A FOOTBALL fan’s parking hack will save you the frustration of post-match traffic.
You can save up to 19 hours this Premier League season by following this simple step.
A handy hack can help you beat the worst of post-match gridlock traffic in London[/caption]
Win, lose, or draw, this step can save you from sitting in an hour of post-match London gridlock every matchday.
That’s equivalent to 19 hours over the course of the home season – enough time to watch 12 extra games.
Estate agent Aidan Lemming, a lifelong Brentford FC supporter from Oxfordshire, swears by this trick.
He frequently drives to West London with his family to watch The Bees.
And like thousands of fans up and down the country, he used to spend over an hour stuck in queues after games.
Handy hack
However, he now uses a handy hack to save himself from gridlock traffic after each match.
Instead of parking close to the stadium, Aidan books a hotel car park around a 10 – 15 minute walk from the Gtech Community Stadium.
He is able to do this through the online pre-booking platform YourParkingSpace.
The short stroll helps him to avoid the worst of the traffic, shaving up to an hour off his journey home.
“I usually drive down with my twin brother, sometimes with the rest of the family too,’ said Aidan.
“Before, we’d be stuck in traffic for more than an hour after every game, which really took the shine off the day – and felt like adding insult to injury when we’d lost.”
Now parking at a nearby Premier Inn has helped the family to make it home “in about 45 minutes, compared with the hour and 45 it used to take”.
And the hack has other unexpected benefits for Aidan and his family.
“For me, it’s not just the time saving, it’s actually quite fun walking back with other fans,” he explained.
“You feel part of the matchday atmosphere rather than just sat in gridlock.
Everything you need to know about parking
- Can I get two parking tickets in one day?
- Do I have to pay a private parking ticket?
- Can I be fined if your parking ticket falls off your dashboard?
- Is double parking illegal?
- How do I appeal a parking ticket?
- Can you park on double yellow lines on a Sunday?
- How can I report illegal parking?
- Can I reserve the parking space outside of my house?
- How close can I park to a dropped kerb?
- Is parking free on bank holidays?
- Can I park on a single yellow line?
- Can I be fined for parking across two spaces?
- Can I use somebody else’s parking ticket in a car park?
- Who is allowed to park on my driveway?
- Where can I park with a blue badge?
- Can I be fined if the ticket machine is not working?
- How close can I park to a junction?
- Am I allowed to park on grass verges?
“For the sake of a short stroll, it makes the whole experience so much easier.”
Fan frustrations
A new independent survey of 2,000 Brits carried out by YourParkingSpace found parking problems are discouraging many from attending Premier League matches.
Almost half (49%) of those surveyed said they are put off by the prospect of sitting in traffic around stadiums.
Meanwhile, more than half (53%) find queueing to leave a car park one of the most stressful parts of the day.
And cost is another major concern for Premier League diehards.
Nearly six in 10 (59%) believe football parking is too expensive, while more than a third (35%) admitted they have skipped matches altogether due to issues finding or paying for a space.
However, the study also found that majority (53%) of those surveyed would be more likely to attend if parking was easier to find and book in advance.
The same number of respondants welcomed the idea of pre-booking spaces through an app.
“We’d encourage football fans to consider other ways to park like Aidan does,” said Andy Syrett, Chief Revenue Officer at YourParkingSpace.
He suggested pre-booking online for locations within a short walking distance, helping to avoid matchday congestion.
“Over a season, supporters can also make considerable savings, leaving more money in their pockets – possibly for a half time pie and matchday programme,” he added.
YourParkingSpace, which partners with operators such as Premier Inn, lists thousands of pre-bookable spaces nationwide at hotels, pubs, private driveways, and commercial car parks.
This offers football fans convenient, affordable parking alternatives on matchdays.
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