[Albion] Seagull Special Train

[Cowfold Seagull]

Eurostar £298 return 8th to 10th November. Cheaper trains available at stupid times as well.

Ahhh yes, but the Eurostar is fast, comfortable, and guaranteed to depart and arrive pretty much on time.

The Seagull Specials were pretty much guaranteed to fail on all three of those counts.

 

[Brovion]

Many trips on Seagull Special, must have got lucky never suffered any breakdowns.... Happy days...

Yeah, I don't remember too many (if any) breakdowns. (I was on a coach to Forest). There were loads of delays, and the buffet car caught fire once on the way back from Grimsby, but all-in-all they were 'happy days' indeed. Dear old Stavros, what a legend he was. And who can forget that trip back from Newcastle?

 

[wellquickwoody]

Yeah, I don't remember too many (if any) breakdowns. (I was on a coach to Forest). There were loads of delays, and the buffet car caught fire once on the way back from Grimsby, but all-in-all they were 'happy days' indeed. Dear old Stavros, what a legend he was. And who can forget that trip back from Newcastle?

Mid to late 80s, mid week game, replacement coach got us to Forest around half time?

 

[Brovion]

Mid to late 80s, mid week game, replacement coach got us to Forest around half time?

I wasn't on that. I'd pretty much stopped going on the Seagull Specials when we got to the 1st division, I used to drive instead. Also I think they stopped being direct 'special' trains and we just got coaches added to standard services, and often they didn't start until London so we had to make our own way to a London terminus. I think I remember going to Middlesborough like that. However I could have mis-remembered all that.

 

[Vicar!]

Remember the midnight train that used to run from Manchester Piccadilly direct to Brighton. Some legendary nights in the Jolly Angler (anything but Jolly) and crawl back on the train and fall fast asleep in the slam door carriages that used to serve as a bed. Progress heh!

 

[Henfield One]

I remember being on the Special to Bristol Rovers away in the 77/78 season that never got to Bristol. It was an evening game and when we reached Bristol Parkway we were told that the match had been postponed due to bad weather and the train was turned around and we headed back to Brighton.

Yes I was on that train too. Midweek and I think we got stopped at Reading?

The Seagull Specials were the first journeys I went on that crossed London and travelled north without changing trains. Great times - great food on board and travelling with the players - a teenager's delight

 

[cheshunt seagull]

Sometimes Stavros used to walk up and down the train after the match asking for the blinds to be pulled down as we would be going through some dodgy areas. He was right at Maine road as the bricks came through the window shortly after!

I remember him doing that as we pulled away from Oldham and Blackburn. Stations in the North West seemed to have bricks conveniently piled up by the tracks.

 

[South Stand Bonfire]

John Vinicomb got me some Albion players autographs when my family were on the Manchester to London train in 1979 after the Old Trafford match. Wasn’t the Seagull Special though, just a normal BR service.

 

[Eeyore]

Think we did the snowy Peterborough FA Cup game on a Special.

One that we definitely did have a Special for was Hull City, in the 4th round of the FA Cup in January 1986. Boothferry Park had its own railway siding, so we were literally walked off the train into the ground.

It was a freezing day - the Albion won a thriller 3-2 (a couple from Connor maybe?). The train (they seemed to give football fans the oldest and least reliable rolling stock, as a rule) broke down on the way home. We got shunted into a siding somewhere near Nottingham and genuinely I think they forgot about us. The power went off - no lights or heating, in sub-zero temperatures for hours. We got back to Hove at about 3am I think.

Yes, I was on both of those. Peterborough was the famous match that should never have been played. When a lump of ice defeated Perry Digweed who should have been sent off long before anyway. I remember freezing in the seats and just wanting to go home, not caring about the result.

Hull City was a good day out, the station behind the ground as you say. In and out. I don't remember breaking down, but I do remember sitting at Chesterfield station for a long time and seeing the crooked spire. The fare was £18 (£51 in current money)

 

[Weststander]

Never travelled on one, but if I could go back in time and have one Albion-related experience it would be to travel on the train back from Newcastle to Brighton after we won promotion there in 1979!

We got back to Brighton about 10:30, after using normal Inter City trains.

I only found out decades later that the official train you’re referring to existed, rolling into Brighton at midnight, 10,000 noisy fans waiting to roar the players. Wish I was there,

 

[rigton70]

Liverpool in the League cup we lost heavily 3/4-0

 

[BN9 BHA]

I went to Blackburn Rovers on this train in 1978, some of the train windows were missing when we got back on after the match.

 

[Henfield One]

I remember taking a Seagull Special to Blackpool - we were escorted from the station along the prom to the ground. A police horse got freaked by a sudden loud noise and completely lost its footing and fell over taking the mounted police rider with him. We were quite frightened - it happened (as things seem to) in slow motion. Anyone remember?

 

[VAL1850]

Whilst we are on this thread, I know it's been said before but cannot remember but why cant they revive the good old seagull special

 

[origigull]

The first Seagull special I remember was to Sunderland (1/10/77).

I was also on one of the two ill fated specials to Forest. Believe there were 3 trains and only one got through.

I was on the one that got to Forest. I can't remember if it was this game or away to Derby in the cup year before / after where it was absolutely rammed in the away end so doubt it could fit any more BHA fans in.

 

[Bodian]

Whilst we are on this thread, I know it's been said before but cannot remember but why cant they revive the good old seagull special

Because they would have to involve about sixteen different companies & franchises.......

 

[tigertim68]

The 'First away game' thread had me searching through history. I went to many games on the special trains but
When did they first run?
When was the last trip?
Do you have many memories of sitting in the sidings in north London waiting for another diesel engine or driver. The Buffet Car with sausages and mash. Players on the train coming back, where they on going up though?

I think the first special was the away FA Cup match at Watfod , about 1975 ,the good guys won 3-0: