Coaches to Millwall (Merged)

[Guest brizzlenick]

I actually couldn't believe it when it took us 6 hours to get to Millwall just after finding out 19 bus drivers never new where they were going. I was 20 minutes late coming into the ground, my friend missed the first half. A absaloute disgrace. I'm going to get a refund and it has definitly put me off the coaches again.

Did anyone else get into the ground late ?

[Guest Almondsbury_red]

just gt bak and it was a disgrace. i was on coach 5 and we arrrived at 3 30. are driver didnt no were he was goin. we were practically directing him. when we gtr near we jumped off the coach and ran through a part of the gorund wich was a millwall end so we banged on the gates but they wouldnt let us thorugh for ages. leaving at 9 30 and not getting to the ground until 3 30 IS NOT good enough. i hope for an apoloogy and some sort of refund.

rant over

[Dollymarie]

Robins got into the ground 20 mins late, and she said she'd heard one coach didnt turn up until 4pm and that another had turned around and gone back. Wouldnt have liked to have been on that one.

(mind you it would have been nice not to have been stuck in Nottingham while all this was going on )

[Guest jimmy ateyo]

That explains all the empty seats

Pathetic - I advice anyone who was on these over priced coaches to complain.

4 o'clock... its a joke

[Guest jimmy ateyo]

just gt bak and it was a disgrace. i was on coach 5 and we arrrived at 3 30. are driver didnt no were he was goin. we were practically directing him. when we gtr near we jumped off the coach and ran through a part of the gorund wich was a millwall end so we banged on the gates but they wouldnt let us thorugh for ages. leaving at 9 30 and not getting to the ground until 3 30 IS NOT good enough. i hope for an apoloogy and some sort of refund.

rant over

Almondsbury_red

I've commented on a similar post

Complain to the club mate - they have had this organised for weeks!! - for a driver to not know where he's going is not good enough. If people don't complain nothing will happen

They wanted fans to go by coaches to reduce potential bother..... and this is what happens

In the days of sat nav and Internet travel roues there's no excuse

[Guest We5ty]

didn't get in until 3:15 I guess i was lucky if people didn't get in until 4:00 though.

[bringbacktherobin]

What a day by the coaches!!

We left london at 5.50 and i have just got home!!

Left Bristol at 9.30am, stopped in the services for 45 minutes fair enough had lots of time to burn.

Then this is where it all starts to get a bit bad, We had 3 near crashes on the way to london not only did we nearly crash we also needed to turn around in central london about 3 times!!!

Didnt get to the ground untill 4.40!!!

Did not expect to take over 7 hours to get to millwall!!

Now i thought, the day couldnt get any worse, just get home and forget about the day.

We then go around the m25 passed just places as Brands Hatch and Legoland!!! What were they trying to do to us, anyway finally get on the motorway thought good were on the way home.

Then we pull into the services and have another 20 minutes break, thought not again but o well.

Came back after the 20 minute break and the polish driver who didnt speak good english said that his hours had ran and we needed to wait for another driver to get there. Every single bakers dolphins driver had ran out of hours and needed to stop.

We finally left reading services at 9.10 nearly 12 hours after we had left bristol.

Talk about £40 well spent!!

O also, two mates went on megabus, they left central london at 7.15 and were at reading services the same time as us and left before us!!

Never ever using cats again!!

[BS10 RED]

It was a shambles got in the ground like 20mins late the driver didnt have a clue where he was going

[The Enormous Turnip]

My coach got in at about 1.30, but i think only 2 coaches did.. away end was very empty til second half

also our driver had no idea where he was going, just went through red lights etc to make sure he could tail the coach in front, terrible

i heard about an accident on the M5, and we were meant to get a police escort into the ground but our driver ignored that

[bh_red]

unfortunatly not the first time this has happen, same thing happened a few years back away to Leicester in the cup and but we got their 25mins before kick off,

utter joke

[Guest Cider army matt]

Didn't get into the ground untill 3:35. Driver didn't have a clue,had to ask for directions.

[BS10 RED]

It took longer to get there today then it took for me to get home from carlisle last week,

[Guest tomvickeryBCFC]

coach 5 got in at 3:35 and dropped us off at the home end!!! where we walked past a group of millwall standing on a hill with a flag, shouting, we had to walk round to visitors only to see that a gate was locked and only a few songs and bangin on the fence got them opening it.

coach driver used the excuse that the club had told him to use this route.

