The line-up is now complete for the 2008/09 League One season, and it’s going to be another season packed with lengthy trips around the country to cheer the boys on.
Port Vale’s relegation meant we lost one of the more local trips, although Stockport’s promotion softens that blow a little. Also joining us in League One are Hereford, Peterborough, MK Dons, Leicester, Scunthorpe and Colchester United.
There will be first trips for Tranmere to Leicester’s Walkers Stadium, Colchester’s Cuckoo Farm and MK Dons’ ingeniously named Stadium:MK. The motorway-free trek to Hereford’s less than welcoming Edgar Street is sure to be one of them on a rainy Tuesday night in November we all look forward to, whilst the trip to Peterborough is another not-so-eagerly anticipated. Let’s hope with their new found fortune they have bought a jet wash to clear the bird crap from the away terrace.
“So what of the mileage then?” I hear you bellow in angst. Well it looks like being another high one, but thankfully Bournemouth’s relegation means we’ll be travelling about 300 miles less than last season in total.
Rovers are set to cover a whopping 6976 miles in return journeys to league games alone in 2008/09. Crewe remains the shortest trip with a round trip mileage of just 81.8 miles whilst the trip to Brighton totals at 551.8 miles, 554.8 if they actually move the away end to anywhere near the pitch.
Here’s how it breaks down:
| Club | Ground | Round Trip mileage± |
| Brighton | Withdean Stadium | 551.8 |
| Bristol Rovers | Whaddon Road* | 299.6 |
| Carlisle United | Brunton Park | 253.2 |
| Cheltenham Town | Whaddon Road | 299.6 |
| Colchester United | Cuckoo Farm+ | 514 |
| Crewe Alexandra | Gresty Road | 81.8 |
| Hartlepool United | Victoria Park | 310.8 |
| Hereford United | Edgar Street | 222.4 |
| Huddersfield Town | Galpharm Stadium | 125.2 |
| Leeds United | Elland Road | 149.4 |
| Leicester City | Walkers Stadium | 288 |
| Leyton Orient | Brisbane Road | 452 |
| Millwall | The New Den | 448 |
| Milton Keynes Dons | Stadium:MK | 348.8 |
| Northampton Town | Sixfields Stadiums | 308.4 |
| Oldham Athletic | Boundary Park | 93.8 |
| Peterborough United | London Road | 372 |
| Scunthorpe United | Glanford Park | 242.4 |
| Southend United | Roots Hall | 503.4 |
| Stockport County | Edgeley Park | 98.6 |
| Swindon Town | County Ground | 360.6 |
| Walsall | Bescot Stadium | 194 |
| Yeovil Town | Huish Park | 458.2 |
|
Total mileage: |
6976 |
So if you didn’t want to follow Tranmere next season and were looking for other ways to add that kind of distance to your vehicle of choice, here’s some other comparable and illustrious journeys you may consider:
Travel to the moon:
Go to every Tranmere away game in the league in 08/09: 6976 miles
Travel a quarter of the way around the world: 6226.5 miles
± Mileage taken from AA Route Planner, worked out from Tranmere Rovers FC to Opposition FC.
+ Colchester United’s new stadium not yet complete, postcode used from ‘Cuckoo Farm’ CO4 UK
* Ground sharing with Cheltenham Town
