TOP AWAY DAYS

[barrowaberdeen]

Ever with Barrow A.F.C. Can have any or all the constituent elements you like. Result, craic, drink, songs, women, moments of madness, things that don't make sense when you try to explain them to others- even some football if you like. Life on the road (or rail) with Barrow, to get us in the mood for next year- never mind this World Cup stuff.

5 of mine are

Kidderminster Away 2008: First Time I went on the bus, won the sweep, broke down, invaded a service bus, all the time dressed as a steward for a mickey take with tabards someone had lifted out the yard. Very drunk, we won, commentary said "and the stewards are dancing"

Wembley 2010 for the walk to ground, Ruins giving me a can of Jack Daniels and Coke at 6am, Reg's voluble complaints climbing the hill to the pub, the march, the hysteria, bedlam.

Woking Away- We got stuffed and the game was crap, but in London with friends, crossing the Thames, great pubs, sunshine, Grant Holt bought us all beer on the way home.

Eastbourne Away- The pub car park, the conga, f--ing Ribble!

Chester last season, support was wonderful, two poor teams at the times but we played with real heart, great day out all day.

It's making me think of about 20 more- can't beat it. Roll on next season.

[A.B.]

Good topic, BA. In no order mine are:

1. Solihull (2007) - first time on the 'funbus' as it was back then, 14 years old. Meeting some people for the first time, who are now friends of mine. Absolutely belting away day, that was when I caught the bug well and proper.

2. Eastbourne (2008) - even though I didn't do the weekender, it was a brilliant atmosphere and it was one big party. Quality goal by Boydy as well to win the game.

3. Telford (2008) - in the league, quality day out, sang throughout the game. First time I thought we could go on and get promoted.

4. Play-off Final

5. Wembley

Bottom two for obvious reasons. Could've easily picked a good 10/15, special mentions to Wukkie away (2013 & 2008), Oxford in the FA Cup, Altrincham (2008), Luton (2009), Redditch (2008) the list goes on. Most memories are during the promotion season/first couple of seasons in the BSP. Not got to as many as I would've liked to during my university years.

[boyliegladbach]

Colne
Enfield
Wembley x2
Bolton
Woking. Lived 3 mile from ground but still went all way to London first on that hot day.

[JimmyCrabstick]

1/ Rotherham 1988 - Best away atmosphere for me. 2000 Barrow fans, seemed very loud that day.

2/Wembley 1990 - Was it the Greyhound pub next to the old ground? The 3 of us went around Soho pubs after the game and saw actor Richard Harris in one. Kipped in a knackered Ford Granada and drove back the next morning. Great weekend!

3/Oldham - Good atmosphere in that popular away fans pub.

4/Bolton 1991

5/More recently enjoyed the Witton Albion game when Boyes scored 4. Little pub called The Salt Celler or something. Friendly clubhouse to.

[LDBF]

Wembley 1990

Bath 1991

Yeovil 1991 (VERY LONG walk from station to town, then find they have a new ground - then a longer walk back)

Wembly 2010

Ebbsfleet 2013 (closer to the station(s) than Holker Street is)

[spirit of 1990]

Not sure about the order but -

Wembley 1990 - top day out with mates & then met up with another mate who had moved to London the previous year.

Wembley 2010 - Me & the wife went & stayed with her dad on the Friday night & met up with & stayed the lad who'd moved to London twenty one years previous (above) on the Saturday night before heading back on Sunday.

Kidderminster 88 (?) Trophy replay when we met up with Cols who lived down South. As we said our goodbyes after the game a mini bus load of us enlightened him of a few clothes in a truckers car park, the only things we gave him were his boxer shorts, trainers & train ticket to get back home in! His clothes were pinned to the Bay Horse notice board till he was next in Barrow
I'm sure Mike Wilson will tell you Cols has never mentally recovered.......& he managed to evade an arrest!

Wukkie this year. Brilliant atmosphere in the pub beforehand, fantastic atmosphere in the ground, top result & to finish it all off, their "previously" top player scoring the winner for us to send us on that fantastic run.

And lastly, probably Rotherham just for the atmosphere in the ground. Shame about the result & the idiots who decided that previous to the game that the mini bus we were running were the "Barrow crew" as they decided to label us! they then thought it a good idea to kick off in their local & follow us to the next pub where the police were called by the landlord, we got to the ground ok only to find after the game they'd smashed the windows in our mini bus.....long journey back to Barrow with the wind whistling through a fifteen seater.

Ahh, the memories......

Loads of others (Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Dover, play-offs, Bolton) but off the top of my head, that's about it.

[barrowfan_chris]

Cracking thread and there are loads of trips in which the football has ruined a cracking day.

1) Redditch away promotion season absolutely fantastic the most drunk I had been in a football ground, the game was played on a swamp. I met my uncle Martin who was working down there and decided it would be a good idea to sing Barrow songs in the middle of a shopping centre.

