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For the players, staff, and travelling supporters of Truro City, the arduous 914-mile round trip to face Gateshead was a mixed blessing 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 at Gateshead International Stadium on Saturday after holding a two-goal lead in the 54th minute, in what is turning out to be a season of epic train journeys and unrelenting hauls across England's highways. Following strikes by Johnson-Fisher and Oxlade-Chamberlain, the hosts fought back through Kain Adom and, in the 70th minute, Frank Nouble.

“Opposition teams visiting us often fly in and stay overnight, making our coach travel less than ideal, yet with our extensive schedule, it’s our only option.” — 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, a 130-mile trip each direction.

Unifying Effect of Long Travels

On Saturday the initial 90 supporters to arrive shared a £920 bar 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.

Even their Canadian chair, 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.

The extensive travel also brings advantages for Cornwall’s first professional football club, he believes. “I’m not going to say it’s a short journey, It's an exceptionally long distance relatively,” Perez told BBC Sport. However, it serves to strengthen our squad further – everybody spends time together, we’re used to travelling together.”

Dedicated Fans Face Long Travels

One of Truro’s stalwart supporters, John Joyce, accepts the reality of extended travel but remains committed, notwithstanding occasional flight issues and exhausting rail journeys. 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.”

As Askey said, after their Carlisle odyssey: “Truro's uniqueness as a club lies in the fans' unwavering support no matter what. I know last season we were very successful so it was easy to get behind the players, but from what I know the fans never even moan and they value the players' efforts.”