Nature teaches that feast is often followed by famine, and such is the case pub wise for our next two away trips as we visit two newish out of town grounds that are not the most convenient for either rail travellers or those in search of some choice for a pre-match pint.

But don’t despair there are options that can make the Yeovil trip a really nice day out both for those who have battled their way down the M5, and for train passengers marooned at either Pen Mill or Yeovil Junction stations miles from Huish Park.

At Pen Mill exit right and follow Cambourne Grove round until you come to the Great Western (2 minutes walk) which has a nice outdoor seating for that “Woolpack” feel and boasts the kind of menu and real ale selection you would expect from a picturesque country pub. You are just as well setting up camp here for an hour before ringing a taxi to the ground.

Yeovil Junction is more problematic, the nearest pub being the Royal Oak in the village of Stoford, a good 15 minutes walk in itself. However, this station has a bus shuttle service into Yeovil town centre where a bus to Huish Park departs on a match-day at 1.50pm.* If you can afford to waste that much drinking time then you shouldn’t be reading this, and will probably be travelling equipped with a tupaware box full of sarnies and a flask of warm Vimto.

Those approaching by car via the A37 could break their journey with a visit to the Half-Way House which is a sumptuous lodge style pub set back from the main road with a large car park. This is about 2 miles from the ground. I stayed in the B and B accommodation here a few years back and didn’t want to leave. Great food, and a good mixture of the pub and restaurant functions.

None of the pubs by the ground are either anything to write home about, or even that near the ground! The Arrow is the nearest. From the away end walk up Copse Rd to Western Avenue, then left and immediate right into Stourton Way. Keep walking until you get to the shopping precinct where the pub is.

A better alternative is the Bell on Preston Road. From Copse Road (away end) walk right down Western Avenue passing the ground on your right, over a roundabout to a second roundabout then left onto Preston Road then five minutes walk down here.
This is a better alternative for those travelling with kids or in search of some scran.

Awayguide.net has reports a beer-tent near the ground last season but with no admission for away fans in colours.

* Thanks to Ciderspace.co.uk for the bus info.

Hugh from ciderspace.co.uk adds:

Unfortunately the situation is not just no away fans in colours in the marquee, it’s admission by
YTFC season ticket or home area match-day ticket only . This is a situation the club as well as
we fans are pissed off about, but the licencing authority is controlled by a miserable bitch who
appears to believe a small sherry at lunchtime qualifies as binge drinking and will trigger mayhem
and riots.

The Bell went right down hill during last season. Service was abysmal, most of the beers were off,
and the food was a disgrace. From being packed as one of the most popular pubs in the area, trade
collapsed. There’s new management in there now and standards seem to be picking up. However once
trade is lost it takes time to recover, and you are visiting at a good time when many home fans have
still not returned to it, so your supporters shouldn’t find it too busy. Has three rather standard
mainstream real ales from Greene King. Sky Sports on a big screen - when they bother to use it - and
on TVs. Also a pool table - er I think. It was round the corner at the far end of the pub from the
area our group use, so I’m presuming it’s still there. Loads of outside tables if the weather stays
good. Ten minute rush, or fifteen minute stroll up to HP. Never been any issues between home and
away fans in The Bell during the time I’ve been using it - which is almost every home match for the
last five or six seasons.

The Arrow is a bit closer to HP. It generally allows away fans, but is very home fan dominated and
gets extremely busy. Can be long waits for service. Haven’t been in for ages but from what I hear if
it bothers with any food on match-days it’s pretty minimal.

Spot on with the Half-way House. In fact locals - I’m an exile - say it’s got even better recently.