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For the squad, management, and away fans of Truro City, the gruelling 914-mile round trip to face Gateshead proved bittersweet in the end. The 12-hour bus journey starting in south-west Cornwall all the way up England’s spine to the north-east yielded one league point and a free pint or two.

Truro drew their National League match at 2-2 at Gateshead International Stadium on Saturday having led 2-0 by 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.” — the team's manager

Earlier in the season the club undertook a journey to face Carlisle resulting in a 3-0 loss that clocked up 878 miles. Such is the club’s relative isolation, even their nearest away game is against Yeovil Town, around a two-and-a-half-hour schlep via the A30 to Huish Park, 130 miles each way.

Unifying Impact of Long Travels

On Saturday the initial 90 supporters to arrive shared a £920 bar tab, courtesy of the EFL sponsor, Sky Bet, with the generous free-drinks fund representing £1 for every mile travelled. Fortunately, the squad could interrupt their travel with a pause at Derby's training facility.

Their chairman from Canada, Eric Perez, who appreciates long-distance travel since he regularly flies seven hours long-haul from Toronto to London, recognizes the difficulties facing the club he took over in 2023 aiming to emulate Wrexham's success.

All this time on the road also brings advantages for Cornwall’s first professional football club, in his view. “It's certainly not a brief trip, It's an exceptionally long distance relatively,” Perez stated. However, it serves to strengthen our squad further – the team bonds during travel, we are accustomed to journeying as a group.”

Loyal Fans Endure Long Trips

One of Truro’s stalwart supporters, John Joyce, accepts the reality of extended travel but remains committed, despite the odd flight cancellation and exhausting rail journeys. 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, following the Carlisle expedition: “Truro's uniqueness as a club lies in the fans' unwavering support no matter what. Last term's promotion success so it was easy to get behind the players, yet the supporters rarely complain and they appreciate what the players have done.”