May 16, 20197 yr Probably only the old ones will remember this. To be honest, I don’t think I ever travelled on one, always used the service trains or coaches. Just intrigued to hear stuff from the good old days when we had a big following and the specials were frequent.
May 16, 20197 yr Author Forgot to say, this thread is dedicated to Leigh White and Manc Wanderer Edited May 16, 20197 yr by miamiwhite
May 17, 20197 yr Can't remember if it was my first football special but I went on the League Liner to Bournemouth, it had a disco carriage at the back boiling hot when we got there and I remember walking through a park to the ground where we saw men playing a strange game with sticks found out it was hockey very strange.
May 17, 20197 yr Wasn’t there one to the fizzy cup final against the scousers? Got trashed on the way back. Whilst not comparable to the ones on a certain coach to Macedonia that I know of, I imagine the bogs were an utter joy on these things.
May 17, 20197 yr 6 minutes ago, Spider said: Whilst not comparable to the ones on a certain coach to Macedonia that I know of, I imagine the bogs were an utter joy on these things. Grim.
May 17, 20197 yr 41 minutes ago, Wullie said: Wasn't there one to Preston early 80's??? Vaguely remember something going on Remember coming back from Preston and jumping out at Lostock - train smashed to fuck, and people setting sidings on fire.
May 17, 20197 yr In the 70s the regular service trains to blackpool , Blackburn, used to be in effect football specials .they were packed out with wanderers fans and British rail used to put extra carriages on . The Blackburn train always seemed to get bricked on its way out of Blackburn. Quite scary really. First official football special I went on was pompey away . We won 1 nil . ritson scored for us to go top of league 2. The carriages were old stock , no catering if I remember . It took forever to get there , best bit was winding through London and spotting the landmarks .... sad dont you think .
May 17, 20197 yr Loads.......first one was Chesterfield which included a quick walk run back to the station, all 3 league liners, Chelsea & Brentford cup games ( at Brentford the KO was held back because the speciaL was delayed ), Ipswich, Brighton ( Hove, where it kicked off on the platform whilst the police were stood outside the station ) , Carlisle, Hull, Halifax, Notts Co (0-6 & we couldn't even set off home early ), Sheff Wed ( quite a lot of damage to that train after the local police were slapping Bolton fans about at the station, but there were none on the train ) Sunderland ( there were so few on that one, that Sunlun fans didn't even know we had a special........I didn't go on the Boro one but apparently the Boro fans turned out to meet the train but seeing it was such a poor Bolton turnout, laughed at them & just went back into the pubs ) Two that were cancelled on the day, were Southampton ( cup ?? ) where they put on a replacement fleet of coaches, & Norwich because of snow. 5 of us jumped into a hired car with Quiggers driving which turned out to be a crap decision.......a tortuous journey getting there late, losing, & then struggling back in the snow & missing last orders. Happy days.
May 17, 20197 yr 11 minutes ago, bolton va va said: Loads.......first one was Chesterfield which included a quick walk run back to the station, all 3 league liners, Chelsea & Brentford cup games ( at Brentford the KO was held back because the speciaL was delayed ), Ipswich, Brighton ( Hove, where it kicked off on the platform whilst the police were stood outside the station ) , Carlisle, Hull, Halifax, Notts Co (0-6 & we couldn't even set off home early ), Sheff Wed ( quite a lot of damage to that train after the local police were slapping Bolton fans about at the station, but there were none on the train ) Sunderland ( there were so few on that one, that Sunlun fans didn't even know we had a special........I didn't go on the Boro one but apparently the Boro fans turned out to meet the train but seeing it was such a poor Bolton turnout, laughed at them & just went back into the pubs ) Two that were cancelled on the day, were Southampton ( cup ?? ) where they put on a replacement fleet of coaches, & Norwich because of snow. 5 of us jumped into a hired car with Quiggers driving which turned out to be a crap decision.......a tortuous journey getting there late, losing, & then struggling back in the snow & missing last orders. Happy days. The Southampton cup match in January 74 had a special on. I’d booked a champagne breakfast for me and my then girlfriend/first wife. (only way she would let me go-it didn’t last) Arrived at Trinity Street and it was cancelled due to a strike. Endured a 5 hour coach journey there and back. She wasn’t happy. I was. Still remember JB ploughing through the mud for the equaliser. Replay midweek afternoon due to power strikes.
