Post by Dave on Oct 8, 2012 17:56:58 GMT
As we have one or two excellent members here on the TFF who have supported and might still do, other clubs, this thread is not just for any Torquay United games. I will also do a similar thread later for home games.
Gone sadly are the days when all I would think about during the week when on the Saturday we were playing away from home, was so looking forward to the trip and the chance to see a new ground I had not been to before. I do think I was an away traveller at a very good time; there were trips to watch Torquay play Coventry, Sheffield Wednesday and Tottenham to name but a few.
Each and every away game trip I remember so well and all for so many different reasons. The Tottenham game because the coach driver got lost and when we did finally get to the ground just about in time for the kick-off, the police would not let him drop of off by the ground and instead sent him into some back streets some distance away. I may be wrong but I do seem to remember a policeman had been killed only a few days before in the area the coach was sent to drop us off.
With only five minutes left to go before kick-off, the only part of White Hart Lane that could be seem in the distance was the floodlights and they looked so far away. So the TUFC fans all legged it as fast as they could, all hoping they were taking the right turnings that would get them to the ground.
At the back of the away end was a row of bushes and clever old me thought I could take a short cut through them, WRONG. Unknown to me there was a metal bar about knee high and as I tired to run though the bushes, I hit that bar so hard and fell head over heals. My poor legs were in such pain and I still had to get to the away entrance.
My travelling partner had already got to the turnstile and was not happy as a steward had taken his air horn off him, He was told we could have it back after the game, but that never happened. It was a very wet night and we were well and truly beaten, but what a great feeling watching little old Torquay take on the mighty Spurs at their place.
After the game we all filled out and walked along a lane beside the ground. I remember so well that on our right were blocks of flats and a number of women were hanging out of the windows. The Torquay boys were soon in song, “get your t***s out for the lads.
A memorable day indeed as was another trip to London, this time the East end of London to play against Leyton Orient. I think out of these two London games, I will choose my trip to Brisbane Road as the most memorable and I’ll tell you why.
The game was played over the Christmas break and might even have been a Sunday? For a boy from Devon seeing all the streets we drove by on the way to the ground was amazing. I saw what looked like a china town and then some dirty looking streets that must have been a part of the East End itself.
No pubs were allowed to be open (not that I drink anyway) and so once we were dropped off near the ground; we went and looked for a café. We found one and it was just like an East End of London café I expected to be like. Cheap, greasy food, but boy did it taste good.
Time to head off to the ground and once outside I was greeted by my friend’s dad who had three free tickets for the game. So in we went and never gave it a thought what part of the ground we were in. Davy Caldwell ran what seemed the whole length of the pitch and scored a great goal. Up the three of us jumped shouting with joy.
That was until we looked around and noticed no one else was celebrating with us. He only went and did it again, only this time we did not jump up and simply put our hands down between our legs and clapped as quietly as we could.
Some idiot had only gone and blocked our coach in and so we had to get out and help move the car so we could head off back to the Bay happy and pleased with the result. For me the home trip is such a boring affair, it often seems to take longer especially if the team had lost the match.
On to my most forgettable away day trip.
Two came to mind, the first was an FA cup game as it happens against Yeovil at their old ground famous for its slopping pitch. It was not the game or the result that was forgettable for me, but this was the first game I had been too where I witnessed the ugly part of our game, yes violence.
The second and the one I have chosen was against Wolves at their place not very long after they had played us at home and wrecked half of Torquay. Once again it was not the result I found unforgettable, it was a good game to watch even if due to how the ground was in those days, the edge of the pitch was so far away from the front of the stand we were sitting in.
So what was it? This was my first real experience of what football can be like at the bigger clubs and I don’t mean what happens out on the pitch. I think we had three or four coaches of TUFC fans and as we got close to the city the coaches were stopped under a large flyover and held there until the police escorted them close to the ground.
That was no such of a problem and I remember just walking from the car park and into the ground as if I was walking into any other football ground. It was what happened after the game that not only took me by surprise, but shocked me into the bargain.
I think I’m right in saying the trouble element of the Wolves fans were known as the subway army, is that correct? The police must have feared the TUFC fans would be attacked after the game and had decided to take some action to prevent that happening.
We were held in the ground until the police thought it would be safe to move us. Once outside the ground we were surrounded by policemen and policemen on horses and marched a short distance before they brought us all to a halt. The way ahead was checked and once it was felt it was safe to move us again, we were moved a further distance until we were stopped again.
This happened all the way until we got back on the coaches and then as we left the City, the coaches were flanked by policemen on motorbikes. Some went ahead and stopped the traffic, meaning even if the traffic lights were on red, we were going through them on a non-stop journey out of the city. For me it was an ugly side of football and one I hope no longer exists, but then as it’s a long time since I did go to an away match, I simply don’t know.
