Travel Guide: Workington

Take a look at an exclusive extended travel guide as we face Workington in the FA Cup fourth Qualifying Round tomorrow, match preview blog to follow later...

Workington’s Borough Park ground sits right on the bank of the nearby river which of course made the national headlines for all the wrong reasons in 2009 when heavy rainfall saw it flood the entire town. A local police man was also tragically killed when attempting to aid a motorcyclist who was stuck on the bridge near to the ground, current renovation work to restructure the bridge is currently underway and travelling fans should be aware that access by car is extremely difficult, travelling fans are advised to park in the car park of nearby Allerdale Borough Council, details how to get there can be found below – for SatNav use the post code to the Council grounds is CA14 3YJ.

Date: Saturday 20th October 2012
Opponent: Workington AFC
Kick Off Time: 3pm
Venue: Borough Park, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 2DT

Distance from the One Call Stadium:
192 miles

Estimated Travelling Time:
Four Hours

General Directions:
Be prepared for a long time on the road as we head to Workington in this FA Cup fourth qualifying round encounter. From the One Call Stadium, head out towards Chesterfield and take the M1 Northbound. At Junction 32, exit to join the M18 staying on the Motorway for eight miles before joining the A1(M) At Junction 2. Follow the A1(M) for 74 miles to Scotch Corner service area, where you should branch left and take second exit of the roundabout to join the A66. Following the A66 for 87 miles will take you to the Ramsay Brow traffic signals, its here you turn right onto the A596 before taking first exit of the roundabout and taking the first left turn onto the A597. A mile down the road take fourth exit of the roundabout onto New Bridge Road, continue forward a quarter mile and you will see the ground on your right hand side.

To get to the Allerdale Borough Council grounds to park, at the final roundabout (New Bridge Road) take the first exit of the roundabout and then first left onto Griffin Street where you will see two fair sized car parks.

Stopping on the way?
With a lengthy journey up to face our Cumbria based counterparts, travellers may wish to stop – below is a list of service stations you are set to pass following the above directions. 


Miles into Trip - Carriageway - Service Station Name
7 - M1 - Woodall Service Area (Welcome Break)
41 - A1 - Barnsdale Service Area
66 - A1(M) - Wetherby Service Area (Moto)
92 - A1 - Leeming Bar Service Area
103 - A1 - Scotch Corner Service Area (Moto)

By Train:

Depart From - Time & Train - Destination
Mansfield - 6.22am - Nottingham
Nottingham - 7.45am East Midlands Trains - Manchester Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly - 10.16am Transpennine Express - Carlisle
Carlisle - 12.48pm Northern Rail - Workington Station

Workington station is ten minutes walk from the ground, head out of the car park and onto the A597, turn right onto Church Street to continue following the A597 and onto New Bridge Road. Go straight over the roundabout where the ground will become visible on your right. 



Food & Drink:
The ground is literally a stone’s throw away from the sea and has little on offer in close proximity from the ground, the supporters bar ‘Shankly’s Bar’ named after former manager and club legend Bill Shankly, comes highly recommend and should be on offer to our fans as the game will be an un-segregated fixture.  Those who fancy a walk can find the George VI Inn and the Steampacket Inn adjacent to the viaduct, a fifteen minute walk from the ground.

Across the road from the ground is a Tesco Extra which includes cafe, snacks etc can be brought inside the ground. 

Where to sit & how much:
Borough Park has a capacity of 3,101 of which 500 are seats in the Grandstand. After the Bradford City fire in 1985, Workington, along with numerous other clubs, saw their wooden stand deemed unsafe and torn down. Remnants of the old upper tier can still be seen as the clubs offices and dressing rooms now sit in the space where the wooden stand once was, the huge brightly painted red roof is till standing.

As mentioned above the game will be un-segregated meaning travelling fans have a choice of where to go, a small terracing runs ¾’s along the side of the pitch which also goes around the corner flag covered, before leaving an open to the elements area behind the goal. On the ‘Popular Side’ there is a small seated stand with terracing to the front either side of the dugouts.  

Prices: Adults £12 Concessions £7 Under 16s £5

Parking:
As mentioned above to the Cambrian floods of 2009 the club has very little, if any at all, space for supporters – therefore visiting fans are asked to head for Allerdale Borough Council on Griffin Street which, when parked, is a five-ten minute walk from the Stadium.  

SSA Travel:
Departing the One Call Stadium at 8.30am, the SSA again will be running a coach, prices are AMBER MEMBERS £12, BLUE MEMBERS £15 and NON-MEMBERS £18, call 07967 689 597 for more details

Replay Details:
Should the game end level, the replay will take place at the One Call Stadium on Thursday 25th October, kicking off at 7.45pm – this is due to the England U18 match at the One Call on Wednesday. In the event of a replay, our trip to Dartford will revert to its original date of Saturday 27th October.