Away football matches

[Youstolemyname]

The away trip. Nothing quite like it in my opinion. That sense of camaraderie with your fellow supporters. Travelling to the fixture either en masse on a train or coach, or even a plane, and then congregating ahead of the fixture somewhere to sing your team songs and get merry. Then the walk up to the ground, that feeling of trepidation that the opposition fans might be a nasty bunch and want a bit of bovver...Then being held back by the coppers until the crowd has dispersed for your safety. It's all fun and games! I love it!

Just wondering how many OcUKers go to away games regularly and what their experiences are? Since I met the other half I stopped going to Premiership away fixtures but have bargained to go to European away fixtures with Liverpool. My best to date being a 1000km road trip to Lisbon from Murcia in Spain. Obviously Istanbul was out of this world but the Lisbon trip was such a laugh with all the driving and what happened in our stop overs in Seville.

Im off to Barcelona next week to watch the Reds for three days, via madrid!

So aways....yay or nay?

 

[Big Kev]

I used to go to a lot of away games, but circumstances have curtailed this, so I rarely travel anymore.

I had some awesome times, be it in this country or abroad and back in my day, the expectation of some trouble also added to the atmosphere, not that I'm condoning such activities.

Some highlights were a couple of days in Copenhagen for the CWC final against Parma, thousands of Arsenal all over the place, all getting bladdered, two of the best days of my life.

League Cup semi final win at WHL, brilliant!!!

An away trip to Newcastle, beginning with a 0700 train journey and our first beers at 0701, a mate getting kicked out of St James and going straight home before kick off, continuing all the way to midnight at a ruby house in Kings Cross, a real marathon, but very, very enjoyable.

The biggest was also a dry one, getting the travel club coach to Anfield in May 1989, where we won the title for the first time in 18 years, by beating Liverpool 0 - 2, I'd have paid a fortune for a crate afterwards, but had to settle with a serious drinking session over the coming weekend.

I could go on and on, but I'd start boring myself, but I really do miss those days, A LOT!!!!

 

[nemtizz]

As I live no where near Newcastle, going to St Jame's Park is always like going to an away game for me. I hate it. 3-4 hours on the train from Kings Cross.

Me and my Dad have done a tour, every year from 2001, touring all the stadiums in the country and two aboard (Nou Camp & Bernabeu). I've been to almost every stadium in the country - be it tours or games. The only well known stadium, I haven't yet been to is Portsmouth, but seriously what am I missing? :/

Anyway, on to away games. My experiences:

Well, not a quite an away game, but hey. My dad wanted to go to the Stadium of Light, and me being a Newcastle fan, it took some persuading, but I reluctantly agreed. So in 2004 (I think), we organised to go to the Sunderland v Norwich game, we were half way to Sunderland until we heard news on the radio that the game had been cancelled due to heavy snow fall. The year after we organised a tour. So the day of the tour, it's 2am, I'm just starting to actually wake up, then my Dad rings up my house and explains that the car has broken down and that he can't pick me up = no tour. Then a couple of months later we put together another tour for the Saturday, which my step brother was going to tag along with us. So were out side the stadium, happy as Larry that we actually made it to the Stadium of *****, but no my step brother had to get into a fight with my dad and he had to storm off (bearing in mind he was 12 at the time, and didn't know Sunderland at all) so we had to miss the game to go looking for him.
Yet again last year, we organised a Sunderland game v Gillingham, but get this WE WERE ACUTALLY IN THE STADIUM FOR A WHOLE 90 MINTUES.

Here's some other short experiences:

My first ever away Premiership game I went to was, Newcastle v Everton in 2002 (I know, it wasn't that long ago, but I'm only 15yo), Everton were winning with only 10 minutes to go, while all the Everton fans were waving good bye to the geordies, Shearer scored this absolute cracker of a volley to equalise (bear in mind my Dad is an Everton fan and we were sitting with the away fans), I almost jumped up in excitement, but luckily I remembered which end I was sitting in. Anyway, a couple of minutes later, as I was looking at all the Everton fans leaving in disgust of their teams performance, Bellamy scored the winning goal. I had to travel on the train home with about 30 odd Everton fans, which in itself was more fun than the game.

Went to the Bernabeu last year, and my Dad got punched in the face by some random Spanish dude, so we both chased him half way through Barcelona.

Went to Goodison park, for Everton vs Spurs, my brother got into a fight with some scousers.

Gotta love away games though, even though I've had some bad experiences. There's a much better atmosphere than home games, which equals a lot more fun, even if you are losing.

 

[daz]

Been to a few with Ipswich, but I really regret not visiting the San Siro in 2001/2002 for the UEFA cup... because despite the loss (we won 1-0 at Portman Road, lost 4-0 at the San Siro) we'll not go back there for quite some time.

