What’s been your maddest ever away trip?

[York_Owl]

QPR away 91. Randomly ended up drinking with Gazza and Five bellies on the train to London. Absolute top bloke and as Bobby Robson said mad as a brush.

[Maddogbob]

7 minutes ago, Degryse14 said:

The Honolulu Beach Party away at Norwich in the first season in the old Division 1 (now Championship), April 2001, was a right laugh! Lost 1-0 but noone gave a monkeys. Everyone was in great spirits and some hilarious inflatables flying around!!

Again a very good day out.

 

The last away game at Stockport was a good laugh as well.

[hopevalleyowl]

1 minute ago, Maddogbob said:

Again a very good day out.

 

The last away game at Stockport was a good laugh as well.

Remember Quinn putting us in front then getting battered 3-1 in April ‘02, their penalty area being covered in cuddly toys and inflatables, and a load of aggro kicking off near their end 

[Maddogbob]

I seem to remember the next time we went to Stockport they banned us taking stuffed toys to the game, as at one point we flooded Stockport's 18 yard box with teddy's.

[Maddogbob]

10 minutes ago, hopevalleyowl said:

Remember Quinn putting us in front then getting battered 3-1 in April ‘02, their penalty area being covered in cuddly toys and inflatables, and a load of aggro kicking off near their end 

That's the one.

Edited November 19, 2021 by Maddogbob

[Señor Sam]

11 hours ago, Freshfish said:

The Van!

 

The abandoned 'Walsall' game.

 

The Mini over into the Midlands. 5 in a mini.

Policeman: 'Carry on lads but keep the windows open or you'll die. Best thing to do when you get back is take it to the nearest cliff and push it off' 

 

Bert/Sam/Betsy the Escort: Thick fog over the dales ...Sam jogging in front to show us the way. It would have been a very long way down if you hadn't sensed summat!  

Grimsby: 'Black Ice'

 

Lincoln: 24 players on the pitch due to alcohol. Lying nasty plod. 
 

Reading Away: We won!!! To the people of Reading we thank you for the tea and biscuits

 

Oldham/Huddersfield away: The Snake/The 'Stainrod Incident': RIP Les ... but what days!!! 
 

 

bringing up some long lost memories there Mr D

 

[Señor Sam]

6 hours ago, Sleepy Joes Cafe said:

All those van trips from the coach were memorable,  jenks falling out of stand at Mansfield and landing at side of a big copper, Scholey falling out of back of van at Wrexham all had a tale to tell.

 

Orient express coach from Norfolk arms at warren lane another 

 

Wimbledon away in early 80s. Stayed in Finsbury Park at Holmes’S flat. Total anarchy that weekend.

 

must be many more

 

great days my old mate

 

 

Remember the Lincoln game, didn't we set off with a 3 piece furniture set in the back ?  It got deposited somewhere on the A57.

[Nut]

10 hours ago, Bannofan said:

Burnley away, last match of the season, already relegated, won 7-2..people with shoes off..Ashley Westwood, Steven Haslam and Richard Wood scoring 

 

Internet tells me Richard Evand and Allan Quinn both scored 30 yarders.

 

Very bizarre day. 

 

Also Port Vale away in a friendly,  the lesser spotted Kim Olsen making his debut,  Burslem being an absolute sh*thole , kicked off as we left , fighting at a friendly before we even left the ground. 

 

Having said that, I've seen two fans at Mansfield away in the cup throwing punches at each other on the front row of the stand , one absolute unit of a bloke and one that was 9 stone wet through..the local plod were pi$$ing themselves laughing before realising they ought to go and break it up. 

 

The Burnley game was one of the few times I've driven to an away match. Went in the cricket club before and got in the ground just before kick off. Went to my seat and the other lads had another pint. They came up about 10 minute later and didn't believe me when I said we were 2 up. They had another pint at half time and came back about 5 minutes into the second half and had missed another goal. There can't be many away games where you're not that bothered you've missed three goals cos we've scored another 4 you have seen. 

[Prendo's boots]

Mansfield away in the old 3rd Division.. 1-1 Andy Mac scored... Got a normal service bus to Mansfield from Pond St late morning.. It was full of Owls fans - as soon as we arrived we all got off and strolled about for a bit and came across the quite big outdoor market with loads of stalls all set out including fruit n veg etc - a big shout of" Mansfield" all of a sudden and a mob was sprinting towards us... Everyone ran around between the stalls the veg one went flying and  its contents were used as missiles - folks darting around everywhere it was chaos a bit like being in a scene from Oliver Twist...we were only younguns but pretty nippy so never going to get caught - pretty scared all the same but laughing our heads off at the same time...no other dramas and found the ground and stood behind the net to see Andy Mac chest the ball home later on!! 

[sexpistol]

Aston Villa away 91/92 we won 1-0 with a Jemson header that Les Sealy clearly carried over the line then went completely OTT when the goal was given.

 

It was memorable for the coach journey down, and I’ll leave it there

[Nut]

7 hours ago, lanzaroteowl said:

Most of the Wino Express trips.

The Spartacus one

The Kidnapping one

The 'fit up' one

The Newcastle decoy one

And many many more

For those that know

I remember a game at Leicester where your kid somehow ended up in the rugby ground and was so bladdered he couldn't work out why the posts were so tall. 

