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Football teams on trains
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EbbwJunction1
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I was at Cardiff Airport a few years ago, and the Cardiff City team were there flying to (I think) Norwich?
Strangely, a while later I happened to meet the Cardiff City coach driver, who told me that he'd driven all the way to the destination airport to take them to the ground. It wasn't, apparently, a rare happening.
Strangely, a while later I happened to meet the Cardiff City coach driver, who told me that he'd driven all the way to the destination airport to take them to the ground. It wasn't, apparently, a rare happening.
Class 170101
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Didn't the England Rugby Union manager travel by train and was subjected to horrific abuse including racism?
In a way I'm surprised the clubs use the train instead sticking to coaches where its a closed scenario.
In a way I'm surprised the clubs use the train instead sticking to coaches where its a closed scenario.
Mcr Warrior
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Unless mistaken, I can't see anything in the National League (Football Conference) handbook to that effect!
Failure to fulfil a fixture can, however, incur an (up to) £10,000 fine, the deduction of 3 points, paying opponents expenses incurred and possible expulsion from the competition.
Travelling by rail doesn't seem to be a get out of jail free card!
matt_world2004
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They took a coach between Euston and at pancras
It isn't that unusual, although in many cases teams actually hire another bus close to where they are playing from somewhere such as TeamBus. Quite often they are branded for the occasion as well.
That's what it says?
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to a certain extent they do but even a league like the Northern premier has teams from the North west or North east having to travel 150 miles to Norfolk for a game
I might also point out that for a non league team hiring a coach which can also carry a few (paying) supporters along with the team is probably a much cheaper option than 20 rail tickets ( most teams travel with 14 or 15 players plus managers coaches and physios even at non league level)
20 odd first class rail tickets from London to Lancaster, a coach from Lancaster to Barrow, a train from Dover to London and tube fares etc. Hardly a cheap option.
matt_world2004
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500 meters.That's what it says?
philthetube
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Evening,
I was in Barrow yesterday for the game and was a bit surprised to arrive at Holker Street and find that Dover were coming by train.
According to the home club official at the front door they had offered to send a coach to Preston to pick up the Dover team and send them back on the supporters bus.
Not to be though - my surprise being that to get to Barrow I left Edinburgh before they left London, just seems to be cutting it exceptionally fine for a National League. My disappointment at the game being off not as high though as the two guys sat in front of me on the way to Barrow who were discussing how they'd completed the 92 and were now doing the Conference. Better luck next time guys.
Anyway a nice new train from Lancaster to Barrow and then a cramped what I think was a 2 car 158 on the way back. Knock on from earlier was a long wait in Lancaster so a wee shunt into town for a couple of beers was the order of the day. Finally made it home 2 hours late.
Annoying but in the grand scheme of things its inconsequential and totally irrelevant compared to what the family and friends of the person involved in the incident are going through.
So here is what I saw of Holker Street and a quick snap of the sign at the station
I was in Barrow yesterday for the game and was a bit surprised to arrive at Holker Street and find that Dover were coming by train.
According to the home club official at the front door they had offered to send a coach to Preston to pick up the Dover team and send them back on the supporters bus.
Not to be though - my surprise being that to get to Barrow I left Edinburgh before they left London, just seems to be cutting it exceptionally fine for a National League. My disappointment at the game being off not as high though as the two guys sat in front of me on the way to Barrow who were discussing how they'd completed the 92 and were now doing the Conference. Better luck next time guys.
Anyway a nice new train from Lancaster to Barrow and then a cramped what I think was a 2 car 158 on the way back. Knock on from earlier was a long wait in Lancaster so a wee shunt into town for a couple of beers was the order of the day. Finally made it home 2 hours late.
Annoying but in the grand scheme of things its inconsequential and totally irrelevant compared to what the family and friends of the person involved in the incident are going through.
So here is what I saw of Holker Street and a quick snap of the sign at the station
randyrippley
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Evening,
I was in Barrow yesterday for the game and was a bit surprised to arrive at Holker Street and find that Dover were coming by train.
According to the home club official at the front door they had offered to send a coach to Preston to pick up the Dover team and send them back on the supporters bus.
Not to be though - my surprise being that to get to Barrow I left Edinburgh before they left London, just seems to be cutting it exceptionally fine for a National League. My disappointment at the game being off not as high though as the two guys sat in front of me on the way to Barrow who were discussing how they'd completed the 92 and were now doing the Conference. Better luck next time guys.
