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Away coaches

AFKABartram
AFKABartram Posts: 57,825
in General Charlton
Who stewards them these days? Is there much familiarity, friendliness on them?

I haven’t done away coaches for a good 25 years but back when I did them regularly you had Bet, Teresa, Sid, Barry etc stewarding them. On the way back from from one away game Bet or Teresa would go down the coach with a bit of paper and have 46 signed up for the next away game. 

Lots of friendships (and relationships) got established on those coaches through the 90s, they’d subtly (and sometimes unsubtly) try and introduce individuals and groups to others etc and following the club away felt very much a community feel. 

Would be really interested to hear what it’s like using the coaches these days. 

Comments

  • clb74
    clb74 Posts: 10,824
    edited December 2024
    AFKABartram said:
    Who stewards them these days? Is there much familiarity, friendliness on them?

    I haven’t done away coaches for a good 25 years but back when I did them regularly you had Bet, Teresa, Sid, Barry etc stewarding them. On the way back from from one away game Bet or Teresa would go down the coach with a bit of paper and have 46 signed up for the next away game. 

    Lots of friendships (and relationships) got established on those coaches through the 90s, they’d subtly (and sometimes unsubtly) try and introduce individuals and groups to others etc and following the club away felt very much a community feel. 

    Would be really interested to hear what it’s like using the coaches these days. 
    It's horrible.
    Have I ever mentioned Fleetwood / Burton away
  • MartinCAFC
    MartinCAFC Posts: 3,219
    AFKABartram said:
    Who stewards them these days? Is there much familiarity, friendliness on them?

    I haven’t done away coaches for a good 25 years but back when I did them regularly you had Bet, Teresa, Sid, Barry etc stewarding them. On the way back from from one away game Bet or Teresa would go down the coach with a bit of paper and have 46 signed up for the next away game. 

    Lots of friendships (and relationships) got established on those coaches through the 90s, they’d subtly (and sometimes unsubtly) try and introduce individuals and groups to others etc and following the club away felt very much a community feel. 

    Would be really interested to hear what it’s like using the coaches these days. 
    I use the coaches a few times a season, it's not got the same vibe as the 90's though you do tend to see a fair few regulars still. Most tend to keep themselves to themselves.

    I do remember though getting a coach on 2nd Jan 2020 to travel to Swansea away in the league when the announcement broke on the website of the ESI takeover being completed was met with a round of applause from everyone on the coach, that's probably about as raucous as i've known it to be in recent years. Still, serves a good useful purpose the coach. 
  • Valianterith
    Valianterith Posts: 48
    I regularly travel on the coach not the same as the old days I think the invention of mobile phones hasn’t helped everybody stuck on them so don’t communicate with others passengers 
  • RodneyCharltonTrotta
    RodneyCharltonTrotta Posts: 14,827
    edited December 2024
    I remember coach trip back from Middlesbrough quarter final. Cut my shin after booting empty seat in front when Hasselbaibmnk scored. Watched a good little scuffle with Boro oiks walking across car park to the coach and some hilarious lads talking bollocks all the way home to dropped off in orpington at 5am Wednesday morning (got a verbal warning for turning up half hour late in work by Monument that day the ****s). Great trip.

    Last one i did was Sheffield United in cup and whole day was miserable.

    Edit just been reminded it was man United last season 

    Doing Northampton as my sons first away on 21st so hopefully will be alright but I imagine a lot more sedate than the old days unfortunately.



  • guinnessaddick
    guinnessaddick Posts: 28,636
    The only coach trip I took to a game was Ipswich away in the 5th round of the FA Cup in ‘81.
  • Bedsaddick
    Bedsaddick Posts: 24,741
    The last time i got a supporters coach Bill Treadgold was running it . Good times 
  • RedChaser
    RedChaser Posts: 19,885
    guinnessaddick said:
    The only coach trip I took to a game was Ipswich away in the 5th round of the FA Cup in ‘81.
    Terry Naylor piggy backing Paul Mariner 😉
  • ElfsborgAddick
    ElfsborgAddick Posts: 29,045
    edited December 2024
    RedChaser said:
    guinnessaddick said:
    The only coach trip I took to a game was Ipswich away in the 5th round of the FA Cup in ‘81.
    Terry Naylor piggy backing Paul Mariner 😉
    Is that some sex act?

    PS, pleased that the arthritis in your fingers has got better :)
  • RedChaser
    RedChaser Posts: 19,885
    ElfsborgAddick said:
    RedChaser said:
    guinnessaddick said:
    The only coach trip I took to a game was Ipswich away in the 5th round of the FA Cup in ‘81.
    Terry Naylor piggy backing Paul Mariner 😉
    Is that some sex act?
    Well it certainly screwed him from bearing down on goal and scoring 😉
  • Lordflashheart
    Lordflashheart Posts: 5,623
    Away game where you can’t have a beer on the journey = nope 
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  • Off_it
    Off_it Posts: 28,850
    Lordflashheart said:
    Away game where you can’t have a beer on the journey = nope 
    What was the service station where you could nip through the fence and there was a pub opposite?
  • DaveMehmet
    DaveMehmet Posts: 21,601
    Off_it said:
    Lordflashheart said:
    Away game where you can’t have a beer on the journey = nope 
    What was the service station where you could nip through the fence and there was a pub opposite?
    Newport Pagnell
  • killerandflash
    killerandflash Posts: 69,851
    Only done the coach twice, and both were for "special" games rather than a usual away trip, Bristol City for the FA Cup game in 1994 and Operation Ewood in 2007...