May 17, 20197 yr I remember waiting for the opposition trains to pull into Trinity St Station to "welcome" them. One in particular sticks out in my mind - I think it was Luton when about 50 of them rocked up dressed like the Clockwork Orange crew. As usual in those days there was a running battle from Trinity St down the Manny Rd to the ground.
May 17, 20197 yr 14 hours ago, miamiwhite said: Forgot to say, this thread is dedicated to Leigh White and Manc Wanderer Ha ha never been on one mate. Scheduled trains in my youth or kids ‘n’ flids coach when the daughters were young
May 17, 20197 yr Remember going to Brighton in the late 70s was still at school and had my ankle in plaster broke it playing football it got naughty at train station after the game and the police closed some carriages so some lads started smashing the carriages up
May 17, 20197 yr York City about 1972 absolutely freezing crate of a football special.Lost 2-0 as well & got chased across the pitch by a 'special' constable. Used to travel all over by train due to the availablity of quarter fares & free passes purchased from BR personnel at Horwich works......happy days quite scarey as well running the gauntlet everywhere.
May 17, 20197 yr 7 hours ago, bolton va va said: Loads.......first one was Chesterfield which included a quick walk run back to the station, all 3 league liners, Chelsea & Brentford cup games ( at Brentford the KO was held back because the speciaL was delayed ), Ipswich, Brighton ( Hove, where it kicked off on the platform whilst the police were stood outside the station ) , Carlisle, Hull, Halifax, Notts Co (0-6 & we couldn't even set off home early ), Sheff Wed ( quite a lot of damage to that train after the local police were slapping Bolton fans about at the station, but there were none on the train ) Sunderland ( there were so few on that one, that Sunlun fans didn't even know we had a special........I didn't go on the Boro one but apparently the Boro fans turned out to meet the train but seeing it was such a poor Bolton turnout, laughed at them & just went back into the pubs ) Two that were cancelled on the day, were Southampton ( cup ?? ) where they put on a replacement fleet of coaches, & Norwich because of snow. 5 of us jumped into a hired car with Quiggers driving which turned out to be a crap decision.......a tortuous journey getting there late, losing, & then struggling back in the snow & missing last orders. Happy days. Quiggers - as in chap whos mam and dad had a boozer in Blackburn?? belting bloke - went to a few aways crammed in the back of his Thwaites van
May 17, 20197 yr 7 hours ago, Boby Brno said: The Southampton cup match in January 74 had a special on. I’d booked a champagne breakfast for me and my then girlfriend/first wife. (only way she would let me go-it didn’t last) Arrived at Trinity Street and it was cancelled due to a strike. Endured a 5 hour coach journey there and back. She wasn’t happy. I was. Still remember JB ploughing through the mud for the equaliser. Replay midweek afternoon due to power strikes. Aye pissed wet through on that open away end .....stood next to copper who clapped when we snatched a 3-3....Pompey fan
May 17, 20197 yr 10 minutes ago, bwfc2003 said: Quiggers - as in chap whos mam and dad had a boozer in Blackburn?? belting bloke - went to a few aways crammed in the back of his Thwaites van Yes, a top man & mad keen Wanderers' fan. The day of the promotion at Blackburn, that pub ( The Duke of Edinburgh ?? maybe not ) was heaving with Bolton fans all day.
Probably only the old ones will remember this.
To be honest, I don’t think I ever travelled on one, always used the service trains or coaches.
Just intrigued to hear stuff from the good old days when we had a big following and the specials were frequent.