The second away match of the 26/27 Championship season takes Lincoln City to a familiar setting, facing fellow newly-promoted outfit Bolton Wanderers.
We have once again put together a personalised supporters’ guide for our supporters making the trip to the Toughsheet Community Stadium this afternoon.
Thanks to a suggestion on Facebook, we’ve added a section on matchday programmes. That includes the usual information surrounding ticket information, travel details, alongside food and drink options in Bolton and Middlebrook.
Any further suggestions for future pieces would be greatly appreciated, as we prepare for a busy month of away fixtures in September.
Tickets
Unlike the opening day of the season at Middlesbrough, tickets for our trip to Lancashire haven’t had the same demand. That’s unsurprising for a ground we’ve visited for the last five straight seasons, and had very limited success at.
As previously mentioned in a post about away tickets in the 26/27 campaign, City could have received an allocation of over 4500 tickets if demand was sufficient. We were given an initial allocation of 2000 tickets, with no option for pay on the day. Lincoln haven’t publicly announced any sales figures for this fixture.
Imps supporters will be housed in the lower South Stand at Wanderers ground. This is the side of the ground located closest to De Havilland Way, which should make for a quick exit by foot at the end of the match, depending on where you are travelling back to.
Travel
By Train (3h20 to 4h- 2 changes)
For supporters travelling by train tomorrow, you’re not looking for Bolton to get to the ground; it’s Horwich Parkway. That’s two stops on from Bolton, and is accessible from Manchester Piccadilly by Northern Rail. To get to that point, Imps fans should board a Northern service at Lincoln to Sheffield.
From Sheffield, there are three different providers that serve Manchester Piccadilly: Northern, EMR and TransPennine Express. It is quite a long journey to this part of the north-west, with hourly journeys for City fans that arrive at Horwich Parkway on the hour. From there, it’s a brisk eight-minute walk (0.3mi) from the station to the ground.
Imps fans can also change at Doncaster instead of Sheffield, and then board an EMR service to Manchester Piccadilly from the South Yorkshire station. There are a handful of options for the return journey, with the first train after the final whistle at 17:13. After this, there are a couple of options if you leave at 17:46, which gets back to Lincoln before 22:00, before the final journey of the night departs Horwich Parkway at 18:46.
By Road (2h30- 117 to 128mi)
For supporters who frequently travel to the north-west of England, you will realise there are three main routes to get to most locations in Lancashire. The first follows the A15 up towards Scunthorpe, before getting onto the M180 and M18 to reach the M62. You can arrive on the M62 later if you go via the A57 from Lincoln, over the Dunham Toll Bridge, before getting onto the A1. Imps fans have two options when they reach Doncaster: continue on the A1(M) until reaching Pontefract, or turn onto the M18 before Doncaster to get onto the M1, until you are just south of Leeds.
All routes to the ground are from the M62, which briefly becomes the M60 around Manchester, before finishing the final leg of the journey on the M61. Once exiting at junction six and onto the A6027, the ground is on the left at the first roundabout.
Parking
Having been to the Toughsheet Community Stadium several times over the last few years, I’m able to offer some insight into street parking near the ground. Once in Middlebrook, there is plenty of unrestricted parking on the roads off Lostock Lane. Similarly, once you reach Beehive Roundabout, there are several streets off Chorley New Road that offer a free place for City fans to park, with Ainsworth Avenue recommended as one such option. As is always the case with street parking, vehicles are left at their own risk, and you should always be mindful of residents.
In terms of official parking, Bolton advise using www.parkgood2go.com for matchday payments. The PayByPhone app is another option, while there is a car park kiosk also available. Wanderers charge £10 per vehicle to park at the Toughsheet Community Stadium. Away supporters’ parking can be found in Car Park A. There is the obvious caveat that parking at the ground will likely mean long queues getting out after the final whistle.
Middlebrook Retail & Leisure Park is located right next to the ground. Supporters attempting to park here should follow the advice on signs around the ground. Do not attempt to park in the Tesco Extra next to the ground if you want to park there for the duration of the game.
Food & Drink
Away Pubs
Again speaking from experience, the Beehive is the best option for City fans in Middlebrook pre-match. It’s located a short walk from the ground, and is one of a handful of pubs in and around the local area that allow away supporters. There are further options available in Bolton for our supporters, before they make the short journey to the ground.
For those on coaches, Chorley’s Fan Zone is always a handy option. Last weekend, when Middlesbrough were visiting Blackburn Rovers, over 600 Boro fans visited their facilities. Open from 11 am this morning, there are food and drink options available. Entry and parking are also free, which makes it a great option for any City fan travelling by road to the game today.
Fan Zone
Bolton do have a Fan Zone, but it appears to be for home supporters only.
Matchday Programmes
Bolton brought back their official matchday programme ‘The Wanderer’ ahead of the 25/26 campaign. With the club returning to the Championship this season, a printed option remains available for supporters, which can be purchased from the club store or around the ground. Last term, it was available to buy for £3.50.
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