Why Away Fans In England Don't Take The Train For Tuesday Night Games
It's a soccer cliché that Lionel Messi wouldn't like to play on a wet and windy Tuesday night in Stoke, but when it comes to watching the game, Tuesdays are the hardest for away fans.
Stoke City wouldn't be the worst venue to get home from though. That dubious honor goes to Yorkshire.
This is based on research by soccer fan app Away End, which looked at whether it is possible to get home on public transport after the game.
The research took every game in the 2024/25 league season for clubs in the English Football League (EFL) Championship, League One and League Two, and simulated return transport for traveling fans.
It found that it was impossible for away fans to get home using public transport from Tuesday 7:45 p.m. matches in more than 85% of cases. For other midweek games, away fans couldn't get home 34% of the time, and unsurprisingly, fans from the northeast and southwest found it most difficult to travel to away games on public transport. These numbers are also a best-case scenario, not factoring in engineering works or leaves on the train line.
Back in 2021, during the COP26 summit in Glasgow, the BBC published an article saying how fans could reduce their carbon footprint. It's number one recommendation: walk, cycle or use public transport to get to games. But this research shows how difficult that is for fans at midweek games, with most opting to drive or take a supporters' bus instead, or just not attend midweek away games at all.
Freddie Daley from Cool Down – The Sport for Climate Action Network, which commissioned the research, said there is room here for train companies to solve this problem, saying 'if they just put the last train 45 minutes later, or in some cases 20 or 30 minutes later, fans would be able to get home.' He says this is something that rail operators, especially those going back under the government's ownership, could consider, adding that surveys by rail companies show that fans want to take the train to matches, and that Germany runs additional late-night trains for sporting events or concerts so it is something that's possible.
James Medcalf, who runs the Away End app, said that on a per-mile basis, fans in Yorkshire had the biggest difficulties getting home, highlighting the disparities in the quality of public transport between the north and south of England.
He said the reason why Tuesday was the worst is because Tuesdays often have a full fixture list involving every team, or are used for games that had been postponed from earlier in the season, whereas when the EFL chooses games for its Monday and Friday TV slots, these games are often local derbies which make for good TV. As such derbies naturally involve teams that are nearby, it just happens that these fans can get home relatively easily.
The report recommends that the EFL and broadcasters should consider travel options and distances when choosing which games to show on TV.
Medcalf says the EFL does try to consider fans when it schedules games, but 'the fact they have to pack a lot of games into a tight schedule means there's very limited impact the EFL can have on certain games being booked in on a Tuesday.'
He highlights the difficulties in the first and last miles of the journey home for fans who aren't near a major train line or who are visiting grounds far from the train station, saying of a trip he took to Preston North End that 'getting away from Preston at the end of the game, which isn't that close to the town center and having to get on the last train to get back to London was quite 'squeaky bum time.''
He also mentions how running the last train half an hour or so later on matchdays would have a big impact but highlights that the cost or rail travel, especially last minute, makes it prohibitively expensive for many fans anyway.
Daley points out that some clubs do try to help fans by offering discounted train tickets. But some things are out of clubs' hands. Plymouth Argyle is one of the clubs that has tried hardest to improve its green credentials recently, but due to its location in the southwest of England, it has been the club with the highest number of stranded fans. One time Plymouth actually sent its players to a match against Watford by train, but a cancellation meant that the trains were so crowded, the players had to sit on the floor.
Fixing the situation isn't easy as there are so many stakeholders involved, but making it easier for fans to travel to away matches would not only help the environment but also improve fan experience and the atmosphere at the stadiums, making it a win-win for everyone involved.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
3 minutes ago
- Forbes
Newcastle United & Alexander Isak Have Drawn Battle Lines - What Next?
