On the Buses?

[barrowaberdeen]

I'm putting together an article for Beans about bus transport watching our wonderful club.

I've got most of post 89 fine but also for decent balance I'd love some mentions from 50s 60s 70s 80s. When did coach travel start? Who ran it? Are there are pics? Still under statute of limitations if anything was a wee bit too spicy, no names necessary there.

Anyway, hopefully you good people can lend a hand

[Jim]

I used to go on supporters club coaches in the early 60s. I can't remember which clubs we visited except for a couple - a trip to Chester in about 1964 or 65 for a 2nd round FA cup tie. We didn't stand a chance but somehow managed to win 2-0, and then a top of the table clash at Tranmere (both of us in the top four) in 1966 where we won 2-1.

I think it was usually Hadwiins coaches and it was all very correct - no alcohol on board. On one trip I think I remember stopping at Milnthorpe for some fish and chips, which the driver didn't seem to mind.

[FanzoneFan]

During the dark days of the seventies - supporters used to travel on the team bus, Unbelievable to think of now but true. The players always used to sit at the front.

[mall]

I remember paying a fare of fifty pence for some journeys on the team bus to places such as Mossley and Runcorn. Am almost sure it was Geoff Hargreaves, the board member who used to run the snack bar on the Holker street end, who used to collect the fares on the team bus.

[pjdaly]

Yes, good memories! I particularly recall travelling on the team coach with players such as Bob Knox and Johnny Martin and one trip that stands out in the memory was the very first match of the 1977-78 season when we travelled to play Northwich Victoria. At that time, Northwich were one of the leading lights in the old NPL. We lost 1-0 but I remember vividly that we put up a tremendous battle. I think the reason this one stands out is because Presley had died just a few days earlier (Elvis Presley that is) and the shocking news was still reverberating around the world. I am not sure which was the bigger shock, Barrow losing or the passing of Elvis. (Well, actually, I lie, I do know which was the bigger surprise). I think there were probably about 15 supporters on the team coach, which, for those dark days, represented almost the entire home crowd.

[Colindalton]

During the dark days of the seventies - supporters used to travel on the team bus, Unbelievable to think of now but true. The players always used to sit at the front.

Yes I can remember some long trips away at the back of the team coach in the early/mid seventies to places like Scarborough, Boston, Buxton , Worksop , Matlock .
We were on the end of some terrible drubbings in those days. I remember us getting beat 7 or 8 nil at Boston one Saturday afternoon and because the driver was over his hours we didn’t set off back until 10pm ! .

[Arvo]

The only time I've been on the team bus is when I cadged a lift back to Barrow from Barnet sometime in the late 80s. I seem to remember sitting near the front while the team played cards and listened to Whitney Houston cassettes at the back. Anyhoo, somewhere on the M1, the bus broke down, much to everyone's annoyance. I particularly remember Kevin Proctor storming down the aisle cursing "I don't f***ing believe it!". Eventually a relief bus arrived and we got back to Barrow at gosh knows what time.

And from the back cover of Beans! mk.1 (issue 19) back in 1994, after another middling season in the NPL...

[xerxes]

One of my early trips was to Southport, early in the 1969-70 season. Many of the people on the bus were middle-aged women who weren't going for the football, but for the Southport flower show!

[greenarmour]

I was a regular on the Team bus back in the day.
Big Ernie, Terry Kendall, Phil McIntyre, Big Cliff Walduck among others.
Barry Lowes would pick me up from home, Don't think that would happen now !
Scarborough away was the very first time they allowed it, 0-0 bore draw, but both players and speccies were made up.
We were terrible, but happy days

[mall]

During the dark days of the seventies - supporters used to travel on the team bus, Unbelievable to think of now but true. The players always used to sit at the front.

Yes I can remember some long trips away at the back of the team coach in the early/mid seventies to places like Scarborough, Boston, Buxton , Worksop , Matlock .
We were on the end of some terrible drubbings in those days. I remember us getting beat 7 or 8 nil at Boston one Saturday afternoon and because the driver was over his hours we didn’t set off back until 10pm ! .

"I remember us getting beat 7 or 8 nil at Boston one Saturday afternoon". Yes, it was 8-0. Ron Yeats bought a few of us a pint that night somewhere in Boston.

[frankums]

I used to catch the team minibus up in the 80s. I lived in Liverpool at the time. I'd pick Frank Gamble up from Cantril Farm (shudder) and drive to Steve Brooke's house near Wigan. He kept the minibus, and he would drive up to Barrow, collecting players en route, many at the Tickled Trout near Preston.

[behind the goals]

Yes I can remember some long trips away at the back of the team coach in the early/mid seventies to places like Scarborough, Boston, Buxton , Worksop , Matlock .
We were on the end of some terrible drubbings in those days. I remember us getting beat 7 or 8 nil at Boston one Saturday afternoon and because the driver was over his hours we didn’t set off back until 10pm ! .

"I remember us getting beat 7 or 8 nil at Boston one Saturday afternoon". Yes, it was 8-0. Ron Yeats bought a few of us a pint that night somewhere in Boston.

It was a 2-0 defeat, the 8-0 was the Season before 1975/76 happy days

[Cromwell58]

The bus to Frickley was very entertaining should I say and the only time I have been on a bus that had a police escort from all the way from Yorkshire to Barrow(Steelworks Pub). My first away game by coach was in the 60's a cup game at Barnsley we took 6 coaches and got there early, ended up on their Kop but not for long as the gate ended up more than 10,000. Whitby away was a good day out especially round Scarborough before the match.

[xerxes]

"I remember us getting beat 7 or 8 nil at Boston one Saturday afternoon". Yes, it was 8-0. Ron Yeats bought a few of us a pint that night somewhere in Boston.

I wasn't there, but I believe that 8-0 game was 0-0 at half-time!

[behind the goals]

"I remember us getting beat 7 or 8 nil at Boston one Saturday afternoon". Yes, it was 8-0. Ron Yeats bought a few of us a pint that night somewhere in Boston.

I wasn't there, but I believe that 8-0 game was 0-0 at half-time!

Half-time was 2-0, Howard Wilkinson hat-trick.