Away Days... Waste of Time

[abc]

Man City at Maine Road c. 1980. Lost 5-0 I think.
We went for a beer after somewhere in Manchester. Around twenty five City fans piled in looking for trouble. We though we were dead meat being out numbered 2-1. Turned out they were looking for United fans so joined us for a swift one and then left to carry on their quest!

 

[studio150]

Rochdale away midweek in the Gillingham years. Not a great performance to say the least, and a very long drive back.

Also mid 80s Oldham away open terrace behind goal, it chucked it down for virtually the whole game, despite having heater on full for the drive back, still wet through when arrived back,.

Also I think Luton and West Brom on Tuesday and Saturday in same week, lost both 5-0.

But good times probably outweigh regardless of result

 

[StonehamPark]

Swindon just gone was pretty awful. Nice weather though

 

[junior]

Halifax away in the early 2000's. A few of us drove up and were wandering around town looking for a decent place to grab a bite to eat when someone told us the game was off. We didnt' believe it at first as we had already walked past the ground and there wasstewards and fans outside and the floodlights were on as well i think.

And any trip to Stoke.

 

[Beach Hut]

Norwich away (FA Cup I think) around 2003? - one of those horrible fixtures between Xmas & New Year. I hired a minibus for a load of us, it snowed all the way, stood in a frozen stand until 15:45 - still no game to watch, they finally called it off due to floodlight failure! Couldn't even drown sorrows as I was DES!! I remember Norwich offering all Albion fans a "free hot drink" if you came back to the rearranged midweek fixture - no thanks!!

Worst day ever away as had my wallet nicked in the Coach and Horses as well

 

[surrey jim]

Sunderland away a couple of years back when we were in the championship. Think we lost 2 -0 ,but driving there and back in the same day is not recommended.

Did that then the Derby game midweek (again away) lost there 3-0. Not the best week ever!

 

[Shuggie]

Norwich away (FA Cup I think) around 2003? - one of those horrible fixtures between Xmas & New Year. I hired a minibus for a load of us, it snowed all the way, stood in a frozen stand until 15:45 - still no game to watch, they finally called it off due to floodlight failure! Couldn't even drown sorrows as I was DES!! I remember Norwich offering all Albion fans a "free hot drink" if you came back to the rearranged midweek fixture - no thanks!!

We got a free pie and free car parking. Bargain, especially as I didn't go to the first game.

 

[westsussexmackem]

Sunderland away a couple of years back when we were in the championship. Think we lost 2 -0 ,but driving there and back in the same day is not recommended.

Did this game too. Obviously being a Sunderland fan but based in Sussex, if I recall it was an horrendous day weather wise and the SOL can be pretty grim when the weather is shite.

 

[Skaville]

Almost every game at Gillingham we were so poor during that period only thing that really kept me going was the fact we collectively were keeping the Albion alive

Very much this. 3-1 defeat at home to Scunthorpe was a particular lowpoint that I remember only too well.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Newcastle away snowed off. Only found out when we got off train at Newcastle. Early 90's sometime.

Now I have a tale about that day too. We were going up in a mini bus but found out the game was off around about Toddington services. We drove back to the Goldstone and me and a mate headed for a beer in the Hove Park. A few minutes later Steve Foster walked in and nearly drank the place dry. Stoked by a few pints and a drunken slur with Fozzie me and my mate headed in to Worthing for a pint or 7 in Chapmans.

At the time I was seeing a very attractive young lady who had given me a 'pass' for the game. This was before the days of mobile phones but she lived in Worthing so after about 5 of those pints I thought it would be a good idea to call her, tell her the game was off and I was - surprise! - in Worthing. Only problem was I could barely stand up so from Worthing station phone box I was making less sense to her than a Japanese speaker after a boat load of acid. She declined the night out and mate and I went for a curry, most of which I found on my bedroom floor the next morning.

The next day I came within a fag paper's width of being dumped. Not remembering anything I'd said probably didn't help though I bet it involved Steve Foster, snow and 'I loovvvveee youuuuuuu *belch*"

 

[cyrilthesinik]

I worked all Friday night so I could go to That Norwich F.A cup game not the best game. The best and worse all in one has to be Hereford. Have to agree that for many years the performance of the Albion had no relevance to how good the day was, we always had a good time, especially in London.

 

[patchamalbion]

my 2nd away game was around 2000 away at Macclesfield. freezing cold november, no more than 2000 there and finished 0-0...some birthday that was - can't believe i've been to 100+ since

 

[big nuts]

As mentioned a few times already the Halifax away game in 2000 which was called off at 19:30 approx. After a 4/5 drive it was an immediate U turn to experience the same thing again. The only bright spot was Cardiff dropping points which improved our league position.

 

[Guinness Boy]

I also remember going to Sunderland in the very early 90s and standing in an open corner at Roker Park directly in the path of a howling gale and rainstorm coming in off the North Sea. If memory serves me correctly we lost to a goal that was about 20 yards offside. It took a whole SLAB of lager on the way home for me to feel normal again. To this day I blame the weirdness that is my right little toenail on footrot from that afternoon. In fact it was so wet and cold I'm not even sure what the score was.

 

[Poyningsgull]

The forest league cup game.

I was on the train that go stuck at Kettering.

So was I. Huddled round some guys radio and going nuts when Wardy equalised. Train got back about 3am having been on it for about 12hours. Last time I ever went by train.

 

[WildWood]

Worst day ever away as had my wallet nicked in the Coach and Horses as well

Bloody hell! I remember having a bit of a scrap outside the ground as well which was a bit weird - family club my arse!!

 

[Justice]

Remember getting to Hull in the 80's to find the game was off, also stuck in a broken down train heading to Ipswich spent the afternoon in the delightful Manningtree area for the duration of the match

 

[Justice]

Remember getting to Hull in the 80's to find the game was off, also stuck in a broken down train heading to Ipswich spent the afternoon in the delightful Manningtree area for the duration of the match

Think it may of been John Keeley's debut if memory serves me right.

 

[footychick]

This thread is fascinating. I remember when I went to Old Trafford (for an FA cup game I think) I was called '4 eyes, by a Man U fan, we were sat right by the Man U fans. Can't remember much else.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Kids, the moral of so many of these stories is, if you're going by train, arrive at your destination for pub opening time