Bath City to rack up extra miles for 2018/19 National League South campaign

This is how far Jerry Gill's men will travel in National League South next term

Bookmark
Share
Comments

12:40, 14 JUN 2018
Updated12:43, 14 JUN 2018

Bath City fans celebrate victory over Chippenham Town (Image: Simon Howe)

The road to National League South promotion got just a little bit longer for Bath City.

Jerry Gill’s men – and the Roman faithful following them – will traverse a few extra miles than last season, given the ups and downs on the non-league ladder.

The fixtures for the coming campaign are all set for release on Wednesday, July 4, but we already know who the Stripes will be squaring off against, with the division's make-up confirmed at the recent National League AGM.

Perhaps the biggest boon for those fans travelling away is the relegation of Torquay United.

A trip to the English riviera and Plainmoor’s swanky, former Football League surrounds could well prove the biggest pull for visiting supporters, not least if the fixture gods supply a sunny August Saturday by the seaside.

And in the stands, the Gulls, based 118 miles from Twerton Park, still pulled in crowds averaging 1,731 despite dropping down to the sixth tier of the English game; Dartford were the only National League South side to hit four figures last season, and then only just at 1,053.

Their fellow National League relegatees Woking – just under a 200-mile round trip for the Romans – pulled in a tad over 2,000 per match.

But don’t disregard the allure of City themselves, The Stats Zone calculated that a visit from the Romans adjusted attendances by more than any other club in the division in the season just gone.

Given travelling numbers and intrigued locals, City added 131 fans to the average crowd at any given opponent, Dartford the only other side to add more an 100 with the rest of the pack lagging way behind.

Jerry Gill celebrates Bath City's win over Hampton & Richmond (Image: Simon Howe)

Though Poole Town were relegated back to the Southern League at the end of last term, the Romans have retained the bulk of their shorter trips.

None come in less than derby rivals Chippenham Town on a short jaunt along the A4, comfortably the shortest round trip at 31miles.

The oft repeated trip to Weston-super-Mare’s Woodspring Stadium and home again is 61 miles, followed on the mileage chart by Hungerford Town and an exiled Gloucester City playing at Evesham United, also a pre-season venue for the Stripes.

At the other end of the scale, Eastbourne Borough is the furthest the Roman legion will venture at 368 miles to Sussex and back, followed by Truro City, the trip to Cornwall three miles shorter than last season’s calculations according to Google Maps.

City fans will be glad to see the back of the 350-mile round-trip to Braintree Town – last season’s second longest – though big-spending Billericay Town’s promotion almost balances that out for a 318-mile day out.

So what’s the sum of all those numbers and more? The Chronicle abacus calculates City fans and players will spend a grand total of around 4,961 miles to take in every NLS match in the coming campaign.

That comes in a smidge of the previous season’s sum of 4,946 miles, using Twerton Park as a starting point for each journey.