What's your worst away day tale and why?

[Camborne Gills]

Too true Joe. It was only October 2nd, but I knew then it would cost us. I also went to the Watford away game where we should have had at least a point.

 

[Son of Cod]

Getting beat 6-1 by Wimbledon in the play offs in 2011

I remember this. Football genuis Micky Mellon decided to play Gregan and McNulty at centre back together. I don't think I've seen a defence terrorised as badly as they were by Kaid Mohammed that match.

 

[Chris]

Plus junior brown left back. Disastrous defence

 

[AnotherSaddler]

Back in the 70's we had a cup replay at Bradford City.
I was only 16 or 17 and looked younger than my age.

I got off the coach and followed everyone else to the pub, only (with one other lad, who I didn't know) to be refused entry, so we made our way to the ground, right outside the ground we got attacked (following my new mate mouthing off!) by four Bradford skinheads, took a punch or two before being rescued by the local police.

We eventually met up with the rest of the Walsall fans (we were in the side terrace, Midland Road?)
Bradford fans, including the skinheads - who recognised me and kept pointing me out - were gathered close by, more kept arriving from their end as the match wore on and there were a few skirmishes.

As the second half wore on I was desperate for the loo, only problem was I didn't fancy walking past the Bradford fans to get to it and couldn't go for a slash at the back of the terrace, the police had already ejected or arrested a Walsall fan for the same crime, I figured that there was 5 to 10 minutes left and decided to exit the ground in the opposite direction to where the Bradford fans were so that I could get to the loo in the adjacent terrace.
Trouble was I then found that I had to walk half way round the ground to get to the next loo.

As I came out of the loo the match had finished, so I walked to the coaches, when I got with in sight of the coaches I got punched and kicked by the skinheads (bastards) and legged it for the coaches, with a shiner of a black eye and a few bruises..

It was a cold night, below freezing, December I think and some kindly local had decided to put a brick through the front window of the coach.
Result was that we drove back over the top of the M62 and down the M6 with no front window and with another coach fairly close in front of us vainly trying to give us some shelter. It didn't work.

To add insult to injury, the mouthy little shite who I'd met earlier (and rightly blamed for getting me punched) was on the other coach, they'd all stripped to the waist and had torn newspaper up the form the words "ice-cool" and stuck it to the back window.

At least we won the match..

 

[BCFC]

Exeter the second of three trips to Devon for City in just under 2 weeks, the first was a trip to Plymouth on the Tuesday before which was a boring 0-0 draw but a great away day/night. Exeter on the other hand was awful, our week in the South West was ruined, as soon as we entered the away end it started to hailstone then piss it down with rain, we lost 4-1 and Exeter went 10 points ahead of us occupying the final play off spot, after such a great season and just a couple of weeks after the League cup final, walking out of that ground it felt like our season was over (although we did catch them and get promoted via the play offs), I'd never been so wet at a football match before up until Gillingham a few weeks ago.

 

[redjed]

Back in the 70s i went up to Carlisle, with a carload of mates, i was young, a bit of a lad, anyway went into a pub , which just happened to be locals pub, me one sniff of the barmaids apron, i decide to get gobby, stupid , stupid boy, i got kicked to hell and back, booted out of the pub, straight into local plods hands, now im stood in front of them , bleeding from mouth and nose , clothes shredded and a bit unsteady on my feet. i thought thats lucky , im not going to end up in the gutter. Oh dear, how deluded was i , next thing i know i have a pair of handcuffs on and being shoved into the back of a police van, with local plod taking it in turns to whack me, get to the police station , charged with drunk and disorderly and affray. Anyway im locked up for 8 hours then released with a summons gripped tightly in my hand to appear in carlislie magistrates in 2 weeks time, of course my mates had gone, i didnt have much money on me , so only option was to hitch it home...........
2 days later, i got home, soaked , freezing and looking like a tramp, to find out i had lost my job, my girlfriend wasnt speaking to me.
2 weeks later went to court , fined 10 pounds for being drunk and disorderly, the affray charge was dropped, and I HAVE NEVER BEEN BACK TO CARLISLE SINCE!!!!!

 

[King Kev]

Asked this question on my fanpage and had the following response -

Numerous to pick from - my first time in away end (aside from United in the cup) was a tuesday night game at Boundary Park. Poor away following with us bottom of the league, two goals down at HT, down to ten men early in the second half, fans turned on the manager, Oldham won at a breeze, our remaining fans cheered their fourth goal in stoppage time.

