[Archived] Fa Cup 2015/16

[Paul]

Either way, with the cost and lack of efficiency of rail travel, it's no wonder everyone drives everywhere!

Hardly the case. I'm doing Chorley to London return for £73 with 1st class on the return. Drinks, meals, wi fi included. 3 hours each way and I'll have done all my work on the train.

Compared with a round trip of 450 miles, realistically 5 hours each way including stops, using around £50 diesel, stress of driving, tiredness, can't work during journey etc. Train travel is pretty good value when properly planned, last minute is a rip off.

In 2011 had a year of not driving through ill health. I managed to get everywhere I needed via train and bus all over the country. It takes longer off the main routes but it's very doable.

[only2garners]

That's what we do every time Rovers play in London.

Train from Manchester Piccadilly to Euston with a railcard is £42 which includes unlimited day travel around London. OK we also fork out for a taxi to get from Blackburn to Piccadilly and back, but its worth the extra £20 or so expense compared to driving when I think about the hassle of the M6, Birmingham, M1, M25, Blackwall Tunnel and parking near the ground.

You will find trains from Preston are the same price and the journey is virtually as quick. And you can either park on a Saturday there for £3 or the taxi is going to be a lot cheaper than to Manchester. Only slight drawback is that there is only one fast train an hour from Preston.

[K-Hod]

Hardly the case. I'm doing Chorley to London return for £73 with 1st class on the return. Drinks, meals, wi fi included. 3 hours each way and I'll have done all my work on the train.

Compared with a round trip of 450 miles, realistically 5 hours each way including stops, using around £50 diesel, stress of driving, tiredness, can't work during journey etc. Train travel is pretty good value when properly planned, last minute is a rip off.

In 2011 had a year of not driving through ill health. I managed to get everywhere I needed via train and bus all over the country. It takes longer off the main routes but it's very doable.

I may well be wrong re train travel, I'm happy to be corrected, I rarely use anything other than my car as I've no real need to. (Work 3 miles from home, would require 2 buses and a long walk or a taxi if I didn't drive). It just always seems to be silly expensive whenever I've had a look (though like I said, perhaps I'm probably not looking in the right places through lack of experience).

[ABBEY]

Hardly the case. I'm doing Chorley to London return for £73 with 1st class on the return. Drinks, meals, wi fi included. 3 hours each way and I'll have done all my work on the train.

Compared with a round trip of 450 miles, realistically 5 hours each way including stops, using around £50 diesel, stress of driving, tiredness, can't work during journey etc. Train travel is pretty good value when properly planned, last minute is a rip off.

In 2011 had a year of not driving through ill health. I managed to get everywhere I needed via train and bus all over the country. It takes longer off the main routes but it's very doable.

5 Hours each way to london ? are you going on a donkey driven by mike e?

I may well be wrong re train travel, I'm happy to be corrected, I rarely use anything other than my car as I've no real need to. (Work 3 miles from home, would require 2 buses and a long walk or a taxi if I didn't drive). It just always seems to be silly expensive whenever I've had a look (though like I said, perhaps I'm probably not looking in the right places through lack of experience).

i had to catch the first train to preston a couple of weeks back..never showed up and had a taxi bill instead.

[tomphil]

Trains or rather their pricing structure never makes sense to me. Yes if you can pre organize there are great deals to be had but day to day stuff is bonkers. In recent weeks I've done

Rochdale to Blackburn, £9+ one way which I thought a bit steep. Bus may have been less and in the car it would cost about £3

Blackburn to York, £22 ish return. Great price.

Stockport to Stafford, £18.80, ridiculous.

Then you get my mate who went via 4 trains from Chorley via Picc, Lime st to Nr Southport and didn't pay a thing and never got asked. Trains are bonkers !

Maybe if football specials could be reintroduced for FA cup games it might be a way of re engaging fans with the competition. Making it a big one off away day type thing again like it used to be.

[rigger]

I am sure with the London branch in the seventies we used to hire a complete coach on the train, it worked out fairly cheap. I don't know if that is even an option now-a-days.

[AlanK]

For me it's £90 ish from clitheroe 4hrs 23 and 5h19 coming back. Not great but these are the sacrifices we make as fans. It's why I get so annoyed at the players when I see no effort going in when we go to through these minor hurdles.

Never been to the Kassam stadium so don't know whether its one of these new mcgrounds built on a retail park in the middle of nowhere a la Bolton, reading, etc but it's about 4 miles from the station. Not exactly a gentle walk over either. So probably drinks in town then taxi over.

Yep way out of town on the ringroad

[yoda]

God knows, the amount of cars I see around on the roads it seems to be like most take their cars! I rarely use public transport if I'm honest, never really have the need to.

For me it's £90 ish from clitheroe 4hrs 23 and 5h19 coming back. Not great but these are the sacrifices we make as fans. It's why I get so annoyed at the players when I see no effort going in when we go to through these minor hurdles.

