I can't make it I'm afraid. My plane lands at 1pm so it would be tricky to get there! I was really hoping it was a home game first this year because we could have made it in a dash down the A23!
British Airways from Gatwick to Manchester is £66 return (plus £27.60 airport taxes) for the 11.15am flight (return at 8.15pm). Plenty of time for a Saturday morning lie in and a leisurely journey onwards to Boundary Park.
As I recall, you can knock about £20 off that price by catching an earlier flight in the morning.
Stands reasonable comparison with rail or car plus an overnight stay in Manchester. But not as cheap as a day return on the train.