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For the squad, management, and away fans of Truro City, the gruelling 914-mile round trip to face Gateshead was a mixed blessing in the end. The 12-hour bus journey from Cornwall in the south-west travelling the length of England to the north-east bore a single point plus complimentary drinks.

The team tied the National League fixture at 2-2 away at Gateshead on Saturday having led 2-0 in the 54th minute, during what is becoming a campaign defined by long travels and tireless road trips up and down English A roads and motorways. Following strikes by Johnson-Fisher and 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.” — the team's manager

Already this term the club undertook a journey to face Carlisle for a 3-0 defeat that clocked up 878 miles. Due to the team's remote location, their shortest away match is against Yeovil Town, around a two-and-a-half-hour schlep along the A30 to Huish Park, a 130-mile trip each direction.

Galvanising Impact of Long Travels

During the matchday the first 90 Truro fans were treated to a £920 drinks tab, courtesy of the EFL sponsor, Sky Bet, the complimentary beverage 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 since he regularly flies seven hours from Toronto to London, understands the challenge confronting the club he acquired in 2023 aiming to emulate Wrexham's success.

The extensive travel has benefits too for Cornwall’s first professional football club, in his view. “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 – the team bonds during travel, we’re used to travelling together.”

Loyal Fans Endure Long Trips

A committed Truro follower, John Joyce, is resigned to long days of travelling but remains committed, despite the odd flight cancellation and wearisome train treks. He calculated the recent trip at roughly £400 in costs and missed income, noting, “I worked for Nato in the last six years of my career in the navy, and it was a shorter drive from Brussels back to Cornwall than it is from Cornwall to Gateshead.”

Reflecting on the situation, after their Carlisle odyssey: “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, yet the supporters rarely complain and they value the players' efforts.”