Cans & Megabus Away Guide: Everything Sunderland fans need to know about their Gillingham trip

Who Are These Jobbers?

A Tuesday night game in Kent, to decide who plays AFC Wimbledon or Doncaster Rovers in front of an empty stadium, in a venue we have to visit in two weeks’ time, anyway? Yeah, you better believe we’re hyped...

Photo by Mark Fletcher/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

What’s The Ground Like?

You know what you really want on a Tuesday evening in mid-November? To spend over 90 minutes stood in an uncovered away end in the pouring rain. The Brian Moore Stand is entering another year as a “temporary” stand and if you like the vibe of getting soaked on a stand robbed from the Ryder Cup, you’re in for a treat.

The only saving grace is if the turnout is so low, you could be housed in the Gordon Road Stand on the side of the pitch...but don’t count your chickens.

Photo by David Horton - CameraSport via Getty Images

How Do I Get There?

You know what’s a long way away from Sunderland? Gillingham. It’s bloody miles away, over 300 miles to be slightly more accurate. If you’re spending the majority of your day on the UK’s great motorway network take the A19, A1(M) and M11 before joining the M25 just outside of London.

This will take you south over the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge and where you exit for the A2 heading east. Exit for the A289 and then follow this past Gillingham Marina Chandlery and take a right onto Church Street and the ground is on your left hand side. There’s a pesky resident’s only parking scheme around the ground, so you may have to park nearer the town centre.

If you get lost whack ME7 4DD into that bad boy of a sat nav.

Gillingham Railway Station is served by trains from London Victoria, St Pancras, Charing Cross and Stratford. The ground is about a 10-minute walk from the station, perrrrrfect.

Where Can I Get The Sesh Started?

“At least there’ll be some nice pubs in Gillingham?” WRONG AGAIN, PAL! There is a hilarious dearth of pubs in the vicinity of Priestfield and you’ll have to trot to Gillingham Road and find the Fleur De Lis which has the je ne sais quoi you would expect from an alehouse bearing such a continental name.

If you have time to wander into the town you can enjoy a warming ale in The Will Adams on Saxton Street while the Frog & Toad on Burnt Oak Terrace also provides that sweet, sweet beer you so crave.

Is There Anything To Do Around Here?

I mean, I guess London isn’t too far away, right?