Best Away Day Special Trains!!!

[badgerbee]

International Break, so more historical discussion threads needed!!

Calls for a "special" to Sunderland for LC game, got me to thinking of what were the best away day special train trips from back in the day?

Top 3 for me:
3rd: Forest, League Cup, 1982
2nd: Liverpool, League Cup, 1983
1st: Blackburn, FA Cup, 1989

Great days!!!
Great trips!!!!

 

[whyteleafebee76]

I wasn't around for these specials. How did they work, did the club liaise with the train operators and put them on?

 

[Les Beeavinu]

I wasn't around for these specials. How did they work, did the club liaise with the train operators and put them on?

First off, they looked for the sh*ttest trains in the country ......

 

[birdy67]

Blackburn has to be number 1 for me. I have a vague memory of Leicester away, probably 84 or 85? The Newcastle one was one to forget for so many reasons!

 

[cromerbee]

I went on an Exeter one years ago - probably 77’ish. 2-2 draw I seem to remember.

 

[Banana]

First off, they looked for the sh*ttest trains in the country ......

BR did that!

 

[JANORAK]

First off, they looked for the sh*ttest trains in the country ......

F A Cup - Cardiff and Swansea from Ealing Broadway.

 

[whyteleafebee76]

First off, they looked for the sh*ttest trains in the country ......

Ha ha, no chance of the Leyton Orient Express then.

 

[Hungerford Bee]

Newport at Easter '78 was fun - double decker buses from the station to cowboy country.

 

[Garybaldbee]

Newcastle in 2001. If you were on that train it will be forever etched in your memory. The most basic, boneshaker of a train I've ever been on, a relic from the 1960's. A subdued atmosphere the day after 9/11 (there had been some uncertainty initially as to whether the game would even go ahead), a 4-1 beating after an extra time collapse and what seemed like the longest journey in history on the way back home. I seem to recall the train was so slow that it had to basically pull over into sidings every so often to allow the proper passenger trains to overtake. It got back to Brentford around 6.30am and I went home, got changed and went straight to work.

 

[RAF_Patto]

Not a train, so slightly off topic, but Scarborough Supporters Club flew down to Exeter, for our final game of the Conference season in 2006.

Flew from Leeds Bradford Airport on the Saturday morning, flight back Sunday afternoon. We spent most of our Saturday taking over The Duke of York pub in the city and meeting with fellow Boro fans who had driven/trained down.

A great & unique trip, marred slightly by our relegation from the Conference; I've still got the match ball at home.

 

[ruislip bee]

International Break, so more historical discussion threads needed!!

Calls for a "special" to Sunderland for LC game, got me to thinking of what were the best away day special train trips from back in the day?

Top 3 for me:
3rd: Forest, League Cup, 1982
2nd: Liverpool, League Cup, 1983
1st: Blackburn, FA Cup, 1989

Great days!!!
Great trips!!!!

No contest. Cardiff & Hull in 71 both from Ealing Broadway. Interesting cross London route to Hull shunted into sidings and across main lines. Cardiff a breeze down the GWR. Party 7's and Ind Coope Long Life aplenty.

 

[iangi05]

No contest. Cardiff & Hull in 71 both from Ealing Broadway. Interesting cross London route to Hull shunted into sidings and across main lines. Cardiff a breeze down the GWR. Party 7's and Ind Coope Long Life aplenty.

I have memories of going to these two but I was only 9-10 years old so not great, obviously beers not involved, but my dad and grandad might have had a few??

 

[B2B]

Blackburn Away (1989) was a great trip and very happy memories from it

 

[seanrs]

Blackburn Away (1989) was a great trip and very happy memories from it

Apart from one of the trains breaking down on the way back

 

[Chorlton Bee]

Oldham FA Cup 3rd round 1985, had just turned 16 and first away day without any parental supervision with mates, usually had someone’s dad knocking around on the margins.

Can’t remember if it was an actual special or just a train with loads of Bees.

Boundary Park still had that grass banked open away end, and toilets like a First World War trench. Escort from the station down cobbled streets with boarded up shops/houses and frightened looking Asian family’s peeking out, the North truly felt like a different country then, long before homogenous identikit towns.