SHOCKING I WANT MY MONEY BACK, to be fair this is the first time ive ever known the coaches to fail in their job, normally very reliable. O WELL didnt look as though i missed much and now wish he didnt find the ground at all haha!!

Just have to save the partying till next week, YOU REDS

[bringbacktherobin]

Worst trip ever, Worst £40 Ever, Most expensive 45 minutes of football ever, Left bristol at 9.30, Got to ground at 3.40 Only got home at 10.45.

[Portland Bill]

Worst trip ever, Worst £40 Ever, Most expensive 45 minutes of football ever, Left bristol at 9.30, Got to ground at 3.40 Only got home at 10.45.

Could have been worse mate, you could have been like me and couldnt get a ticket.

[elhombrecito]

Could have been worse mate, you could have been like me and couldnt get a ticket.

I'd argue that you had the better of the 2 scenarios.

[Portland Bill]

I'd argue that you had the better of the 2 scenarios.

Possibly

[Guest westoncider]

what a load of b#####ks ..been waiting for today for ages with eager anticipation..only to be stuck on coach 5 losing the will to live!! As mentioned in previous posts we got there at 3.30 and were dropped off at the millwall end leaving us in a potentially vulnerable situation ..especially as the gates were locked!! The club employs the coach company to get us there in time for the game and they failed miserably ...somebody has to take responsibility for the c**k-up and i for one will be contacting the club and demanding some recompense..

From a very weary very disappointed very out of pocket travelling fan!

[Guest Hydey]

I Thought I Had A Bad Day But Wen My M8s Knew People Who Werent In The Ground Till Just Before Have Time I Relised I Didnt Have It That Bad

I Feel Realli Sorry For The Coach That Got Turned Away After Travelling All That Way And Realli Sorry For The Coaches Which Stopped On The Way back To Call New Drives Out As They Couldnt Drive Anymore Also One Of Them Coaches So Say Left Someone In The Services As They Couldnt B Bothered To Wait For Them

This Was Very Unorgainsed

Hopefully We Wont B Going back There Again Next Season!

[bringbacktherobin]

Portland Bill, i would of gave you my ticket if i knew today was going to turn out like it was.

[Guest Redturner]

I got there at 3.30 after going round in circles 4 ages and going in and out of Lewisham. Then we had to change drivers because it took him 6 hours to get to millwall. I paid 16 pound to get there on time not late. We best get a refund.

[Portland Bill]

Portland Bill, i would of gave you my ticket if i knew today was going to turn out like it was.

Never mind mate, ive had 30 years of feeling like that. Just hope and pray that next saturday isnt another one of those "Bristol City" days

[bringbacktherobin]

I think i was on that coach that left without someone on.

To be fair he did have enough time to get back to the coach, we had about 45 minutes in the services it was near 9 o clock and people had had enough.

No one knew where he was, if he left with someone else.

Somebody did get out the coach to have a look but he was nowhere to be seen.

[Bristolian76]

Glad i stuck to the London Underground, an excellent day only spoiled by a piss poor performance.

[Guest redbadger]

Got into Ashton Gate 10.35pm on what must of been the last coach.

Left along with 900 other at '9.30 sharp' as put by the club for trip to Millwall, then after 1 hour and 20 mins stopped at Reading services for a 45 minute stop off (we had a toilet on the coach) no need to stop especially only hour an a half in, got back onto motorway and got caught up in traffic delay due to accident on M4, can't be helped hope all involved in accident are fine and well, cost us a further 40minutes until we got through cones, so if we hadn't stopped wouldn't of got caught up in trafffic delay.

Arrive at Hammersmith Driver hasn't got a clue asking the, I use this loosely, coach steward if he can read the map,on the phone to other stewards on coaches they haven't got any ideal, spoke to the police they give us another route different to the one they originally wanted us to take.

Police still insist on us going to the meeting place to be escorted in, we arrive at meeting place along with two other coaches at 2.54pm, and guess what no police, makethe decision to carry on, luckily driver now listens to several of us on the coach who have been to Millwall before and follows our directions, get spotted and pulled over by six, non less, but six police bikes, we are now one coach with a six bike escort who get us through the traffic for a 3.35pm arrival, superb, 6 hours from Ashton Gate to Millwall, can't wait for the trips to the London clubs next year if we go up!

