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For the squad, management, and away fans of Truro City, the arduous return journey of 914 miles to Gateshead proved bittersweet 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 at 2-2 away at Gateshead this past Saturday after holding a two-goal lead in the 54th minute, in what is turning out to be 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, Gateshead rebounded 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.” — John Askey

Earlier in the season the club undertook a journey to Carlisle resulting in a 3-0 loss that clocked up 878 miles. Such is the club’s relative isolation, 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 from Extended Journeys

During the matchday the first 90 Truro fans were treated to a £920 drinks tab, sponsored by Sky Bet, the complimentary beverage fund representing £1 for every mile travelled. Fortunately, the squad could interrupt their travel with a stop at Derby County’s training ground.

Their chairman from Canada, Eric Perez, who appreciates long-distance travel since he regularly flies seven hours long-haul from Toronto to London, understands the challenge facing the club he took over in 2023 with ambitions of “doing a Wrexham”.

The extensive travel also brings advantages for the region's first pro football team, in his view. “It's certainly not a brief trip, It’s a ridiculously long journey in context,” Perez told BBC Sport. “But what that does is galvanise our side even further – everybody spends time together, we’re used to travelling together.”

Loyal Supporters Endure Long Trips

A committed Truro follower, John Joyce, is resigned to long days of travelling yet stays devoted, despite the odd flight cancellation and wearisome train treks. He calculated the recent trip at roughly £400 in costs and missed income, noting, “During my naval career with Nato, the drive from Brussels to Cornwall was shorter than from Cornwall to Gateshead.”

Reflecting on the situation, following the Carlisle expedition: “Truro's uniqueness as a club lies in the fans' unwavering support regardless of circumstances. I know last season we were very successful made it easy to back the squad, but from what I know the fans never even moan and they value the players' efforts.”