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cup of tea 2:40 Fri Apr 24
Away Game 'Horror Stories'

No, not fighting on the terraces or in the opposition town centre, I am talking about travel nightmares. We have all had them, missing games, rail cancelled, stuck on motorways, no planes for the rare occassions we have been away in Europe.

What is YOUR worse experience? Luckily I have only had a few and not that bad as to effect missing the match (all of it anyway)

First one was Bolton away in the FA Cup - think we drew 0-0 and on the way back the old bill diverted us to Manchester and then we had to wait about 2 hours for a train, then we had signal failure, then there was a tarckside fire near London and we had to get off at Watford. The journey home including a taxi from Watford took around 8 hours.

The second one for me was Pompey away, Boxing Day I think. Coach broke down en route to Fratton Park and we had to wait in a layby for about 2 hours waiting for a replacement. Got to the ground about 20 mins after KO, queued about 10 mins to get in via one turnstile, then needed a piss in a small fucked up excuse for a toilet in the away end and ended up missing most of the game as we stayed at the bar.

You cunts?

Far East Hammer 6:41 Mon Apr 27
Re: Away Game 'Horror Stories'

Not really "away game" story as such but, when a student in Newcastle, Saturday afternoons around the toon could get interesting.

I recall one instance of a load of Coventry fans legging through the first (or possibly even second) floor of Eldon Square shopping centre, with a Newcastle mob running after them, in turn pursued by MOUNTED police.

Not to mention several instances of being approached in a boozer when someone clocked my accent, to be asked "oi! meyt! are yooz a cockerney wanka stoodent shite!?" to which I used to have to reply "Yeah mate. West Ham an'all, in fact, But see that bloke in the corner looking a bit sheepish, half-way through his pint, I think you'll find he's a fackin' mackem" - to which the reply would invariably be "alreet, cheers marra" - which gave me just enough time to finish my pint and scarper

Hugh Monteith 1:37 Mon Apr 27
Re: Away Game 'Horror Stories'

Heard about tam my picking a fight with acondom vending machine because it didn't dispense his favorite choc bar.

wanstead_hammer 1:31 Mon Apr 27
Re: Away Game 'Horror Stories'

Haha. Remember the Grey Green depot at Mile end.
And didnt the coaches to Clacton etc used to pick up/drop off behind Maryland station?

joe royal 1:25 Mon Apr 27
Re: Away Game 'Horror Stories'

Grey green. That's a blast from the past

Lacys coaches anyone ?

SDKFZ 222 1:21 Mon Apr 27
Re: Away Game 'Horror Stories'

Another one going back into the mists of time was getting back home from the Cup winners cup final in 1976.

After the massive disappointment of losing against Anderlecht, in a match we could have potentially won, the coaches had to race back to Zeebrugge, I think, in order to catch the ferry. However, we did it by the skin of our teeth after being held up in traffic jams in Brussels amongst thousands of celebrating locals.

I distinctly remember dozens of pissed up and hung over Hammers sleeping on the floor and in the aisles of the ferry during the crossing. I travelled by Grey Green on that occasion and we finally got back to their depot at Mile End at about ten in the morning.

zebthecat 10:57 Sun Apr 26
Re: Away Game 'Horror Stories'

Not West Ham (guess it could in the guilty secrets thread too) but a friend of mine university was from Doncaster and a big Donny fan (Ian Snodin was the man at the time) and (for reasons that are still inexplicable) we decided to go the Leeds away game.
Getting to the game was easy enough but getting back (to Lancaster) was just one protracted of the gauntlet. Large groups of Leeds everywhere waiting on the trains to pick off donny fans, How we got back without copping a beating is a mystery.

m11 10:47 Sun Apr 26
Re: Away Game 'Horror Stories'

Getting back from Madrid after the Castilla game in 1980. After all the trouble the coaches had an hour to get to the outskirts of the city or would all be detained.
It was then a horrendous 28 hour non stop coach journey back to the ferry.
Also remember a mid 70s night match at Derby one of the first organised by the reformed Irons Trvel Club.
Return journey in the guards cab not getting back to London until about 6am the following morning

SDKFZ 222 4:23 Sun Apr 26
Re: Away Game 'Horror Stories'

The 0-6 away loss at Oldham has to be up there for me.

I went on the football special, hardly any problems going, but we were route marched to the ground in the pouring rain by the police, got soaked on the open terrace throughout the match and then endured a nightmare journey home. For some reason we were shunted into sidings at Stockport for over an hour and we finally got back to Euston at about 5am! Our clothes were still steaming from the soaking and then we had to wait for the buses and trains to start again before finally getting home.