Left ground, held in pen until 5.30, then get directed by Police back up the A202 onto the M25, then proceed allthe way round London back to the M4 junction t be told by the drive that we will be stopping at Reading to have a driver transfer . . . . get to Reading, and guess what the drivers aren't there yet, but our Driver spoke to his controller at 5.45 from the M25.

Get new driver depart Reading 8.50 and to top it all actually find out that we have the slowest coach in the fleet with a restricter on it and watch all the other coaches who had the same problem overtake us . . .!

Think I might sign up for a lifetime membership to CATS (City Alf Time Service)

Expect I wouldn't be asking for a refund then . . . .!

[Bristolian76]

The moral of the story is CATS coaches suck.

[BristolCity1992]

Complain and get a refund surely you can do that?

They are there to supply a service and failed badly, make your voices heard.

[bringbacktherobin]

Portland bill, the football was alright just the whole 14 hours on a coach.

[Guest georgie best]

coaches today shambles, took as long to get to millwall then it did to carlisle

[Andy082005]

What a day by the coaches!!

We left london at 5.50 and i have just got home!!

Left Bristol at 9.30am, stopped in the services for 45 minutes fair enough had lots of time to burn.

Then this is where it all starts to get a bit bad, We had 3 near crashes on the way to london not only did we nearly crash we also needed to turn around in central london about 3 times!!!

Didnt get to the ground untill 4.40!!!

Did not expect to take over 7 hours to get to millwall!!

Now i thought, the day couldnt get any worse, just get home and forget about the day.

We then go around the m25 passed just places as Brands Hatch and Legoland!!! What were they trying to do to us, anyway finally get on the motorway thought good were on the way home.

Then we pull into the services and have another 20 minutes break, thought not again but o well.

Came back after the 20 minute break and the polish driver who didnt speak good english said that his hours had ran and we needed to wait for another driver to get there. Every single bakers dolphins driver had ran out of hours and needed to stop.

We finally left reading services at 9.10 nearly 12 hours after we had left bristol.

Talk about £40 well spent!!

O also, two mates went on megabus, they left central london at 7.15 and were at reading services the same time as us and left before us!!

Never ever using cats again!!

I totally agree. I never use the CATS, but did this once as my old man (who doesnt get the opportunity to come to many away games) came with me, and as he is on crutches with a broken leg, thought that CATS would be the easiest and safest option!

What a joke! Got in the ground at half time!

The reason being, the coaches were under instructions to get off at Chiswick, near Brentford, trawl through London and meet at a "Rendezvouz Point" for a police escort. The driver said that the escort was due at about 1.30pm

Well, you never would belie it....but trying to go through the centre of London, about 20+ miles, on a Saturday, is actually quite hard considering its one of the busiest Cities in the World. We got to the "meeting place" at 3pm....but and wait for it, NO POLICE.

The poor guy who ran our coach (remember this chap is only a volunteer) phones round the organisers and eventually phones the police contact number he has, who kindly informs him "oh you missed your escort, you have to make your own way to the ground..."

What the hell! Apparently the escort had about 7 coaches in it....they were expecting 19.....ummmmm you do the Maths!

So he we are, at this R.V.P....the driver didnt know how to get to the ground from here. Like I said, We EVENTUALLY got there at half time....its a disgrace

I'm not sure who's fault it is, the polices mostly by the seem of it....but surely when the police discussed the route with the club (surely they discuss these things) someone should have used their brain and realised that trawling through London like that would be a disaster.

Our driver, fair play to the chap, said loooooong before that he couldnt understand why the police wouldnt let us use the M25

So, for the £70 I spent on two coach and match tickets....I endured best part of 10 hours on the coach.....and 45 minutes of football.....and we lost

[Guest Hydey]

coach 5 got in at 3:35 and dropped us off at the home end!!! where we walked past a group of millwall standing on a hill with a flag, shouting, we had to walk round to visitors only to see that a gate was locked and only a few songs and bangin on the fence got them opening it.

coach driver used the excuse that the club had told him to use this route.

SHOCKING I WANT MY MONEY BACK, to be fair this is the first time ive ever known the coaches to fail in their job, normally very reliable. O WELL didnt look as though i missed much and now wish he didnt find the ground at all haha!!