 

[Old B]

Did we have one to Grimsby in 78, not from Ealing Broadway but wasn’t the train solely for us?

 

[big neil]

Blackburn one from Ealing Broadway was superb, especially on the way back!
Dropped us at a poxy little station up there & a police escort along cobbled streets to one of the best ever Bees away days.
The one to Filbert Street for the League Cup game was dark, filthy & ancient with barely a working lightbulb on the whole train.

 

[Hungerford Bee]

I am sure we had a whole thread on this before.

My first special and first away game on my own was Man Utd. away. Lots of bricks through the windows as we trundled through Manchester on the way home and got back to Ealing Broadway when it was getting light.

 

[cheshirebee]

Did we have one to Grimsby in 78, not from Ealing Broadway but wasn’t the train solely for us?

Yes, I’m pretty sure we did. Hazy memories though, other than singing ‘we don’t care, we don’t care’ when they scored as we were already promoted.

 

[TorbayBee]

No contest. Cardiff & Hull in 71 both from Ealing Broadway. Interesting cross London route to Hull shunted into sidings and across main lines. Cardiff a breeze down the GWR. Party 7's and Ind Coope Long Life aplenty.

Yes remember them well. Soaked in Cardiff, dodged the stones being donated by the Cardiff fans, The Boothferry Stadium train station , the unfairness of the Hull game, Terry Neill playing etc etc and the longest train journeys in history.

 

[Denway]

Liked the direct one to Aldershot in the 60's, stopping at Syon, Isleworth, Hounslow, Feltham, and maybe Staines - can't remember!

 

[longtimeagobee]

Did we have one to Grimsby in 78, not from Ealing Broadway but wasn’t the train solely for us?

I was on that & think it went Kings Cross direct to New Clee.

 

[Guildford Bee]

Newcastle in 2001. If you were on that train it will be forever etched in your memory. The most basic, boneshaker of a train I've ever been on, a relic from the 1960's. A subdued atmosphere the day after 9/11 (there had been some uncertainty initially as to whether the game would even go ahead), a 4-1 beating after an extra time collapse and what seemed like the longest journey in history on the way back home. I seem to recall the train was so slow that it had to basically pull over into sidings every so often to allow the proper passenger trains to overtake. It got back to Brentford around 6.30am and I went home, got changed and went straight to work.

It was a ‘dry’ train as well with an awful lot of 2litre bottles of Coke and Sprite etc.

 

[jlove]

Newcastle in 2001. If you were on that train it will be forever etched in your memory. The most basic, boneshaker of a train I've ever been on, a relic from the 1960's. A subdued atmosphere the day after 9/11 (there had been some uncertainty initially as to whether the game would even go ahead), a 4-1 beating after an extra time collapse and what seemed like the longest journey in history on the way back home. I seem to recall the train was so slow that it had to basically pull over into sidings every so often to allow the proper passenger trains to overtake. It got back to Brentford around 6.30am and I went home, got changed and went straight to work.

That was my one-and-only, together with my then 15-year-old son. ISTR it was over an hour before we rolled past the Highbury stadium (I think) and it was the longest and slowest train journey I'd ever been on.

We always drove after that!

 

[She Wore She Wore]

Sunderland on the special in the late 80s was a painfully long trip, but helped with plenty of fizzy Pop Blackburn and Leicester were tops

 

[Travel Tavern Bee]

Blackburn and train breaking down on the way back , But did we care ?

 

[hobbsy]

That was my one-and-only, together with my then 15-year-old son. ISTR it was over an hour before we rolled past the Highbury stadium (I think) and it was the longest and slowest train journey I'd ever been on.

We always drove after that!

Yes, we were still at Willesden Junction when people who went from King's Cross where already near York!

 

[w7 bee]

Wonder when the 1st one was & how many fans they typically accommodated. Getting back EB & Brentford very convenient. Thing of the past though .

 

[B2B]

Apart from one of the trains breaking down on the way back

I was on that one. Didn’t care at the time and only gutted to think we’d miss MOTD and finally mentioning Brentford.

