Easter engineering works and an early kick off time mean QPR supporters face a big ask to follow the team to Old Trafford, even before the daunting prospect of the match begins.
Ground Name: Old Trafford
Capacity: 76 100 (all seated)
Address: Sir Matt Busby Way, Manchester, M16 0RA
Main Telephone No: 0870 442 1994
Ticket Office: 0870 442 1999
By Car:
M6 for this one up to Junction 19 and then the A556 towards Altrincham and A56 towards Manchester until the ground appears. You’re unlikely to be able to get very close to it with the parking restrictions and road closures. It's 193 miles from Loftus Road , four hours give or take allowing for traffic.
Map:
Click map to zoom in/out or tour round.
Parking:
It’s been a while since were last here but the parking situation hasn’t changed much – lots of little private car parks at businesses and factories. The Old Trafford cricket ground charges a fiver, but the Salford Lowry Mill came highly recommended by my Mum who parked there for the Rugby League Grand Final a couple of years ago and paid £3. Alternatively you can park at the end of the tram lines at Altrincham and Eccles and get a tram to the ground from there.
By Train
Nightmare. It's Virgin from Euston so it's expensive to start with, and it's Easter when apparently nobody wants to travel so they dig all the lines up anyway. Trains are starting and terminating at Rugby with an additional stop at Nuneaton from where a shuttle (train) will operate into Euston via the Chiltern line with added journey times.
So let's break this down. First of all the engineering works mean there are no direct trains from Euston, secondly the early kick off means you have five very convoluted and pretty expensive options.
First option is 0800 from Marylebone, changing at Leamington onto a Cross Country train for Piccadilly. You can't get this any cheaper than the £73 standard return fare now. The second option is (prepare to go around the houses) the 0854 service from Kings Cross to Doncaster (no, not kidding) which can currently be picked up for £18.75 followed by the 1142 service which gets into Piccadilly at 1306, just 25 minutes before kick off, currently available for £7. Another option the search came up with was the 0930 from St Pancras with changes at Leicester and Nuneaton to arrive into Piccadilly at 1309 – only £19 but the very definition of a total nightmare.
If you do want to go from Euston then the 0723 to Northampton followed by a connecting bus to Rugby and train up to Piccadilly arriving at 1204 is available for a tempting £73.20. Final option five is Paddington to Reading at 0800 (no, again, not kidding) and then a Cross Country service from there to Piccadilly arriving at 1240.
We haven't even thought about the journey home yet.
Luckily by the time we've lost the problems, on the trains at least, have diminished slightly. Still no direct trains, but more options. Try the 1744 East Midlands Train service to Nottingham (not joking) for an arrival in St Pancras at 2154 for £25. Or the 1635 which arrives into Euston at 2034 with a change at Nuneaton for £32.50. My advice? Go to Sheffield on the Trans Pennine train, change there and get either the 1729 (arrives St Pancras 2004) 1832 (2117), 1931 (2226) or 2024 (2324) which are all available for £17 single.
Actually, no, my advice is go and have a long weekend in Blackpool , which is what we decided to do when confronted with this lunacy.
Coach: Given all of that you may wish to consider the coach which leaves Loftus Road at 7am and the Target Roundabout at 7.30am. This is priced £32 adults, £21 seniors and young adults and £18 juniors with the usual discounts for season ticket holders. The LSA coach leaves the Springbok at 7.30am priced £30 adults and £20 juniors, call Gary on 07506 028 189 to book.
Tickets: QPR have 3,084 tickets for this which - given the kick off time, Sky coverage and state of the trains - I'd be surprised if they shifted. Three different pricing structures run as follows:
East Stand: £42 Adults, £23.50 Over 65s / 16-17s, £15 Under-16s
East Stand Corner: £43 Adults, £24 Over 65s / 16-17s, £15 Under-16s
South Stand: £52 Adults, £25 Over 65s / 16-17s, £15 Under-16s
Ambulant disabled and visually impaired tickets have sold out, limited wheelchair places remain. Tickets are on sale now if you have 150 loyalty points, from Monday you can buy with 140, 100 from Tuesday and 30 (members basically) from Wednesday. General sale will follow that.
Links: >>> Official Website >>> Detailed Fans Guide to Old Trafford