who remembers the football trrain specials from the 1970's?

[slartibartfast]

Early 70's again, anyone remember a special train for a night game at Pompey ?  If i remember, it was barely half full (mind you, what did they expect for a run of the mill game on a "school" night ?)

[leader]

Yep I was on that train to Pompey they greeted us with open arms :laugh:

[Roadrunner]

Use to go with my dad from Parson Street. The three matches that i always remember were. Sunderland at Roker Park, as quoted by Weepywall. I forgot about the train break down. Then Leicester City FA Cup at Filbert Street around 1960 we played well, but then the fog and not helped by the two cooling towers near one end of the ground. The match was abandoned at 0-0 at half time. I seemed to remember a young Gordon Banks in goal for them. We lost the reply and Leicester went on to the final. Lastly another FA Cup down to  Exeter City this time, with all of these trips we were pulled by the old steam trains. On the way down i put my head out of the window and a speck of coal went into one of my eyes. I had a terrible head ache for the whole day until i got back home to Headley park and my mum removed the speck. So three away days all of them not happy trips away but ones i will never forget.

[burhou]

Used to support City and Man Utd  back in the 70's (now City and Taunton Town) and worked on the railway so used to get virtually free travel. Would get the train to Manchester and catch the football specials even if the were playing in the Midlands. Went to Stoke and got off the train and for some reason the police wouldn't let us out of the station. All of a sudden there was a terrific roar and a train full of Liverpool fans on their way to Birmingham pulled in to station and for probably only 2 or 3 minutes which seemed longer there was absolute mayhem with everything to hand thrown at the train and from it.When it pulled away most of the windows on one side of train were smashed. Also remember Pompey away in the cup in the 70's.Chased out of the ground, punched and kicked on the way back to the station and then pelted with stones queuing up to get in.Although I love coming up to City with my daughter I will never forget standing on the Stretford End with 50,000 in Old Trafford.

[leader]

Happy days proper football fans chanting on the station  making a racket as we walk out  the station wondering whose out there waiting for us :laugh:

[Mad Cyril]

Some great days. Highlight for me was pulling into Port Vale Central where we were met by a welcoming party of proper nawty boys, covered in scars and lesions and brandishing half a scaffolding company's stock. They turned to one of our lot and demanded to know the time - he hadn't got past "quarter to..." when the accent giveaway saw him dropkicked down the platform, given a good shoeing before homeless dogs set about his twitching corpse.

One of our top boys announced he wasn't having that, grabbed the nearest Vale lad and tore his arm clean out of its socket. He then waded into a bunch of skins knocking several senseless with a battering from the bleeding appendage.

It was all going crazy, bottles, bricks and IED's flying everywhere.

The casualty list would have got even more serious if it hadn't been for the arrival of a ticket inspector. We had to put our heads down and make our way back onto the chuffer before we were found out for having invalid tickets.

A great day only marred by someone being in the seat I had reserved. Fuming.

[Bristol Oil Services]

4 hours ago, burhou said:

Used to support City and Man Utd  back in the 70's (now City and Taunton Town) and worked on the railway so used to get virtually free travel. Would get the train to Manchester and catch the football specials even if the were playing in the Midlands. Went to Stoke and got off the train and for some reason the police wouldn't let us out of the station. All of a sudden there was a terrific roar and a train full of Liverpool fans on their way to Birmingham pulled in to station and for probably only 2 or 3 minutes which seemed longer there was absolute mayhem with everything to hand thrown at the train and from it.When it pulled away most of the windows on one side of train were smashed. Also remember Pompey away in the cup in the 70's.Chased out of the ground, punched and kicked on the way back to the station and then pelted with stones queuing up to get in.Although I love coming up to City with my daughter I will never forget standing on the Stretford End with 50,000 in Old Trafford.

Did you see us v Man Utd in 74/5?

[burhou]

Yes.Stood on the side stand for that one.Also remember one of the home games.Was in the open end with the Utd fans when they were attacking the police.Another home game which I think Utd fans were banned from the mate who got the tickets for some reason got duplicates.We were trying to sell them outside the ground when all four of us were bundled into a Black Maria and taken to a local police station.I was put in a cell with a very drunk almost comatose Utd fan who every few minutes was pissing on the floor.The had taken my boots of and I was gradually getting backed up in the corner of the cell.The police eventually took pity on me and gave me a dry cell.Fun times in the 70’s.

