🔗 Share this article

Regarding the players, staff, and travelling supporters of Truro City, the gruelling return journey of 914 miles to Gateshead proved bittersweet ultimately. 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 plus complimentary drinks.

The team tied the National League fixture two goals apiece away at Gateshead on Saturday having led 2-0 in the 54th minute, in what is turning out to be a campaign defined by long travels and tireless road trips across England's highways. After goals from Johnson-Fisher and Oxlade-Chamberlain, Gateshead rebounded 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.” — the team's manager

Earlier in the season Truro have made a trek to Carlisle resulting in a 3-0 loss covering 878 miles. Such is the club’s relative isolation, their shortest away match is at Yeovil Town, around a two-and-a-half-hour schlep via the A30 to Huish Park, 130 miles each way.

Galvanising Impact of Long Travels

During the matchday the initial 90 supporters to arrive shared a £920 bar tab, courtesy of the EFL sponsor, Sky Bet, with the generous free-drinks fund equating to £1 per mile covered. Fortunately, the squad could interrupt their travel 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 from Toronto to London, recognizes the difficulties facing the club he took over in 2023 aiming to emulate Wrexham's success.

All this time on the road has benefits too 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 told BBC Sport. However, it serves to strengthen our squad further – the team bonds during travel, we’re used to travelling together.”

Dedicated Supporters Face Lengthy Trips

A committed Truro follower, John Joyce, is resigned to long days of travelling yet stays devoted, notwithstanding occasional flight issues and exhausting rail journeys. He estimates Saturday’s trip cost him around £400 in expenses and lost earnings, noting, “During my naval career with Nato, the drive from Brussels to Cornwall was shorter than from Cornwall to Gateshead.”

Reflecting on the situation, following the Carlisle expedition: “Truro's uniqueness as a club is that the supporters get behind the team regardless of circumstances. I know last season we were very successful so it was easy to get behind the players, yet the supporters rarely complain and they appreciate what the players have done.”