The strangest away day that you've been on

[Tom8558]

What's the weirdest away day that you've been on with the saints?

[gr00031]

Milwall last season, scoring two penalties in the last 5 minutes. Never seen scenes like it before, everyone went crazy!

[Bucks Saint]

Pompey away. Alan Knight's testimonial 1994. Not sure which was more mad, the game (won 5-1) - bizarre match and never, ever, a testimonial - or the trip out of the ground afterwards

[ericofarabia]

Wimbledon away in a Midweek Cup match at Plough Lane. Think we won 2-0 with Boyer scoring late 70's. Freezing cold, icy night, loads of space on the away terrace.

In an attempt to keep warm people were lighting fires using newspapers, programmes and trash from the catering .. and the police didn't do anything about it!!

[Didcot Saint]

Bucks Saint top reply. I was there, it was a **** take until the final whistle then all hell broke loose after with about 5000 steaming angry skates packing the road outside the away end.

[davefoggy]

Charlton away, boxing day. Get there only to find out game called off....

[Dr Who?]

Dellhurst, never seen a league game with so many Saints fans compared to home fans! Great day as well.

[ericofarabia]

Another cold icy day, 77/78 promotion season away to Burnley. Atrocious weather meant virtually every game post poned but Burnley's undersoil heating saved our gae.

Loads of games in the north postponed only a couple of hours before KO.

Arrived on the bingo bus and was surprised to see so many coaches in the away park.

Get to the ground to find pockets of Liverpool, Man utd, Newcastle, Chelsea ? and Halifax amongst others in the away section. Sporadic punch ups popping up all over the place, the police had no idea how to segregate so many factions!! Luckily once the game got underway it was quite an absorbing 3-3 which helped reduce the punch ups a bit!! I think there were as many Halifax fans as Saints fans in the away section!! But it was the constant Man U / liverpool / Chelsea taunting of each other that made it a bit edgy.

[Lord Duckhunter]

Milwall last season, scoring two penalties in the last 5 minutes. Never seen scenes like it before, everyone went crazy!

 

That was one of my must unbelievable. My Brother in law who is an Arsenal fan saw it on Soccer Saturday and texted me "good luck getting out ok" after he saw 2 penos in last 5 minutes. Milwall's a strange one now-a-days, we never had contact with a Milwall fan until the guard checking our ticket on the train on our way home.

[Shroppie]

March 31 2007. Wolves 0 Saints 6.

 

We had a very weakened side through injury. The first 20 mins they could have been three up. Then we scored on the break. And again, og, then another. They missed a pen.

 

And we scored three more. Saganowski hat trick.

 

They were the better team and lost 6 0.

 

Their fans were amazing, sang to the end. We're going to win 6 5 changed to 7 6 in mid song.

 

Went home totally bemused, but happy.

[alehouseboys]

Reading away midweek in the League Cup (mid 90s), the infamous one with the fake phone call to the club saying the game was off. We set off, heard on the radio that the match was postponed, turned around and then a little while later word grew it was a hoax and the club had again fallen for an Ali Dyer type set-up. Another quick turnaround only to hit massive traffic tailbacks between Basingstoke and Reading, finally arriving just after kickoff. The team only turned up just before!

 

Terrible Saints performance, the hoax worked lost 2-1 I think, summed up a crap day!

[SuperMikey]

Millwall last season, but in the cup not the league. Was expecting a very rough day and to be escorted by the Police for most of the time, but in reality it was a very quiet affair and the only time I saw any Millwall fans was in the ground and a few in one of the pubs in London Bridge.

[Lighthouse]

Remember dancing like idiots in the last game before Championship relegation away at Forest. Everyone was in surprisingly good spirits and singing "That's why were going down," after going 1-0 up and letting in 3 in the last 10 minutes (I think).

[mcjwills]

Wimbledon away in a Midweek Cup match at Plough Lane. Think we won 2-0 with Boyer scoring late 70's. Freezing cold, icy night, loads of space on the away terrace.

In an attempt to keep warm people were lighting fires using newspapers, programmes and trash from the catering .. and the police didn't do anything about it!!

 

Remember that one.

[terrypward]

Skates away. The police made us get coach tickets from the stadium, then match tickets on the coach. Weren't much time for beer before the game and the home fans looked a bit odd.

[saintmatt]

Remember dancing like idiots in the last game before Championship relegation away at Forest. Everyone was in surprisingly good spirits and singing "That's why were going down," after going 1-0 up and letting in 3 in the last 10 minutes (I think).

 

Haha, that was a pretty strange one! Forest fans couldnt work it out

 

Remember singing the football league is upside down as well haha

[Wiggles31]

Brighton away last season.

 

Parked basically in a farm, lost 3-0, had to walk back in the dark through mud to find our car. Ludicrous!

[stknowle]

What's the weirdest away day that you've been on with the saints?

