Whether you are planning to spend Cup Match at the cricket, on the beach or in the water, the excitement of being at a huge gathering brings one inevitable irritation: finding a parking spot.

The Royal Gazette got ahead of the game and checked out some of the big weekend’s hot spots to see exactly where it is safe to leave your vehicles as you party.

The good news, we discovered, is that a minibus service could be set up from Mullet Bay Park and Tiger Bay in St George’s — meaning cricket spectators would no longer face that long, hot walk to the Wellington Oval.

Many match-goers have previously claimed they have no choice other than to park illegally on the roadside and risk getting parking tickets.

Neil Paynter, the president of St George’s Cricket Club, said: “There is going to be parking available for the public attending the match at Mullet Bay Park in St George’s as well as Tiger Bay, on the first day.

“We are also currently in negotiations with minibus services that would transfer people from these parks to Wellington Oval for a fee.

“There will be absolutely no parking on Wellington Slip Road as it will be closed from 9am.”

Another popular Cup Match location, Horseshoe Bay, has well-known access difficulties, with pedestrians and vehicles often weaving together as they walk towards the beach, and long lines of cars parked along South Shore Road.

While a proposed new bus system should improve that area in the future, beach visitors are reminded they already have one sensible option at their disposal at Southampton Rangers.

Elizabeth Pedro, treasurer of the sports club, said that a lot of people prefer parking at Rangers because their vehicles are being monitored and CCTV cameras are set up.

She said: “We normally charge people that go to Horseshoe Bay on the first day of Cup Match. We get them to park properly so that we can fit as much cars in as possible and we charge them $10 for cars and $5 for bikes all day.

“We also provide special parking for individuals that may have emergencies. Last year we had a pregnant woman, an on call doctor and a few other people that could possibly have emergencies, so we try to allocate areas for them right at the front to be able to get out quickly.

“The money that is made from the parking has been going towards the club’s youth programe that started last year and has gone to other club expenses in the previous years.

“The system works and nobody complains because it’s better than having your car parked on the roadside where you’re able to get a ticket. It makes people feel comfortable throughout the day.”

Department of Parks officer, Craig Burt, said that on Thursday there will be plenty of park rangers and lifeguards on duty to make sure everything runs smoothly.

He said: “Basically we have remarked the Horseshoe Bay car park, the bike parking has been shifted to the right where some of the car parking was and that area is now used for minibuses that will take people to and from the beach or to the top.

“Between ourselves, TCD and the police we are working to make it a one-way system by liaising with Southampton Princess so that people can get in and out easier in the future.

“The public buses are back on and there will be orange cones in the entry way at the top of the hill for an easy flow of traffic.”

The park rangers will be on duty from 9am until 7pm but will usually end up staying until about 10pm when the beach is clear.

Meanwhile, organisers of Non-Mariners Day, which takes place at Mangrove Bay on the Sunday of Cup Match weekend, say parking presents surprisingly few problems.

Jamie DeSilva, the commodore of Sandys Boat Club, said: “Given that most people travel to Non-Mariners by boat, there aren’t as many parking issues as you would think.

“Usually people park their cars on the Royal Naval Field or they just find parking wherever they can.

“However, the police will give tickets if people are parked illegally on the roadside and they should expect to get them. We only provide bike parking by Country Squire restaurant on the grass.”

Donald Hassell, owner of the Country Squire, said: “Ever since they started putting vendors around Mangrove Bay over the past few years, the traffic has picked up a little.

“But the action is mainly on the water. There is a good bit of parking behind the HSBC and Butterfield banks. They park all along Cambridge Road but I would avoid it because they will most likely get ticketed by police.”