Carlisle United vs Coventry City

250 miles in a day is a hell of a commute, but one which I’d gladly do again. At least for the way there – I was amazed at how cheap the return ticket was - £21.75 – which for a journey of approximately 125 miles each way is great value, I’m not sure you’d be able to travel the same distance anywhere else in the UK. However, I soon realized why. The train left from Shipley, a town near Leeds, and I noticed on the platform that all the places it called at were small, the biggest being Skipton. The train pulled up, all of two carriages, there were no more than ten people on the train at any given point. The journey went through the gloriously bleak and austere countryside of the Yorkshire Dales, which was great to watch fly by for the 2 ¼ hours. The way back, in the dark and via Preston, was less impressive. 

I got to a snowy and chilly Carlisle just before 2, and went straight to the ground, Brunton Park, a mile walk from the station. The ground looked like it hadn't changed since they briefly topped the English football pyramid back in the mid-70's. There were wooden seats and more fans standing than sitting which can only be a good thing, but with the Coventry fans not braving the uncovered terraces behind the goal, instead electing to sit in the stand alongside the pitch. Carlisle scored in the second minute and spent the entire second half with their backs to the wall, holding on for a 1 – 0 win. 

Crewe Alexandra vs Stevenage F.C.

I made a concious decision to avoid F.A. Cup games this weekend, which was very much vindicated when I saw the poor attendances and drab performances in games that might have gone to. So a League One game it was instead. I didn't find Crewe to be the most inspiring of places, it's centre pretty much a carbon copy of every other in the UK, all the same chain shops etc. The historic Gresty Road is conveniently located less than five minutes from the train station, and is an odd stadium, with one stand dwarfing the three others by some distance, rendering the atmosphere a bit hollow and sparse. From my vantage point at the back of said stand I could see pretty much the whole of Crewe, for what it's worth. It appears that the sun blocking effects of the big stand rendered a portion of the pitch akin to that of a chicken pen, which hindered the potential for good football being played there. A decent game, Stevenage coming out 2-1 winners.