[Football] Traveling Away With The Albion Way Back When

[Eeyore]

I started traveling away when we had good transport links in the mid-late 80s. I was wondering what the traveling experience was like before then. I think an example would be how there was no M25 to speak of so coaches may have had to come through London. I wonder if folks have stories to tell of their journeys away back then, maybe with some added humour. They must have been pretty long. I heard folk got back so late from Newcastle in 1979 they may as well have gone straight to the Goldstone for the parade.

 

[Dave the OAP]

first away games and then travels every week was back in 1975.

had around 8 seasons as 100% home and away.

last away games and then was fa cup semi final couple of years ago.

 

[Weststander]

We drove in my Dad’s car from 1976 onwards. With a Don’t Follow Me Follow The Albion sticker on the back window. Even though never the victims of car crime or fighting, my Dad removed it when we parked up. Loved the Albion army on the roads in cars and coaches, blue scarves flowing from windows. There was an edge to the big games at Selhurst (and Stamford Bridge for the Challis game). Seemed like a huge away following at Selhurst with the terraced end and half the seated Waite stand …. we’ll never know but up to 10k? Similarly Fratton Park.

Pre M25, so routes north I think were through SW London and Kew Bridge.

Newcastle May 79 …. the one time we used the train, we did Inter City, not the Specials. Rammed train coming home, had to stand the whole way, got back to Brighton in time for my Dad to grab a pint at that Albion pub at the top of Queens Road. It was about 25 years later when I found out the Special with all the players arrived back at midnight … we missed it. Greeted by a colossal crowd by all accounts. Some doing in an age without internet and mobiles.

Were any of you nsc’ers at Brighton Station for that player homecoming?

 

[origigull]

. . . heard folk got back so late from Newcastle in 1979 they may as well have gone straight to the Goldstone for the parade.

Mates and myself went by car to Newcastle in 79 and after the game went to Scarborough for drinks and was intending to stay until midnight and then sleep in the car somewhere. The talk before the game was meeting in the town and there was quite a few BHA fans around the pubs and we had a good time. Around 9.30ish heard that something big was going to happen in Brighton the next day so decided to head back to Brighton and got back early morning. Managed to get a few hours kip before venturing out.

 

[drew]

Was on one of the buses (think a routemaster with the open back) for the 83 final and think that was a long journey due to the M25 ending at Reigate! Charter trains from Brighton prior to that to the likes of Newcastle, Sunderland, Nottingham Forest (league cup qtr final although the train I was on didn't get there). The trains would chug slowly through London and frequently broke down.

First lengthy away trip was away to Wrexham in 1977 (0-0), went in my dad's company car which, if memory isn't playing tricks on me was his company car which was Ford Capri 1300L.

 

[Albion my Albion]

I heard folk got back so late from Newcastle in 1979 they may as well have gone straight to the Goldstone for the parade.

I heard most of the fans that were alive back then had to ask for an extention of their bedtime.

 

[bhafc99]

Another pre-mobiles (and even satnav) thing from away days of the past. We used to drive to an away game not having a clue where the ground was. We’d head to, say, Doncaster, and soon as we hit the outskirts of the town, look for a petrol station or convenience store or post office etc. Pull up, walk in and buy a notional packet of crisps or whatever, but actually pick up a local street atlas - which would inevitably be on the shelves in those days - and use it to locate the ground, memorise or discretely scribble down a few key directions and street names, and then get back in the car and be on our way. Today’s generation may laugh at the prehistoric-ness, but it worked!

 

[Peacehaven Wild Kids]

Another pre-mobiles (and even satnav) thing from away days of the past. We used to drive to an away game not having a clue where the ground was. We’d head to, say, Doncaster….

Doncaster’s a great example as I believe at one time Belle Vue had the tallest floodlights in the league. That was always a bonus when you entered a town via a hill (Burnley for example) and the driver would shout “right keep yer eyes out for the floodlights!”

 

[Taybha]

Went everywhere by private hire coach,or minibus usually the Ship organised it met up there for breakfast really was fun times .

 

[Guinness Boy]

Doncaster’s a great example as I believe at one time Belle Vue had the tallest floodlights in the league. That was always a bonus when you entered a town via a hill (Burnley for example) and the driver would shout “right keep yer eyes out for the floodlights!”

I started going away at around the same as @Eeyore and later we’d be part of the same group that went everywhere by train. Before we met, though, one of my first long aways was to Hull with a mate from school. To this day I’ve no idea how we found the ground. I remember being on the top deck of a bus and looking for floodlights and then not knowing if they were the football or rugby league ground.

We lost 5-2 and it rained. Then we followed some Hull fans onto a bus afterwards and managed to find ourselves back at the station with a direct train to London leaving in a few minutes.

Probably couldn’t have done it better with a smartphone.