Just have to save the partying till next week, YOU REDS

Alright Mate Kacey Said The Reason It Was S**t Is Cause You Wasnt On Coach Two

[Guest tomvickeryBCFC]

would have got there earlier on coach 2 havent been on there for ages, its well annoyin coach two is the place to be

[Dan Of The Dolman]

It was a good patience tester but on coach 6 there wasn't much complaining apart from on way back when 10 min stop turned into 45. Got to the ground at 3:00 on the dot by the time I got in had missed 2 mins but I feel lucky compared to some stories I have heard on here.

[bringbacktherobin]

You are lucky dan of the dolman, Got there 45 minutes before me!!

[Guest Hydey]

would have got there earlier on coach 2 havent been on there for ages, its well annoyin coach two is the place to be

Ye Sure Is The Place To Be! Wll Have To Try And Get On There Every Game Next Season!    

There Was 2 Seats On Way Back As Well Kacey Was going to Tell You But You Walked Back To Your Coach       

[Guest tomvickeryBCFC]

that would have been good , o well i had a smashing trip on the way back (not) i will make sure I'm on coach two each game next season

[Guest DanC]

My coach got in at about 1.30, but i think only 2 coaches did.. away end was very empty til second half

also our driver had no idea where he was going, just went through red lights etc to make sure he could tail the coach in front, terrible

i heard about an accident on the M5, and we were meant to get a police escort into the ground but our driver ignored that

Sounds like you were on the same coach as me.

I arrived home tonight the same time as I did last Saturday from Carlisle.

It was a complete shambles and I expect everyone to be refunded or at least given a CATS travel voucher of the same value for next season.

Bakers Dolphin have alot of questions to be answered. The driver that eventually arrived said they were waiting for us at Reading, So why did the driver not pull into Reading, We had already been on the coach for 3 and a half hours by then and I couldn't feel my legs.

I hope the supporters trust will be helping us fans' out with this as we didn't deserve this.

[Dan Of The Dolman]

We had to wait 30 mins for an escort to the ground and had a bit of a welcome from the locals, the driver who followed the Japanese tour bus must have been popular (not) what did he think it was the Japan section of the Bristol City Supporters Club or something?!?!

[bringbacktherobin]

What, why on earth was he following a japan tour bus?

What coach were you on?

[Guest Hydey]

that would have been good , o well i had a smashing trip on the way back (not) i will make sure I'm on coach two each game next season

yeah that would be good mate all of us being on same coach

[Guest ashtonyate]

I actually couldn't believe it when it took us 6 hours to get to Millwall just after finding out 19 bus drivers never new where they were going. I was 20 minutes late coming into the ground, my friend missed the first half. A absaloute disgrace. I'm going to get a refund and it has definitly put me off the coaches again.

Did anyone else get into the ground late ?

I was told they were Polish you were luck not to end up in Walsal

[Dan Of The Dolman]

I was on coach 6, it wasn't our coach that was behind the tour bus. What coach got turned back and didn't get to the game, it them I really feel sorry for.

[dezgimed]

At least your driver didnt take a detour home via Surrey and Reading, after realising he had surpassed his legitimate number of driving hours for the month..

Leaving us stranded for an hour waiting for new drivers.

Getting home 10pm from London?!

Joke.

[dezgimed]

Was this the Bakers Dolphin coaches?

Our driver was Polish too, and his hours expired.

Plus his turning, breaking and general driving was very eratic.

Idiots really.

[Guest bcfcred]

I was on coach 12!

Arrived at the ground at 3:35 was an absoute discrace and I Demand an explanation and a refund from an official at the club!

Was just an absolute shambles all day.

[Andy082005]

I totally agree. I never use the CATS, but did this once as my old man (who doesnt get the opportunity to come to many away games) came with me, and as he is on crutches with a broken leg, thought that CATS would be the easiest and safest option!

What a joke! Got in the ground at half time!

The reason being, the coaches were under instructions to get off at Chiswick, near Brentford, trawl through London and meet at a "Rendezvouz Point" for a police escort. The driver said that the escort was due at about 1.30pm

Well, you never would belie it....but trying to go through the centre of London, about 20+ miles, on a Saturday, is actually quite hard considering its one of the busiest Cities in the World. We got to the "meeting place" at 3pm....but and wait for it, NO POLICE.

The poor guy who ran our coach (remember this chap is only a volunteer) phones round the organisers and eventually phones the police contact number he has, who kindly informs him "oh you missed your escort, you have to make your own way to the ground..."

What the hell! Apparently the escort had about 7 coaches in it....they were expecting 19.....ummmmm you do the Maths!

