As part of Everything Orient's series 'AwayDays', @QuaneRoman reviews his adventures at football grounds up and down the country and takes a look at everything from the best ground, the best food and most importantly, the best pubs. Next up, a trip across the border to Wrexham.
My Racecourse (The Racecourse Ground)
Capacity: 15,000 (10,500 used on Matchday)
Occupant: Wrexham AFC, Wales FA & Wales Rugby
Town/City: Wrexham, North Wales
AwayDays is back again, this probably the biggest away game for Orient in over 4 years as table topping O's travelled to third place Wrexham, who could move top if they beat Orient and Salford fail to win.
I could not stress how important the game is, also it is a very enjoyable and intense awayday, something I looked for when the fixtures came out. All week I had been waiting for Saturday, a day that was probably one of my best awaydays since I've been following the O's.
1) The Journey - 7/10
After breakfast in the Wetherspoons, we arrived at Euston early ahead of the 9:40 Manchester Piccadilly bound train to Crewe, we happened to get there 5 minutes before the departure of the 9:10 to Holyhead (direct to Chester) which meant if we made it we'd get up north early, we jumped at that chance and made the train by fractions.
A twist of fate this turned out to be as we found out later, O's fans who travelled on the 9:40 service were stranded at Crewe due to cancelled branch line services to Chester, they got there eventually but at a hefty time delay.
After a long pre-match stop-off in Chester we got on the ten minute TLW shuttle to Wrexham General, getting to the north welsh town around 30 minutes before kick off. A good journey, however should we not have got the 9:10 the rating could've been significantly lower, also on the way back we had problems ourselves.
When at Chester we missed the last Crewe train and followed a four hour strike at the station with no trains, a few mates got a MersyRail train to Liverpool to find a London service there and me and a few others got a local bus then a rail replacement bus to Crewe, which took an hour.
2. The Area - 3/10
I didn't spend much time in Wrexham this time round, last year I did but I didn't rate Wrexham highly amongst the unique and wonderful places I've been over the years. Walking out the station we were told to walk straight past a home pub and two Wrexham stands to get to the away section, after going through all the back ways.
3. The Pubs - 8/10
We were in the Town Crier, across the road from Chester station pre-match, a nice pub very convenient considering there isn't much in Wrexham, not too much hassel to leave at 2:15 to get a short shuttle across the border.
A nice place to kill a few hours, the old man liked the nachos as well! Wrexham on the other hand, I remember last year we were put into a working mans club next to a church and a Shell's petrol station. In town there's probably a bit to do and a few pubs and a Wetherspoons, but every time we got escorted to the ground where there isn't much for away fans.
4. The Ground - 9/10
The Racecourse is one of the better grounds in the league, has everything from character in the terrace KOP behind the goal (sadly no longer in use and crumbling away) to unique architecture of the Hays Travel Stand where it curves above the clubs corporate facilities and offices. It's nice to be placed in an Upper Tier, not many National League clubs have this luxury.
5. Food and Drink - 2/10
I went down at half time and got myself a rollover, a hotdog which they had over Orient for many years that I loved from my first visit to E10, they were scrapped when the new caterers came in this year. Who knows, maybe the reason I started supporting Orient as a young boy was because of the Rollovers!
However it didn't rise up to my high standards, no mustard, cold hot dog, a mate bit a piece of the end and I watched his face screw up showing his displeasure over the taste.
No burgers either, the only other ground without burgers being Maidstone. The Concourse in the away end so small the stewards had to open the doors to the away end with a large crowd of O's fans downstairs, a nice bit of fresh air and space.
6. The View - 9/10
A nice view of the pitch, not much of a restricted view, stood above the gangway and for 5 minutes at the end I was hanging off a pole, this didn't favour me well when the first goal went in sending the Molt Road Upper into raptures, somehow my Gazelles came off and flew down 5 rows as stairs as I celebrated with my hand squashed against the segregation barrier and the other with my gazelle.
7. The Programme - 7/10
A decent programme, a basic section on Orient's key players including Bonne and Koroma, however I liked the detailed opinion write up on how good the UEFA Nations League is (written from a Welsh perspective), as England are two games away from the final I can see why it made the programme. It's coming home.
8. The Atmosphere - 9/10
Great atmosphere and noise from both sets of fans, the scenes for Orient's goals were incredible, the second goal my favourite, at one stage I was crowd surfing over 3 people. The filled Orient away end helped with those celebrations and noise as everyone was on top of each other.
9. Away Support - 9/10
Even though the visiting attendance was 603, it looked 800 at the very least it was rammed solid both inside and looking outside as well, fantastic support from the O's, definitely drove the team on to the late triumph.
10. The Performance - 8/10
A game that easily could've gone two ways, as much as Orient had their chances Brill had a crucial role in that win, two great goals saw Orient go 3 points clear heading into Tuesday's round of National League fixtures.
Total - 7.1/10
AWAYDAY STANDINGS
1. AFC Fylde 7.3/10 2. Maidstone United 7.3/10 3. Wrexham AFC 7.1/10 4. Salford City 6.9/10
5. FC Halifax Town 6.1/10
6. Braintree Town 6.1/10
7. Maidenhead United 5.7/10
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