Sunday, June 13

Yeovil ticket, travel, hotel and pub guide


Yeovil
Huish Park
Somerset
Pre-season friendly
Saturday, July 24, kick off 15:00


Preview
This will be the second friendly match of the summer for a squad made up of first-team players not involved in the World Cup and academy players.

After starting their campaign in Dunfermline, they will head to Somerset seven days later to play this match in Yeovil.

This will be a benefit match for former Yeovil midfielder Darren Way, who was forced to retire from the game in February, aged 30.

In December 2008 – nine days before Christmas – Way was involved in a car accident near Yeovil.

A passenger in the 4x4 vehicle, Way had to be airlifted to hospital and was at one stage in a serious but stable condition. He broke an arm, a leg and a hip.

The Plymouth-born man left hospital in January 2009 after having eight operations. He hopes to one day play football again in some capacity.

As a youngster, Way played for England Under 16s and signed a pro contract with Norwich, but not much came of it.

So in 2000, he moved nearer home and signed for Yeovil and scored 26 goals in 207 appearances over the next five-and-a-half years.

He was part of the wonderful Yeovil Conference-winning side that showed their class by demolishing the other team to promoted, Doncaster, 4-0 in a league match that season.

Way's ability and hard work in the centre of the pitch caught the attention of Swansea and he signed for them in January 2006 for £150,000.

But injury and operations restricted him to 16 games in two years. He lost out on a place in the first-team running and so moved back to Yeovil on loan, eventually making the switch permanent in July 2008.

Things started well with two goals and some decent performances in 15 appearances, before the December car accident.

Throughout his time with the green and whites, he was affectionately known as the Weasel for his industriousness in midfield.

Premier League referee Andre Mariner will take charge of the match. Way is hoping to make an appearance at some stage in the match.

Tickets
Huish park will celebrate its 20th anniversary in the month of this match. It holds 9,665 and has 5,212 seats.

Away fans go behind one goal in the Copse Road End or in the end section of the Cowlin Stand on the halfway line.

Tickets on sale now priced at £15 adults, £5 concessions, £35 for two adult and two children. Get them from 01935 847 888 during business hours.

Reds who have bought tickets have praised the Yeovil ticket office staff for sending the tickets by post so they arrive the day after purchase. If only other ticket offices were as good, eh?

Travel

Car - £60
If you're using a satnav, use the destination postcode BA22 8YF.

This journey is just short of four hours and is 238 miles. It will cost you about £30 in petrol each way.

The basic route is the M6, M5 and A37.

Leave the M5 at junction 25 and take the A358 signposted Ilminster until you reach the A303 at Horton Cross.

Keep going and follow the signposts for Andover and London until you reach the Cartgate roundabout.

Then take the A3088 signposted Yeovil. At the first roundabout, take the first exit.

At the Western Avenue roundabout, turn left and then turn left again onto Luton Way. Follow the road round to the stadium.

Parking
You can either pay £2 to pay on the club car park, but you would have to get there early.

There is a field the club uses as an overspill car park too. Getting away after the match can take a while as you're technically in a cul-de-sac.

Train - £78
The nearest station to the ground is Yeovil Pen Mill. Yeovil Junction also serves the town, but there are no decent journeys serving it.

It is three miles away. Buying two singles using option 3 or option 5 outward and option 2 homeward in advance from National Rail will cost £78.

Buying on the day to use any of the routes below will cost £85.60 return.

Going, you have five options. Coming back, you have two

Outward
Option 1 – journey time 5:22
Leave Piccadilly: 05:25
Arrive Stafford: 06:17
Leave: 06:26
Arrive Birmingham New Street: 06:57
Leave: 07:12
Arrive Bristol Temple Meads: 08:38
Leave: 09:09
Arrive Yeovil Pen Mill: 10:47
One-way cost: N/A

Option 2 – journey time 6:00
Leave Piccadilly: 06:10
Arrive Tamworth: 07:18
Leave: 07:48
Arrive Bristol Temple Meads: 09:38
Leave: 09:49
Arrive Yeovil Pen Mill: 11:17
One-way cost: £N/A

Option 3 – journey time 5:23
Leave Piccadilly: 07:15
Arrive London Euston: 09:23
Tube to Waterloo
Leave Waterloo at 10:20
Arrive Yeovil Pen Mill (pictured): 12:39
One-way cost: £35

Option 4 – journey time 5:08
Leave Piccadilly: 08:27
Arrive Birmingham New Street: 09:58
Leave: 10:12
Arrive Bristol Temple Meads: 11:39
Leave: 11:49
Arrive Yeovil Pen Mill: 13:16
One-way cost: £N/A

Option 5 – journey time 5:23
Leave Piccadilly: 09:15
Arrive London Euston: 11:23
Tube to Waterloo
Leave Waterloo at 12:20
Arrive Yeovil Pen Mill: 14:38
One-way cost: £35

It is too far to walk from the station to the ground, so you have two options.

1. A taxi will take 10 minutes and cost about £10-£12. Call Radio Cabs on 01935 426 666 or Abba Cabs on 01935 433 334.

2. Walk a few years to the bus stop outside the Pen Mill Hotel pub (pictured) and catch any bus into Yeovil (the 58A, for example).

Then walk two minutes to the Borough Shopping Centre and get the Number 1 bus to Abbey Manor Park.

Homeward:
Option 1 – journey time 4:59
Leave Yeovil Pen Mill: 17:05
Arrive Bristol Temple Meads: 18:35
Leave: 19:00
Arrive Piccadilly: 22:04
One-way cost: £N/A

Option 2 – journey time 5:14
Leave Yeovil Pen Mill: 18:18
Arrive Castle Cary: 18:31
Leave: 18:40
Arrive Taunton: 19:01
Leave: 19:18
Arrive Birmingham New Street 21:38
Leave: 21:57
Arrive Piccadilly: 23:32
One-way cost: £43

Fans' coach - £23
The Reds Away coach to this game has been cancelled due to a lack of interest.

We will let you know if we hear of any other coaches going to this game.

Apologies to those who enquired about booking.

Bus - £55.90

Megabus doesn't run between Manchester and Yeovil.

National Express runs coaches between Manchester and Yeovil, but you would have to travel there on Friday and back on Sunday.

A return costs £55.90 and the journey takes 7 hours 20 minutes each way, leaving Chorlton Street at 09:45 on Friday and leaving Yeovil Bus Station at 10:55 on Sunday.

Plane
The nearest airport is Bournemouth 80 minutes away, but there are no doable flights from Manchester to there.

There are flights to Southampton which is about 90 minutes away, but a return would cost you £90 plus a length train journey.

Hotel and pub guide to follow

2 comments:

Forever Living said...

birmingham hotel
The hotel is ideally located in Birmingham near to the city centre, airport, NEC and just one mile away from the famous Bull Ring shopping complex.

Unknown said...

I just couldn't forget a hotel in rugby, this magnificent building has a dramatic interior with sweeping staircase and crackling log fires which I love the most.