Lincoln City face the first of two trips south this week, starting with a visit to Vicarage Road to face out-of-sorts Watford.
We have the latest matchday guide available for City supporters for the first of two midweek trips in November.
Tickets
Following away sell-outs at Sheffield United and Millwall, and with no tickets available for this weekend’s trip to QPR, demand was always likely to be lower for a midweek trip to Hertfordshire. At £36 a ticket, it isn’t even the most expensive of these two southern away days, but the sales figures for this fixture have remained strong.
Almost 1150 Imps fans have purchased tickets in advance of the trip to Hertfordshire, from an allocation of 2313. Tickets went off sale at midday, with pay on the day available adjacent to the away end. The away end is easily accessible, located behind half the goal. Its entrance is on the closest side to the city centre, off the aptly named Vicarage Road (A4145) and opposite the cemetery.
If you are unable to attend in person tomorrow evening, there is a live watch party in The View at Sincil Bank.
Travel
By Train (2h50 to 3h40- 2 to 4 changes)
A midweek game means there’s nothing in the way of public transport to reach Lincoln after the conclusion of the game. However, as will be the case against Charlton Athletic later this month, the option of returning to Grantham or Newark Northgate exists. As a result, we will work backwards to give you the best travel options for this game, starting with the return journey.
There are two stations in Watford which both serve London Euston: the Lioness lines takes you on the tube from Watford High Street, while there is a much shorter journey from Watford Junction. That latter option requires a slightly longer walk (27 minutes- 1.2mi) but is the better of the two for a quicker overall trip to reach the capital.
After the game, the first realistic service supporters can take to return to the capital leaves Watford Junction at 22:11. It’s a short walk between Euston and King’s Cross after arriving at the latter at 22:37, with two options to reach Grantham/Newark Northgate that leave at 23:08 and 23:33.
As such, if you are using this route, you may need to leave from one of the two above-mentioned stations. LNER journeys to the capital are fairly frequent throughout the day. Supporters leaving from Lincoln can either use the same operator or EMR, with a change at Newark or Peterborough on the way to London.
By Road (2h45 – 136 to 164mi)
Our fans should get used to the following route, with our next three trips inside the M25. This one doesn’t involve actually entering the capital, and there are two main routes to follow. They both start on the A46 to Newark, and then split. From there, either continue on the A46 towards Leicester and jump on the M1, or head onto the A1 until you hit St Neots and then take the A421 to join the M1. You continue on the M1 until Watford, reaching Vicarage Road via Stephenson Way on the north-west side of the city.
If you want a longer and higher mileage alternative (not very appealing, I know), follow the A1 past Peterborough and come off onto the A14 just after Huntingdon. That soon becomes the M11, which should be followed until reaching the M25. Follow it west to reach the same route into Watford at the two above-mentioned routes.
Parking
From memory, I remember parking being a bit of a nightmare from my solitary trip to Vicarage Road a few years ago. That doesn’t necessarily mean that it is a difficult place to do so; however, parking is once again unavailable at the Hornets’ home ground.
Some of the local schools, including Field Junior, Ascot Road Primary and Holywell Primary, have a partnership with the club, and therefore are good options. Utilising CitiPark allows Hornets supporters to receive 25% off at their Church, Gade and Sutton car park by using the promo code ‘WATFORDFC25’ when you pay on their app at the end of your stay.
In the vicinity of the ground, street parking is limited to residents who have matchday permits. If you look slightly further afield, Scammell Way and other streets towards the south of the town appear to be unrestricted. As always, please read the road signs before leaving your cars in these areas to avoid any fines.
Food & Drink
Away Pubs
All the recommendations point to a pub called The Oddfellows due to its proximity to the ground as the best away pub for Imps supporters tomorrow evening. In the city centre, the Moon Under Water, which is a Wetherspoons, is another option for our fans to utilise.
As has been the case with most, if not all, of our away fixtures this season, drinking in most local pubs and bars in the city centre should be fine. It should go without saying, but as long as those in red and white behave themselves, they won’t be an issue!
Fan Zone
The Hornets have a Family Zone which contains games, music and food before home fixtures. Unfortunately, as has been the case at several Championship grounds this season, it appears to be restricted for home fans only.
Matchday Programme
Watford went down a unique approach for fans still wanting a matchday souvenir after discounting their traditional matchday programme ahead of the 25/26 campaign. Earlier this year, the Hornets announced the introduction of ‘The Matchday Edition’. Claimed to be a world’s first, it provides supporters with a ‘personalised post-match souvenir publication’.
These editions feature the match report, shots, stats and a link to the highlights. There is even an option to add a maximum of six of your own photos from the game for an added cost of £2. The standard option is available at £5.99 plus postage and packing, with the link to purchase provided here.
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