 

[The Pat]

Went to the Bernabeu last year, and my Dad got punched in the face by some random Spanish dude, so we both chased him half way through Barcelona.

That's quite a distance.

Only one I have is went to a Man Utd game with my dad, when they were playing Spurs, sat in the Utd section. (More of a Spurs fan than Utd and my dad's a spurs fan) Nothing happened really as Utd won 2 - 0. But I felt weird knowing I couldn't really do much if Spurs had scored.

 

[nemtizz]

That's quite a distance.

Can't be arsed to edit. ;]

 

[Rotty]

used to go to all the away games for about 10 years till about 2000, had some great fun but visited some shocking grounds

 

[Martynt74]

Not been to any premiership ones yet but been to a few with Bury,

Should be going to the Utd vs City game at the end of the season and sitting in the City end, gonna be scary if Utd win the title there

 

[converse_uprise]

Tend to go to between 5-8 hereford away games a season.

Over the years i've had the delights of visiting Canvey Island, Sutton United, Forest Green Rovers, mmmm. Along with the more attractive fixtures such as Stevenage. They even have a roof there

Jokes aside, can't beat an away game. Being the minority, singing that one bit louder and the best bit.. looking around seeing a ground full of silent fans when score. Worth every penny.

 

[Jimmi]

My first ever football match was an away game at selhurst park between Wimbledon and Man Utd!

3rd Feb 1996 - 4-2 Cantona netted twice



11 years on and i am now supporting the local side, MK Dons as it happens

 

[maby66]

Did a few away trips but preferred Euro aways.
Had a wicked week in Mallorca when we played Real Mallorca years ago - because it was off season the whole island filled up with Chelsea fans on cheap trips - happy days indeed....we were a gnats whisker away from winning the league that year, and probably would have if Casiraghi hadn't been injured/we had got cover in - plus Poyet got crocked by Colleter....anyway I digress....although the week was wicked, it saw the end of our league aspirations when we threw away a 2 goal lead to Leicester at home...and lost to Mallorca as well...
Also got tear gassed in Marseille - ho hum.

 

[VonClinkerhofen]

Go to about 6 or 7 a season, usually the Yorkshire, Lancashire games and the London trips if they are not midweek.

Last one I went to was Burnley v Sunderland

Burnleys ground is a shocker, esp the away end under the stand

Worst ground prob Doncasters old one

It would be amazing to have the opportunity to travel in Europe...Please Roy make it so

 

[chimaera]

Tend to go to between 5-8 hereford away games a season.

Over the years i've had the delights of visiting Canvey Island, Sutton United, Forest Green Rovers, mmmm. Along with the more attractive fixtures such as Stevenage. They even have a roof there

Jokes aside, can't beat an away game. Being the minority, singing that one bit louder and the best bit.. looking around seeing a ground full of silent fans when score. Worth every penny.

Ahh i've had a number of trips to visit hereford, unfortunately i'm not going down there on saturday although i'd like to, nothing like a good conference throwback match you're going down to the mighty mighty bees.

 

[Hate]

away games are great

mainly cause you get the true fans going and not the families / people who don't sing.

I think half the premiership has fans in the wrong place that going to a home game involves trekking halfway across the country.

 

[nichorob]

Away games are the best experience as a football fan in my opinion. I tend to go to about 10-15 away games following Charlton a season (although my last away day was Forest away in the cup this season, enough to put me off for life!). It tends to be only the true supporters that travel away so you get a better atmosphere. Always great to see new grounds and have a few drinks in another city/town also.

Im praying that we may get into Europe one of these days (even the Intertoto!) to experience that, but the days of even hoping that seem to be long gone.

 

[nemtizz]

Went to the Bernabeu last year, and my Dad got punched in the face by some random Spanish dude, so we both chased him half way through Barcelona.

Apologies for the insane thread revival but I was searching for an old post of mine. Mad how I completely made this up when I was 15.

Definitely didn’t happen. Bernabeu/Barcelona might have given it away.

EDIT: Why did I bring attention to this. Delete my life.

 

[Martynt74]

Apologies for the insane thread revival but I was searching for an old post of mine. Mad how I completely made this up when I was 15.

Definitely didn’t happen. Bernabeu/Barcelona might have given it away.

EDIT: Why did I bring attention to this. Delete my life.

Haha there's some honesty right there!

(Might as well quote it incase you decide to hide it )

 

[explicit4u]

The only away game I’ve been to is a North London derby but I went with my spurs supporting family so it kind of ruined the experience a little (we still won though, this was back in the day when we were actually the better team).

 

[robfosters]

Been to a lot of away games. They are definitely more fun than home games. Feel more of the camaraderie than you do at home.