly £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, after their Carlisle odyssey: “Truro's uniqueness as a club is that the supporters get behind the team no matter what. Last term's promotion success made it easy to back the squad, but from what I know the fans never even moan and they value the players' efforts.”