The Palace play off final journey was also a mare, but on our coach we had to wait for about 6 passengers who had decided to have a couple of pints before returning to the coach. Despite the majority wanting to leave them behind the steward and driver waited for them, so we waited over an hour for them, which made matters even worse.

mallard 3:35 Sun Apr 26
Re: Away Game 'Horror Stories'

The play-off final versus Palace was hell, two sets of London clubs travelling together up the M4.

Got there 20 mins after kick-off to witness a pathetic performance and another season in the Championship.


The longest return journey ever!!!

NHD 6:57 Sun Apr 26
Re: Away Game 'Horror Stories'

Joe royal,
To ad too all the confusion, it was the first game of the season and everyone was calling Morley and bish murders and puffs ! I really thought i'd lost it that day ffs

joe royal 3:46 Sun Apr 26
Re: Away Game 'Horror Stories'

NHD 11:21 Fri Apr 24
Re: Away Game 'Horror Stories'

*Raises hand

Robwhu2 1:54 Sun Apr 26
Re: Away Game 'Horror Stories'

Bulphan

I was booked on that cancelled flight, and had to get. The eurostar too.. Fucking nightmare of a journey... Still, got £200 comp from etihad airline, more than paid for the train

Also cardiff away in the play off semis- just got back on the m25, and me cambelt snapped in my car.. Got home about 7am the next day...

Oi wot u looking at? 1:28 Sun Apr 26
Re: Away Game 'Horror Stories'

Years ago got the 101 back to north woolwich. All the light bulbs got busted it was proper scary. Then after we got thru the tunnel someone said ther was loads of M i##wall was waiting for us at the other end. Of course the wasnt but it was still fucking nightmare.

taffy apple 12:49 Sun Apr 26
Re: Away Game 'Horror Stories'

Have also woken up on a building site, in a skip, in a cemetery, and in someone's garden shed after Hammers' games. Too old for that shit now.

taffy apple 12:46 Sun Apr 26
Re: Away Game 'Horror Stories'

Derby away about 12 years ago. 0-0 draw. Started drinking at 11am, finished about 15 hours later. Woke up on a roundabout in Derby. National Express driver felt sorry for me and took me to Birmingham. Burst into tears upon arrival in Digbeth, puked my guts up when I got back to Cardiff.

Pop Pop Robson 11:48 Sat Apr 25
Re: Away Game 'Horror Stories'

Away to millwank many years ago running battles all day long on the way back to the Station a dozen of us got separated when about 50 millwank dockers ran at us with axes and knives we stood no chance so legged it into the station with the option of trying to fight them off or run into the tunnel we chose the tunnell rather than decapitation as we did a train came thundering down the tunnell so we had to flatten ourselfs against the wall talk about shit myself they turned off the power and old bill turned up to escort us back to the platform,got back to Stepney but never been so scared shitless in all my life.

Sarge 11:02 Sat Apr 25
Re: Away Game 'Horror Stories'

7 hours to get home from the 6-0 cup game at OT a few years back wasn't much fun

Briano 12:05 Sat Apr 25
Re: Away Game 'Horror Stories'

Not a Hammers game but Mexico vs Senegal at Wembley during the Olympics.

I'd bought 6 tickets a year in advance, but on the day only needed 4 for the Mrs and two (adult) boys.

The demand for tickets was phenomenal so Decided to sell the spares on the day. I didn't know that an emergency law had been passes in Paliament making it illegal to buy or sell Olympic tickets.
Doing the deal on Wembley Way three plain clothes old bill jumped on me, I was unceremoniously carted off much to the amusement of the trouble an dustbins

foreverdreaming 11:42 Fri Apr 24
Re: Away Game 'Horror Stories'

Well it was midweek and cold, maybe not Tuesday or december

foreverdreaming 11:41 Fri Apr 24
Re: Away Game 'Horror Stories'

Man Utd away the Bartez offside goal! My first away day, was pretty young! The excitement got to me, had a massive headache all game. When the ledger scored and the place went crazy every one knocking me, I threw up all over the geezer seat in front of me. My old man had to tell him not to sit down, not that any one was anyway. Dad got worried and took me to there medical room. Hooked me for life though. Not to mention the next time we went old Trafford we got absolutely battered! Palace last season on a Tuesday in December was bloody horrible as well

foreverdreaming 11:35 Fri Apr 24
Re: Away Game 'Horror Stories'

Bristol away in the cup this year was a absolute mission! So badly organised not sign posted and a bloody long walk

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