2) Burton Play off final atmosphere in the stand behind the goal was probably one of the best ive seen at a Barrow game loud all game non stop. The result meant everything from where we were in November to where we ended up. The pitch invasions and the service stations on the way home with Barrow fans was brilliant.

3) Wembley 2010 wasn't old enough to go in 1990 I was 3 years old. The whole weekend in London absolutely amazing.

4) Kidderminster 2008 for the same reasons as Barrow Aberdeen brilliant.

5) Braintree away for stu's birthday 3-2 with a cross that went in bus broke down and we had to stay in the bar singing with the players brilliant day.

There are so many trips that have been good Chester away last year, Wrexham away getting the rail replacement bus Stu shouting "Everyone he is the driver he's driving the bus, Everyone we are Barrow we are running the bus" the hen party enjoyed us, Workington last season, Crawley lady in red song from colty, Woking away hottest game ever. Tamworth games always great company.

I could mention many more cant wait to start again.

[Steeley]

Flixton.

[xerxes]

Most of my favourites have already been mentioned, so I'll tell you my worst - Stafford in 1972-73. My first game since we lost our League status. We lost 7-0. Totally depressed - just 3 years earlier we had been top of Division 3 - how had it come to this?

[Gasser]

When I used to travel away regularly in 80s/90s it was more about a good day out with the lads.

Cant remember specific dates but here goes

Lancaster=first ever away game as schoolie,mam wasnt keen but I badgered & badgered until she relented on the promise that I would be on my best behavour,she was happy until someone brought a copy of the Lancaster evening paper to where she worked which included a pic of me & my mate stood in front of smoke bomb someone had let off.

Stafford=16 of us on a 12 seater mini bus,I was last on at Dalton so had to sit in the footwell/step of the door,nearly drowned in a tsuanami of spilt beer & fag butts every time we went round a corner.

Wycombe= got mullered 5-0,went to shout my admirations at some young ladys in a car on a busy duel carrigeway out of the window of the sliding minibus door when the door opened,proper Frank Spencer moment,dont know to this day how I never fell out.

Droylsden=McKenna got a hatrick & Rowlands threw his boots in to the crowd because it was his last game/cracking atmosphere.

Runcorn=loads of boozers on the way from the station to the ground & back again,bar the grotty hole that used to be right outside canal st.

Those & the cup/trophy games stick out for me.....Oh & Hyde 84 was a bit special for a 0-0 draw.

[Shaun]

Wembley 1990. 4 of us hitch-hiked the whole thing in pairs. Went on the Friday, got there for 11pm, dossed at St Pancras, met up outside twin towers, played cards in the sun, rescued by a coach driver who (after insistence from passengers) gave us a lift to The Duke Of Ed when all we had was a Bounty and 83p between us! Magical.

AND, some absolutely brilliant lads treat us to a beer and fish and chips when we stopped at a pub, by a canal in Coventry. Eternally grateful.

[McMark]

Great Idea Steve! Quite new to the away days managed 10 last season all good Days nights, wish I started travelling earlier,top five so far are;

5) Brackley Town, FA cup 0-0 nice friendly club, real ale on tap, should have won. Haven't seen Chief since
4) Leamington, league, 1-1 should have won, Drank them out of Brakes fluid.
3) Stockport County, FA Trophy 2-3 murdered them on a cold Tuesday.
2) AFC Telford league, 0-1 smashing boozer nearby real ale, Won and they didn't like it one bit when we joined them at their end of the ground for the second half and their drummer kept the rhythm beat to our vocals.
1) Colwyn Bay, league, 2-1 won, went with all the rest of the Dave's and our Dewi, Peroni and welsh cakes bread of heaven. The trip back was entertaining too.

2009 Middlesbrough away in the FA cup was also priceless, looking forward to many more though!!

[Cubbins Paratrooper]

Am waiting for Steelworks End to give us his angle on our trips to Yeovil and Hereford, he may remember the details!

[Bigfathoss]

Wembley 2010. I travelled back from Houston a day early and had a lightning rush around London to get there in time.
Rossendale. Nightmare coach driver but the game was a great spectacle.
Bolton. Proper old school footy day all crammed into a triangle behind the Tesco (or was it Asda?).
Middlesboro and Sunderland combined. Great support and great effort from the players.
Whitley Bay. Barely made it over Shap because of the snow. Got there, had dinner, sat in pub...rozzers come and tell us it is off coz of a dangerous tree. Great adventure though.

[walney rock]

Morecambe in 1998 absolute carnage haha

Northwich in 2005 fa cup - the stewarding was pathetic lol

Salisbury 2010 fa trophy 1st leg - lovely weather, fantastic bluebirds support and a hugely important 1 -0 advantage to bring back to HS

Gateshead 1999 - the coach driver getting lost on the way and missing 15 min of one of the best 0-0 games ever

Oldham 2001 first rd fa cup - copper getting dropped, housham's early goal and totally matching Oldham for the 90 min