So he we are, at this R.V.P....the driver didnt know how to get to the ground from here. Like I said, We EVENTUALLY got there at half time....its a disgrace

I'm not sure who's fault it is, the polices mostly by the seem of it....but surely when the police discussed the route with the club (surely they discuss these things) someone should have used their brain and realised that trawling through London like that would be a disaster.

Our driver, fair play to the chap, said loooooong before that he couldnt understand why the police wouldnt let us use the M25

So, for the £70 I spent on two coach and match tickets....I endured best part of 10 hours on the coach.....and 45 minutes of football.....and we lost

Oh and one more thing, when we did eventually find the ground, the driver didnt know where the car park was, so dropped us off at the Cold Blow Lane end. Thanks for that........I loved walking past their most notorious end, being shouted at by the 8 chavs on the railings "you farmer ****" and "what the ###### you looking at" I was actually glad to have my old man there as when they seen him on crutches they actually left us alone

the exact words from the Steward when I walked round the corner was "why the hell have you been made to walk past there, you should never be dropped off there".....

no sh*t sherlock

[Collis]

:ranting: :ranting: :ranting: :ranting:

[WTFiGO!?!]

By Police advice we went on the South Circular as opposed to the more obvious straight forward route.

By Police advice we waited for Police escort into the Underclassers teritory that at 14:55 was still not present.....

By mate's advice I went : ''sod this boring bollox on the way home'' and managed to blag train's from there back to here completely complimentary of British Rail. Fun was had too, as opposed to the outward journey.

Shambles though, agreed.

[Guest Blue Lion]

Sounds like a bit of a 'mare'!

[bristolborn_and_red]

Worst trip ever, Worst £40 Ever, Most expensive 45 minutes of football ever, Left bristol at 9.30, Got to ground at 3.40 Only got home at 10.45.

Nope. Worst £40 ever was me missing my stop at Parkway and ending up in Newport with no trains back. £40 for a bleedin taxi WTF.

[redmelsh]

I didn't really care about the journey back because i had no where to get to (other than match of the day). I was on coach 7 and turned up to the match around 3.35. I can understand that the drivers cannot do anything about crashes on the motorway, but they could at least actually know where they are going. Six hours to get to millwall! The most frustrating thing was knowing that you were near, but nobody knew where it was!

[Guest Almondsbury_red]

coach 5 got in at 3:35 and dropped us off at the home end!!! where we walked past a group of millwall standing on a hill with a flag, shouting, we had to walk round to visitors only to see that a gate was locked and only a few songs and bangin on the fence got them opening it.

coach driver used the excuse that the club had told him to use this route.

SHOCKING I WANT MY MONEY BACK, to be fair this is the first time ive ever known the coaches to fail in their job, normally very reliable. O WELL didnt look as though i missed much and now wish he didnt find the ground at all haha!!

Just have to save the partying till next week, YOU REDS

i was also on coach 5 it was a disgrace we took the long way round london. the steward apologises and tells us were goin to wait for the police escort but everyone just told him to drive.

[Avonmouth Docker]

Pathetic - I advice anyone who was on these over priced coaches to complain.

............ after yesterday's crap, lacklustre performance, every City supporter should get a refund!!,

Hearing about the coaches was a joke!!,

after all, how long did CATS have to organise it??.

even coaches from Albania can find London!!.

[Avonmouth Docker]

I was told they were Polish you were luck not to end up in Walsal

............ or Warsaw!!,

might of nicked the coach to start up his own business in Poland!!.

[Avonmouth Docker]

(train).....much easier than the coach i take it.

NOT if you came down from the North!!,

2 hrs to cross London from St Pancras,

As no direct Northern Line tube,

then delays and cancellations on First Capital Connect!!,

diverted onto the Jubilee Line, and train held at Southwark because of footy fans at Canada Wharf, then train NOT allowed to stop at London Bridge!!,

Got chatting to a lovely Millwall MILF, who wasn't going to the match, who advised me to go on the East London Line to Surrey Quays, and walk from there!!, (had invite to join her and her son (Chelsea supporter) at a soft drink party in nearby Docklands park, wish i had gone now!!).

Got into the open air at 14:45 after getting on the old Thameslink at 13:00, have had no beer, or any other drink, and had to follow drunken Neanderthals to the Ground, and low and behold, i arrive at Cold Blow Lane, and have to circumnavigate the New Den to get to the Away end!!,

Police line stops me, (first old bill i have seen today) thinking i was Millwall, so waved my ticket at an officer, who say's;

"Bloody Hell, why have you come from that direction!", "you had better slip through!".