Shrewsbury away boxing day 2002 - first none local away game up near the playoffs and faced a Shrewsbury side struggling near the bottom. Battered 4-1, Shrewsbury only managed one more victory that season. Endured a long journey back on the coach listening to Liverpool fans ringing up talksport and moaning.

Grimsby 5-1 Bury August 2004. A decent opening few games for us had seen us draw away at Bristol Rovers and beat much fancied Yeovil as well as matching Championship Burnley in the league cup. Travelled to Grimsby full of hope, we scored early but gave up the lead not long after. Second half starts Grimsby get a penalty, Glyn Garner saves it. Resulting corner was swung in and the ref blows for another penalty, Garner saves again but our entire incompetent defence chose to just stand and watch as the Grimsby player followed up to score. We collapsed after that and Grimsby won at a counter. Had to walk out the ground through aload of gloating cods. I was a 17 year old college student who had travelled on the fan's coach so couldn't really drown my sorrows in the pub after the game. Instead I once more had to endure the radio on the way back. Why the coach driver decided to put on Radio Humberside was beyond me. Had to endure the sounds of celebrating gloating Grimsby fans talking about how they had ran us ragged, the female reporter claiming it helped having a 'rubbish' opposition keeper. The same rubbish keeper who had saved two penalties and stopped the result turning into a rugby score. Idiot! It just rubbed salt in the wound.

Chester 1-0 Bury. Returned to the place where we had won our cup second round replay three months earlier only to be booted out by the bent door handles of the FA. How things changed, when we won that replay we had been 8th/9th in the league with a good squad brimming with confidence. The bent injustice from the crooked gits of the FA sucked it all out of us. Took a last minute decision to conclude I was backing this game, it was a tuesday night and we were 9 without a win. Run had to end as we were being sucked towards the bottom 2 (does this season ring any bells?). Game was poor and edged towards a 0-0 draw then in the last minute a deflected cross hit the bar and fell at the feet of Glynn Hurst, all he had to do was kick the ball and that was it, 1-0 and bad run at an end. He missed his kick and fell over, as we all stood there head in hands Chester cleared their lines went up the other end got a penalty and scored.

Lincoln 1-0 Bury
Had to bore myself by going on the coach, driver got there with plenty of time but insisted on driving to the ground and parking up before we were allowed to get off. Left us with about an hour to have a drink. We lacked a cutting edge in a game we were desperate to win to stand a chance of the playoffs. Huffed and puffed and missed three good chances, Knill as usual had no idea how to change things to breakdown the opposition and just made his predictable like for like changes. Lincoln scored with ten mins to go. Their fans celebrated a few blocks away and rubbed the defeat in our faces. The discontent fans vented their feelings and started arguing amongst themselves. No post match pint to drown my sorrows, a long and boring journey home on the coach ensued. I never travelled on the fans coach again after that.

 

[Posh Red]

Back in the good old days, when Town occasionally won an FA Cup tie, we drew Newcastle away.
Having despatched First Division opposition (Norwich City) in the 3rd Round, expectations were high.
A football Special Train was laid on for the trek north, and so we boarded with much anticipation, that was about as good as the day got.
The train broke down, somewhere in the midlands. Not to worry, we've plenty of time to get there & sample a few pre match bevvy's.
Eventually the train got going again, only to stop a few minutes later.
Apparently we had left the guard behind so had to wait for him to amble his way back to the train.

So eventually we got going again, only for the train to stop in Crewe (I think) station, where another set of fans were waiting on the platform.
Much shouting, swearing & throwing of missiles until we eventually set off again.

It was becoming apparent that we were going to struggle to make it for 3pm, and the discussions then raged as to whether they would delay kick off.

On arriving in Newcastle (at about 3pm), we piled off the train to leg it to the ground asap.
Mr Plod however had other ideas, kept us at the station for what seemed like bloody ages until they had got everyone together.
A slow crawl to the ground followed, with plenty of obscenities being directed our way by the Toon Yoof.

Eventually we made it to the ground, having missed about 30 mins of the game.

We preceeded to get battered 5-0 by a Paul Gascoigne inspired Newcastle and then had to ensure a slow train back home.

To make matters worse, this was the game that the Swindon board decided to bet on Newcastle, to cover their costs of travel (on the basis that if we won we would have had the prize money plus a fifth round receipts to do so).
We all know how that worked out as a few years later that led to the investigation that cost us a place in the First Division.

All in all it was the shittest of shit days.

 

[GFCSludge]

Shrewsbury 7-0 Gillingham

Went there for the weekend, Mrs went shopping, I went to the game with a Shrewsbury supporting mate. 44mins in and we're 4-0 down, decided to sack it off and go and find the Mrs to earn some brownie points.