Anyway a nice new train from Lancaster to Barrow and then a cramped what I think was a 2 car 158 on the way back. Knock on from earlier was a long wait in Lancaster so a wee shunt into town for a couple of beers was the order of the day. Finally made it home 2 hours late.
Annoying but in the grand scheme of things its inconsequential and totally irrelevant compared to what the family and friends of the person involved in the incident are going through.
So here is what I saw of Holker Street and a quick snap of the sign at the station
If you like real ale Lancaster is definitely one of the better cities to get stuck in, so not all lost!
Leigh White
Member
I caught the 11-21 train from Wigan NW to Barrow on Friday morning to make sure i got there in time for the game
Once the delay to the train became known, the intention was to push back the kick off time.
The 0930 terminated at Preston around 1415. It is unclear why Dover did not either arrange for the coach due to meet tham at Lancaster to head south and collect them at Preston or take up Barrow's offer of sending a coach to Preston but, from what has been posted elsewhere, it appears the game was actually postponed before the train had reached Preston.
The National League should be asking serious questions as to why they were booked on the 0930. A 1200 scheduled arrival at Lancaster with a need to transfer to a coach for an hour road journey is making little allowance for any potential delay. Certainly, if I was travelling from London to Barrow as a spectator (obviously needing no time to get changed and have a warm up at the ground
) I would be on the 0830.Certainly, if I was travelling from London to Barrow as a spectator (obviously needing no time to get changed and have a warm up at the ground
Without doubt. I've done this journey and you would be off your head to book on the 0930, especially as players. I bet there were Dover fans on earlier trains than this too. It was very bad judgement by Dover. My personal view is that Barrow should be awarded a walkover and Dover fined by the league.
500 meters.
It's about double that. It's not far, but they were hardly going to get a bus. Apart from the number of people, they'd have a large amount of luggage to take between the stations.
Meanwhile in reality, football teams do not arrive at away grounds three hours early.
On the contrary I would suggest a scheduled arrival at the ground at 13.00, two hours before the game is leaving plenty of time.
ExRes
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matt_world2004
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468.2 meters along the Euston road according to Google maps
Indeed, and even 13:00 is a tad on the early side. Most teams like to ideally arrive around 13:30, giving players about half an hour to prepare and stretch their legs before warm-ups begin.
We often leave early when travelling by coach to games (always the same day as the game), meaning there is some flexibility if traffic is an issue. If the journey is going okay, however, we will stop at a services to avoid getting to the ground too early.
The coach isn’t perfect though, and on one occasion we got within ten miles of the ground before an accident closed the motorway ahead. Thankfully the match and league officials were happy to wait and the squad eventually arrived at 3pm, with kick-off 40 minutes later.
I was surprised that Dover etc didn’t have much padding in their schedules, but at the same time incidents like these cannot be predicted.
The squad make their own way to Euston or Kings Cross , few live in East Kent.
Indeed, picked up a map in the pub I ended up in which shows a 31 pub Real Ale trail round the town, puts the Glasgow Subcrawl firmly in its place!!
Sadly for me it was Lancaster Live this weekend which meant the city centre pubs were heaving by 5pm as most of them had live music on - had to wander a bit to find somewhere quiet for a seat. The John O'Gaunt pub had a 30 person queue IN THE AFTERNOON!!
I didnt even find out if the Barrow Bus Depot was nicer than a packet of Chewitts
My main complaint about the day would be the lack of information available at Lancaster - as the trains north kept slipping back, mine was due 13 minutes late when I got to the station but was eventually 43 late, there were no announcements beyond "we apologise for the delay...." which wouldn't have been much help in relation to the two consecutive trains for Edinburgh which were respectively terminated at Carlisle and cancelled.
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Mikey C
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Charlton regularly use the train to get to northern away matches, going the day before though. Indeed as a team they often go from SE London together
The team then travel back on the coach but sometimes players will take the train back individually if they want to be back home quicker. Last season after a game at Sunderland, one of the players was spotted with the Charlton fans taking the direct Grand Central train home!
The team then travel back on the coach but sometimes players will take the train back individually if they want to be back home quicker. Last season after a game at Sunderland, one of the players was spotted with the Charlton fans taking the direct Grand Central train home!
The coach without players can leave at an unsociable hour. It can also then carry most of the bulky stuff (even non-league teams cart a lot of stuff about) and you don’t have to worry about security or privacy as you have your own driver.
20 odd bulk discount, advancing booking, weekend first, tickets.....nice business for the TOC so amenable on pricing. A local coach, doing short trip. The players won’t be local to the team, so have to travel to a coach pick up point anyway - many will prefer getting to Euston.