Thanks!!,

Thinking what a crap journey, and was it worth the aggro,

Then you hear the nightmare journeys of those who came by coach,

and now you read about how crap the return journeys were!!.

Mind you though, getting from the ground to South Bermondsey station was another matter, thanks to the Old Bill!!.

Made the 18:55 train to Nottingham, with just 5 mins to spare!!.

Hopefully, we won't be playing Millwall next season........

But after watching the players yesterday,

I have a funny feeling that we will!!,

[redmelsh]

Has anyone lodged a complaint to the club yet? If so what was the reply?

[Godzilla]

What an absolutely shocking day at the office. I was on Coach 4 and got into the ground about 3:15... I'm not sure I have to add a great deal on top of what everyone else has said. Our driver had a complete 'mare like many others. On top of everything else, he kept ferking around with their air con and the key for the toilet seemed to go missing on a regular basis.

Saying that, I'm not entirely sure I blame our driver completely for what happened. The way the Police organised it was completely shambolic. He looked as pissed off as everyone else about what was going on. On the other hand... there's absolutely no excuse for getting lost!

Two highlights of my day;

1) The banter on the coach when we realised what was going on. To be fair, pretty much everyone on the coach seemed to take it well and laugh at the situation.

2) For the first time I found someone with Skuse 14 on their shirt. Other than Cole Skuse and me, obviously.

Apart from that, it was pretty dire.

[Guest Portisheadred]

Not surprised the coaches got lost. When we went to Forest, the coach driver didn't have a clue where the ground was and we kept stopping to ask home supporters. Even this didn't stop him from trying to go to the County Ground.

The coach steward on that day was a real thicko who didn't even know who Brian Clough was.

It is time City took control of organising the away day travel and making sure all the drivers have sat nav or at least the couriers. It only costs about £125 for petes sake for a hand held device.

Can't believe what I am hearing.

At least the beam back worked, even with a couple of hiccups.

[robins72]

Bit of a nitemare day to say the least but at least we got there I guess!! Now I remember why I don't go on the coach to away matches.

[foghornred]

The complaints about the coaches this season have mainly been about arriving to early !

London is a nightmare and the reason that alot of people went by coach is because they know this, and want to avoid it. When you buy a service (iecoach trip) it is up to the company to provide that service and as they did not, then some sort of compensation should be due,I wonder if the club thinks so.

[bringbacktherobin]

I think the club will be getting a lot of complaints on Monday Morning, It was a complete and utter joke, Left Bristol at 9.30AM got home at 10.30AM and only saw 45 Minutes of football.

11 Hours just to get to london and back.

Lovely tour of the M25.

I think there getting cheap drivers from eastern europe who don't have a clue what there doing, if we went to poland and were asked to drive we wouldnt have a clue.

[italian dave]

I'm not an aplogist for the club, and I was on was on one of the coaches yesterday, so I'm just as p...d off as everyone else, but I am not sure its's fair to blame the club for what happened.

First off - and I agree a minor point - lots of the coaches got held up by the accident near Slough. One of those things. No-one to 'blame'. It happens.

The biggest problem, from what I could gather, was that the instructions from the police were to rendezvous with them at Blackheath. Why?? I've been to Millwall on the coaches several times and we always meet the police at Tower Bridge. No problem - the route there is easy (straight into London, along the embankment, turn right onto Tower Bridge - hard to miss that - and there you are). So why do we have to meet up at a place which is 5 miles the other side of The Den.

And, to make matters worse, the route given by the police was to go virtually the whole length of the South Circular Road. Anyone who knows LOndon knows that this road is a nightmare. You have to go through every shopping area in South London, each with its hold ups and trafficlights. As someone else said earlier, if you've got to get to Blackheath on a coach, you go round the M25. It's a ridiculously long route, as we found out on the way back, but quicker than going all through south London.

The usual route to Tower Bridge would take two and half hours at most; so 3 allowing for the accident. So leaving 9.30, stop at the services, plenty of time. However, the route the police insisted on was always going to take 3-4 hours, plus stopping off time, plus accident. My guess s that the club/coach company had already set the departure time before the police instructions arrived, and once set that is hard to change - tickets printed, 1000 people to contact etc. So it was always going to be a problem.