Couldn't get out the away end, found a steward and told him I wanted out, he said "If I let you out, you know you can't come back in?" I pointed out that as we were four down before half time I didn't want to come back in.

Got outside and tried to phone the Mrs, but in her wisdom she'd let her mobile battery run flat. Had no choice but to return to my car in the park-and-ride and wait for her while listening to a game I'd paid to be at and left as goals 5, 6 and 7 went in.

As I waited for her bus to arrive, hundreds of thronging, happy Salopians arrived back at their cars, saw my car complete with Gills stickers and miffed occupant and proceeded to take the mickey with great gusto.

Got revenge the following May though....

 

[GFCSludge]

Also an honourable mention for a 0-0 draw away at Preston in the early 00's, my mate cried off the night before so I went on my own, got massively stung on the train tickets and arrived in Lancashire a little too well lubricated. Eventually found the ground, watched a game I have absolutely no memory of and made my way back to the station.

In my rather refreshed state I looked at the arrivals board rather than departures board and soon wondered why the train I'd boarded wasn't going back to London the same way it had arrived. The tannoy announcement on the train soon confirmed I was bound for Glasgow, cue panicked exit at Lancaster and a long wait for the final train to London, which on arrival was followed by the final tube and the final train to Kent.

Got home about 18 hours after I'd departed, about £100 lighter with virtually no recollection of the game.

 

[TomPNE94]

I've not had very many extremely bad away days. The only two I can really think of is losing 5-0 at Gillingham on the opening day of the season and the Barry Knight game at Forest (I was only 9, got very irate and my dad had to take me off to sit somewhere as I started joining in calling the referee a wanker )

 

[Chris Cov 87]

Barnsley away live on sky 99 I think. Tuesday night Dublin, Huckerby and Whelan all out through suspension or injury. Lost 2-0 and roof didn't have a stand so got drenched followed by 3 hour coach back

 

[GFCSludge]

I've not had very many extremely bad away days. The only two I can really think of is losing 5-0 at Gillingham on the opening day of the season

One of my favourite ever home games, put us top of the extremely formative Championship table. Also Sean Gregan hitting his own post with a header to nearly make it 6-0 was a highlight in the long-running Gills/Gregan relationship.

 

[THE LAST WALTZ]

One of my favourite ever home games, put us top of the extremely formative Championship table. Also Sean Gregan hitting his own post with a header to nearly make it 6-0 was a highlight in the long-running Gills/Gregan relationship.

Whisper it, but I fucking loved Gregan, in a sort of Christopher Lee/Peter Cushing sort of way.

 

[Shapemaker]

Plymouth away. Lost 7-0. Conceded 5 in the first 18 minutes. Great day.

 

[Indian Dan]

Went to Pompey late 90s. Got stopped for speeding on the way down, got arrested for absolutely nothing in the ground and, fuck me, got done for speeding again on the way to court. Lost a day's wages and the arsehole Plod who nicked me didn't even turn up in court and it got thrown out.

Shite

 

[Football Purist]

Back in the 70's we had a cup replay at Bradford City.
I was only 16 or 17 and looked younger than my age.

I got off the coach and followed everyone else to the pub, only (with one other lad, who I didn't know) to be refused entry, so we made our way to the ground, right outside the ground we got attacked (following my new mate mouthing off!) by four Bradford skinheads, took a punch or two before being rescued by the local police.

We eventually met up with the rest of the Walsall fans (we were in the side terrace, Midland Road?)
Bradford fans, including the skinheads - who recognised me and kept pointing me out - were gathered close by, more kept arriving from their end as the match wore on and there were a few skirmishes.

As the second half wore on I was desperate for the loo, only problem was I didn't fancy walking past the Bradford fans to get to it and couldn't go for a slash at the back of the terrace, the police had already ejected or arrested a Walsall fan for the same crime, I figured that there was 5 to 10 minutes left and decided to exit the ground in the opposite direction to where the Bradford fans were so that I could get to the loo in the adjacent terrace.
Trouble was I then found that I had to walk half way round the ground to get to the next loo.

As I came out of the loo the match had finished, so I walked to the coaches, when I got with in sight of the coaches I got punched and kicked by the skinheads (bastards) and legged it for the coaches, with a shiner of a black eye and a few bruises..

It was a cold night, below freezing, December I think and some kindly local had decided to put a brick through the front window of the coach.
Result was that we drove back over the top of the M62 and down the M6 with no front window and with another coach fairly close in front of us vainly trying to give us some shelter. It didn't work.