Here we are then, the point of no return. There can be no more pretending, briefing or hiding. Newcastle United and Alexander Isak are in civil war, and now it is in the public domain for everyone to see and judge. This has been the story of the summer, and not just on Tyneside. Premier League champion Liverpool has been interested in Isak and has seen one offer rejected for the Sweden striker. Having reaffirmed his happiness at Newcastle publicly as recently as March, the club was steadfast in its belief he would not be sold and would not agitate for a move away. Now it is late August and Isak is well beyond agitation. He refused to join Newcastle on its pre-season tour of Asia, has not returned to training since and missed the draw with Aston Villa on Saturday. At just before 9pm BST (4pm EST) on Tuesday, he made a statement for the first time, on Instagram. "I've kept quiet for a long time while others have spoken," he wrote. "That silence has allowed people to push their own version of events, even though they know it doesn't reflect what was really said and agreed behind closed doors. "The reality is that promises were made and the club has known my position for a long time. To now act as if these issues are only emerging is misleading. "When promises are broken and trust is lost, the relationship can't continue. That's where things are for me right now - and why change is in the best interests of everyone, not just myself." It is not clear what promises Isak is referring to. Newcastle reportedly reneged on the offer of a new contract over a year ago, which sparked discontent from Isak and his agents, who believe, fairly, that he is worth an increase on his £120,000 ($162,000) per-week wages. Having not received a raise after scoring 26 goals last season, including in the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool, he is now unwilling to agree terms, after Newcastle shelved talks until the end of last season. Yet Isak's camp say he told the club it would be his final season beforehand, which has been denied. There were no suggestions to that effect at the time, but Newcastle has reacted over the summer to facilitate a move on its terms; the £150m ($203m) price, which had been briefed as a minimum in order to deter interested parties, is now seen as a hard valuation. The irony of Isak's stance on broken promises when he is not adhering to a written promise of his own, his contract which runs until 2028, is not lost on Newcastle fans. Surely if any promise was made, his camp would have insisted upon it being put in writing, too. Signing a replacement of suitable quality, on top of a second striker to replace the departed Callum Wilson, was the other requirement of the bargain. Attempts to sign Hugo Ekitike - whose switch to Liverpool has further complicated Isak's future - and Benjamin Sesko failed, and there is a sense that has put an end to the search. Newcastle's response to Isak's statement suggests as such, and though insiders at the club have felt a degree of sympathy for the player, believing him to have been badly advised, the club went public with its disappointment, and on the attack too. 'We are clear in response that Alex remains under contract and that no commitment has ever been made by a club official that Alex can leave Newcastle United this summer,' the club said. "We want to keep our best players, but we also understand players have their own wishes and we listen to their views. "As explained to Alex and his representatives, we must always take into consideration the best interests of Newcastle United, the team and our supporters in all decisions and we have been clear that the conditions of a sale this summer have not transpired. "We do not foresee those conditions being met." Newcastle stops short of saying Isak will not leave, and in turn looks to pressurize Liverpool into matching its valuation. Having intimated a willingness to pay £120m ($162m) in July, the Reds then officially bid £110m ($148m) at the beginning of August. It was rejected immediately, and Arne Slot's team won't return to the table until Newcastle offers encouragement. Does this statement constitute that? Liverpool will need to make that call. But Newcastle's need for a replacement is the defining factor, and that is why the signing of Ekitike is curious. Had everybody sat down and discussed terms when Liverpool made its interest in Isak clear in July, as Newcastle negotiated with Ekitike, Isak may have got his move. The plan was to pair Isak and Ekitike together, but privately, it was understood to be a stronger bargaining position when Liverpool stepped up for Isak. Where does Liverpool's interest really stand, though? Is it an opportunity, or a necessity? To sign Isak, with three years remaining on his contract at St James' Park, was always going to be difficult and not achievable without full focus. But Newcastle are not blameless. Without the boardroom structure to fully negotiate, it is hard for the club to sell Isak and emerge from a position of strength or prove to the player the project he signed up for is possible. The worst of both worlds. For all the anger and talk of relationships breaking down, the most obvious route from here is Isak reintegrating into the squad. Two words in Isak's statement suggest he could step back from the edge: 'right now'. This is how Isak feels at a point where he senses he can force through the Liverpool move. After the transfer window shuts, if he is still a Newcastle player, there is scope for his mind to change. There was no mention of the reported threat to never play for the club again. Newcastle's approach is also clear from its statement. It rails against accusations of unfairness, showing it has tried to find a solution that suits. Come September when Liverpool is no longer an option, it wants to be able to reason with Isak that he was listened to and remains valued. It has all gone public and turned messy, but even now, Newcastle United and Alexander Isak can come through this together, though not in the way either would have hoped.