The police were, apparently, very insistent that the route they set be followed. I know that calls were made to them when it became obvious that things were going wrong, and they seem not to have been particularly helpful. One driver who did find his own way there got a b...king. The coach I was on abandoned its attempt to get to Blackheath when we had only got as far a Clapham (half way) by 2 and we ended up at a police station near the Oval. The police there were none to pleased. However, the route from there to Blackheath goes right past the Millwall ground, so I think they realised they had no choice. So they just madde us wait wait 20 minutes befor they allowed us to go on. It seemed as though the police instructions simply remained as go to Blackheath, even though no-one was getting there!!

Afterward the game the police took us back to Blackheath. Again, no choice. And as lots of posters have said, what a ridiculous route. Thats why it took so long to get out of London.

I can't pretend I understand the rules about drivers hours. It's possible that the problems on the way home, when several drivers exceeded there hours, were unforseen because of the time it took getting there, and the time it took getting away from the ground. I suspect that legally the hours start counting from when the coach engine starts, which happened at 5.30ish after the game. However, we didn't leave the ground til 6 and then went nearly an hour in the wrong direction on police instructions. If it was forseeable, then maybe the coah companies should have organised that better.

To be fair to the club, its a bit ironic that the biggest criticism levelled at the most of the season has been that the coaches leave too early!! We have got to places like Crewe and Carlisle in recent weeks by 12.30, and all I've heard is how we could have stayed in bed an extra hour!! I don't think anyone would have said before the game that 9.30 was too late, and if they had announced that the coachs would leave at 8.30 that would have been criticised.

As I said at the start, I was on one of the coaches, got there late, got back 9.30 but had to wait til 10.45 to meet someone I was giving a lift to (and still didn't find them, hope you got home OK Bill) so I understand how everyone feels. But I'm not suer just shouting at the club is going to help. If we had won yesterday, I suspect that no-one would have cared how late we got home.

[robins72]

Problem was there was a fire on the clapham road so some of it was closed added to the car that broke down at Slough added to the nightmare journey!! Which coach got turned away though?

[Guest zidereddy]

just a thought why didnt you get off in outer london and get the tube in would v got there alot sooner for sure easy to say in heinsight i know ! sounds like chaos

[Guest zidereddy]

I think the club will be getting a lot of complaints on Monday Morning, It was a complete and utter joke, Left Bristol at 9.30AM got home at 10.30AM and only saw 45 Minutes of football.

11 Hours just to get to london and back.

Lovely tour of the M25.

I think there getting cheap drivers from eastern europe who don't have a clue what there doing, if we went to poland and were asked to drive we wouldnt have a clue.

crikey u did all that in a hour !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bringbacktherobin]

Yep ziderreddy, all of that in a hour.

Driver was a nutter!

[Guest red til dead]

We were on Coach 5. Got to the ground at about 3:30 and back at 9:20. Fortunately we didn't stop on the way back.

Rules about driving are below.

Daily Driving 9 hours. Can be extended to 10 hours twice a week.

Breaks from driving 45 minutes break on or immediately following 4½ hours cumulative driving. After four and a half hours driving, a driver must take a break of at least 45 minutes.

We just made it inside the ten hours.

Although the early stop at Chievely which meant that we got caught up in the accident didn't help, but it was the decision to go round the South Circular which was stupid - anyone who knows anything about London knows how slow this is. Certainly our driver knew this and clearly it was not his idea. So who decided the route? Worse,the idea that 19 coaches could keep together in that amount of traffic and all end up together at the rendevzous point was madness and compounded the confusion. At one point we passed a City coach parked and facing the wrong way. Our driver seemed to get lost trying to find the rendezvous point and then not to know where the ground was. Our coach collectively decided to forget the police and get to the ground. This was well after kick-off.

We finally get to the ground and in desperation were dropped off somewhere/anywhere outside the ground which turned out not to be the away end. Everyone on the coach then ran (as best we were all able) around the stadium (a steward pointed the way), which took us past the small, and no doubt surprised, group of home fans who were sat on the small bank outside the ground. So there we were - City fans, Millwall fans, no police and the way into the ground blocked by closed gates. Precisely the sort of situation you pay to go on the official coach to avoid. Thankfully the gates were opened, the Millwall fans, whilst abusive, stayed put and we eventually got into the ground. It might not have turned out that way though.