    The charter trains to Manchester in 1994 were good though.
  • Elthamaddick
    Elthamaddick Posts: 15,813
    Did the coaches for years with my old man, Betty / Teresa and all the gang back in the 80’s

    Eddie Cecil driving the Lewis’ coach with the same crowd each time, made some great friends.

    gave them up once I became old enough to have a beer and go with my mates.

    had some great away trips on them back in the day though 
  • DaveMehmet
    DaveMehmet Posts: 21,601
    Elthamaddick said:
    Did the coaches for years with my old man, Betty / Teresa and all the gang back in the 80’s

    Eddie Cecil driving the Lewis’ coach with the same crowd each time, made some great friends.

    gave them up once I became old enough to have a beer and go with my mates.

    had some great away trips on them back in the day though 
    We must have crossed paths on more than one occasion mate. They were great days out, few beers &.game of cards up the back with @1905
    and his mob. The best thing was when they started using coaches with toilets on board. 
  • ElfsborgAddick
    ElfsborgAddick Posts: 29,045
    DaveMehmet said:
    Elthamaddick said:
    Did the coaches for years with my old man, Betty / Teresa and all the gang back in the 80’s

    Eddie Cecil driving the Lewis’ coach with the same crowd each time, made some great friends.

    gave them up once I became old enough to have a beer and go with my mates.

    had some great away trips on them back in the day though 
    We must have crossed paths on more than one occasion mate. They were great days out, few beers &.game of cards up the back with @1905
    and his mob. The best thing was when they started using coaches with toilets on board. 

    I bet that was a relief B)
  • Rock Spectacle
    Rock Spectacle Posts: 1,441
    Nice people, used it for Burton last week and Cheltenham last season, both arrived at a reasonable time and ran straight through on the return. Even give out cake as well. Infinitely prefer the train as I'm a fidget, but on the whole fine, toilets indeed a welcome introduction as service stations now sell beer, whiles away the 45 minute stop nicely. 
  • clb74
    clb74 Posts: 10,824
    Serve a purpose the coaches.
    It would kill me now going on the coaches and I bemoan them all the time.
    For the youngsters though and the less mobile , coaches are a god send.
    I should think most of us started our away days on the coaches, and I deem myself fortunate to of been on the coaches in the early 90s.
    A good time to be on the coaches, still a bit of leeway, could arrive to some of the grounds quite early and on the way back one of the coaches would normally stop off at a boozer.
    So although I'd rather pull my teeth out with a pair of pliers now than  get on the coach, the coach nowadays plays a pivotal part in sending these youngsters on a life of misery following us away.
  • usetobunkin
    usetobunkin Posts: 2,185
    Love the coaches, prefer them to standing on a Preston platform with knobhead QPR, Chelsea and Spurs fans. BTP loves to play up with fans to justify their overtime.
    Did Walsall away solo, sat next to a lad and by the time we got home we had a good chat all things Charlton. 

  • MrOneLung
    MrOneLung Posts: 26,857
    That was a touch that he supported Charlton as well. 
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  • Lewis Coaches
    Lewis Coaches Posts: 5,408
    Elthamaddick said:
    Did the coaches for years with my old man, Betty / Teresa and all the gang back in the 80’s

    Eddie Cecil driving the Lewis’ coach with the same crowd each time, made some great friends.

    gave them up once I became old enough to have a beer and go with my mates.

    had some great away trips on them back in the day though 
    You gave them up , how dare you.  Glad Les didn’t give them up .  One of the best trips I had with your dad was in Peter Pages Bedford van going to Manchester Utd in 1974. 
  • ElfsborgAddick
    ElfsborgAddick Posts: 29,045
    clb74 said:
    Serve a purpose the coaches.
    It would kill me now going on the coaches and I bemoan them all the time.
    For the youngsters though and the less mobile , coaches are a god send.
    I should think most of us started our away days on the coaches, and I deem myself fortunate to of been on the coaches in the early 90s.
    A good time to be on the coaches, still a bit of leeway, could arrive to some of the grounds quite early and on the way back one of the coaches would normally stop off at a boozer.
    So although I'd rather pull my teeth out with a pair of pliers now than  get on the coach, the coach nowadays plays a pivotal part in sending these youngsters on a life of misery following us away.

    I'll never forget the steam coming out of your ears at Fleetwood, priceless.
  • Elthamaddick
    Elthamaddick Posts: 15,813
    Lewis Coaches said:
    Elthamaddick said:
    Did the coaches for years with my old man, Betty / Teresa and all the gang back in the 80’s

    Eddie Cecil driving the Lewis’ coach with the same crowd each time, made some great friends.

    gave them up once I became old enough to have a beer and go with my mates.

    had some great away trips on them back in the day though 
    You gave them up , how dare you.  Glad Les didn’t give them up .  One of the best trips I had with your dad was in Peter Pages Bedford van going to Manchester Utd in 1974. 
    He never gave them up 👍

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