[Bristol Oil Services]

13 minutes ago, burhou said:

Yes.Stood on the side stand for that one.Also remember one of the home games.Was in the open end with the Utd fans when they were attacking the police.Another home game which I think Utd fans were banned from the mate who got the tickets for some reason got duplicates.We were trying to sell them outside the ground when all four of us were bundled into a Black Maria and taken to a local police station.I was put in a cell with a very drunk almost comatose Utd fan who every few minutes was pissing on the floor.The had taken my boots of and I was gradually getting backed up in the corner of the cell.The police eventually took pity on me and gave me a dry cell.Fun times in the 70’s.

People write books about this sort of thing, you know

[myol'man]

8 hours ago, southside said:

It was the same at West Ham that first season, a loudspeaker announcement at Upton Park during the game that Bristol City fans had to make their own way to Ealing Broadway after the match, Oh great!

Still got the scars from that one too!

[leader]

We must have all been to these games together it seems don’t regonise your  names :laugh:

[myol'man]

On 25/04/2022 at 07:03, southside said:

The gates thing at Swindon was in 72, the mad day at Wolves in the cup was the same season 

That Swindon game was my first ever away match, as a 13 year old with a 14 year old mate "looking after me", no adults with us, can you imagine that happening these days? Met at the station by Swindon old bill removing the laces from all the City bovver boots, marched to the ground, got there before the gates were open. It was actually a gate at the Stratton Bank end which was forced open, hundreds of City raced across the open end down the far side and into the Town End before anyone realised what was going on. Managed to 'hold' the Town End despite incoming from both sides. 

Bonkers!

[leader]

I must know you my,ol  I was one of the first in  then locked up for the day  good times 

[cidered abroad]

7 hours ago, Roadrunner said:

Use to go with my dad from Parson Street. The three matches that i always remember were. Sunderland at Roker Park, as quoted by Weepywall. I forgot about the train break down. Then Leicester City FA Cup at Filbert Street around 1960 we played well, but then the fog and not helped by the two cooling towers near one end of the ground. The match was abandoned at 0-0 at half time. I seemed to remember a young Gordon Banks in goal for them. We lost the reply and Leicester went on to the final. Lastly another FA Cup down to  Exeter City this time, with all of these trips we were pulled by the old steam trains. On the way down i put my head out of the window and a speck of coal went into one of my eyes. I had a terrible head ache for the whole day until i got back home to Headley park and my mum removed the speck. So three away days all of them not happy trips away but ones i will never forget.

Your reference to the Leicester City FA Cup game in 1960. Are you referring to the midweek game after the original on Saturday was abandoned due to swimming pool condition?

That Saturday was a farce. Two special trains to Leicester. Dad and I on the first one to arrive at 2.40pm. Absolutely pelting down and got in the ground a minute or two before kick off. Impossible to play football as I mentioned earlier.

Second train arrived about 3.15 and fans got into ground around 3.40. At half time referee abandoned the game and as far as I know, nobody got a refund.

We got walloped 5-0 on the Tuesday night. Leicester got to the Final against Spurs who beat them to become the first club in 20th century to do First Division and FA Cup double.

I saw Spurs in their first home game in European Cup the next season. Trailing Gornik of Poland 3-1 after first leg, they won 8-1. Superb team and a pleasure to watch the game live.

Edited April 26, 2022 by cidered abroad

[marmite]

13 minutes ago, cidered abroad said:

Your reference to the Leicester City FA Cup game in 1960. Are you referring to the midweek game after the original on Saturday was abandoned due to swimming pool condition?

That Saturday was a farce. Two special trains to Leicester. Dad and I on the first one to arrive at 2.40pm. Absolutely pelting down and got in the ground a minute or two before kick off. Impossible to play football as I mentioned earlier.

Second train arrived about 3.15 and fans got into ground around 3.40. At half time referee abandoned the game and as far as I know, nobody got a refund.

