What makes a good/bad/great away day, no matter what division you watch your football in?
Is it about the entire day, from the distance that you have to travel and the difficulty of getting there, to the town or city itself, or the ground itself or its immediate environs, and even the cost of a pint.
From grounds that were built with the Premier League in mind to those built for non league clubs who’ve grown since, all life is here.
Darren Stobbs reveals all about his awayday at Crewe
Time left Bristol and time arrived at Crewe?
We left The Mem at just before 9.00am, stopping at Stafford services and arriving at Gresty Road for 12:25pm.
Distance from Crewe town Centre / Train Station?
Crewe railway station is only a five minute walk from the stadium and the town centre is one mile away.
When was the ground opened and what are the plans for the future of the ground?
Gresty Road opened in 1906, after Crewe were playing at a number of local venues. The capacity is 10,153 and is all seated. There are plans to replace the Whitby Morrison Ice Cream Van Stand into a two tiered stand with Executive Boxes running along halfway up it.
What options were there for pubs around the ground?
Prior to our visit, The British Lion pub reached out to welcome Rovers supporters, there is also another pub opposite called The Cheshire Inn. Both these pubs are only a few minutes walk from the stadium, along with a handy Fish & Chip shop nearby. Our plan was to head to one of these pubs, but I had knowledge from previous visits that their Supporters Club bar lets in a limited amount of away supporters. After asking, we were welcomed in, with a quick service and sky sports on the TV’s. ‘Cheshire Cat’ real ale was on offer, along with the usual array of alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages. Prices were more expensive than a lot of away day venues.
What did I think of the food and drink available inside the ground?
Wright’s Pies are the suppliers to a fair few Football Clubs, mainly in the north of the country, and are for Crewe Alexandra FC. Although asking for a steak pie, I ended up with a meat & potato one! Priced at £5, it had a decent filling and the pastry was cooked just right. Bovril (or beef drink as it was described) was unavailable.
What did I think of the away end and my view of the game?
Rovers fans were situated in the side stand opposite a large single tiered stand which dominates the look of the rest of the stadium, as the other stands are at a relatively low height.
What was the atmosphere like during the match?
Another League Two club that we have visited that loves a drummer! Much to the chagrin of disgruntled Gasheads! The atmosphere was decent when Rovers fans were in full voice, but as the way the game went along songs were few and far between. The Crewe fans were enjoying the fact we were poor, with them scoring more than one goal and making sure we knew about it!
How friendly were the home fans?
They seemed decent enough football fans. However, in the Supporters Club bar we were interrupted by a Scottish fan, who had a few drinks on board! He had travelled down from across the border by train with a friend, whose son was playing for Crewe. He was telling us that his Dad made him support ‘the worst team in Scotland, Airdrieonians’. He was a bit of an unpredictable character that we won’t forget in a hurry!
What allocation is given and can this be increased, and how many Rovers fans were there?
The Whitby Morrison Ice Cream Van Stand has a capacity of 1,680. It had a segregated area between the end of the stand and the smaller seated home stand behind the goal. A very credible 995 Gasheads made the journey to Crewe.
The Match:
It was a another very poor away performance. We were just not switched on from the very first whistle. We were 1-0 down after just 35 seconds with a shot into the bottom left corner, on the edge of the box. Soon after we hit the crossbar with a very good shot by Ciaran Kelly from just outside the box. A penalty was then awarded after an Alfie Kilgour foul, resulting in the spot kick put into the right corner for 2-0. Four substitutions were then made at half time.
In the second half, we had good build up play, but nothing to show for our efforts, but Crewe still controlled large parts of the game. A close range effort on the right hand side, into the far corner made it 3-0. I had mentioned that the third goal would be a massive turning point and it effectively put the game to bed. Into added time, Bobby Kamwa scored a superb goal from inside his own half from more than 60 yards, lobbing their goalkeeper. It was one of those whereby as soon as it left his boot, the ball was going to find the net. It was a shame that he couldn’t celebrate his goal in the way he wanted, due to the state of the match.
Rovers man of the match
Gough was my man of the match and was the choice on the Supporters Club coach. Coming on at half time, he was by far our best player, controlling the midfield. So far, he certainly looks like a player who can play in a higher division.
The Referee:
I didn’t think that we could get a worse referee than at Gillingham, but I was proved wrong. I don’t think that I have seen so many decisions go for the opposition and yet little in our favour.
Although their penalty was a correct call, we had a stonewall penalty in the second half turned down. We had our own problems why we fell short and lost the match. Having a referee like that made matters worse. It would be nice to have a fair referee not making some horrendous decisions. It also seems referees have an agenda to book our coaching staff. Probably going into the match, this is high on their list of actions to take!
Stewards/groundstaff:
They were fair and friendly. One comical scene was when one of our fans fell asleep early on in the match (probably due to one too many beverages).
A steward was making sure he was alright in the second half, when someone shouted out ‘Don’t wake him up and make him watch this!’
How easy did we find it to get away from the stadium after the game/what time did we get back home?
We left Crewe at 5:05pm, with a slow getaway from the stadium. Then deciding to go straight home, getting back to The Mem at 7:50pm.
How much did I spend in total on this away day?/ Was it good value for money?
Just over £90 for this away day, although £27.07 for a round of 4 drinks was a bit more than usual. Food prices were about what you’d expect to pay. Match tickets a bit more expensive than we usually pay.
Would I recommend this away day to other fans?
Yes, Crewe is well situated for transport, pubs, food outlets, a decent view of the playing action and is also not a great distance to travel if you prefer this.
