Travel hints and tips for QPR fans planning on heading north this Saturday to see the R's take on Preston North End at Deepdale.

Ground Name: Deepdale

Capacity: 24 525 (all seated)

Address: Sir Tom Finney Way, Preston, PR1 6RU

Main Telephone No: 0870 442 1964

Ticket Office: 0870 442 1966

By Car:

It’s a long trip up the M1 or M40 and then M6 for Rangers fans on Saturday – 220 miles or thereabouts from Loftus Road to Deepdale. Leave the M6 at junction 31 and join the A59 via the first exit at the roundabout. Follow the A59 for just under two miles and then take the second roundabout exit onto the A5085 signposted for Blackpool. Go another mile along that road through three sets of lights watching for speed cameras and then at the fourth set of lights turn left onto the A6063 signposted for the town centre and the ground should be clearly visible. Speed cameras everywhere according to the guide, mobile and fixed, so stick to 30.

Map:

Click map to visit Multi Map site and zoom in/out or tour round.

Parking:

Limited street parking around the ground, the guide warns against using the grass verges at the side of main roads as you will be ticketed. Moorfields Special School 200 yards past the ground on the left if you follow the directions above opens its playground and grounds up for parking on match days - £3 a car, all funds go to the school.

Train

Virgin West Coast services from Euston for this one, and there are engineering works between Preston and Wigan to contend with. Going there trains leave every hour at half past and take two hours and eight minutes, the last direct service to be unaffected by the work is the 1130 which arrives at 1338 although I suspect most will be on the 0930 arriving 1138 or the 1030 arriving at 1238. Coming back you have to get a local service into Manchester Piccadilly and then a fast train to the capital. That takes the journey time up to between three and a half and four hours. The 1747 from Preston arrives in London at 2118 with a 28 minute change in Manchester, the 1808 will get you home at 2200. The cheapest return price left now is £74.30. It’s a really long walk from the station to the ground but taxis are cheap and freely available outside the station, and usually passing the ground frequently after the match.

Coach: The club coaches leave from Loftus Road at 8.30am and the Target Roundabout at 9am but are now sold out. The LSA coach from the Springbok is also now sold out and the group is advising people to book well in advance for Middlesbrough, Doncaster and Scunthorpe as the season nears a climax.

Pubs: There are two pubs dead opposite the railway station that usually get a few QPR in while never being uncomfortably full. The Old Queen Vic usually has Sky football on alongside a basic match day bar menu of burgers, sausages and chips. The Station Hotel is a more upmarket joint with superior food but isn’t what I’d call a football pub. Nearer the ground the Sumners and the Royal Garrison are recommended for away fans by the guide but I’ve never tried them myself.

Tickets: QPR returned around 250 tickets from their initial allocation and these will now be on sale to Rangers fans on the day. These are priced £22 Adult, £13 Senior Citizen (Over 60), £13 Young Adult (16-20), £5 Junior (Under 16), under 8 - free, £27 Family Ticket (1 Adult / 2 Junior), £49 Family Ticket (2 Adult / 2 Junior), £22 Disabled / Ambulant (Per pair).

Links: >>> Detailed fans' guide to Deepdale >>> Official website

Photo: Action Images

benbu added 08:59 - Feb 18 We tried the Sumners pub back in Oct 07 before the 0-0 draw. It was a decent enough pub and we mixed well with some Preston fans and sat there and had a beer with some of them. No bother at all was pretty decent. Less than 2 miles from the ground is the 'One and only' Franky and Benny's - post code PR5 4AW which is always a great alternative so some dump pubs. Well thats where cosuin Mark is making us go! no sky but decent beer and food

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