Most ridiculous Non-League match of the season
Although the National League like to think of themselves as the “EFL League Three” they are still part of the Non-League scene.
However, when it comes to costs for both clubs and fans tonight’s only game in the National League takes some beating:
Dover Athletic v Barrow
It’ll probably be played in front of around just 1,000 people. Good luck to those Bluebirds fans making the journey from Cumbria - you each deserve a medal! But, as a fixture, this is crazy.
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That is crazy, but is it not at least a rearranged fixture?
Long journeys are far from unknown at non league level.
Dover Barrow is indeed extreme but at least may well result in miles per fan ratio of less than one.
Earlier this season Truro City embarked on a 535 mile round trip to Beaconsfield to be watched by 83 spectators - travelling 6.5 miles per spectator.
West Auckland Town this weekend face a 765 mile round trip to Plymouth Parkway in the FA vase (not impossible I may help to reduce the miles per fan ratio for this one as it happens.)
Oh and for tricky Tuesday fixtures, later tonight the mighty Hayward’s Heath host Guernsey in a league game. The visitors will presumably fly hone tomorrow having had two days off work.
Yes I am a sad bast@rd.
In Russia if Vladivostok played Zenit St Petersberg supporters would have a 8124 miles return journey. 127 hours by road or 6 days and 6 hours by train.
That would be a tough trip on a Tuesday night.
Setting off on Wednesday.
Something like that did actually happen one season.
In the Russian 2nd division, Baltika Kaliningrad (a good 500-600 miles west of St Petersburg) often have trans-continental trips to Luch Vladivostok and SKA Khabarovsk to make during a season. No word on their away followings to these games.
I would not want to watch Baltika Kaliningrad every week.
“Give me a B!”
'329 roubles for a small pie?'
Or 219,155 Iranian rials!
I remember when a bovril used to cost 3 Grivna
At least the National League make long distance games midweek the exception rather than the norm would be nice if the EFL did the same
I think you have to call it Beefksi пить these days @OxfordBlue . Copyright or something.
Think this has been explained a few times, and it does kind of make sense.
Better off sending us to somewhere miles away on a Tuesday when we'd only take a couple hundred on a Saturday, than slashing potential big Saturday numbers at say MK by putting it on a Tuesday.
Makes financial sense for clubs and keeps more fans happy... Even if it does shaft those who go to every game no matter what (massive respect to them).
plus they can stick the midweek matches on iFollow to get some money to the clubs from people who wouldn't travel regardless of whether it was midweek of Saturday