Lincoln City make their second trip of the season to Lancashire this weekend to play Preston North End, the second of three long away trips in succession.
For the third time this season, we have put together a matchday guide for Imps supporters making the journey to the north-west of England on Saturday.
Tickets
The latest sales update on Monday afternoon was that City fans had snapped up almost 1500 tickets for our visit to Deepdale on Saturday afternoon. This was from an initial allocation of 1958 tickets, with further tickets potentially available depending on sales.
However, given the proximity to kick-off and the current sales figures, receiving a further batch of tickets feels more unlikely at this stage. They go off sale on Friday at 15:00, with Preston yet to confirm if pay on the day will be available.
Lincoln fans will be housed in the Bill Shankly Kop, behind one of the goals at Deepdale. This can be accessed from the aptly named Billy Shankly Crescent, coming off either Sir Tom Finney Way (A606) or Blackpool Road (A5085).
Travel
By Train (3h10 to 3h40- 2 changes)
Like Bolton a fortnight ago, there are many similarities with the journey to Preston. You take the same journey from Lincoln to Manchester Piccadilly, changing once at Sheffield. Once reaching Manchester, it’s one more train to Preston through TransPennine Express, one further stop from Bolton.
There is one alternative to this journey, changing at Doncaster instead of Sheffield to reach Manchester Piccadilly. Departure times vary, but it typically arrives in Preston on the hour. It’s quite a walk to reach Deepdale from Preston station, taking 39 minutes and 1.7 miles. It is also accessible by the 6 and 19 buses, which require very little walking.
Therefore, the first train returning to Lincoln after the game (17:11) wouldn’t be possible without leaving earlier, or without a sprint to the station. There is a return journey that calls at Leeds (17:43) instead of Manchester Piccadilly (17:48), with the final service leaving Preston at 18:48 and arriving in Lincoln at 22:10.
By Road (2h50 – 129 to 140mi)
Likewise, the journey by road also has many similarities to our successes in Blackpool and Bolton last month. As of midday on Wednesday, the picturesque Woodhead Pass route (A616/A628) is showing as an option once again on Google Maps. To get to this point, take the A57 over Dunham Bridge, join the A1 at Markham Moor, before exiting the A1(M) before Doncaster to jump on the M18 past Sheffield.
For supporters preferring to stick to motorways, the A15, M180, M18, M62 route remains an option, while Imps fans can also remain on the A1(M) for the above route to reach the M62 at Pontefract. All routes lead onto the M60, before the final stretch on the motorway takes you on the M61 and finally the M6 to Preston. At junction 31, you enter the city on Brockholes Brow and Blackpool Road to reach Deepdale.
A little note on maps: after last night’s trip to Bournemouth, I believe Apple Maps, for those of you with iPhones, is the superior option for live traffic updates. Google Maps has twice stitched me up this week by trying to take me on a road that is closed, including the return journey from the South Coast last night. I much prefer Google’s option for almost everything else map-related, but Apple has twice come to the rescue this week with getting me back home.
Parking
Deepdale is another new ground for me this season, which will take me up to 76 of the 92 professional football grounds in England following Saturday’s game. As a result, I can’t offer much personal expertise into street parking, but I have looked at street view on Google Maps to get a gauge on what appears available around the ground.
To the south of Moor Park, there looks to be plenty of unrestricted parking on St Thomas’ Road, St Stephen’s Road and St George’s Road. They continue onto the area south of Deepdale itself. Supporters choosing to try and park here should always check to see if there are any restrictions and should be mindful of residents.
At the ground, parking is available for £15.50 in the Bill Shankly Kop car park. This can be booked by contacting North End’s ticket office on 0344 856 1966, or emailing paula@pne.com.
Food & Drink
Away Pubs
There are plenty of pubs in Preston, with The White Hart a designated ‘away friendly pub’. Car parking is available here for a £5 donation to a local charity called Galloway’s, who help the blind. It’s open from 11am and has Sky/TNT Sports to watch Saturday’s early matches.
There are several pubs located near the train station, while the Moor Park Sports and Social Club & St Gregory’s Catholic Club are in the vicinity of Deepdale. It appears that most pubs will be happy to host away supporters, given this isn’t a high-risk match.
Fan Zone
The Gentry Bar is the Lilywhites’ fan zone. It doesn’t explicitly state that it’s for home fans only, nor does it mention away supporters, but it typically opens from 11am. It’s located to the left of the ticket office on the corner of the Sir Tom Finney Stand.
Matchday Programme
Preston moved over from Ignition Sports Media to Aca Creative this season for their online sales of ‘The One And Only’ matchday programme. Priced at £4, this latest edition can also be bought from Deepdale on Saturday afternoon.
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