Despite all this, the atmosphere on our coach was one of good humour, no-one had a go at the driver and all credit to the volunteer guide/helper who kept his cool and nerve.

We now need to see what attitude the Club will adopt. At the very leastst we will be looking to get the travel cost back although given we missed almost half the game, the club ought to think about doing something about that too.

One of the more bizarre trips we have done but one that will live long in the memory. Shame about the game though. We took less time to get to Middlesbrough than we did to get to Millwall.

Will the ST be co-ordinating all the complaints/claims for reimbursement?

[ciderup]

I was on coach 8 which,I believe was the last to arrive at the ground (4 o'clock). The old bill couldnt even get the coach in to the secure pen. We had to go out of the secure area to board our coach for the return journey. My day went like this:

Turn up at AG at 9-25 to be told our coach has gone! Jump on coach 1 to catch up coach 8 which we finally got on at Eastville.

Stopped at services at 11-10 left again at 12-00 (fair enough). We were held up for a bit in the aftermath of a road accident on the motorway.

Once we reached London we spent ages driving up and down the South circular making regular U turns until I think the driver (wanted to be called Turbo! yeah,right) blocked a major traffic route and went to buy an A-Z of London.Eventually the old bill turned up and organised a rolling road block escort for us to finally arrive at the Den at 4-00.

The return journey went on forever too. Why the hell were we taken out of London east bound? We have never done this before. It has always been an escort to London bridge,down the embankment,cut through to Knightsbridge then A4 to M4. Even I know that way!

To be sent out of London on the DOVER road was scandalous IMHO. The organisation was crap from beginning to end and a snottogram has been sent to the club asking for explanations why this happened and why the drivers hired essentially DID NOT KNOW WHERE THEY WERE GOING!!

don't use cats very often as I prefer to drive but I will never use the official transport again!

[BCFC_Nick]

What i heard from our coach driver (I was on coach 3) was that each coach was told to follow the coach infront. This is where the plan went wrong. The coach infront of us lost sight of the coach infront of him and had no idea where he was going so he just drove around london. About 2:30 our coach driver realised that the coach infront had got us lost (taking us into all the london traffic) so he stopped the other coach and told him that we would be the one to drive infront. After about 5mins stuck in non-moving traffic we noticed some coppers on bikes, my mate and this man ran down to the OB and told them about what had happened and a few minutes later we we're having a police escourt of our own. We eventually got to the ground and realised that we had missed 15mins of the game. I think we were the 5th or 6th coach there at the time. I was just glad to get off because there were these 4 or 5 women behind moaning and groaning about this, that and the other.

Coming home wasn't much better, the coach was really hot and there wasn't much air con to cool it down. Stopping at the service station just provided the women behind to moan more, after the stop the driver was about to pull off and one of the women wasn't on the coach yet, she turned up and the driver opened the door, one of her mates spoke to the leader of the coach and said "why did the driver close the door?!" so he replied "it was just a joke". The woman walked back to her seat and as she walked past me i heard her say "pr**k, don't find that funny after the day i've had". Yeah maybe she did have a bad day but so had the rest of us, he didn't do anything wrong, he wasn't even the one who shut the door so why should he have been called a pr**k? All in all it was a bad day for everyone with the coachs being late and city loosing.

BCFC_Nick

[Guest paulie]

not on official coach ,but went from the bloomfield pub,coach arrived late was supposed to be there at 9 didnt get there till 10,,no alchohol allowed much to the disgust of most of us ,but thats what the emergency exit at the back is for,then head for tog hill,quick p break before we hit the m4,next p break reading ,lots of city there aswell,then back onto m4 held up on m4 due to broken down car,anyway the original plan was to go to victoria then tube to whitechapple for a few bevvys then back on tube to south bermondsy,but with the time now 1.30 our plan was looking a bit dodgy,so we all jumped of coach at earls court tube stationand staight into nearest pub,we dident realise it at first but when we saw two blokes holding hands we knew wed made the wrong desisionbut hey its a free country, 3 quick pints in there and then to earls court tube,lost count of the amount of tube and train changes,arrived new den at 2.50 the rest is history,best part of the day for me was when 2000 city fans got of the train at tower bridge and started singing ,all the tourists must have thought there was a ongoing terrorist attack happening with the amount of coppers,one copper said to my mate that it had been the biggest police operation in london this year,with over 800 being involed,anyway heres to next saturday and hopefully our long overdue party