Getting to Football

In this section, I give directions to each club in Steps 1 to 6 of the English pyramid using public transport. While there are those who have always made a point of travelling to football in this way – either because they have no car or because they choose to leave it at home on Saturdays – their number does seem to be increasing. That seems to be down to a combination of factors – one car households in which another member has a more pressing claim to the car on Saturday afternoons, petrol prices, environmental concerns, or just the desire to have a drink while out all make a contribution, quite apart from those who simply don’t have a car.

How to use this information

For each ground, I identify the railway station to which it is most convenient to travel – I assume that trains are in general preferred to buses. That isn’t necessarily the nearest station; if a ground is not within walking distance of a station then it’s the one which makes the entire journey easiest. Where a ground is within one mile of a station on foot, walking directions from the station only are given. Where that is not the case, then directions for bus travel between station and ground are given. If walking directions are given for journeys of more than one mile, that may be taken to imply either that no bus service exists or that it is too infrequent or too circuitous to be of use.

Directions are then given for the walk from bus stop to ground. In some cases I know precisely where the bus stop is located, but at least as often I don’t – so a road junction by which the traveller should alight is mentioned, this may in practice require the traveller to leave the bus at the next stop and then backtrack to the junction mentioned.

All directions are based on Saturday games kicking off at 3.00; they absolutely do not apply to evening games or games played on Sundays, although in nearly all cases they will work perfectly for the rare games played on weekday afternoons. I’ve ensured that a return journey is possible assuming the game finishes at 5.00; in the few instances where it is not this is made clear.

I fear I can’t accept responsibility for any errors in the information contained here, much as I’ve done my best to ensure that it is correct. If you discover any errors – I’ve mentioned a bus service that doesn’t exist, I’ve gone a longer way around than necessary, or – worst of all – the ground isn’t where I say it is, please let me known at rochestervaliant@yahoo.co.uk.

Thanks to the various posters on Tony’s Non-League Forum who have provided me with corrections and suggestions. Keep them coming!