When was the last Football Special?

[STAR Liaison]

Am I the only person intrigued as to the motive behind the question?

^bump

Nope, me too.

Pure wondering, honest. And thanks for some good replies / memories.

I can categorically state (and how rarely I can use those words!) that STAR has no plans to run a special train to Huddersfield or anywhere else for the foreseeable future.

[RoyalBlue]

no mention of Hereford? Not the 1972 one, but an FA Cup third round (?) one in 1976 or 1977. I was on that train with a few Tilehurst youths. Too young to drink.

We lost one nil. Never had one shot iirc. In those days Hereford were two leagues above us.

That one was funny. Met by the police at Hereford station and they were determined to shepherd us all straight to the ground, rather than let us go to the pub or anywhere else first. Along the route virtually everyone escaped the escort and by the time we reached the ground our escorts threw in the towel and let the rest of us go wherever we wanted!

[Royals and Racers]

Remember going on one to Everton for a cup game-league cup ??. The train we went on was what I call a rattler-one they used to use for the slow stopping trains.

[Blue Blood]

I remember Swansea away in the FA Cup but cannot remember the year. Mr Foster had sold my ticket to someone else as apparently I had not confirmed to him so he had to make me an honory RFC steward for the day with an armband and everything.

[tee peg]

Am I the only person intrigued as to the motive behind the question?

^bump

Nope, me too.

Pure wondering, honest. And thanks for some good replies / memories.

I can categorically state (and how rarely I can use those words!) that STAR has no plans to run a special train to Huddersfield or anywhere else for the foreseeable future.

A coach to Beachy head may get some takers after Saturdays fiasco.........

[Forbury Lion]

I can categorically state (and how rarely I can use those words!) that STAR has no plans to run a special train to Huddersfield or anywhere else for the foreseeable future.

but you can't rule it out in the unforeseeable future.

[Norfolk Royal]

I definitely remember going to Aldershot on a special train circa late 70s early 80s. It was only a three or four car DMU (applause) but definitely a special service put on for football fans. The game itself may even have been a friendly.

[Forbury Lion]

Perhaps when Green Park station is built we will see Football Specials delivering away fans to the ground and/or a special to/from Reading station.

[Norfolk Royal]

Perhaps when Green Park station is built we will see Football Specials delivering away fans to the ground and/or a special to/from Reading station.

Like a shuttle service you mean? It's a revolutionary idea but it might catch on.

[STAR Liaison]

Perhaps when Green Park station is built we will see Football Specials delivering away fans to the ground and/or a special to/from Reading station.

Careful what you wish for. I remember walking down the Tilehurst Rd on me lonesome to suddenly be surrounded by the disgorged red-and-white contents of a Swindon special de-training at Reading West. Not so much a shuttle as a scuttle from me.

[Green]

Perhaps when Green Park station is built we will see Football Specials delivering away fans to the ground and/or a special to/from Reading station.

No. I think the whole scheme is now dead in the water.

Hence no GP station.

[Green]

Perhaps when Green Park station is built we will see Football Specials delivering away fans to the ground and/or a special to/from Reading station.

Like a shuttle service you mean? It's a revolutionary idea but it might catch on.

Not sure that would ever work - the queues would be horrendous at final whistle.

[Norfolk Royal]

Not if it was organised properly. If your statement were correct they might as well close down the likes of Wembley Park tube and Upton Park, etc, etc.

[Forbury Lion]

Like a shuttle service you mean? It's a revolutionary idea but it might catch on.

Not sure that would ever work - the queues would be horrendous at final whistle.

Like the current operation with buses?

With a train, you can load all coaches at once and though two wide doors per coach, The buses seem to be one bus at a time though one set of doors.

For Saturday games FGW will likely have spare multiple units sat in the depot, which they could run and/or attach to local services to provide further coaches

[Green]

Like a shuttle service you mean? It's a revolutionary idea but it might catch on.

Not sure that would ever work - the queues would be horrendous at final whistle.

Like the current operation with buses?

Yeh, that was the reference

Just a glib comment Norfolk. Should've added a

[Pepe the Horseman]

Now seems like a good time to bring this back.

[From Despair To Where?]

Forster Square station is a 5 minute walk from the ground but not sure BTP would want a football special sitting there taking up a platform as despite being a small station, it's pretty busy and it's on a retail park. There are trains to Leeds every 15-20 minutes anyway.

There's a decent amount of street parking and loads of cheap car parks close to Valley Parade, just don't use Forster Square retail park because the car park's a oxf*rd nighmare.

.

[STAR Liaison]

Now seems like a good time to bring this back.

We'll be writing to British Rail later this week,

[urz13]

I went on a football special earlier this season with a bunch of Stuttgart fans, to an away game in Bochum. Cracking stuff - Stuttgart lost 2-0 but the train journey was excellent - good beer at just 2€ a pint and a 16 hour round trip with a load of German ultras is a great experience.

[Zammo]

Annie Bassett ran a rail trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers early in 1988/89 season under the SAFE (Safety At Football for Everyone) banner, Reading fans travelled with their families and indeed the team to said fixture by train.

Yeah, was on that. Highlight of the day (can't remember the match at all) was some guy leaning out of the train window as we crawled out of Wolverhampton and his head hitting the passing signal. In fairness, we were kids. No booze.