Living in Wigan and currently not having a car (expensive divorce…) my only chance of going to matches is on the rattler. Just proved to me how shambolic our public transport system is in this country. One thing is the disgustingly expensive prices. £65 return to a home match… but the other thing is even then I can’t get to a lot of matches and get home on the same day. In my yoof it would not have bothered me as much and I’d just have kipped in a train station (or ferry terminals in my Belgian days) somewhere (as I often did) but I am an old fart now and can’t be arsed with all those shenanigan’s.
Overnight stops in Walsall to go on a mini-bus or ISSA coach or whatever are rarely an option for me cos I have hordes of feral cats in the cat rescue I work with who need feeding / looking after and it’s not easy finding someone with confidence to deal with feral cats as they are likely to rip your arm off.
Those of you who know me know that it doesn’t make a fat lot of difference how well / badly we are doing, I go (particularly away) when I can regardless. Exeter was £150 return (i would have) but I couldn’t have got home until 10 on Sunday morning. I didn’t bother. Oldham, bearing in mind it is 25 miles from Wigan and like Wigan is part of Greater Manchester, I can’t get back till the next day Luckily I have found a solution to the Oldham issue with @PT and @AncientMoaner who also live up norf offering me a lift. I know @geordiesaddler uses National Express but that has not been an option for matches so far for me.
Still working out how to get back from Vale, but by hook or by crook I’ll be there
Just go on national Express I’m going to Leyton Orient on it £5.80 return Birmingham to London.
I went to Plymouth away a couple of year’s ago £10 return anything is possible if you look out for the deal’s.
If you could get a lift to Stoke or Crewe from a fellow Saddler travelling back in either of those directions you could then catch one or both of these back to Wigan North Western station…
Stoke may be pushing it assuming the match finishes around 2145, but Crewe should be do-able if someone is passing nearby and wouldn’t mind a little diversion!!
Manchester to London Victoria return for Leyton Orient Is £25 return you’d have to get from Leyton to Victoria for the 1900pm coach tho and get back at 1am I think it must go via the moon .
Best I can find for the Vale game is the 21:42 from Longport to Crewe, then to 22:59 to Wigan NW from there, gets you back at 23:31. You’d likely have to leave the game early and grab a taxi to get to Longport Station for that time.
I usually travel on the train to games, but working on the railway helps massively with the cost of this. Ticket prices vary but most are expensive unless you are willing to search for cheap tickets and way in advance.
@Belgiansaddler I’ve taken another chap on this message board mate, I’d like to think he’d be a reference that we have a decent day. Don’t think I’ll be doing many games until December bar couple home games and Oldham away.
Any games I go to and could save you some cash and help you out. I.e Carlisle or Swindon etc. I’ll drop you a message on here mate. Don’t want petrol money either.
Only other option would be if you can get into Stoke after the game…
Stoke - Man Picc (22:28 - 23:08)
Man Victoria - Wigan Wallgate (23:37 00:23)
Bit risky if the trains are delayed, but you’d be able to hop from Piccadilly to Victoria in half an hour in a taxi and make the last Wigan train. No idea on price mind.
The post privatisation fares are a national disgrace. Probably going to brizzle in a few weeks, it’d be nice to be in the “centre” but fares are 60-65 return minimum each. Twenty quid in petrol I reckon using a place a bit out instead. Absolute joke.
Not sure where you are in the country chap but if you’re Midlands based then if you can get to Worcestershire Parkway it’s only 20 quid return to Bristol.
Completely ridiculous it’s nearly 30 odd quid return from New Street to Cheltenham but Chelts to Bristol which is pretty much same distance is only a tenner.
Luckily I have found a solution to the Oldham issue with @PT and @AncientMoaner who also live up norf offering me a lift. I know @geordiesaddler uses National Express but that has not been an option for matches so far for me.
I think it must go via the moon .
. My experience with James at Doncaster away ended in disaster( I missed my last train home) 
