[Football] How Late Have You Arrived For A Game

[Stat Brother]

Forgive me as I've told this a fair few times but I do enjoy it.

Right back in the day we were stuck on the M4 heading for Swansea.
I said to the others 'its no point us all being late (about 20 mins) I'll take you to the ground before finding a parking space'.

By chance I arrived at the away turnstiles.
Even more surprising was the single parking space in front.

I assume it was previously occupied by a police car, which had left as we were so late.

So our latest arrival game happens also to be our quickest exit.



(Burnley was probably top 5, thanks to whomever recommended Buzz Bingo)

 

[Titanic]

Ask me again on Saturday.

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

I dont remember which game it was, but I missed the first half an hour once as I was having a tattoo done in town.

 

[AmexRuislip]

Crikey, you only had to travel up the road, and you were STILL late. Words fail me!

London traffic

 

[CAPTAIN GREALISH]

Swansea away a long time ago just made kick of second half
But got in for free it was a long day

 

[marlowe]

There have been a couple of occasions when I have switched on the radio around 3pm with the intention of listening to the match only to be confronted with the after match summary because I hadn't realised it was a lunchtime kick off. Can't remember which matches.

 

[Swansman]

32 years and counting

 

[boik]

Cup Final replay. South circular was blocked by a broken down lorry. Abandoned the car near Kew, hopped on a couple of trains and got in just in time to see Robson score.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Picking up on [MENTION=17389]DarrenFreemansPerm[/MENTION] post on the Burnley match thread of arriving in time to just see the second half, is this a record?

I once got caught in traffic and arrived at Ashton Gate having missed the first 20 minutes.

So any later than half time, or have you just turned around and gone home on the basis that you wouldn't make the start of the game.

Ummm..broke down on the way to see Villa away in our promotion season and only saw second half
Doubly annoying as I paid the most I’ve ever paid for a ticket..only one I could get was in one of the hospitality areas

 

[aberllefenni]

Chester away, mid-nineties. Left the pub with Roy Chuter at 2:15 with a mile and a half drive to the ground. By kick off time we had travelled approximately 400 yards. As half time approached we could see the ground so parked up. Unfortunately, our route to the ground was blocked by a high fence, which I might have been able to get over, but there was no way Roy could. We finally arrived with about 20 mins to go, but were delayed further whilst the stewards debated whether or not to let us in (they did eventually). In hindsight it would have been a quicker to have made that journey backwards on all fours and probably blindfolded.

 

[m20gull]

Exeter away. Arrived at half time after a long slow drive from Kent. All the turnstiles were shut but went to the ticket office and paid less than full price. Can't remember how we got let in.

 

[SeagullinExile]

Latest for me was half time, England v Holland at Italia 90. No tickets but the Police let us in for the 2nd 45.

 

[jackalbion]

Arrived in the town of Burnley 59 minutes before kick off on saturday, thats probably the latest I've ever got to a town, actually forget that missed about 10 mins of the 3-3 at West Ham in 2019/20 getting lost in the olympic park, that place is an absolute maze.

 

[Titanic]

Arrived in the town of Burnley 59 minutes before kick off on saturday, thats probably the latest I've ever got to a town, actually forget that missed about 10 mins of the 3-3 at West Ham in 2019/20 getting lost in the olympic park, that place is an absolute maze.

Thanks for your help Jack - seeing a friendly face at Leeds station was great - and thanks for the Dark Fruit... I owe you one

 

[jackalbion]

Thanks for your help Jack - seeing a friendly face at Leeds station was great - and thanks for the Dark Fruit... I owe you one

No problem, always happy to chat nonsense with another Brighton fan for an hour or two.

 

[Peter Grummit]

Stockport away about 15 years ago. Was at the game in good time but managed to headbutt the surrounding drystone wall outside the away end. Ale may or may not have been involved. Anyway, I was out cold and then spent the first half in the attending ambulance. Persuaded the paramedics I didn't need to go to A&E and Stockport kindly let me and my mate in for free at HT. Wandererd across to the away end and saw a late equaliser from Chippy Carpenter, I think. Memory is a bit hazy.

Sent from my SM-A105G using Tapatalk

 

[Munkfish]

It'll by no means be the latest, but the year Wigan romped League 1 we arrived at Withdean and were 2 nil down before we'd even got to our seats

Same for me.

I also turned up late to the AMEX and we werw 1-0 up Barnes had scored cant remember who we were against.

Also the city game I was talking to a friend in the concourse hadnt realised we had kicked off let alone had gone 1-0 down.

 

[Goring-by-Seagull]

I remember loads of train cancellations/delays for a home match against Peterborough in late 2012. Got to my seat at around 25 minute mark, having missed the opening goal by CMS.

I think that's the only time I've been late late. Got to Wolves away around 5 minutes in due to traffic in 2017 (the "Anthony Knockaert is simply box office!" game).

Otherwise we're always at least a good hour early.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

Got to Wrexham for the second half after a suicide in the line (circa late seventies) and the same for Swindon away at Bath when the Coach got stuck on the motorway (I think we were about 3-0 down listening to the game on the coach radio - should’ve turned round then, rather than watch the second half knowing the inevitable).

 

[Eric Youngs Contact Lens]

Bristol for me too - only Rovers, not City. It was when they were playing at Twerton Park in Bath - ot took me a while to find the ground - and a darned sight longer to find somewhere to park - annd then that left me with a 20 minute walk back to the ground! I eventually found one turnstyle left open ( it was about 25 minutes after kick off by then) and I asked the extremely grumpy old bloke at the gate what the score was. We've just scored, he grunted.

I carried on to the terraces, keeping my allegiance a bit quiet (Bristol supporters (both lots) can be a bit funny). Shortly before half time, we equalised. Just after half time, we got a pen and their GK was sent off - but the substitute keeper saved Codner's pen! A few minutes later, Byrne scored, and for the last half hour I was keeping my fingers and everything else crossed, hooping up and down hoping we didn't concede an equaliser. It was only when I was listening to the radio later that I found out we'd won 3-1, not 2-1. Rovers had just scored when I arrived - but what the miserable old git on the gate didn't tell me was that we'd scored five minutes earlier, and the score was 1-1! That was 30 minutes of biting my fingernails I'll never get back - B*stard!

Ha! Mine too was Rovers, but THAT game as part of the Russell Slade Great Escape and the Gary Hart show! I was due to be travelling from head office in Guildford up to Leeds for meetings the following day. Left Guildford about 4pm and as I drove towards the M4 Junction on the M25, made a snap decision to turn left and head to the game.. Not quite sure what time I arrived, but enough for the guy on the turnstiles, who was a lot happier than you encountered, gleefully tell me we were 1-0 down and I could get in for half-price! So assume it was just before half-time? The rest of the game was brilliant of course, beer (not mine) thrown all over the suit when we scored the winner and travelled on to Leeds arriving after 1.00am !! Felt like a super-fan!