[Football] How Late Have You Arrived For A Game

[studio150]

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.

 

[scooter1]

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

 

[Albion_Dave]

Broke down on the way to Forest for a midweek League Cup game, 1986ish.

Got there at half time & think we lost 3 nil.

 

[jackanada]

Can't remember which game but I had to miss it for a do with the in laws. It finished up earlier than expected and there route home passed the amex so I jumped out and ran in. Had to bang on the doors to get a steward round, then spend a minute explaining that no I want trying to re-enter the stadium I just hadn't been in yet.
Got to seat for 48th minute.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Leicester away about 15 years ago.

Carnage on the M1

Got there at half time having had to park because of more traffic and leg it across the city

 

[AmexRuislip]

Was 15 mins late for the away game at QPR, when Charlie Austin scored twice against us.
A40 traffic not always reliant....

 

[Whitechapel]

Not the latest, but the worst for me was Chelsea at The Amex.

Heard them score their first as I got off the train and heard the second go in as I was yards away from the stairs in the north concourse. Being 2-0 down before I’d even seen the pitch… too late to f*ck it off and go home, not able to just stay in the concourse and get pissed. Bloody horrible.

 

[Easy 10]

I got held up in traffic and arrived a few minutes late at Woking when we were there in the cup in 1992. I arrived on the terrace behind the goal just as the net bulged right in front of us. I was so flustered from the stress of missing the start and all the rushing around that I assumed it was us who'd scored, and started leaping around celebrating. Till I realised nobody else around me was, and I was getting some funny looks.

I felt a right prawn.

 

[HalfaSeatOn]

In the days of 7.30 kick offs, went to an adult education centre night class on Tuesdays (7 - 9 pm) and after popped in to the football ground next door when the exit gates opened towards the end of the match!

 

[Timbo]

Went to Walsall for a wierd cup game and left the social club about 15 minutes in, steward on the gate told us we were already 1 nil down so went back in the social club until half time. Ended up losing 5 nil and genuinely had never heard of some of our players before or since.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

1987 vs Preston after the Great Storm. I was living in London and the trains were all cancelled. Had to get a coach from Victoria which dropped me off (as a favour) at Waterhall. I jogged to Hove and was further delayed by the fallen trees in Hove Park. Arrived sometime in the 2nd half to watch the end of a dull 0-0. [MENTION=17389]DarrenFreemansPerm[/MENTION] doesn’t know he’s born

 

[Weststander]

Not the latest, but the worst for me was Chelsea at The Amex.

Heard them score their first as I got off the train and heard the second go in as I was yards away from the stairs in the north concourse. Being 2-0 down before I’d even seen the pitch… too late to f*ck it off and go home, not able to just stay in the concourse and get pissed. Bloody horrible.

Just as ESL folk were heading home.

 

[spoonie]

1987 vs Preston after the Great Storm. I was living in London and the trains were all cancelled. Had to get a coach from Victoria which dropped me off (as a favour) at Waterhall. I jogged to Hove and was further delayed by the fallen trees in Hove Park. Arrived sometime in the 2nd half to watch the end of a dull 0-0. [MENTION=17389]DarrenFreemansPerm[/MENTION] doesn’t know he’s born

Remember this dull 0-0 very well as was my mates 13th birthday treat awful game

 

[SweatyMexican]

I’ve only ever been to Wembley once. I think we beat Slovakia 2-1 a couple of years back.

Turned up at half time. My mate picking me up was 2 hours late

 

[The Optimist]

Doncaster away when we were both awful and we won 3-1 (?). Got there after 35 minutes, got in for free as there was no one on the turnstiles to take our money and the steward just let us in. Got to see all 3 Brighton goals.

 

[zefarelly]

My Dad took me to a match at the Goldstone ground with the Seeboard ST's in the Southstand ( only time I aver went in it) we weren't that late but were 1-0 up by the time we found our seats . . . . against Man City. 1981.

 

[GT49er]

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.

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!

 

[zefarelly]

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!

I went to that game, followed by a night out in Brizzle . . . I think we were late as well parked outside a Morris Minor garage, and went to see JTG @ the Uni the same evening.

 

[Wozza]

Half-time at Peterborough one year. Terrible traffic. And, as others have discovered, clubs really aren't set-up to admit fans that late.

At least 20min late for Barnet away, after blagging a lift with Paul Emblen (another story).

And something like 15min for the Euro 1996 final due to a missed train. Would have made a day of it if England had been there!

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Was 15 mins late for the away game at QPR, when Charlie Austin scored twice against us.
A40 traffic not always reliant....

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