JACK AND DONNY

 Football fan uses two flights, two trains and tram to make £400 journey for just £33.

The cost of living crisis is hitting us all in the pocket and one fan has refused to be taken for a sucker on his way to a football match, going on quite the journey to avoid massive costs. 

A football fan facing a £400 train ticket to watch Doncaster Rovers, got there for £33 by taking a tram, two trains and two flights - but it did take him 11 hours.

Jack Peat, 36, tries to see his hometown team as often as possible since moving to London in 2012, and wanted to see them face Barrow AFC away. Faced with a £389 open return train ticket to Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, he decided to look for alternatives. He managed to get there for £32.70 - but it involved a many-legged journey. He got a tram from Beckenham Road to East Croydon for £2.50 at 6.45am yesterday morning [13], and a train from East Croydon to Gatwick Airport for £5.90 at 7.30am. He boarded a flight from Gatwick to Dublin for £10 at 9.30am, and then took another from Dublin to Manchester for €9 (£7.80) at 1.50pm. His mammoth 11 hours journey ended with a final train from Manchester Airport to Barrow for £6.50 at 3.30pm. His efforts were rewarded when the team found out and invited him into the dressing room for a pre-match team talk - even though they lost 2-0.

Editor and author Jack, who lives near Crystal Palace in London, said: "I really wanted to watch Doncaster Rovers play Barrow but there was no way I was paying £389 to get there on the train."

"I planned an alternative route to highlight three things - my love for Doncaster Rovers, my eagerness to try the best pies in Britain, and how utterly absurd UK rail fares are. I've followed Doncaster all my life but live down in London now, so I try my best to see them when I can.

"I particularly wanted to go to Barrow because I wax lyrical about it in my book - 'The Great Pie Revolt' - which I wrote based on local recommendations. The last stretch seemed to take absolutely forever but it was a great day out and I managed to squeeze a few beers in before kick off."

Jack made it to Barrow-on-Furness two hours before kick off last night. He ended his long journey with a few well-deserved beers and will be treating himself to a pie from Greens Bakers today. After Doncaster Rovers saw him detailing his journey on social media, he was invited to give the team a pep talk before the match and he loved meeting the players in the dressing room....it was nuts! Apparently, they'd been following the journey online! I'd never met them before so it was amazing. "This might be the Guinness talking, but I bloody love this club."

The journey took 11 hours in total and cost a fraction of the original train cost..

Jack has elected to take an easier - but more expensive - trip home today, but still made a huge saving with the complicated route there. He said: "I'm taking an easier trip home - this was just to prove a point that UK rail fares are extortionate!" The journey was definitely worth it - I don't follow them for the wins."https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeMolLRNVC4 HERE'S A VIDEO. 

 I have been to Holker Street (since 1909) and the nuclear submarine works-Geography field trip!!

and also seen Donny at their luxurious ground. The clubs first met on the 1st December 1923 in Div 3 North; a 2-2 draw at Donny. They played each other in this division until 1950. It was then Div 4 from 1959-65, then two times in Div 3 in 1970 and 2 in Div 4 again in 1971-2 season. They met again on 13th September 2022 2-0 to Barrow in EFL2.

Matches between the two clubs record as: Games won:19 by Barrow Games drawn:19 Games lost:21

There have been 6 FA Cup ties:

28 Nov 1931	Barrow v Doncaster Rovers	D	3-3	FA Cup
03 Dec 1931	Doncaster Rovers v Barrow	D	1-1	FA Cup
07 Dec 1931	Barrow v Doncaster Rovers	D	1-1	FA Cup
09 Dec 1931	Doncaster Rovers v Barrow	L	1-0	FA Cup

one in 1933, Barrow won 4-2 at home and in 1934 0-2 to Barrow away. 

Here is the Keepmoat, Donacster since  2007.