In what is rapidly becoming the season of endless long away trips another relationship/bank account busting effort to the south coast looms for the Saddlers faithful in the shape of Brighton with its diverse and cosmopolitan offerings.

Almost inevitably the ground is out of town, or should I say out of bounds to any visiting fan that hasn’t paid a King’s ransom for an advanced ticket, travel voucher, DNA test, and insertion of a homing device. Unless of course you are a Brighton based student who generally doesn’t bother going to football in which case you can get in for a fiver!! The joys of modern life.

Equally inevitable is that the season’s most expensive and inaccessible away game doesn’t provide those little essentials such as a roof, a bar, or even a choice of pubs near the stadium.

That said The Sportsman situated behind the North Stand has now decided to open on matchdays and offers a friendly if crowded pre-match drinking environment. About a mile down London Road heading south towards the town is the Preston Brewery Tap which has the advantage of being reasonably close to Preston Park train station (the nearest to the ground), although there are others close to the station, including The Station (!) and the Crown and Anchor, both of which are preferable to most adjacent of all, The Stanmer Park.

In Brighton itself there is of course an abundant array of hostelries, but as this is a night game and the area around Brighton station is the only likely area to be ventured into then I would recommend The short walk to Trafalgar Street which is on the way to London Road that leads up to the ground.

Here both The Lord Nelson and Prince Albert offer a traditional environment boasting real-ale and an unspoilt feel as does the Evening Star on Surrey Street.

Anyone in need of food or with a bit more time on their hands, (such as idiots traveling from the North East), could try out The Pond on Gloucester Street which has a good reputation for home cooked food rather than the usual rubbish you get these days.