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For the squad, management, and away fans of Truro City, the arduous 914-mile round trip to Gateshead was a mixed blessing ultimately. The 12-hour bus journey from Cornwall in the south-west all the way up England’s spine to the north-east region bore a single point and a free pint or two.

The team tied their National League match at 2-2 away at Gateshead on Saturday after holding a two-goal lead in the 54th minute, in what is turning out to be a campaign defined by long travels and unrelenting hauls 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.

“Clubs that come down to us, most of them are flying down and staying over on the Friday, so for us to have to do it on the coach is not ideal, but because we have so many long journeys, that’s the way we have to do it.” — John Askey

Already this term the club undertook a journey to Carlisle for a 3-0 defeat covering 878 miles. Due to the team's remote location, even their nearest away game is against Yeovil Town, around a two-and-a-half-hour schlep along the A30 to Huish Park, 130 miles each way.

Unifying Effect of Long Travels

On Saturday the initial 90 supporters were treated to a £920 drinks tab, sponsored by 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, accustomed to long-haul trips as he frequently flies seven hours long-haul from Toronto to London, recognizes the difficulties confronting the club he acquired in 2023 with ambitions of “doing a Wrexham”.

All this time on the road has benefits too for the region's first pro football team, he believes. “It's certainly not a brief trip, It’s a ridiculously long journey in context,” Perez stated. However, it serves to strengthen our squad further – everybody spends time together, we are accustomed to journeying as a group.”

Loyal Supporters Endure Lengthy Trips

A committed Truro follower, John Joyce, accepts the reality of extended travel yet stays devoted, notwithstanding occasional flight issues and exhausting rail journeys. He calculated the recent trip at roughly £400 in expenses and lost earnings, remarking, “During my naval career with Nato, the drive from Brussels to Cornwall was shorter than from Cornwall to Gateshead.”

As Askey said, 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 made it easy to back the squad, but from what I know the fans never even moan and they appreciate what the players have done.”