Last Call to Chelsea

Last updated : 02 January 2009 By Shrimpers24
TICKETS

The game is SOLD OUT.

This will be the biggest crowd to see Southend United. The 41,000 beating the 37,797 that saw us lose 3-0 to Liverpool in a F.A Cup Third Round replay thirty years ago on January 17 1979.

I better say in modern times before DoDtS posts with a game in 1909 or earlier that beat it!

COACH

The Shrimpers Trust coaches are full and not accepting any further bookings.

Under 16's have to travel with an adult.

TRAIN

Buy a Travelcard, around £13.50, and a change to the tube in Central London. This is the most cost effective and time saving way to get around town unless you live there. Would you believe the fares go up on Friday January 2!

Shoeburyness-Fenchurch Street:

Four an hour; 05, 20, 35 and 50 reaching Southend Central 9 minutes later.

Takes up to 1 hour 7 minutes depending where you join. Faster trains are the 20 and 50. (Full timetable click on the fare link below.)

Then a short ten-minute walk to Tower Hill underground, follow the signs.

Fares:
www.c2c-online.co.uk/tickets_timetables/fares_2009/leisure_fares_2009

Engineering:
Normal Saturday Service at the moment.


Southend Victoria - Liverpool Street:

Three an hour; 06, 26, 46.

Trains take up to 55 minutes depending where you get on. (Full timetable click on the fares link below.)

The underground is in the station and a five minute walk to the Circle line platform from your train.

Engineering:
Only if your going via Stanstead Airport!

Of course, if you have any Youth, Senior or Family railcards the day will be even more cost effective.

The main overground is West Brompton station which can be reached from Waterloo and Clapham Junstion, good for any south of the river based Shrimpers!

TUBES

The nearest tube station is Fulham Broadway which is on the District Line.

There are direct trains from Tower Hill (Fenchurch St. Line) to Wimbledon which will take you directly to Fulham Broadway and these arrive about every 10 minutes.

Or you can take a service to Earls Court from Tower Hill (District) or Liverpool Street (Circle - 2 stops Tower Hill) and, if necessary, change for a Wimbledon bound tube.


If staying on the Circle Line change at Gloucester Road and get a District Line service, one stop to Earls Court or, if lucky, direct to Fulham Broadway on a Wimbledon service.

Dowload a tube map here: www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/1106.aspx.

Work out your own route on tube and buses here: www.journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/user/XSLT_TRIP_REQUEST2?language=en

BUS

If jumping off at Hammersmith for a pint on the river, (Hammersmith & City Liverpool St., District Line Tower Hill; two different stations, the District Line is closest for buses), get back on the District Line for Fulham Broadway or take the 211 from the bus station towards Waterloo or 295 towards Clapham Junction / Falcon, make sure you sup up by 14.00 as it's 15 mts. to the station and then a 20-25 minute bus journey which is more direct to the ground than the tube unless your lucky with a direct Wimbledon service on the District Line.

If near Putney Bridge; Service 14 towards Warren Street.

If near Parsons Green Lane (next to tube, see map below); Service 14 towards Warren Street, 414 towards Chippenham Road or Shirland Road, 424 towards Telegraph Road.

Give yourself a good 15-20 mts. on any of these services to the ground.


(That's West Brompton overground & tube in the top left and Parsons Green tube, the best pubs nearby, bottom left. Fulham Broadway clearly marked to the left of Stamford Bridge and 10 minutes walk to the ground. Buses stop right outside.)

ROAD

Fill in the details from your home postcode to Chelsea FC here for a full route plan www.theaa.com/travelwatch/planner_main.jsp but for an edited version;

Approx. 54 miles; 1 hour, 45 minutes.

Leave the M25 at Junction 15 and take the M4 towards London, which then becomes the A4 up to Hammersmith. Carry on over the Hammersmith flyover and after a further one and half miles, take the turning Earls Court. Continue past Earls Court station and down the one way system until you reach the junction with Fulham Road. At this junction, turn right at the traffic lights and after about half a mile, you will see the ground on your right.

A number of local resident schemes are in operation around the ground, so you may well end up having to park some way from the ground itself.

FOOD AND DRINK

As you would expect plenty of eating places within thirty minutes of the ground but there's a Harry Ramsden's fish and chip shop located just outside the entrance to the away end.

Or read Last Orders in Chelsea here: www.thelittlegazette.com/news/loadsngl.asp?cid=EDW8&id=424848

SHORT BREAKS

If you require hotel accommodation in the area, and why not have a New Year weekend in your capital city, then first try a hotel booking service provided by Football Hotels who are powered by Activehotels, who specialise in locating accommodation near or within a short travelling distance of the football ground. They also have the added advantage over some other hotel booking services that you pay on departure.

Access here: Chelsea and London page.

Good Luck however you choose to travel, they'll be up to 6,000 of us, so plenty of options, and make sure you have yourselves a real good time. COME ON YOU YELLOWS!!!

(Thanks to the Internet Ground Guide,
www.footballgroundguide.com/chelsea/index.htm, and DoDtS's excellent Shrimperzone Away Travel section, www.shrimperzone.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=24, for their help in preparing this article.)