 

[Brovion]

Yes, if you were going 'oop norf' and driving or going on a coach you pretty much had to drive through London. The only debate was whether to go on the South/North circulars, or straight through the middle. Either way it was always a relief to get to Brent Cross and the start of the M1.

A better alternative was the the famous 'Seagull Special' train. These weren't 'regular' trains, they were special trains chartered by the club. Even then this was before the (re)opening of the Snow Hill tunnel under the Thames (used by Thameslink trains), so we had to clank round west London using tracks that in some cases hadn't seen a locomotive since Stevenson's Rocket. Also some of the carriages we were given I think might have actually been pulled by Stevenson's Rocket as they were usually (always?) old stock that had been withdrawn from regular service.

Even so I, and I'm sure many others, have fond memories of those days. Plus the tickets were dirt cheap.

 

[South Stand Bonfire]

I did a few away games in the 79-83 period by coach. I recall the coach always getting a welcome and lecture from the local constabulary on the outskirts of the town and then a police escort to/from the ground. Norwich away seemed like an age to get to via Colchester bus station. The only time I went by train was our first away match at Old Trafford when our family went by train and returned on the same one John Vinicombe and the team were on.

 

[Brovion]

Another pre-mobiles (and even satnav) thing from away days of the past. We used to drive to an away game not having a clue where the ground was. We’d head to, say, Doncaster, and soon as we hit the outskirts of the town, look for a petrol station or convenience store or post office etc. Pull up, walk in and buy a notional packet of crisps or whatever, but actually pick up a local street atlas - which would inevitably be on the shelves in those days - and use it to locate the ground, memorise or discretely scribble down a few key directions and street names, and then get back in the car and be on our way. Today’s generation may laugh at the prehistoric-ness, but it worked!

Another trick was to drive around and look for the floodlight pylons!

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Another trick was to drive around and look for the floodlight pylons!

We largely went by car outside of the Seagull specials, so very much this then removal of all football evidence from the car…..

The ‘Don’t follow me, follow the Albion’ car sticker

 

[Guinness Boy]

The easiest ground to get to in my day was Stoke because the old bill would give you a lift in their van from the station

 

[Peacehaven Wild Kids]

Went to Sunderland late 80s and on entering the town, the driver pulled the car up on a street corner as he’d seen two old bill loitering. The lad in the passenger seat wound down the window as in his best southern accent asked “scuse mate, Roker Park?” One of the coppers walked up to the car and said [you’ve got to do this in a Weirside accent] “noh we’re not Rerka Park we’re the fookin pollis, now wind yer fookin window up and fook off!”

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Not a far journey as only to Wembley through central London for the Cup Final in '83. It was amazing to see loads of other Brighton fans and coaches up there, you could hear 'Seagulls' being chanted here and there from somewhere in the gridlock. I was 16 and at the time had a strong dislike for the 'loony left'. I couldn't believe it as in the stop start of the traffic, I saw to my left, the "Bête noire" of the right, Ken Livingstone standing just a few feet away and giving a speech to some people gathered round as there was a GLC election taking place. 'Livingstone you commie bastard!' flew from my mouth and I will never forget the look on his face of surprise at the diminutive 16 year old giving him grief.

N.B. I don't really mind him at all now.

 

[darkwolf666]

Doncaster’s a great example as I believe at one time Belle Vue had the tallest floodlights in the league. That was always a bonus when you entered a town via a hill (Burnley for example) and the driver would shout “right keep yer eyes out for the floodlights!”

Tried that, and ended up in some railway sidings somewhere in the past

 

[Muhammad - I’m hard - Bruce Lee]

Newcastle 1979.
Private minibus, all drunk wayyyyyyyyyyyyy before we got there on the day before the game.
Driver of said minibus hit the beer as soon as we'd parked.
Long story short, ended up there for 4 days as driver couldn't remember where he'd parked and we we're all too pissed to notice.
Found it in the end

 

[Bodian]

Another pre-mobiles (and even satnav) thing from away days of the past. We used to drive to an away game not having a clue where the ground was. We’d head to, say, Doncaster, and soon as we hit the outskirts of the town, look for a petrol station or convenience store or post office etc. Pull up, walk in and buy a notional packet of crisps or whatever, but actually pick up a local street atlas - which would inevitably be on the shelves in those days - and use it to locate the ground, memorise or discretely scribble down a few key directions and street names, and then get back in the car and be on our way. Today’s generation may laugh at the prehistoric-ness, but it worked!

A trip took a bit of planning in those days. Down to Southwick library to get out their rail map of the country with the large timetable book - and work out the best route and write all the times down for the various legs.

Then either home to look in this and see if the ground was shown on the town plans, or another browse through the library shelves for the A-Z of each area, or even the 1:50,000 OS maps. Then drawing the map out onto paper, or even tracing paper.

It generally worked out okay!