So over to you folks, come and share your memories.
Gone sadly are the days when all I would think about during the week when on the Saturday we were playing away from home, was so looking forward to the trip and the chance to see a new ground I had not been to before. I do think I was an away traveller at a very good time; there were trips to watch Torquay play Coventry, Sheffield Wednesday and Tottenham to name but a few.
Each and every away game trip I remember so well and all for so many different reasons. The Tottenham game because the coach driver got lost and when we did finally get to the ground just about in time for the kick-off, the police would not let him drop of off by the ground and instead sent him into some back streets some distance away. I may be wrong but I do seem to remember a policeman had been killed only a few days before in the area the coach was sent to drop us off.
With only five minutes left to go before kick-off, the only part of White Hart Lane that could be seem in the distance was the floodlights and they looked so far away. So the TUFC fans all legged it as fast as they could, all hoping they were taking the right turnings that would get them to the ground.
At the back of the away end was a row of bushes and clever old me thought I could take a short cut through them, WRONG. Unknown to me there was a metal bar about knee high and as I tired to run though the bushes, I hit that bar so hard and fell head over heals. My poor legs were in such pain and I still had to get to the away entrance.
My travelling partner had already got to the turnstile and was not happy as a steward had taken his air horn off him, He was told we could have it back after the game, but that never happened. It was a very wet night and we were well and truly beaten, but what a great feeling watching little old Torquay take on the mighty Spurs at their place.
After the game we all filled out and walked along a lane beside the ground. I remember so well that on our right were blocks of flats and a number of women were hanging out of the windows. The Torquay boys were soon in song, “get your t***s out for the lads.
A memorable day indeed as was another trip to London, this time the East end of London to play against Leyton Orient. I think out of these two London games, I will choose my trip to Brisbane Road as the most memorable and I’ll tell you why.
The game was played over the Christmas break and might even have been a Sunday? For a boy from Devon seeing all the streets we drove by on the way to the ground was amazing. I saw what looked like a china town and then some dirty looking streets that must have been a part of the East End itself.
No pubs were allowed to be open (not that I drink anyway) and so once we were dropped off near the ground; we went and looked for a café. We found one and it was just like an East End of London café I expected to be like. Cheap, greasy food, but boy did it taste good.
Time to head off to the ground and once outside I was greeted by my friend’s dad who had three free tickets for the game. So in we went and never gave it a thought what part of the ground we were in. Davy Caldwell ran what seemed the whole length of the pitch and scored a great goal. Up the three of us jumped shouting with joy.
That was until we looked around and noticed no one else was celebrating with us. He only went and did it again, only this time we did not jump up and simply put our hands down between our legs and clapped as quietly as we could.
Some idiot had only gone and blocked our coach in and so we had to get out and help move the car so we could head off back to the Bay happy and pleased with the result. For me the home trip is such a boring affair, it often seems to take longer especially if the team had lost the match.
On to my most forgettable away day trip.
Two came to mind, the first was an FA cup game as it happens against Yeovil at their old ground famous for its slopping pitch. It was not the game or the result that was forgettable for me, but this was the first game I had been too where I witnessed the ugly part of our game, yes violence.
The second and the one I have chosen was against Wolves at their place not very long after they had played us at home and wrecked half of Torquay. Once again it was not the result I found unforgettable, it was a good game to watch even if due to how the ground was in those days, the edge of the pitch was so far away from the front of the stand we were sitting in.
So what was it? This was my first real experience of what football can be like at the bigger clubs and I don’t mean what happens out on the pitch. I think we had three or four coaches of TUFC fans and as we got close to the city the coaches were stopped under a large flyover and held there until the police escorted them close to the ground.
That was no such of a problem and I remember just walking from the car park and into the ground as if I was walking into any other football ground. It was what happened after the game that not only took me by surprise, but shocked me into the bargain.
I think I’m right in saying the trouble element of the Wolves fans were known as the subway army, is that correct? The police must have feared the TUFC fans would be attacked after the game and had decided to take some action to prevent that happening.
We were held in the ground until the police thought it would be safe to move us. Once outside the ground we were surrounded by policemen and policemen on horses and marched a short distance before they brought us all to a halt. The way ahead was checked and once it was felt it was safe to move us again, we were moved a further distance until we were stopped again.
This happened all the way until we got back on the coaches and then as we left the City, the coaches were flanked by policemen on motorbikes. Some went ahead and stopped the traffic, meaning even if the traffic lights were on red, we were going through them on a non-stop journey out of the city. For me it was an ugly side of football and one I hope no longer exists, but then as it’s a long time since I did go to an away match, I simply don’t know.
So over to you folks, come and share your memories.
