I do live in Doncaster - sorry, I wasn’t aware that it was inaccessible from Barnsley... The point I’m making is that London is not isolated or that much time away. You could go to sheffield or donny from Barnsley and get a quick train down. Is there a direct train from Barnsley to anywhere in the midlands? The transport infrastructure means it makes sense to have the stadium in London - it wouldn’t be any quicker to travel to the geographic centre of the country for that many people.
A quick search suggests this isn't the case. For events like play off finals FA cup semi ect that are short notice early booking to keep the cost down isn't really possible. So I used the 20th October to have a look how easy it would be as this is the kind of notice we have had in the past. So times, Banrlsey to Kings Cross is 2hrs 47 mins with 2 changes. £110 return. Barnsley to Birmingham new street for example is 1hr 57 mins £55 return. If the stadium were in the centre of the country with the ability to park it would bring this cost down a lot. The problem with Wembley is it's either train or coach, and because it's in London any journey by road is truly awful. I have only missed Rochdale away so far due to work. The next one I'm missing? Charlton purely because on reflection we decided it was too expensive on train and awful on the coach.
I live in Cambridge and if there were a direct link between Barnsley & Donny I'd use the train for matches, but there isn't.
Unless you were to build a stadium bang next to a HS2 line with dedicated spot, access outside of London is pretty hellish. In London, I can get anywhere using public transport. Not only that, but if a tube line, train line, bus route is overcrowded or suspended, I can still get where I want pretty swiftly. From SE London, it takes about an hour, maybe just more to get to Wembley. Anywhere else in the country, public transport is dreadful. If you were then to have a ground where its largely reliant on cars and coaches... that would be fun, 90k plus all heading for the same roads. I can understand a regional want for national things, but London just makes most sense (other than cost) so often. It is the capital after all. We absolutely shouldn't be so short sighted to sell a ground that cost so much for so little. But I suspect they will. And I'm equally sure the money they generate will have zero impact on the game, supporters and successes of our national team.
I know it's too late now but it really should not have been built. I just don't see the need for it at all.
I fear that you are right. The true motivations behind this are very questionable. I personally think Wembley is OK for cup finals & big England games (i.e. qualifiers). I think all friendly games should be done in regional stadiums though. I really don't trust the FA anymore than I trust FIFA, two despicable organisations.
When I go to London with work I always use the train and underground so you're right in respect of journey times using the train however it can be very expensive and the majority of fans still travel by coach or car. The other problem with train travel is that journey times are extended getting to a station that travels to London; you can't get there from Barnsley.
You're not wrong in terms of cost. However, I just disagree that it's 'common sense' to have a stadium in the Midlands. It would cause more problems, for more people than the location in London has.
I think that for too long we've been force fed the notion that everything has to be based in London. I can't see any positive aspects to a national game being forced into an area of the country that is notoriously congested and very difficult to drive around. There is no benefit for fans of any other club outside of London having to play there other than the iconic status of the ground. I was a big supporter of the national stadium being rebuilt in the Midlands. My support for a Midland location was that it would benefit many more fans than are currently benefited from its South East location.
