Which is the most important English soccer membership with no prepare station close by? | Soccer

“With the Liverpool v Leeds sport having been rescheduled for a time when the final prepare again to Leeds leaves 20 minutes into the second half, what’s the greatest membership with no viable prepare station within the neighborhood?” tweeted The Jet Van Set.

Let’s begin with a chillingly complete reply from considered one of our readers. “As a soccer fan and a railways nerd, this was the proper query for me,” writes Athena Blight. “For the sake of argument, I’m trying solely at golf equipment within the English league.

“This query is extra sophisticated than it’d first seem. There are technically two classes right here – golf equipment with no Nationwide Rail station close by, however that is perhaps served by different railed transport (London Underground, trams, and many others), after which golf equipment furthest from a station of any sort. I can be defining viable as not massively annoying to get again to on foot, so inside three kilometres or roughly a 30-minute stroll appears greater than beneficiant. As well as, service instances (similar to stations closed or with restricted service on matchdays) are usually not considered. I’ve used the ‘How Far is it Between’ checker on freemaptools.com.

“Utilizing the strictest definition potential, the most important membership with no viable station close by proper now’s Studying of the Championship, whose Choose Automotive Leasing Stadium lies 3.756km from Studying West station. Nevertheless, Studying Inexperienced Park station, constructed partially with the intention to serve the stadium, is because of open in December of this 12 months, so I really feel like that is an unsatisfactory reply.

“The largest membership with no station mantle will thus, in December, cross to considered one of a number of League One groups from whom you possibly can take your choose. Cheltenham City‘s Fully-Suzuki Stadium is only a squeak beneath three kilometres away from Cheltenham Spa station because the crow flies, so the strolling distance nearly actually takes it over.

“When you suppose that is too near name, then I refer you to Fleetwood City, whose Highbury Stadium is a whopping 7.913 kilometres from Poulton-le-Fylde station. There are two caveats right here, nevertheless. The primary is {that a} Nationwide Rail extension to Fleetwood has been confirmed by the federal government (although not like Studying, that is nonetheless years away) and the second is that it’s well-served by the Blackpool Tramway, with Stanley Street tram cease being simply 276 metres from the stadium.

“In an identical vein to Fleetwood, Sheffield Wednesday‘s floor is 4.537km from Sheffield Station, however simply 256 metres from Leppings Lane tram cease on the Sheffield Supertram.

“When you suppose these are all exempt, then I carry you to the completely undisputed no-arguments-against solutions, Oxford United, Wycombe Wanderers and Forest Inexperienced Rovers. The Kassam Stadium is 4.054km from the closest station at Radley, regardless of a railway line close by. Adams Park is 3.736km away from Excessive Wycombe station, on the very fringe of the city. The New Garden is 5.218km from Stroud station, and there’s no plans within the officing to increase the railway or present any kind or railed transport to Nailsworth.

“I’ve connected a spreadsheet with proof of my claims, that lists the golf equipment and the closest station of every kind.”

Lastly, David Triggs has a suggestion from the current previous. “Previous to their expulsion from the Soccer League, I believe Bury could be in for a shout,” writes David. “Though served by the Metrolink from Manchester, the closest Nationwide Rail prepare station from Gigg Lane is Kearsley, which is a small station some six miles away. The closest larger station could be Manchester Piccadilly or Bolton that are 16 and 7 miles away, respectively.”

“As a result of pitch fiasco for Coventry, Metropolis are enjoying 5 dwelling video games in October,” explains Larry Johnson. “Has this ever occurred earlier than to a league membership? Climate and Cup buildups excepted.”

It’s arduous to reply this query with out together with climate and cup buildups, so we’re conveniently ignoring that bit.

“The precise end result could be very shocking,” writes Chris Roe. “Within the prime 4 leagues of English soccer alone, there are 1,375 situations of a group enjoying no less than 5 dwelling matches in a single calendar month! The file is seven, which has occurred on eight events.”

These groups are:

• Newcastle United (April 1955)

• Leicester Metropolis (April 1961)

• Hartlepool United (April 1963)

• Exeter Metropolis (March 1969)

• West Bromwich Albion (April 1969)

• West Ham (April 1986)

• Walsall (April 1987)

• Wycombe Wanderers (March 2001)

You’ll have observed that, not like Coventry this 12 months, all of those situations are within the spring, when fixtures are inclined to pile up for numerous causes. Nevertheless, Chris additionally discovered a variety of groups who performed six dwelling video games in a month earlier than Christmas – including Coventry City themselves in September 1958.

In last week’s Knowledge, we checked out gamers who had gained probably the most worldwide caps in opposition to the identical opponent. However we missed considered one of Hungary’s biggest gamers.

Schlosser additionally scored 22 objectives in opposition to Austria, which is perhaps a solution to a unique Information query: who has scored probably the most worldwide objectives in opposition to the identical opponent?

“When was the final season (if certainly there ever has been one) that each one the golf equipment within the English prime division completed the season with the identical supervisor they’d firstly?” questioned Tom Shaw in 2011.

The Information turned to Twitter in quest of a solution for this one, and after sterling work from @ChristopherHarv and @STV_Andy, shadowy and intimidating stats robotic @OptaJoe’s eyes began flashing, his cogs began whirring, and from inside his metallic depths out chugged the reply – 1965-66. In every of the seasons after, somebody has misplaced their job within the top-flight.

Maybe imbued with pre-World Cup bonhomie, Blackburn caught with “Jolly Jack” Marshall regardless of barrelling headlong in direction of relegation, ending backside with the bottom factors tally in 19 years (although he was sacked halfway by way of the next season – “This publish at Ewood Park has been likened greater than as soon as to what the Individuals name a ‘sizzling seat’,” reported the Guardian on the time). Dave Bowen, who was additionally moonlighting because the Wales supervisor, survived at Blackburn’s fellow relegatees Northampton.

Fulham, regardless of a relegation-threatened season, caught with Vic Buckingham; Ian McColl, appointed through the summer season of 1965, survived at Sunderland who completed nineteenth; Nottingham Forest stayed up by three factors and stored religion with the softly-softly method of Johnny Carey (“A few of their tackling, whereas by no means vicious, lacked the finesse and full inoffensiveness of a group managed by Mr Carey,” wrote the Guardian after a mid-season 1-1 draw at Manchester Metropolis. “Forest, like so many golf equipment, have needed to adapt their model to fulfill fashionable necessities, though Mr Carey would by no means instruct his males to ‘combine it’.”) Above Blackburn 9 groups ended the season separated by 4 factors – maybe this was a uncommon … and ultimate? – instance of golf equipment selecting the devils they knew.

The detente didn’t final, nevertheless. Arsenal began the 1966-67 season with a brand new man in cost, Billy Wright having resigned in June.

“Some groups have their bogey participant, who at all times appears to attain in opposition to them. Which participant has probably the most profession objectives in opposition to a single opposition, regardless of who he’s enjoying for?” asks John McDougall.

“Simply watching Everton v Manchester United and heard that Frank Lampard’s crushed them with all of the golf equipment he’s managed. What’s the best variety of golf equipment a supervisor has crushed one other membership with?” wonders Alex Craig.

“Colchester have simply appointed the previous Wycombe participant Matt Bloomfield as supervisor. He began his profession at Ipswich, which suggests they’ve now ‘offered’ 11 ex-players as managers to their A12 neighbours. Can that be bettered?” asks Philip Genochio.

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