[Pete Zarhutt]

There was a match at Filbert Street in 84/85 where we lost 3-1 & there was fighting outside the ground. I wasn't at that particular game, but by all accounts it was pretty nasty.
Wednesday banned some fans who took part in the trouble from Hillsborough & I seem to recall Bert McGhee reading out their names in a 'roll call of shame' in the next home fixture.

I did go to the same fixture the following season 85/86 though. This time we won 3-2 (Siggi Jonnson scored one) and I remember coming out into that street with the terrace housing where more fighting was taking place. What I didn't find out until later was it wasn't Owls/Leicester fans fighting. Apparently there were two fights going on - one was Leicester fans fighting amongst themselves, but there was a larger fight taking place nearby which was the result of some NF type march/rally that was on that day. From what I could gather it was Leicester fans, plus some Owls fans vs a load of racist knuckledraggers.
For those who remember the old Filbert Street with it's crap stands and weird floodlights, it was in an area where a lot of Asian familes lived - some of them came out of their houses & joined in as well.

I played no part in this, but Leicestershire Plod were obviously on double high alert that day, due to this march & probably what had happened in this fixture the previous season. I remember a Plodwagon screeching up, a load of police piled out, the doors to another van were flung opemn & they unleashed a couple of police dogs...some poor kid in a Leicester shirt who was trying to get out of the way got knocked flying by one 

I always found Leicester plod to be quite helpful - when you arrived at the station, they would chuck you in the back of a van & give you a lift to the ground & a nice police escort back to the station  

[Ian]

Man City in the 84 promotion season….think we won 2-1 (Megson with 1, possibly both)….got lost in the maze of back streets and genals after……interesting is one word for it.

 

Most trips to Liverpool around the same time were interesting as well although that history has probably been re written by now

 

Cardiff in the 84 season

 

One night match at Chelsea where it was raining coins and mental outside after

 

Newcastle in the early 80’s where about 50 of us were seated smack bang in the middle of the home fans……as a 14 year old I got a slap by some middle aged Geordie when we equalised 

 

 

Edited November 19, 2021 by Ian

[parkfieldowl14]

The utter madness of setting off for the Bristol City away game in the 1990/91 season in a snowstorm and then the coach having to turn back back at Ripley.Didn’t arrive back into Sheffield till just after 4pm.

[Utah Owl]

41 minutes ago, Ian said:

Man City in the 84 promotion season….think we won 2-1 (Megson with 1, possibly both)….got lost in the maze of back streets and genals after……interesting is one word for it.

 

Most trips to Liverpool around the same time were interesting as well although that history has probably been re written by now

 

Cardiff in the 84 season

 

One night match at Chelsea where it was raining coins and mental outside after

 

Newcastle in the early 80’s where about 50 of us were seated smack bang in the middle of the home fans……as a 14 year old I got a slap by some middle aged Geordie when we equalised 

 

 

Was at the City game, thought Ollie got the goals?

 

Portsmouth away a few weeks before was mental if you went on the ICO. Journey down was okay but the weather was the worst I've ever known and by the end of the game we were soaked. Then it was delay after delay all the way back home in a train full of Owls stripped to their undies trying to get dried off!

[eightbelow]

The way we travelled back then, vans, trains and away from the 'official' travel meant that every weekend was like the keystone cops.

[lanzaroteowl]

2 hours ago, Nut said:

I remember a game at Leicester where your kid somehow ended up in the rugby ground and was so bladdered he couldn't work out why the posts were so tall. 

 

I'd forgotten about that

 

Those were the best days

[Geedee]

Cardiff 1984

 

For everything that day stood for.

 

Never been to a game like that before or since.

 

 

[nevthelodgemoorowl]

My middle son Mike won the throw for the single ticket and transport we could afford for the return trip to Kaiserslauterns Fritzwalter Stadium.

 

We had our tickets for coach 22 which we were to meet at Toddington services I think at 8 pm . We saw coaches come and leave but no coach 22. Finally there were just 2 Owls coaches left neither were coach 22. Explained situation to drivers one of who had a spare seat and son Mike sat on the floor.

 

We transferred to coach 22 at Dover the crossing to Calais was fine and we had a bite to eat. We slept on and off into the early hours. So it was about 5 am when we reached a Cafe in the centre of Lille 2x coffees and 2 x croissants Relieved me of 81 Francs. A couple of stops later and we neared Kaiserlautern as we passed through Strasbourg.

 

As we neared the Stadium we were well impressed as the Fritzwalter Stadium sat on the top of the tallest Hill in the town. The prog wasn't up to much and I think we may have chucked it. Police were most helpful. We had a Burger and a Dog apiece with a coffee to wash it down.

 

As the teams came out the Kaiser end lit up with red flares. We looked good up to Hirstys glancing header but then disaster as boy wonder got shafted by the ref. Kaiser took advantage to the tune of 3-1.

 

The trip back to Toddington was a bit of a blurr; We were both glad to hit the sack in our London flat by about 11am following a decent breakfast.

 

Next time we Fly         

[Inspector Lestrade]

3 hours ago, eightbelow said:

The way we travelled back then, vans, trains and away from the 'official' travel meant that every weekend was like the keystone cops.

 

Chuck a mattress in the back of a van, 10 - 15 lads, cigs, farting, last nights beer, no ventilation.    Toilet stops at the side of the motorway, getting lost, running into other travelling fans and "disagreements arising".  No idea where to park, no idea where you left the van after the game.   

 

Now we have deluxe travel with the Rotherham Owls