Lincoln City are on the road again this week, facing another gruelling trip to Bristol City to round off a run of three successive matches away from home.
It’s slightly different writing a matchday guide for midweek games, with various logistical challenges compared with a Saturday fixture.
However, we’ve done our best to provide a comprehensive guide for the final time before the extended international break.
Tickets
After tickets went off sale to away supporters at midday today, the Imps revealed that almost 600 had been sold to City supporters. That was from an allocation of 2071, with no pay on the day available for Lincoln fans. In a week consisting of three long away trips, such a number making the journey to the south-west should be applauded.
Our supporters tomorrow evening will be housed in the Atyeo Stand, like Saturday, located behind a goal. This section of the ground can be accessed from Ashton Road which is at the back of the stand, while Greville Smyth Park is located just behind.
Travel
By Train (3h50 to 4h5 – 1/2 changes)
For the first time this season, we face a midweek league trip, meaning any option of travel by public transport is non-existent. Of course, that means travelling back from the game in the same evening, though there is a very interesting route back from Bristol Temple Meads that involves a three hour wait at Peterborough in the small hours of Wednesday morning.
However, given the length of the journey, City fans may be tempted to stay over for this fixture. If that is the case, it’s a better journey than I anticipated down to Bristol via train. All journeys involve travelling from Lincoln to Derby on EMR, then using CrossCountry to get to Bristol Temple Meads directly, or via a further change at Birmingham New Street.
As Ashton Gate is located on the outskirts of the city, it is a 47-minute (2.1 miles) walk from Bristol Temple Meads to the ground. The number 24/25 bus also takes you between the two places, with a 13-minute walk to reach the bus stop to take you to Ashton Gate. Additionally, the AG3 matchday service takes supporters from the station to the ground.
For the return journey, there are three services that leave before 06:30 on Wednesday morning, though they all involve changes in London. If you’re looking for a cheaper and slightly quicker route back, the above-mentioned CrossCountry and EMR routes commence at 06:35 and run every hour.
By Road (4h- 182 to 190mi)
The much more likely option for Imps supporters tomorrow evening will be by road. Hopefully, there won’t be the same overnight road closures that put the brakes (literally) on our return journey to Bournemouth six days ago.
From Lincoln, there are three main routes to follow. They all start on the A46 to take you beyond Newark, before splitting at Cotgrave. The easier route on paper appears to continue on the A46 to Leicester, before a very brief stint on the M1 to reach the M69. Once you reach Coventry, there are two options: the M6 towards Birmingham, or the A46 and M40 to join the M42.
The more fuel-efficient route exits the A46 at Cotgrave, before following the A52 towards Nottingham. It’s then down the A453, M1 and A42, which becomes the M42, to reach the outskirts of Birmingham. All three journeys then involve the M42 and M5 down to Bristol. The final leg of the journey involves exiting at junction 19, before travelling on the A369 onto the outskirts of the city to reach Ashton Gate.
Parking
Winterstoke Road Car Park is the official place to park at Ashton Gate, on the opposite side of the ground to where the away end is located. The Robins also recommend Matchday Parking, Clanage Road (£17.50) and DJ Matchday Parking on the Cala Trading Estate (£10), with both less than a 10 minute walk to the ground.
YourParkingSpace and JustPark, advised by David from the Forever Bristol City podcast on this morning’s Stacey West Preview, are also handy sites to use. It is also worth mentioning that most local streets are covered by a Resident Parking Scheme, so they should be avoided. Interestingly, the Robins also have Portway or Brislington Park & Ride as options, with the latter recommended for those using the motorway, given its proximity to the M5.
Food & Drink
Away Pubs
Once again, and this is a recurring theme this season, most pubs in Bristol will be more than happy to welcome Imps supporters. There is an extensive list of pubs in the city centre, while Nova Scotia and The Cottage Inn are those that are recommended closer to the ground, just across the River Avon.
Fan Zone
Bristol City’s Fan Village is expected to open at 5:00 p.m. tomorrow, just under three hours before kick off. There is typically live music on offer, alongside the standard offering of food and drink. Once again, it doesn’t specify if away supporters are welcome, but it could be one that’s worth checking out.
The Independence Sports Bar should also open at the same time, which features the largest indoor pub screen in the country. For a comprehensive guide to all food and drinks options, check out the Robins guide on their website.
Matchday Programme
Unfortunately, the Robins haven’t produced a physical matchday programme since the 2019/20 campaign. Nevertheless, there is an unofficial programme put together by fans, produced for every game this season. It is called ‘Cidereds’ and should be available outside the ground, at a cost of £4.
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