Turned out it was a blink and miss it report anyway…

 

[daddybee]

Not a BFC organised special train, but the Platter Express train to Torquay for Loughtonbees 21st was good.
6 of us drunk 6 bottles of champagne and 36 lagers during the two hour journey along with a ridiculously OTT Fulham style platter and a fully lit candelabra (no idea but was a good laugh at the time)
Then got to Torquay and got properly on the lash….

 

[seanrs]

I was on that one. Didn’t care at the time and only gutted to think we’d miss MOTD and finally mentioning Brentford.

Turned out it was a blink and miss it report anyway…

Similarly, a few of us were gutted to have missed last orders at what was then called ‘Feathers’

 

[smiffy superbee]

Blackburn Away (1989) was a great trip and very happy memories from it

Bees fans marching thro' streets afterwards, girls leaning out of upper windows ... to a boisterous refrain of "Get yer tits out for the lads"

 

[Andy_Mc_is_God]

No contest. Cardiff & Hull in 71 both from Ealing Broadway. Interesting cross London route to Hull shunted into sidings and across main lines. Cardiff a breeze down the GWR. Party 7's and Ind Coope Long Life aplenty.

12 year old’s first away game with my lil’ brother taken by our nan.
Naughty, dangerous chaos.
Stones chucked at us by Cardiff fans and a drunk vicar on the train back.
Have since found out he was a fake.
Brilliant

 

[daddybee]

12 year old’s first away game with my lil’ brother taken by our nan.
Naughty, dangerous chaos.
Stones chucked at us by Cardiff fans and a drunk vicar on the train back.
Have since found out he was a fake.
Brilliant

That vicar was Curly, a real character

 

[HantsBee]

That vicar was Curly, a real character

Curly Hughes who was a referee on Chiswick and District Sunday League - complete barmpot but funny with it

 

[Glenisterbee]

Oldham FA Cup 3rd round 1985, had just turned 16 and first away day without any parental supervision with mates, usually had someone’s dad knocking around on the margins.

Can’t remember if it was an actual special or just a train with loads of Bees.

Boundary Park still had that grass banked open away end, and toilets like a First World War trench. Escort from the station down cobbled streets with boarded up shops/houses and frightened looking Asian family’s peeking out, the North truly felt like a different country then, long before homogenous identikit towns.

Three of us went on this. Think it was the coldest I’ve ever been at a match until I encountered Hartlepool in February. I remember loads of us going into a news agent/off licence on route back to the station and the owner had never seen so many people in his shop at one time.

 

[Vid]

No contest. Cardiff & Hull in 71 both from Ealing Broadway. Interesting cross London route to Hull shunted into sidings and across main lines. Cardiff a breeze down the GWR. Party 7's and Ind Coope Long Life aplenty.

I remember the net luggage racks over every seat overflowing with empty cans on the way home.

 

[Oxford Bee]

I remember a run of away cup games for which we had specials running from Ealing Broadway - Swansea, Yeovil and Plymouth although not necessarily in that order.

 

[Banana]

Three of us went on this. Think it was the coldest I’ve ever been at a match until I encountered Hartlepool in February. I remember loads of us going into a news agent/off licence on route back to the station and the owner had never seen so many people in his shop at one time.

Coldham....

 

[Brentford Bob]

Did the Blackburn one and also the Newcastle one - the day after 9/11 iirc. Shared a carriage with Ken - and ended up playing cards with him and his ‘mate’.
A reminder of how far we’ve come when we were celebrating taking Newcastle to extra time back then.

 

[Jezybee]

Did the Blackburn one and also the Newcastle one - the day after 9/11 iirc. Shared a carriage with Ken - and ended up playing cards with him and his ‘mate’.
A reminder of how far we’ve come when we were celebrating taking Newcastle to extra time back then.

Another thing that would be highly unlikely now; the players & coaches also got the special back from Newcastle that night.

 

[Voice from the Braemar]

Did Leicester 84, Oldham 85, Sheff weds 85, Sunderland 87 and Blackburn 89 ….all were pretty interesting