When was the last Football Special?

[LWJ]

Now seems like a good time to bring this back.

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

Please make this happen!

[Aubery Boyce]

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.

Did you go for some beers in the Bermuda triangle?

I went for a night out in Bochum after attending a Schalke match a few years ago. Got off the train at Bochum station and walked towards the Triangle. We were immediately stopped by police thinking we were Hertha Berlin Hoolies who had been causing aggro in Bochum! Tried to explain we were just over to watch a random game but the Polizie didn't understand

We were eventually let go after producing ID. One of the group's only "ID" was his West Ham Season ticket.... Policeman was bemused to say the least.

CSB!

[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.

Did you go for some beers in the Bermuda triangle?

I went for a night out in Bochum after attending a Schalke match a few years ago. Got off the train at Bochum station and walked towards the Triangle. We were immediately stopped by police thinking we were Hertha Berlin Hoolies who had been causing aggro in Bochum! Tried to explain we were just over to watch a random game but the Polizie didn't understand

We were eventually let go after producing ID. One of the group's only "ID" was his West Ham Season ticket.... Policeman was bemused to say the least.

CSB!

Unfortunately not - the issue with the train was that the police matched you straight there and straight back. It was quite odd though, as Stuttgart's owner/chairman was also on the train (in a normal carriage with the rest of the fans) and walked down to the ground with all of the fans too - great to see.

Definitely recommend the experience though, they even had a 'disco carriage' which is great fun when filled with a few hundred drunk football fans, of course.

[trueroyal1871]

I saw yesterday that Arsenal are putting on a football special for their fans to get back from their FA Cup game in Manchester, which I think is a nice touch by their club. I would love to see football specials used more regularly.

[Aubery Boyce]

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.

Did you go for some beers in the Bermuda triangle?

I went for a night out in Bochum after attending a Schalke match a few years ago. Got off the train at Bochum station and walked towards the Triangle. We were immediately stopped by police thinking we were Hertha Berlin Hoolies who had been causing aggro in Bochum! Tried to explain we were just over to watch a random game but the Polizie didn't understand

We were eventually let go after producing ID. One of the group's only "ID" was his West Ham Season ticket.... Policeman was bemused to say the least.

CSB!

Unfortunately not - the issue with the train was that the police matched you straight there and straight back. It was quite odd though, as Stuttgart's owner/chairman was also on the train (in a normal carriage with the rest of the fans) and walked down to the ground with all of the fans too - great to see.

Definitely recommend the experience though, they even had a 'disco carriage' which is great fun when filled with a few hundred drunk football fans, of course.

I love German Football. I go out every year to a match. Stuttgart v Dortmund last year. 20000 Dortmund away fans!

Off to Cologne in April

[Elm Park Kid]

Not sure if it was a "football" special, but a special direct train was put on for us to return from Brentford this season rather than taking the normal one and changing.

Seriously? How did I not hear of this. The train journey I took was ridiculously long for that short a journey.

[urz13]

I love German Football. I go out every year to a match. Stuttgart v Dortmund last year. 20000 Dortmund away fans!

Off to Cologne in April

It's brilliant. I've been to a couple of Cologne games before and I absolutely love them, the ground is situated in the middle of a lovely green park, the atmosphere is fantastic and the stadium is class.

If you've not been to Nürnberg yet I recommend a trip there too - the city is probably my favourite in Germany and their fans are famous! Especially now with all the derbies against Fürth - I've been to one of them and never experienced an atmosphere like it.

[Mr.Swainey]

Hopefully to catch a Sankt Pauli game come Spring, gonna be off the scale.

[harry]

Re OP: I went to the Walsall play off final in Cardiff by train and I thought FGW put on extra trains that went direct. I may be wrong as it was a few years ago now. It was extremely well organised compared with a commute to London.

Worst thing about it was the efficiency as we got back into Reading in no time. There were still friends & family in our house having watched the game when I got in. Had to try and be sociable while being greeted by "oh dear, never mind, it's only a game, there's always next year, etc."

[Pepe the Horseman]

Hopefully to catch a Sankt Pauli game come Spring, gonna be off the scale.

