Anyone have any nightmares using public transport to
Old Trafford today?

Nice to see First Transpennine Express had put a poor amount of trains & carriages over all day to Manchester which led to some horror journeys from what I'm reading online

I hate travelling to manchester anyway, i find the Staff at Manchester Piccadilly pathetic. It's like they have to control everything, especially on platforms 13 & 14.

Getting there, great... never any problem from the Lime St side, got to the wetherspoons, which was excellently full of League fans, soaking up the atmosphere.

Tram, again no problem.

Coming back.... Well the Power Police come out.

Got to the tram station to see HUGE queues, understandably, it's a 76,000 ground. When asking the security chap how long it'd take to reach the tram, i was greeted with a 'UGHHHHH, If i had a pound for everytime people asked me today, i'd be rich, like i told everyone else, 45 MINUTES', when asking whether crossing to go towards Altrincham and coming back on myself would work better, i got a 'Do whatever you like, I'm saying nothing, because if you do it wrong, you'll try blame me'

Disgusted, rest assure, 10 minutes later, i was on a tram going toards Manchester, and gleefully smiled at the guard who was rude.

At Piccadilly, we were in a little rush for our train, to find out they'd cordoned off access to our platford, telling people to queue... there were people waiting over 2 hours to get on a train, i wasn't doing that, and lept onto the escalator, walked onto the train, and there was ample enough space to get alot more on the train.

The staff at Piccadilly are unnecessarily difficult, and i'm sure EVERYONE, who went through Piccadilly this evening who needed to go via. St. Helens, Warrington, Wigan and liverpool, will agree.

If a member of staff gave me attitude like that they'd find they hadn't the use of their gob for a considerable amount of time.

Ridiculous both going and back.

Trains terminating at Stalybridge, then told don't even try and get on another they're all full.

Got at taxi to OT for twenty plus sheets.

Coming back was told that the train wasn't going from Victoria as the web site said, but Piccadilly, so walked over there got on a train in a massive scrum only to then be told this train had a fault so go and run to platform two to get a train that didn't stop at my station so I had to get another taxi back to my house.

Friends I'd taken to the final thought they'd disembarked in a third world country, and to be fair, we had.

Getting there from Leeds not too bad,a bit cramped but seats were booked so easy journey. Taxi from train station,no sweat.

Coming back chuffing nightmare . 40 mins to get the tram which we accepted. Had two hours in mani to chill,beer food. Three of us went for 8-40 train back to Leeds,seats also booked. It was like a scene on the Tokyo underground. To cut a long story short I got into Leeds at 10pm and my other two mates were still in Manchester ,who eventually got a BUS to Leeds. Why or why they didn't anticipate many travellers from over the hill is beyond me.

We had a lovely journey back...

We had some racist LUFC fans singing about the Munich air disaster and giving about speeches EDL & BNP would have been proud of

Made me ashamed to say I follow Leeds United

We eventually got back at midnight mate.

The next train was on platform 13, we made our way over but at the foot of the stair well there was an enormous queue of around 500 or so people so made our way back to platform 3 for the next one from there. With around 20 minutes before departure this platform filled so we heeded the advice from the station announcements and moved up the platform and got a good spot to board. With less than 5 minutes to departure the station announced that the platform had changed to number 2, the one directly behind us, which created a near stampede, for the train arriving behind, somebody could easily have been bumped off the platform and under the wheels of the arriving train. When it arrived there were folk charging the doors, it was incredibly dangerous. Eventually BTP arrived and stopped anyone else getting on. The staffing levels at Piccadilly were woefully inadequate, nor did any manager have any sense to restrict access to the platform to those with seat reservations before allowing anyone else to board. It was a miracle no one was hurt or killed.

Anyway after liasing with a member of station staff we got wind that they were arranging busses on the station concourse. We headed out to find a 15 seat minibus (I kid you not) which we were incredibly lucky to get on to take us to Leeds where we somehow managed to catch the last train home to Keighley with a matter of minutes to spare. Otherwise we would have been looking at a £40 taxi ride home.

Have to agree OT is a nightmare with regard to public transport. Not impressed with the ground either since where I was sitting I could not see the big screen. Joke of a ground for transport and viewing if you are high up in the stands.

Overheard a guy near me saying the trains were full at Dewsbury and Huddersfield that people with suitcases heading for the airport were turned away

Complete nightmare the entire day, pretty much echo what has been said already. Plus the seats in OT had 0 leg room (although I am 6'3) I won't be going back there again.

Roads where awfull as well, 3 hours there 3 hours back, to Cas. Usually a 60 min run to Manchester then 30 mins through to parking.

The trams to OT were a health risk, they officials joked as more people were crammed in at each stop to get in like sardines. Decided to walk back to Manchester City Centre rather than face that again. Only took an hour.

I drove and it was fine. Straight in and parked right next to the ground.

If using public transport I always walk back into Manchester - its the quickest way.

Only problem we had was because we decided to drive into Central Manchester after the game - big mistake - gridlocked. After nearly two hours of going round in a 400 yard circle we decided to just head out and home.

Forward planning is not some peoples strong points is it.

As a nation we really are clueless even at the initial planning stage of events.

Train from Piccadilly direct to the station behind the South Stand was pretty rammed, but a good laugh and it's absolutely ideal to be dropped off so close to the ground.

After the game we went to the pub at the side of the Salford Quays tram stop while the queues died down, all worked well. The trains at Victoria were a shambles though, there was a Wigan via Atherton train that was delayed half an hour and absolutely rammed. Didn't get on that, waited another 5 minutes and ended up getting a train on the same route with loads of room!