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For the squad, management, and away fans of Truro City, the arduous return journey of 914 miles to Gateshead was a mixed blessing in the end. 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 and a free pint or two.

Truro drew the National League fixture two goals apiece away at Gateshead on Saturday after holding a two-goal lead by the 54th minute, in what is turning out to be a season of epic train journeys and unrelenting hauls up and down English A roads and motorways. Following strikes by Johnson-Fisher and Oxlade-Chamberlain, the hosts fought back via Adom and a 70th-minute equalizer from 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.” — John Askey

Earlier in the season the club undertook a journey to face Carlisle resulting in a 3-0 loss that clocked up 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 first 90 Truro fans to arrive shared a £920 bar 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 stop at Derby County’s training ground.

Even their Canadian chair, Eric Perez, accustomed to long-haul trips 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 also brings advantages for Cornwall’s first professional football club, in his view. “I’m not going to say it’s a short journey, It’s a ridiculously long journey in context,” Perez told BBC Sport. However, it serves to strengthen our squad further – the team bonds during travel, we’re used to travelling together.”

Loyal Supporters Face Long Trips

A committed Truro follower, John Joyce, accepts the reality of extended travel but remains committed, despite the odd flight cancellation and wearisome train treks. 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, after their Carlisle odyssey: “Truro's uniqueness as a club is that the supporters get behind the team no matter what. Last term's promotion success so it was easy to get behind the players, but from what I know the fans never even moan and they value the players' efforts.”