Never been to the Kassam stadium so don't know whether its one of these new mcgrounds built on a retail park in the middle of nowhere a la Bolton, reading, etc but it's about 4 miles from the station. Not exactly a gentle walk over either. So probably drinks in town then taxi over.

That is the main problem with rail, it very rarely gets you to your final destination.

[AlanK]

I`m assuming there will be plenty of tickets left on Monday after the season ticket holders pick theirs up this weekend?

[Rover_Shaun]

Never been to the Kassam stadium so don't know whether its one of these new mcgrounds built on a retail park in the middle of nowhere a la Bolton, reading, etc but it's about 4 miles from the station. Not exactly a gentle walk over either. So probably drinks in town then taxi over.

It's in the middle of nowhere next to Oxford Science Park. Just a holiday inn. cinema, bowling alley and DW sports centre nearby.

The George in Littlemore is ok and about 1m walk from the ground (see google maps) but I'd suggest the usual caveat when travelling "Don't wear colours to avoid disappointment"

[jim mk2]

That is the main problem with rail, it very rarely gets you to your final destination.

Have you got legs ?

Isn't train travel at record levels?

Yes it is. More people are travelling by train than at any time since the 1920s - on a network less than half the size.

The fares structure is barmy and is the result of the ludicrous 1990s privatisation in which the network was fragmented into many different parts.

I dislike booking in advance but there are many bargains to be had if you do. The turn-up-and-pay fares (which i prefer to do) are a scandal and should be outlawed.

Kassam will be a new stadium for me so I will be make the effort to go. This sort of match in the 1970s and 80s would have had a football special laid on by BR - another reason for missing the nationalised railway.

[Mattyblue]

Not going to get into a political argument, but lets not pretend that British Rail was cheap, clean or efficent.

[Rover_Shaun]

So many bonkers decisions were taken regarding Rail infrastructure, with hindsight.

Anyone remember the idea of the Thames Valley Royals?

[jim mk2]

Not going to get into a political argument, but lets not pretend that British Rail was cheap, clean or efficent.

BR was very cheap by comparison with the privatised network. Trains weren't always clean but they aren't now either. BR was the most efficient railway in Europe at the time, mainly because it had been cut to the bone because of lack of investment.

[1arC]

So many bonkers decisions were taken regarding Rail infrastructure, with hindsight.

Anyone remember the idea of the Thames Valley Royals?

Thames Valley Harriers, I think it was and never got off the ground. I think it was Reading and Oxford amalgamating, but I could have the wrong.

[deryck guyler's spoon]

Thames Valley Harriers, I think it was and never got off the ground. I think it was Reading and Oxford amalgamating, but I could have the wrong.

I think it was Thames Valley Royals and the brainchild of media mogul and deep sea diver Robert Maxwell. The 'Thenodrog' of press tycoons.

[47er]

Not going to get into a political argument, but lets not pretend that British Rail was cheap, clean or efficent.

But it was cheap so everybody could use it. Now its incredibly expensive, there are shareholders to syphon off the

profits and the government (ie us!) pays vastly more in subsidies, in real terms, than it did when we owned it! Go figure that one.

[Mattyblue]

It wasn't cheap though! And certianly wasn't reliable. Lot of rose tinted specs here.

This article is fairly balanced:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21056703

[Mike Graham]

Tickets for Oxford are "selling well" but still expected to have plenty for general sale on Monday.

Will you naughty lads and lasses please leave your interest in train sets for the ICBINF :-) I am surprised TomM has not sorted this out by now.

[AlanK]

FA Cup anyone?

[1864roverite]

I trust it Captain we are now sorted for tickets? Looking forward to another day filled with traffic congestion and perhaps another Turkey Roast Dinner!!

[Rover_Shaun]

FA Cup anyone?

No thanks. I've just had a large portion of league cup with a few charity shields on the side. I'm full.

[Mike Graham]

I trust it Captain we are now sorted for tickets? Looking forward to another day filled with traffic congestion and perhaps another Turkey Roast Dinner!!

Oh yes, all sorted for another trip to cider country.

I have asked for seats with rugs and at seat service and as far away as possible from the moaning Minnie's....the Ticket Office suggested the local retirement home for ageing Rovers fans known as Dresser's Arms.

[ABBEY]

Have you got legs ?

.

Disgusting comment to be honest.

[Lancs Rover]

But it was cheap so everybody could use it. Now its incredibly expensive, there are shareholders to syphon off the

profits and the government (ie us!) pays vastly more in subsidies, in real terms, than it did when we owned it! Go figure that one.

BR was fragmented upon privatisation to make it more difficult to re-nationalise. I've been working in Carlisle for the last couple of weeks and paid four different return fares.

That said, back to the footy. We have paid some really cheap rail fares before now taking the kids on a family rail card. Up to four adults with one school age child. Birmingham City springs to mind when our lads went for around a fiver each return. That's one consequence of the crazy fare system. There are some surprise bargains around if you book in advance. Another deal is something called a two together rail card. A third off normal prices. If regular away match travel is your thing, the card would probably pay for itself after a couple of games.