We got walloped 5-0 on the Tuesday night. Leicester got to the Final against Spurs who beat them to become the first club in 20th century to do First Division and FA Cup double.

I saw Spurs in their first home game in European Cup the next season. Trailing Gornik of Poland 3-1 after first leg, they won 8-1. Superb team and a pleasure to watch the game live.

I was on that second train to Filbert St. Train broke down going up and back. Got soaked walking from the station to Filbert St, saw 5 minutes of water polo, then the ref abandoned it. Got back to Parson St about midnight and had watched about 5 mins if that. You're right about the refund. Nothing. What a miserable day, but I'm still watching..

[Roadrunner]

40 minutes ago, cidered abroad said:

Your reference to the Leicester City FA Cup game in 1960. Are you referring to the midweek game after the original on Saturday was abandoned due to swimming pool condition?

That Saturday was a farce. Two special trains to Leicester. Dad and I on the first one to arrive at 2.40pm. Absolutely pelting down and got in the ground a minute or two before kick off. Impossible to play football as I mentioned earlier.

Second train arrived about 3.15 and fans got into ground around 3.40. At half time referee abandoned the game and as far as I know, nobody got a refund.

We got walloped 5-0 on the Tuesday night. Leicester got to the Final against Spurs who beat them to become the first club in 20th century to do First Division and FA Cup double.

I saw Spurs in their first home game in European Cup the next season. Trailing Gornik of Poland 3-1 after first leg, they won 8-1. Superb team and a pleasure to watch the game live.

I thought was fog, but memory plays tricks on you after all these years.

[Rich]

I think it was a special that I went on to Portsmouth in Jan 1973, for a 3rd round F A Cup match. The usual welcoming committee, with a really tall Pompey skinhead fronting up the city lot on a green area. Takes a lot of balls to do that but, eventually he got a pasting. 

We apprehended (sort of) a Portsmouth fan for knicking a young city supporters scarf in the ground and handed him over to a copper who'd seen the event happening.

Bobby Gould scored a late equaliser, which pissed off the Pompey fans. On the final whistle, my mate said he knew a short cut back to the station, rather than going out past the Pompey pub and all their lads. So we headed off out of the open end somehow, then made our way along some back lanes, then onto the railway track and into the station. As we climbed up onto the platform from the tracks, we realised that the crowded platform was Portsmouth and not as we thought, City fans. We had to make a quiet exit along the platform and back up the stairs, after persuading the local plod of who we were. We then got some funny looks from the City lot as we emerged from the station full of Portsmouth fans.

Interesting and exciting times indeed.

[22A]

1968 FA Cup City home to Rovers. A 12 coach train was provided from Avonmouth to Parson Street. Fans of both clubs on and sit where you want! Imagine that these days. The game was 0-0 and City won the replay 2-1, but no special laid on to transport fans after an evening game.

Any other older members of this forum travel on it?

[ralphindevon]

who remembers the football trrain specials from the 1970's?
 

I think the answer to your question @Never to the dark sideis a resounding yes.

Some incredible stories, loads even before my time. They were crazy times to be a football fan in England. They were times that could never last and I for one am glad they didn’t but at the time it gave us some of the most exciting moments and memories of our lives.

[RedRock]

On 25/04/2022 at 17:51, Nongazeuse said:

Went on the train to Arsenal for first match in Div One.  Unusual as we stopped at Ealing Broadway and then got a special tube train which went all the way to Arsenal without stopping.

On the way back we had to get normal tube trains which was a bit tasty having beaten the Gunners.

At Ealing I went out to the high street for supplies from an off-licence and had to fight my way through a bunch of Chelsea fans in the station concourse, clinging onto my cans.

Memorable day all round.

Really interesting day on the trains that one. Outside the tube station post match the Police lined us up on opposite sides of the station, once we’d got through the barriers there was no separation and no police either. Pretty moody on the tube with Arsenal going up and down the carriages looking for us. 

Can’t remember whether it was going up or coming back we got ambushed on the platform with bricks coming over the top of stationary trains. It was definitely on the way back they got us at a bridge on the edge of London. Fortunately, I was leaning my head on the inside of the window which saved it from breaking but most of the windows went in on the following carriage causing an unscheduled train stop at Reading. 
 

