EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP FINAL

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS vs BOURGOIN

GETTING TO THE FINAL

“THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE”

There are a number of options available to Saints fans who are making the trip to the Twickenham Stoop on Friday for the European Challenge Cup Final against Bourgoin. This guide will, hopefully, give full details of all the various means the intrepid traveller needs to make it to London in time for kick-off…

CLUB COACHES

If you have booked on a club coach, coaches are leaving between 1pm and 2pm. As one coach fills it will leave. Coaches will leave from CAR PARK B. Car parking for all travellers is available at the ground in CAR PARK D.

SUPPORTERS’ CLUB COACHES

Supporters Club coaches will leave at 3pm prompt from the BEACON BINGO CAR PARK. Supporters using these coaches should arrange to be at the car park by 2.45pm latest. There will be no hanging around for stragglers!

BY CAR

This is Black Friday. That is to say, those that know reckon that this Friday is the busiest Bank Holiday Friday of the year. Blimey! There are of course various options available to those that are getting there by car but, here is some advice from a lady who “does travel” for a living…

Helen Blaby of BBC Radio5Live writes exclusively for ComeOnYouSaints.com and says… “As for driving - well bloody hell, what a day to have a final in London! It's a Bank Holiday Friday, and without boring you with loads of Highways Agency stats...Bank Holiday Friday rush hours tend to start at 3 and last until about 9pm. So, if you are going to drive down then allow plenty of time. If I had to make a choice I'd do the M40/M25/M3/A316 route, just so you cut out more of the M25 than you would if you were going to go down the M1 - but you'll be going anti-clockwise on the M25 anyway, which *ought* to be better than going clockwise on a Friday night, but with it being Bank holiday you never can tell.

If you don't fancy trying to park round the ground then The Stoop is on the Reading-Waterloo line and Staines might be worth thinking about as a place to "Park and Ride."”

Thank you, Helen!

If you are relying on your Sat-Nav then the post-code for The Stoop is TW2 7SX.

BY TRAIN

I am indebted to Mark C who offered this invaluable information…

Ok here goes...

I have planned the journey from London out of Waterloo as this is where the service starts from and you are going to have more chance of a seat! Some of you may have been given Vauxhall as the station to leave London... this is simply the next stop after Waterloo 3 mins down the track.

Trains from London Waterloo to Richmond
(Twickenham station is the next stop but Richmond is a more common meeting place)

Depart..........Arrive
Waterloo......Richmond

17:20----------17:36
17:28----------17:47
17:35----------17:53
17:43----------18:02
17:50----------18:06
17:58----------18:17
18:05----------18:23
18:13----------18:32
18:20----------18:36
18:28----------18:47
18:35----------18:53
18:43----------19:02
18:50----------19:06
18:58----------19:17
19:05----------19:23

Now, getting to London...

M. Harborough, Kettering, Wellingborough, Bedford... into London St. Pancras.

The transfer time St. Pancras to Waterloo states to allow approx half hour. It may be actually be quicker than this, but the system here has to allow for those who walk slowly.

Depart..........Depart..........Depart..........Depart ..........Arrive
Kettering......Mkt. H...........W'boro..........Bedford.........St. Pancras

15:47----------15:56---------16:04---------16:19----------17:00

16:12------------------------------------------------------------17:20

-----------------16:26---------16:34---------16:49----------17:29

16:47----------16:56---------17:04---------17:21----------18:06

-----------------17:15------------------------------------------18:13

17:12------------------------------------------------------------18:19

-----------------17:26---------17:34---------17:49----------18:29

Note: There are two trains above that start from Corby.
The 16:26 from Kettering, leaves Corby at 15:43
The 17:26 from Kettering, leaves Corby at 16:43

Now, let’s consider Long Buckby, Northampton, Wolverton and Milton Keynes to London Euston. The system allows 30 mins for transfer to Waterloo although I'm sure most of you could do it quicker.

