[Football] Football. In the olden (but not that olden) days

[Bozza]

This thread - https://nortr3nixy.nimpr.uk/showthread.php?366759-Anyone-Know-Which-Stadium-This-Is - sent me back to the mid-90s and following the Albion away.

I don't know if Sat Navs existed then, but I certainly know I didn't have one. Following the Albion away involved driving towards the town/city we were playing in and then doing one of two things...

1. Looking out for the floodlights
2. Spotting another car with an Albion sticker in the rear window and then following them as "they must know where they are going."

I also remember being the "they must know where they are going" car in front at some games and leading other Albion fans on a wild goose chase through some Northern outpost, trying to find where we were playing.

Those were the days my friend.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Torquay. Carlisle. Colchester. Tranmere. Oldham. Exeter.

Nightmare

 

[Bozza]

Torquay. Carlisle. Colchester. Tranmere. Oldham. Exeter.

Nightmare

Torquay though...

"When we get a new ground, we have to have a bar like Boots N Laces - that would be amazing."

We don't.

 

[Cloggie]

Wigan at Springfield Park in the snow with an orange ball was the ultimate low point. Mark Gall winner at Newcastle was outstanding though..

 

[Juan Albion]

Torquay though...

"When we get a new ground, we have to have a bar like Boots N Laces - that would be amazing."

We don't.

But we also didn't lose at home to Chippenham Town today.

 

[SeagullinExile]

I remember being chased all around Preston before and after the game - We lost 3-0 and it was really shit.

Oh the memories.

 

[mune ni kamome]

I’ve always loved “floodlight” spotting on my travels around Britain. Getting more difficult these days

Travelling home with the players on the late night trains was always a proud time. Norman Gall once came to see if I was alright when I banged my eye standing by the window. Starstruck was I.

 

[Paul Reids Sock]

I started following football properly in my early teens. Started supporting Albion aged 12 in 2000, then the next 10 years were spent going anywhere we were playing as often as possible.

My tactic was always, bus to Bromley south station, train to Victoria, walk around the corner and get the national express coach to whichever town/city we were in.

I would then just ‘ask a copper’ where the ground was and figure it out from there

Long old days travelling they were. Especially Sheffield, Cardiff, Nottingham which seemed to have endless changes

 

[Fungus]

Driving up the M1 and spotting a car with a CD or UF number plate.

 

[drew]

This thread - https://nortr3nixy.nimpr.uk/showthread.php?366759-Anyone-Know-Which-Stadium-This-Is - sent me back to the mid-90s and following the Albion away.

I don't know if Sat Navs existed then, but I certainly know I didn't have one. Following the Albion away involved driving towards the town/city we were playing in and then doing one of two things...

1. Looking out for the floodlights
2. Spotting another car with an Albion sticker in the rear window and then following them as "they must know where they are going."

I also remember being the "they must know where they are going" car in front at some games and leading other Albion fans on a wild goose chase through some Northern outpost, trying to find where we were playing.

Those were the days my friend.

Not dissimilar to us. Quite a few trips on the seagull specials, furthest being Newcastle in 1979. But from the mid 80s onwards it was by car and floodlight spotting. Once we'd found the ground, we'd head out of that town to find a pub. Had a problem once when in Cambridge when the pylons we found belonged to Cambridge City!!

 

[Bansko Seagull]

Always tried to get back to the car in time to hear all the other results on the radio and then those dreadful long journeys home when we were cold, wet and we had lost. Wrexham in particular stands out as a horror memory. But there was a great fish and chip shop at Dorking and all seemed well after a stop there.

 

[sully]

I used to travel by train and did no research at all about ground locations. I therefore had to do the floodlight spotting on the way into town and just hope it wasn’t too far or that there were some other Albion on the train that I could share a taxi with. Seemed to work out ok virtually everywhere, though I guess I must have had to ask a few times if the ground was the opposite side of town to our route in.

It never occurred to me that grounds wouldn’t be near the station bearing the town name of the football club and I guess there weren’t many that weren’t then.

It’s much easier to plan now with online maps and sat nav (and mostly driving).

 

[chimneys]

I used to travel by train and did no research at all about ground locations. I therefore had to do the floodlight spotting on the way into town and just hope it wasn’t too far or that there were some other Albion on the train that I could share a taxi with. Seemed to work out ok virtually everywhere, though I guess I must have had to ask a few times if the ground was the opposite side of town to our route in.

It never occurred to me that grounds wouldn’t be near the station bearing the town name of the football club and I guess there weren’t many that weren’t then.

It’s much easier to plan now with online maps and sat nav (and mostly driving).

Mansfield didn’t have a train station. Bus ride from Nottingham I recall.

 

[carlzeiss]

Got totally lost driving in Bristol town center in 2001 and never made the City game at all . Listened on local Radio as we won 1-0 with Zamora scoring . The co commentator was a ex Rovers player and reckoned that we needed to crack on and sell Zamora as they were desperate for the money from the sell on clause .

 

[Taybha]

Be honest now , did anybody ever try and put on a local accent when it was very likely you were going to get a pasting ? i tried it once at Oldham , didn't really go that well

 

[boik]

Seem to remember Wrexham away on the first day of 79? season as being horrendous. Long tedious drive up there through endless roadworks, parking in a field and running to the ground and then not getting anything to eat. Boiling hot day, boring 0-0 with zero chances either end, and my sister feinting. Everyone fell asleep on the way home. I was driving, missed a junction in the roadworks and added another hour to an already horrendous journey.

 

[Worried Man Blues]

I had a book on all the grounds so no problem, advanced for my age.

 

[BensGrandad]

We used to follow the blue and White scarves hanging out the back window and if that failed look for the floodlights or a local car with a sticker in the back window, or fans with scarves showing a general direction, but after the game get as near to the ground as possible and follow the coach out.

 

[Wardy's twin]

I remember being chased all around Preston before and after the game - We lost 3-0 and it was really shit.

Oh the memories.

which year was that?

 

[casbom]

I miss doing the drive to Carlisle! Easy to get to just takes around 5 hours to get there! Either parked in the field next to the stadium or just down the road in someones garden