What a day though. 

[Tin Soldier]

Great thread this.
Did a few City footy specials as some have already posted on here. Orient, Gillingham, Plymouth  to name three to be remembered.
Did quite a few independent away days with a certain group of City fans on the train also - Wolves, Millwall, Sheffield Wednesday, Stoke, Charlton, QPR, Pompey were all lively days out.
One of the best trips to footy on the chuffer though was England away - Bologna, Italia 90 (Platt scored the winner v Belgium). Caught the train out of London and night train out of Paris Nord, woke with my head deep in some woman’s cleavage next am in Italy, good nights sleep that!
There was always something special about arriving at a destination train station not knowing who would be there as a welcome committee.

[22A]

13 hours ago, Tin Soldier said:

There was always something special about arriving at a destination train station not knowing who would be there as a welcome committee.

True! I didn't go, but on one occasion City fans got off the train at New Street to find 200 Brummies waiting for them. Where's the West Midlands Police when you need 'em?

[weepywall]

Seems to be quite a common theme of trains breaking down, couldn't possibly be deliberate could it ??

[weepywall]

13 hours ago, Tin Soldier said:

Great thread this.
Did a few City footy specials as some have already posted on here. Orient, Gillingham, Plymouth  to name three to be remembered.
Did quite a few independent away days with a certain group of City fans on the train also - Wolves, Millwall, Sheffield Wednesday, Stoke, Charlton, QPR, Pompey were all lively days out.
One of the best trips to footy on the chuffer though was England away - Bologna, Italia 90 (Platt scored the winner v Belgium). Caught the train out of London and night train out of Paris Nord, woke with my head deep in some woman’s cleavage next am in Italy, good nights sleep that!
There was always something special about arriving at a destination train station not knowing who would be there as a welcome committee.

We did the trip to Italy by train aswell, we were travelling while England were playing the last group game and they could have been knocked out when we got there, great game against Belgium tho.

[1960maaan]

1 hour ago, 22A said:

True! I didn't go, but on one occasion City fans got off the train at New Street to find 200 Brummies waiting for them. Where's the West Midlands Police when you need 'em?

One Cup game, where City visited Leicester's main pub, we got back to New Street (3 of us) to be told there were a few hundred outside. Nice chap that asked, I was getting over flu and felt rotten so us 3  didn't bother. Day got worse as the gAss were up North and the Police stopped us getting on the Trains, for obvious reason I guess, put on Rail replacement service. Really added to how rough I was feeling.

[leader]

I was on the Birmingham train great day , the brummies were coming up the escalators or stairs memory lapse :laugh: got out on the road all hell broke out

[burhou]

Sorry this is a Man Utd thread but it is relevant to the general post. Went to Leeds to see Utd play. Got there early so decided to wait for the Manchester football specials to arrive. Hid my scarf down my trousers and was wandering around the station when next thing I know I am on the floor with 3 Leeds fans booting me.Luckily the police were there and rescued me .I wondered how they had singled me out and saw when I looked down at my boots about an inch of red and white scarf was sticking out. They must have eyesight like hawks. The rest of the day was pretty interesting too.

[Gert Mare]

In summary: -

Break downs, Smashed Windows, Broken Toilets, Barrels of Booze, Stinking of Piss and Fags, Kick-In's, Bricks, Broken Limbs, Hospitalisations, Sitting Ducks, Skinheads, Wondering how you were ever going to get out alive?

Outcome: - Brilliant day out!

[Rich]

1 hour ago, leader said:

I was on the Birmingham train great day , the brummies were coming up the escalators or stairs memory lapse got out on the road all hell broke out

I remember a good few on a train coming out at New St, must have been about 72. We chased off a group of brummies down some stairs, this was outside the station. Next minute the Tavern in the town pub emptied and we had to make a retreat back up the stairs with bottles and glasses landing all around us.

That was an eventful day and had to run the gauntlet getting back into the station. We then gave them a volley of crockery from the nearby cafe. A lad called Yeo Pickering? hit about three of them in one swing.

[leader]

Leo was his name I was with him all day