To add insult to injury, the mouthy little shite who I'd met earlier (and rightly blamed for getting me punched) was on the other coach, they'd all stripped to the waist and had torn newspaper up the form the words "ice-cool" and stuck it to the back window.

At least we won the match..

And that was what it was like at football matches back in the 70's.
You just wouldn't get that type of thing happening anywhere now.
Aaaah...nostalgia.

 

[THE TERRACEMAN]

In the 1974/5 season we drew Mexborough Town Athletic in the FA Trophy. When arriving in the town with 2or3 coaches of supporters none of the locals knew where the ground was. We did eventually find it and enjoyed a couple of pints in a nice social club over looking a ramshackle ground with delapadated rotting corrugated sheeting covered areas. The chairman of the club said to me "you've bought a few fans" I replied not really just 2 or 3 coaches" his reply was "and all that lot out there". I looked out to see quite a mob of youths in blue and white shirts, I told him "there not our fans, we play in black and amber(as it was then)" "well they're not our fans" he replied ! The penny dropped, they were Wednesday fans !!! They looked a bit rough with there Doc Martens on, short jeans and denim jackets, and I feared the worst. Not a copper or steward in the ground and it was carnage ! I was only about 17/18 and was knocked out as I got through the turnstile !
I came round and dazed I asked some one the score, 3-0 to Mexborough, they had only been playing 20 minutes ! I staggered around to the tea bar probably with concussion. A youth asked if I wanted a tea and a pie, naively I said yes, he proceeded to tip the tea all over me, pushed the pie in my face and head butted me and along with his mates gave me a few good kicks while I was on the ground too for good measure !
Next thing I knew it was half time but there was some good news, Albion had scored ! I looked around to see if I could find any Albion fans, I could they were huddled at the far end of the ground. Gingerly I made my way along there to find friends and fellow fans in a disoriented state having suffered a similar fate to myself.
The second half started and still no police at the ground. We were left alone for a while( I think the had satisfied there lust for blood), however this all changed, we scored a late goal and then in injury time a chance fell to Ian Storey Moore, I was hoping he would miss as by this time the baying mob had started to move in our direction again, alas Moore buried the chance and we earned a replay. Unfortunately at the final whistle we were caught in a pincher movement, the mob had come up both sides and across the pitch, we were trapped on the small terrace with no where to go, despite valiant efforts we were battered black and blue. It got worse on returning to the coaches as many had the windows bricked in and we had to wait for replacement coaches. However the police did turn up now seeing as there was damage to property !
I remember waking up the next morning to play Sunday football, I turned up covered in bruises and in pain and couldn't play. I ended up in A&E on Monday for X-rays on my ribs ! Up the Albion !!!!!

 

[Football Purist]

In the 1974/5 season we drew Mexborough Town Athletic in the FA Trophy. When arriving in the town with 2or3 coaches of supporters none of the locals knew where the ground was. We did eventually find it and enjoyed a couple of pints in a nice social club over looking a ramshackle ground with delapadated rotting corrugated sheeting covered areas. The chairman of the club said to me "you've bought a few fans" I replied not really just 2 or 3 coaches" his reply was "and all that lot out there". I looked out to see quite a mob of youths in blue and white shirts, I told him "there not our fans, we play in black and amber(as it was then)" "well they're not our fans" he replied ! The penny dropped, they were Wednesday fans !!! They looked a bit rough with there Doc Martens on, short jeans and denim jackets, and I feared the worst. Not a copper or steward in the ground and it was carnage ! I was only about 17/18 and was knocked out as I got through the turnstile !
I came round and dazed I asked some one the score, 3-0 to Mexborough, they had only been playing 20 minutes ! I staggered around to the tea bar probably with concussion. A youth asked if I wanted a tea and a pie, naively I said yes, he proceeded to tip the tea all over me, pushed the pie in my face and head butted me and along with his mates gave me a few good kicks while I was on the ground too for good measure !
Next thing I knew it was half time but there was some good news, Albion had scored ! I looked around to see if I could find any Albion fans, I could they were huddled at the far end of the ground. Gingerly I made my way along there to find friends and fellow fans in a disoriented state having suffered a similar fate to myself.
The second half started and still no police at the ground. We were left alone for a while( I think the had satisfied there lust for blood), however this all changed, we scored a late goal and then in injury time a chance fell to Ian Storey Moore, I was hoping he would miss as by this time the baying mob had started to move in our direction again, alas Moore buried the chance and we earned a replay. Unfortunately at the final whistle we were caught in a pincher movement, the mob had come up both sides and across the pitch, we were trapped on the small terrace with no where to go, despite valiant efforts we were battered black and blue. It got worse on returning to the coaches as many had the windows bricked in and we had to wait for replacement coaches. However the police did turn up now seeing as there was damage to property !
I remember waking up the next morning to play Sunday football, I turned up covered in bruises and in pain and couldn't play. I ended up in A&E on Monday for X-rays on my ribs ! Up the Albion !!!!!