Depart..........Depart..........Depart ..........Depart..........Arrive
L Buckby........N'pton..........Wol'ton.........M. K. Ctl.........Euston


15:43----------16:05---------16:17---------16:21----------17:18

-----------------16:25---------16:37---------16:41----------17:27

--------------------------------------------------16:47----------17:23

--------------------------------------------------16:47----------17:46

-----------------16:50--------------------------17:04----------17:49

--------------------------------------------------17:19----------17:54

16:43----------17:05---------17:17---------17:21----------18:18

--------------------------------------------------17:47----------18:23

-----------------17:25---------17:37---------17:41----------18:27

--------------------------------------------------17:47----------18:46

RED = Virgin Train

Coming Home

Depart..........Arrive
Richmond......Waterloo

21:28----------21:49
21:34----------22:02
21:45----------22:04
21:49----------22:16
21:58----------22:19
22:04----------22:32
22:15----------22:34
22:19----------22:46
22:28----------22:49
22:34----------23:02
22:45----------23:04
22:49----------23:16
22:58----------23:19
and more up until 00:15!

Now getting back from London...

From London St. Pancras

Depart............Arrive...........Arrive..........Arrive..........Arrive
St. Pancras ...Bedford........W'boro........Kettering.......Mkt. H

22:00----------22:39---------22:52---------23:00----------23:11

Change at Kettering for a train to Corby.
Departs K: 23.05 Arrives C: 23.14


22:25----------23:03---------23:16---------23:35----------23:46

from London Euston...

Depart.......... Arrive .......... Arrive ..........Arrive
Euston........M. K. Ctl..........Wol'ton.........N’pton


22:24----------23:23---------23:27---------23:44

22:54----------23:55---------23:59---------00:13

23:24----------00:22---------00:26---------00:40

00:04----------01:06---------01:10---------01:25

00:34----------01:45---------01:49---------02:05


Virgin Trains Euston – MKC = 22:43 – 23:23 & 23:43 – 00:26

and now the Watford – Clapham – Richmond route…
From Northampton, Change at Watford Junction and Clapham Junction
From Milton Keynes Ctl. Change at Clapham Junction only.

Northampton 2 journey options

 
Depart N’pton -------15:50 or… 16:50

ArriveWatford J. ----16:29------ 17:29

Depart Watford J. --16:51------ 17:51
Arrive Clapham J. -- 17:32------ 18:32

Depart Clapham J. - 17:45----- 18:45
Arrive Richmond ----17:53-------18:53


MiltonKeynes

The trains above from Watford Jcn to Clapham Jcn actually start from Milton Keynes Central. Therefore:

16:13 depart MKC arrive Clapham Jcn 17:32
17:13 depart MKC arrive Clapham Jcn 18:32


Returning Home

Depart Richmond ----22:15
Arrive Clapham J. --22:23

Depart Clapham J. --22:38
Arrive Watford J. --23:23

Depart Watford J. --23:41

Arrives in M.K. Ctl at 00:22, Wolverton at 00:26 and Northampton at 00:40.

Please note: East Midland trains have announced track repairs for weekend 22/23/24/25/26 May, so no return trains from St Pancras after 20:30 on the Friday night to Bedford/Kettering or Wellingborough. From what I can see, the last train from St Pancras leaves for the north at 20:25. I am happy to be corrected on this as it is extremely important that we get this information right for those trying to get home by this route!

BY BIKE

Bike racks are available in the car park behind the North Stand.

 BY BOAT

The Duke of Northumberland's River runs behind the LV Stand. However, it would appear that the chances of getting adequate mooring for anything larger than a coracle may prove a tad tricky. Oh, and the sort of jabs that you would need to visit  the out-skirts of Leicester are advised before attempting this particular method of access to the Stoop.

BY AIR

The closest airport is London Heathrow. From Heathrow you can get a cab (about 25 mins, £15-£20) or more cheaply get take the Shuttle-Bus to Feltham Station, which is two stops from Twickenham. London Gatwick and London Stansted are a good deal further, and you'd want to travel to Twickenham by rail.

BY HELICOPTER

Harlequins Rugby Club is the only landing site within the Twickenham/Richmond area. Go on, book one, fly in and see what happens!

FINALLY, THE WEATHER…

The BBC suggests heavy showers on Friday, the Weather Channel suggests dry and cloudy and the Met Office is at present vaguely indifferent. Cover all bases and take umbrella, sun cream, sou’wester, flip-flops, shades, wellies and that floppy hat you bought last time you were in Spain.

Acknowledgements:

Many thanks to the following for their help in compiling this article…

Helen Blaby for her travel advice. Helen can be heard on Radio5Live from daft o’clock until lunch-time, weekdays. For more information, go to BBC Travel

Mark C (and others) for the rail information.

The Prof (Duncan) at ComeAllWithin.co.uk for general travel information. CAW’s travel guide (from which some of this information has been taken and is used with kind permission) can be found here.

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