The thing is, if you're heading for Lancing for (at the latest) an 11am arrival, and you take (just say) the M3 instead of the M23, you'd have to be a long way down the M3 before realising that it's impossible to double back, or hang a left onto the A272, and still make it.
That’s the entire story really. Marvellous scenes.
https://arsenalyouth.wordpress.com/2023/11/04/arsenal-u18-game-postponed-as-team-bus-went-to-bournemouth-instead-of-brighton/