DarloRich
Veteran Member
It is clear many posters here have no idea about football, financing non league clubs and non league football in general
It is almost as if the existence of cash passes you by! Most clubs at the kind of level under discussion cant afford many hotel stays in a season.
Bully for Barrow.
Wow 150 miles! what a journey. Home in time for tea league
I remember Preston being delayed by traffic for a game v Darlo at Feethams. They arrived after 3 and we saw them hot footing it around the cricket pitch. They got changed on the bus.
Darlington are in the North section. So are Gloucester, Hereford, Kettering, Kings Lynn, Lemington and Brackley. We only missed out on Oxford City because Gateshead were demoted.
Below that the Northern Premier league still has Grantham, Stafford & Mickleover in it. THe fursther south in that structiure is Sutton Coldfield & Wisbech. That is a decent journey from Whitby, South Shields, Morpeth or Scarborough! As is Kendal and Workington in reverse!
There was a long standing problem with north east based teams not taking promotion from the Northern League. That has skewed the numbers. It is also worth noting the quality of the "north" section is higher than the southern.
Exactly - @gazzaa2 kepes making statements withou any knowledge of cost or practicality. I know that coahc hire for my tea mis cheaper than using the train.
Most are. There are quite a few in Conference North. My team is not professional. All the players have real jobs. One in particular tweets about having gone straight from a match to night shift and vice versa.
Proper clubs like mine run a supporters club coach to every game. The players have their own coach and don't need the fans on there. That always seems tin pot to me.
Lancaster football ground is also ideally plced for the station. The fabulously named Giant Axe is right next door
Don't be silly.
Indeed - and what do you do if you arrive at 1130? The ground isnt open. Football is very much routine and trying to peak at certain times.
It is almost as if the existence of cash passes you by! Most clubs at the kind of level under discussion cant afford many hotel stays in a season.
Bully for Barrow.
Wow 150 miles! what a journey. Home in time for tea league
I remember Preston being delayed by traffic for a game v Darlo at Feethams. They arrived after 3 and we saw them hot footing it around the cricket pitch. They got changed on the bus.
Darlington are in the North section. So are Gloucester, Hereford, Kettering, Kings Lynn, Lemington and Brackley. We only missed out on Oxford City because Gateshead were demoted.
Below that the Northern Premier league still has Grantham, Stafford & Mickleover in it. THe fursther south in that structiure is Sutton Coldfield & Wisbech. That is a decent journey from Whitby, South Shields, Morpeth or Scarborough! As is Kendal and Workington in reverse!
There was a long standing problem with north east based teams not taking promotion from the Northern League. That has skewed the numbers. It is also worth noting the quality of the "north" section is higher than the southern.
Exactly - @gazzaa2 kepes making statements withou any knowledge of cost or practicality. I know that coahc hire for my tea mis cheaper than using the train.
Most are. There are quite a few in Conference North. My team is not professional. All the players have real jobs. One in particular tweets about having gone straight from a match to night shift and vice versa.
Proper clubs like mine run a supporters club coach to every game. The players have their own coach and don't need the fans on there. That always seems tin pot to me.
Lancaster football ground is also ideally plced for the station. The fabulously named Giant Axe is right next door
Don't be silly.
Indeed - and what do you do if you arrive at 1130? The ground isnt open. Football is very much routine and trying to peak at certain times.
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Last time I went to an away match in Cumbria, half of my team's supporters had to be taxied back from places like Crewe and Preston because of major disruption on the WCML after the game. Personally I'd always be out of London before 0800 at the latest for a match like that. How silly of me.
DarloRich
Veteran Member
I meant about awarding the match to Barrow.
but while you are on: I have been in that situation many times. Such is life. I get up to Darlo as regularly as I can. The latest I have ever left Kings Cross and made the game is 12:00. I got a cab to the ground and still had time for a quick pre match pint. If I am lucky I get home for MOTD. Often I get home at gone midnight and several times it has been in a cab.
The difference is we can turn up at 10:00 and go for a pint. The players cant. You don't want to them to be hanging around. You want to arrive, train, play. That's why they left when they did. It is part of their routine and pre match timetable
( it is also worth noting that the players will have met at Euston. I doubt very many live in Dover)
PS I got stuck in a snowdrift on the supporters coach on the A66 after we lost at Preston once after a mid week game. Perhaps I should have left the game before it started to avoid the snow.............
DarloRich
Veteran Member
As an aside I am SURE I did Darlington to Torquay ( or Exeter) and back in the day with the match in between when i was younger. it must have been 25/30 years ago.
Could that have really been possible?
Could that have really been possible?
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