 

Aston Villa away, in 2002 or possibly 1924, routine 2 0 defeat but was abducted by aliens on the way home and I think they did tests on the memory section of my brain.

[Shroppie]

Aston Villa away, in 2002 or possibly 1924, routine 2 0 defeat but was abducted by aliens on the way home and I think they did tests on the memory section of my brain.

 

Which presumably gave negative results.

[Barry Sanchez]

Pompey away. Alan Knight's testimonial 1994. Not sure which was more mad, the game (won 5-1) - bizarre match and never, ever, a testimonial - or the trip out of the ground afterwards

 

I was at that, kicking off at Cosham station and afterwards, how the hell they ever did that as a testimonial I will never know.

[Barry Sanchez]

Sheffield United away in the mid 90's I think, ended up in Edinburgh and the lake district for a week afterwards.

[Shroppie]

Sheffield United away in the mid 90's I think, ended up in Edinburgh and the lake district for a week afterwards.

 

That's Railtrack's Sunday diversions for you.

[kpturner]

Wimbledon away in a Midweek Cup match at Plough Lane. Think we won 2-0 with Boyer scoring late 70's. Freezing cold, icy night, loads of space on the away terrace.

In an attempt to keep warm people were lighting fires using newspapers, programmes and trash from the catering .. and the police didn't do anything about it!!

 

Remember it well

[Barry Sanchez]

That's Railtrack's Sunday diversions for you.

 

[Saintru]

Away Pompey, supporting Man City when neither team was in the top flight, late '80's I think. Policeman threatened to kick me out as I was having a play fight with an inflatable banana. I know I went with a Man City fan that I knew, but still don't understand why I went, Man City won a dull game 1-0. Even starnger I had a friend who was a Pompey fan and he was also in the Man City end, just wierd.

[Lord Duckhunter]

Remember dancing like idiots in the last game before Championship relegation away at Forest. Everyone was in surprisingly good spirits and singing "That's why were going down," after going 1-0 up and letting in 3 in the last 10 minutes (I think).

 

That was the first away game I took my little lad to. They played that Chelsea dagger thing after every goal they scored and our lot were making more noise than them, my nipper loved it. He thought it was so funny that we had let a goal in and were going mad by singing and dancing along. Loads of Forest fans spoke to us after the game, and he's never forgotten it. He's 13 now and he still goes on about it.

[Lighthouse]

Colchester away in the fog in League 1. Not being able to see the second half of the pitch and singing stuff like, "where are ya?" and "we can't see you sneaking out"

 

Probably one of the lowest points in Saints history. Freezing, soulless ground, no atmosphere, sh*te game, lost 2-1.

[BlakeySFC]

Swindon away in League 1, Colchester away in the Championship, Swindon away in League 1, MK Dons away in League 1

[Saint Malc]

Newcastle away in the mid to late nineties. No away fans allowed because of ground redevelopment but I went up ticketless with a mate (Liverpool fan) and got tickets off a tout just b4 kick-off. I was the only Saint in the ground who went mental when MLT got the winner (1-2). Weird sensation in an otherwise deathly silent St James' Park.

 

Skates away in '76. Everyone said beforehand that we were going in the Fratton End mob handed. I got decked out in red 'n' white but went with my dad instead of going with the rest of the crew. It wasn't until I got through the pay-on-the-day turnstiles that I realised everyone else had chickened out. I got so much abuse as I was escorted around the pitch by the OB.

[pingwing]

Swindon away in League 1, Colchester away in the Championship, Swindon away in League 1, MK Dons away in League 1

 

Swindon, the worst place in all of humanity (along with stadium mk). Those were 3 odd league games.

 

Colchester away in the fog in League 1. Not being able to see the second half of the pitch and singing stuff like, "where are ya?" and "we can't see you sneaking out"

 

Probably one of the lowest points in Saints history. Freezing, soulless ground, no atmosphere, sh*te game, lost 2-1.

 

Ha! I keep forgetting about that miserable afternoon, thing the highlight might have been McDonalds on the way back sing as we couldn't see most the game.

[IronCitySaint]

West Ham in 1994. Last game of the season and we needed a result to stay up. It also happened to be the last game before the North Bank was made all seater so the locals were in feisty mood. I was on a coach organised by the club that broke down on the motorway to the game. We sat for about two hours waiting for a replacement coach that finally got us to the stadium at halftime, when the game was 1-1. Three quarters of the way through the second half the West Ham fans from the North Bank had a pitch invasion, coming to 'visit' the Saints fans in the Bobby Moore Stand. After the match restarted we were 3-2 up with a minute to go when, in traditional style, we conceded an own goal followed by another pitch invasion by the locals. The ref was fed up with it all and blew the full time whistle before 90 minutes was up.

 

Luckily, due to other results, we just about stayed up.

[Plonko]

Colchester away in the fog in League 1. Not being able to see the second half of the pitch and singing stuff like, "where are ya?" and "we can't see you sneaking out"

 

Probably one of the lowest points in Saints history. Freezing, soulless ground, no atmosphere, sh*te game, lost 2-1.

