I know these are rarer than a virgin goat on a greek island, but remember catching them to Portsmouth,Norwich and even to the hinterlands of Burnley.

Last one I went on was the one to Southampton in the FA Cup. Creaked with the weight of ale all the way there.

I'm a generation behind this really but did the Southampton cup tie (Barry fuckin Horne) special.

 

Surreal experience. We must've gone down all the back lines down the Country. We went right behind St Andrews & I've never done that on the West Coast main line.

 

The catering was even more bizarre. On the way back when it was just a free for all, lads were chomping on squid & octopus. Or was I on good drugs??

I don't recall the squid and octopus but I remember it detoured all around the North West going home. I think we stopped for about half an hour outside Warrington.

 

On the way down the guard had done a self-congratulatory tannoy message saying we were 20 minutes ahead of schedule so we stopped at New Street just long enough to be a bit later!

 

and so the black guy could fill carriage numbers one two and three with CS gas! Oh the joys of the underdog fighting back!

The one to Pompey had lads wanging bottles at cars on an adjacent motorway, the Norwich one was supposed to be a dry train, but failed, and the Burnley one got bricked to fuck.

Went on the Norwich one as well. The police led us from station to ground alongside a river or canal. I remember consiously deciding not to walk that side of the road on the way back to the train.

Went on the Norwich one as well. The police led us from station to ground alongside a river or canal. I remember consiously deciding not to walk that side of the road on the way back to the train.

Got a bit naughty after the game, was trying to find an off-licence, but got herded back to the station. But with a bit of luck, a train from London pulled in, so jumped on and got a load of cans from the buffet car.

I don't recall the squid and octopus but I remember it detoured all around the North West going home. I think we stopped for about half an hour outside Warrington.

 

On the way down the guard had done a self-congratulatory tannoy message saying we were 20 minutes ahead of schedule so we stopped at New Street just long enough to be a bit later!

 

and so the black guy could fill carriage numbers one two and three with CS gas! Oh the joys of the underdog fighting back!

Forgot about that.

 

CS Gas attack at New St.

 

These younguns have so much to learn.

Forgot to mention the special to Brighton. straight in the first pub which was packed with the local hoolies at Hove station, and took them by suprise.

The Bournemouth 'disco special' was a good 'un, around 1974/5?

cant help but feel i've missed out

Born 10 years too late Frandsen? We all said the same too. That would put us slap bang into the late 70's early 80's and we'd still say the same then. Its folk like Leigh and Athy White who have been through all the generations but it wont be long before they start forgeting about them becuase that pair are older than fucking coal.

 

Different generations see defferent things. I dont remember the specials and went on a minibus to Soton but the only one I have been on was to Cardiff for the Preston game and it was only fit for cattle so if thats what the older ones were like than my days in the back of transit vans and piss ridden minibuses were well spent!

 

It was that old and slow (not to mention cold, wet, and leaking) they had train spotters out on the platforms up and down the journey with cameras and all sorts. I'm not sure if it was the engine or the carriages because I'm sure they were about 100 years old.

i remember going to carlisle in the 70's with my old man, i must have been about 9 at the time, train was packed and it seemed everyone was pissed up.

Forgot about that.

 

CS Gas attack at New St.

 

These younguns have so much to learn.

Was the only special I've been on with gumbo and his dad.

 

Although if you watch the Sherpa van final video at the start Dave higson is at Bolton station "what a wonderful sight, 18 carriages"

As an impressionable and polite young man I was shocked by the antics on a regular train back from Preston in 85, probably the second most famous of our games to involve a police horse. It was in the "25 years ago today" bit the BEN last year.

When I was a lad, we used to go to all the bolton away games on the special trains. I remember best the special train to Notts Forest for the cup tie in 1959. The windows in one of the coaches got smashed. I don't know how or who. And also went to Scunthorpe in 1959 for that cup tie. It had been snowing and there was a snowball fight on the terraces. Some of the snowballs had stones inside them.

And once whilst staying in Stourbridge for Christmas went to Bolton on the Wolves special train.

When I was a lad, we used to go to all the bolton away games on the special trains. I remember best the special train to Notts Forest for the cup tie in 1959. The windows in one of the coaches got smashed. I don't know how or who. And also went to Scunthorpe in 1959 for that cup tie. It had been snowing and there was a snowball fight on the terraces. Some of the snowballs had stones inside them.

And once whilst staying in Stourbridge for Christmas went to Bolton on the Wolves special train.

 

Biff your a hoolie, bet you was a boot boy in the 60s.

Biff your a hoolie, bet you was a boot boy in the 60s.

 

He had many a do with the Bow Street Runners in his day.

That Southampton train was proper shit, the police were checking people but hot some vodka past them, the attack at New St, the amount of people on it back was like the Bangladesh express. The catering trolley got pillaged, the supervisor kicked off that we were all bastards as the girls would have to pay. Happy days.

That Southampton train was proper shit, the police were checking people but hot some vodka past them, the attack at New St, the amount of people on it back was like the Bangladesh express. The catering trolley got pillaged, the supervisor kicked off that we were all bastards as the girls would have to pay. Happy days.

 

remember that well. she locked herself in the catering room calling us all bastards. took forever to get back to bolton due the fact it was picking up mail on the way back. now that to me isn't the job of a football special. would rather pay treble than experience that sort of journey back.

The special to Brentford (cup-tie ) was so late ,they delayed the kick off for us.It took forever going back as well !!

 

It was the end of the specials when they started taking the ban on booze seriously. Before that, there were some amazing sights on Trinity St of people carrying their own bodyweight in booze onto the trains.

That Southampton train was proper shit, the police were checking people but hot some vodka past them, the attack at New St, the amount of people on it back was like the Bangladesh express. The catering trolley got pillaged, the supervisor kicked off that we were all bastards as the girls would have to pay. Happy days.

 

Got the wife (then girlfriend) to take my holdall onto the train. Coppers just looked at her and let her through.