There's a poster on here who loves them, should be able to give you some tips. Can't remember his username.

[Bowman's Quiver]

Can only remember ever going on two specials, Hereford away in the cup (as previously mentioned but we did have several shots including one by Ray Hiron in the last minute that shaved the post) and Swansea away in the FA Cup circa 1979 where we got thumped 4-1, got chased back to the station and the train was pelted with bricks as it left.

Neither of these trains could be described as "dry"

I think the Swansea match was 1980. I was on that train out of Reading and it was packed the rafters. I remember being frog-marched from the station to Vetch Field and then being shoe-horned into a small pen in the corner of the ground which had bars/barriers stopping spectators climbing over the wall onto the pitch. As a 15-year old that was pretty hairy.

[Stranded]

Hopefully to catch a Sankt Pauli game come Spring, gonna be off the scale.

There's a poster on here who loves them, should be able to give you some tips. Can't remember his username.

They are bloody awful this year. Rock bottom of 2. Bundesliga and looking likely to drop to the 3rd tier.

[teignmouth hoops]

We went up to Sunderland in 1973 in the FA Cup on a special, drew 1-1 up there Les Chappell or Dicky Habbin goal and got dicked 3-0 in the replay. Have a photo somewhere on front page of the Evening Post of the train setting off, god it was along journey, but a good crack

[Focher]

This is 100% legit, a pair of 50's did a football special from Stratford to Cardiff just for West Ham fans for the 2005 play of final, note the scarf on the front.

[DW Pinner]

Definition: A Football Special is a train service solely for the use of away supporters of one club that runs to and from the game without stopping at other stations and at a reduced fare.

There was a time when our predecessor, the supporters club, could commandeer a British Rail train, fill it with fans and run it to the other end of the country and beyond (o happy day) - with BR's permission, of course. Some still recall “The Longest Journey” when we travelled to Blyth (or more precisely nearby Cramlington) for a 3rd FA Cup tie in January 1972. For younger nobbers Blyth is a mining village on the dark side of the moon.

So, we were wondering when was the last Football Special run for Reading fans? Anything more recent than Hereford on 19th August 1972?

This, believe it or not, was for a Fourth Division game immediately after our worst ever league season (16th in Div Four)! I suppose the bonus attraction was Hereford’s first home game in the league ever. We were gubbed on and off the pitch.

Did any Football Specials survive into the 1980s?

My first special was Bridgewater in the cup 1971 I think - I am sure there will be others reading this who were there and will remember the milk float being overturned in street as we came out of Bridgewater Station and all the local residents fleeing for cover. Journey back was not pleasant as a load of Bristol City supporters turned up at the station. On way back to Reading several fans arrested as seats were thrown out of window, light bulbs smashed and most of carriages wrecked. No wonder they don't run football specials anymore! Great days though.

[Green]

Welcome to the board, DW.

A strong opening post and first anecdote TBF.

[under the tin]

This is 100% legit, a pair of 50's did a football special from Stratford to Cardiff just for West Ham fans for the 2005 play of final, note the scarf on the front.

I saw the photo, and thought why do they need two locomotives? are West Ham fans that fat?

Then I remembered that Hoovers are a bit sh1t, and certainly inferior to the awesome Westerns they replaced

[Focher]

This is 100% legit, a pair of 50's did a football special from Stratford to Cardiff just for West Ham fans for the 2005 play of final, note the scarf on the front.

I saw the photo, and thought why do they need two locomotives? are West Ham fans that fat?

Then I remembered that Hoovers are a bit sh1t, and certainly inferior to the awesome Westerns they replaced

[WoodleyRoyal]

ruh oh its a train off!

[Royalclapper]

Some good and interesting stuff on here, enjoying the stories from those who went on the authentic 'football specials'.

Presumably there would have had to have been a fair few takers paying up front to actually run these specials - Blyth/Sunderland to Reading and back for instance must have been fairly costly even with some sort of subsidy for supporters.

Never been on one of these myself, only a few special trains for England away games that were pretty much shuttle type services rather than long distance journeys.