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
England unchanged for Women's Rugby World Cup opener against the USA
England coach John Mitchell has named an unchanged team from their final warm-up game for their Women's Rugby World Cup opener against the United States in Sunderland on Friday. The starting 15 overwhelmed France 40-6 in the second of England's two warm-up fixtures earlier this month. Zoe Aldcroft continues to captain the team from blindside flanker, with No 8 Alex Matthews and openside Sadia Kabeya alongside her in the back row and Abbie Ward and Morwenna Talling the starting locks. The pack is completed by a powerful front row of Hannah Botterman, Amy Cokayne and Maud Muir. Behind the scrum, half-backs Natasha Hunt and Zoe Harrison will look to dictate play, with Meg Jones and Tatyana Heard in the centres. Scrum-half Hunt will be making her first World Cup appearance since 2017 after being left out of the England squad at the last tournament. Jess Breach and Abby Dow line-up on the wings, with full-back Ellie Kildunne, the reigning women's World Rugby player of the year, looking to add to an exceptional tally of 41 tries in 53 Tests a member of a dynamic back three. Tournament debutants Kelsey Clifford, Maddie Feaunati and Emma Sing are named as replacements, with veteran Emily Scarratt poised to win her 119th cap off the bench. But there is no place in the matchday 23 for former captain Marlie Packer. - 'Embrace the occasion' - Sunderland is best known as a football rather than rugby hotbed, with the Stadium of Light, the venue for Friday's match, home to the northeast city's Premier League team. But with officials keen to showcase the national appeal of the Red Roses, their pool matches are being spread round England rather than just taken to traditional rugby heartlands. And with 40,000 tickets sold, Friday's fixture will be played in front of a record crowd for an opening game of a Women's Rugby World Cup. "We have been building nicely into the tournament and now we're excited to get our campaign underway,' Mitchell said as he announced his team on Wednesday. "Sunderland have been a great host city thus far and we know it'll be a record crowd for a Women's Rugby World Cup opening match which shows the appetite for rugby in this region and for the competition ahead." The New Zealander added: "We want to embrace the occasion whilst understanding we have to remain where our feet are and earn the right to progress through the pool stage." Host nation England head into the event as favourites, having lost only once in their past 58 matches -- a defeat by New Zealand in the Covid-delayed 2022 World Cup final. In spite of winning six successive Six Nations Grand Slams, however, England have also lost five of the last six World Cup finals to New Zealand. The United States are due to name their side later Wednesday. Pool A also features Australia and Samoa, who meet on Saturday, with the top two in each of the four groups going through to the quarter-finals. England team (15-1) Ellie Kildunne; Abby Dow, Megan Jones, Tatyana Heard, Jess Breach; Zoe Harrison, Natasha Hunt; Alex Matthews, Sadia Kabeya, Zoe Aldcroft (capt); Abbie Ward, Morwenna Talling; Maud Muir, Amy Cokayne, Hannah Botterman Replacements: Lark Atkin-Davies, Kelsey Clifford, Sarah Bern, Rosie Galligan, Maddie Feaunati, Lucy Packer, Emily Scarratt, Emma Sing Coach: John Mitchell (NZL) jdg/bsp
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Arne Slot makes HUGE Richard Hughes contract demand
Liverpool are still in the midst of a landmark summer transfer campaign. The Reds have spent close to £300m since winning the Premier League title on new players. Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Giovanni Leoni and Giorgi Mamardashvili have all come through the door for the champions. 🔴 Shop the LFC 2025/26 adidas home range Shop the LFC Store 🚨2025/26 LFC x adidas range🚨 LFC x adidas Shop the home range today! LFC x adidas Shop the goalkeeper range today LFC x adidas Shop the new adidas range today! And to balance the books, sporting director Richard Hughes has also overseen the departures of several first-team players. 🔴 That list is headed by Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez - while Jarell Quansah, Ben Doak, Caoimhin Kelleher, Tyler Morton, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Nat Phillips have also left. Konate future uncertain But Liverpool are by no means done. We could see Alexander Isak arrive as the club's new No9 before the window is out - although Newcastle have not yet agreed to release their star striker. Marc Guehi is another who could arrive - with the Crystal Palace captain out of contract in 2026. Part of the reason that Liverpool are interested in the England international is that Ibrahima Konate is in the same boat. Under contract until 2026, Liverpool are unsure whether the France defender will be at the club next season. Arne Slot wants to keep Konate Accordingly there have been suggestions that the 26-year-old could either be sold this summer or else replaced by Guehi on a Bosman in 2026. However according to a new report in Defensa Central, Liverpool are NOT giving up on Konate - and Arne Slot in particular is doing all he can to ensure the title-winning stopper stays. 'Arne Slot has asked his directors for an extra effort to prevent the Frenchman from leaving Anfield,' the report reads. Konate signed for Liverpool back in 2021 from RB Leipzig but has only come into his own as a bonafide top-class player in the last 12 months or so. © IMAGO Konate's sizeable contract demands He earns around £140k per week on his current contract - and it's been reported that he wants £200k per week to renew. Of course Real Madrid can not only offer a blockbuster salary but also a sizeable signing-on fee - estimated at €18m. The financial lure is strong but the indications are that Slot is asking his club to pull out all the stops to prevent Konate from leaving.