But that aside you had a lovely day in Mexborough.

 

[THE TERRACEMAN]

But that aside you had a lovely day in Mexborough.

Breath taking views of the pit ! We had several others in the 70's and early 80's which weren't quite as bad but not far off ! I will enlighten yo later as I'm off to watch the mighty Brewers now !

 

[Reaper]

In the 1974/5 season we drew Mexborough Town Athletic in the FA Trophy. When arriving in the town with 2or3 coaches of supporters none of the locals knew where the ground was. We did eventually find it and enjoyed a couple of pints in a nice social club over looking a ramshackle ground with delapadated rotting corrugated sheeting covered areas. The chairman of the club said to me "you've bought a few fans" I replied not really just 2 or 3 coaches" his reply was "and all that lot out there". I looked out to see quite a mob of youths in blue and white shirts, I told him "there not our fans, we play in black and amber(as it was then)" "well they're not our fans" he replied ! The penny dropped, they were Wednesday fans !!! They looked a bit rough with there Doc Martens on, short jeans and denim jackets, and I feared the worst. Not a copper or steward in the ground and it was carnage ! I was only about 17/18 and was knocked out as I got through the turnstile !
I came round and dazed I asked some one the score, 3-0 to Mexborough, they had only been playing 20 minutes ! I staggered around to the tea bar probably with concussion. A youth asked if I wanted a tea and a pie, naively I said yes, he proceeded to tip the tea all over me, pushed the pie in my face and head butted me and along with his mates gave me a few good kicks while I was on the ground too for good measure !
Next thing I knew it was half time but there was some good news, Albion had scored ! I looked around to see if I could find any Albion fans, I could they were huddled at the far end of the ground. Gingerly I made my way along there to find friends and fellow fans in a disoriented state having suffered a similar fate to myself.
The second half started and still no police at the ground. We were left alone for a while( I think the had satisfied there lust for blood), however this all changed, we scored a late goal and then in injury time a chance fell to Ian Storey Moore, I was hoping he would miss as by this time the baying mob had started to move in our direction again, alas Moore buried the chance and we earned a replay. Unfortunately at the final whistle we were caught in a pincher movement, the mob had come up both sides and across the pitch, we were trapped on the small terrace with no where to go, despite valiant efforts we were battered black and blue. It got worse on returning to the coaches as many had the windows bricked in and we had to wait for replacement coaches. However the police did turn up now seeing as there was damage to property !
I remember waking up the next morning to play Sunday football, I turned up covered in bruises and in pain and couldn't play. I ended up in A&E on Monday for X-rays on my ribs ! Up the Albion !!!!!

Nice story that mate even though it sounded lke you had a bad day, im from Mexborough and i can imagine it being that rough in those days as its a rough little town now tbf, the club what over looks the ground is called the athletic club, i dont think they have a football team anymore because i think it folded in the mid 90's unless they changed their name, either way they must be bad if they still have a team because i never hear about them. The town is full of Wednesday, Rotherham and Donny fans lately and few Blades and Barnsley aswel.

 

[hbk4894]

Great thread

 

[Aber gas]

Being punched in the face, told I'm marked and threatened with death. Midlands non-league club. Won't go in further.

Nuneaton ?
Edit . Ignore me mate, just read the rest of the thread!

 

[Ciderhead]

Doncaster away in the Championship a few years back, we'd got as far as Birmingham before the news came through it had been called off. Villa v West Brom was the early kickoff that day, so we thought rather than make it a wasted journey we'd head over and see if we could scrounge a couple of tickets on the door.

Guy I'm with, in his infinite wisdom, goes oh I know where it is I've done it before, we can walk it, no problem. So rather than check for directions or get a taxi or whatever we just set off. Anyway, to cut a long shory short, over an hour passes, it's 1.00 and we're still wandering about, that dilapidated building with the windows boarded up is looking suspiciously like the dilapidated building with the windows boarded up we passed half an hour ago, it's started to rain, and a friendship is getting very strained.

So we finally decided to fuck it off, after essentially going on a day trip exploring the wonderous range of industrial and council estates Birmingham has to offer.