Posted in
3 min read

Football Away Days Following Sunderland

There are 20 teams in the Premiership, add to that 72 League Teams, add to that the Conference, the Conference North and South, add to that so many more levels it’s almost impossible to quantify. It matters not who you follow, Football Away Days are the same the land over.

Football is brilliant, when people refer to ‘all being equal’, it usually translates to, ‘some are more equal than others’… well not in football, genuinely, hats off to every football fan in the land.

“Who are You??”

It matters not! As it happens, I watch every game that Sunderland play. I’ve been far and wide watching them…..North, South, East, West, Wales, Scotland, Holland, Germany, Portugal etc. 

Some wonderful Stadia, Ronaldo, Bale, Rooney, Defoe…. In recognition of the fact that it matters not who you follow and where you follow them – Football Away Days don’t get better than a trip to Accrington Stanley?

Football Away Days Accrington Stanley

Accrington Stanley Away Day

Saturday 8th December 2018

Unchartered territory, bizarrely nine months later I’d been to the Wham Arena four times to watch SAFC.

Like most fans, my home game routine is consistent, same timings, same seat, same parking spot, same time home etc. An away day, well that’s something completely different.

Football Away Days Travel - What Could Go Wrong?

08.12.18 - Timeline

7.45 am taxi to York

8.30 am pub for breakfast

9.00 am ale on sale

I’m of an age and experience that I’m acutely aware that alcohol can be a nightmare – I’m lucky that after a weeks graft, a day on the lash is something I can take or leave.

Meticulous plans in place, 9.52 train to Stalybridge, where a pal will meet us and drive us to Accrington. Pleasant enough train journey with usual travelling companions, the fact one of them is armed with strong continental lager given to him the previous day in the ‘Office Secret Santa’, probably tells you more about the said travelling companion that I could in a thousand words?

Football away day travel plans

We ‘passed’ Stalybridge, sadly we didn’t ‘stop.

It was freezing, it was impossible to see the action, it was right to start the game, it was equally right not to finish the game.

4.25 pm Return to the car, take clothes off.

An adult single ticket to Manchester Victoria is twenty pence more than an adult single to Stalybridge. After a fraught discussion with a ticket inspector who suggested we needed to buy a York to Victoria ticket, (£19 each), or be issued with a £50 fine!! Eventually, common sense prevailed!

11.10 am Every cloud, nowhere better than Manchester for a few pints

12.15 pm Our 10.30 am Stalybridge pick up arrives in Manchester

1 pm Accrington. It’s lashing it down – pitch inspection at 2 pm. Mixed emotions, as if the game is off we can stay inside the warmth of the pub

1.55 pm Stops raining and the sun comes out

2.00 pm Pitch declared playable

2.01 pm The heaviest rain ever starts to fall

3.40 pm 1-0

4.00 pm 1-1

4.01 pm Game Abandoned

Sunderland at Accrington Stanley
Wetter than an otters pocket

Game Over

It was freezing, it was impossible to see the action, it was right to start the game, it was equally right not to finish the game.

4.25 pm Return to the car, take clothes off, (clothes wet and heated seats on offer).

6pm Back in York

Thereafter … A bit messy.

So, that’s a day on the road watching SAFC. As it happens 9 months later we were making our 4th visit to Accrington Stanley…

Away Days at Accrington Stanley

Accrington is a great place for a Football Away Day – but then again there’s nowhere bad for an Away Day.

Article by SAFCBlog

Visit The Store

Got something to say, but no one to tell?

Write for us.

We’d love to hear from you, tell us your footballing story, why you fell in love with your club, your football tribe, those away day adventures, the terrace fashions you’re passionate about….

Get in touch at info@fritidsklader.co.uk

SHOPPING BAG 0