 

Haha yeah I was at that one. If I remember right we were so poor we were actually sing "you can't see us sneaking out" lol

[um pahars]

Forest away in the 84 Cup Run.

 

Mackerel being waved around, Moran scoring (again), escorted out of Loughborough and booking a game with Portsmuff in the next round.

[Barry Sanchez]

West Ham in 1994. Last game of the season and we needed a result to stay up. It also happened to be the last game before the North Bank was made all seater so the locals were in feisty mood. I was on a coach organised by the club that broke down on the motorway to the game. We sat for about two hours waiting for a replacement coach that finally got us to the stadium at halftime, when the game was 1-1. Three quarters of the way through the second half the West Ham fans from the North Bank had a pitch invasion, coming to 'visit' the Saints fans in the Bobby Moore Stand. After the match restarted we were 3-2 up with a minute to go when, in traditional style, we conceded an own goal followed by another pitch invasion by the locals. The ref was fed up with it all and blew the full time whistle before 90 minutes was up.

 

Luckily, due to other results, we just about stayed up.

 

Was that the game we were facing the old chicken run?

[ericofarabia]

Luton away 77/78 promotion season (again!!) Huge invasion of Saints fans, led to all pubs in the area being shut under police instructions.

 

Huge queues at Tescos and Sainsbury's.

 

Arrived at the ground with a couple of cans each still to be consumed.

OB wouldn't let us take them in and insisted we drank the before letting us in.

Cue bizarre scene of halfcut saints fans chucking down a couple of beers each in a matter of minutes under police supervision by the turnstiles before being allowed into the ground

barely able to walk!! They wanted us inside rather than strolling around town I guess. How times have changed eh.

In the mayhem that ensued after Peachy scored a penalty near the end of the game to put us top of the league with 2 games left, somebody's walking crutch got chucked onto the pitch.

Looked like somebody else was legless too !!

[David Strover]

Forest away in the 84 Cup Run.

 

Mackerel being waved around, Moran scoring (again), escorted out of Loughborough and booking a game with Portsmuff in the next round.

 

I know exactly who used to bring the mackerels to games and why.

 

It originally started with a game, I don't even know if it was home or away, when a drunken fool I went to school with bought a mackerel pre-game and tried to sneak it in under his coat. The law stopped him and asked him what he was doing with it and he said 'It's my lunch', this was challenged so he bit a chunk out of the raw fish and ate it. They let him in.

 

From then on the group of lads with him took mackerels to games as 'Lawrie Mackerel's red and white army'.

[Bucks Saint]

West Ham in 1994. Last game of the season and we needed a result to stay up. It also happened to be the last game before the North Bank was made all seater so the locals were in feisty mood. I was on a coach organised by the club that broke down on the motorway to the game. We sat for about two hours waiting for a replacement coach that finally got us to the stadium at halftime, when the game was 1-1. Three quarters of the way through the second half the West Ham fans from the North Bank had a pitch invasion, coming to 'visit' the Saints fans in the Bobby Moore Stand. After the match restarted we were 3-2 up with a minute to go when, in traditional style, we conceded an own goal followed by another pitch invasion by the locals. The ref was fed up with it all and blew the full time whistle before 90 minutes was up.

 

Luckily, due to other results, we just about stayed up.

 

Was there too. 1994 a vintage year for these games!

[dellboypete]

1970? League cup 5th round away to spurs

 

Was still at school and went up from brock straight after school with a friend. It was already snowing heavily. By the time we got to WHL snow was a few inches deep. We were let in the ground but the game was called off before kick-off. It was white out conditions.

 

A load of us then had a snow ball fight in Trafalgar Sq on the way back to Waterloo. The train we got back to Soton left around 9pm and turned out to be the last one due to snow, but pulling into Basingstoke one of the engines shorted and caught fire (causing panic on the train!!) and we eventually got into Soton Central around 2am.

 

No mobile fones then and stuck in Soton, no way of getting back to Holbury and school in the morning - I walk out of the station and my dad was there - he had been waiting for hours. That's what parents are for!

 

Never did get to the rearranged game either.

[saints-cris]

Colchester away - Lost 2-1, couldnt see anything. 'Call it off call it off call it of'

 

Millwall away last year with 2 penalties in 5 minutes. Was an amazing moment when the 2nd went in.

 

Dellhurst. Felt like a home game

[Wurzel]

Away Pompey, supporting Man City when neither team was in the top flight, late '80's I think. Policeman threatened to kick me out as I was having a play fight with an inflatable banana. I know I went with a Man City fan that I knew, but still don't understand why I went, Man City won a dull game 1-0. Even starnger I had a friend who was a Pompey fan and he was also in the Man City end, just wierd.

 

Went to that one too, no idea why either. If I remember rightly it was very near the end of the season and pretty much a promotion decider between the two of them. Was in Fratton End, City won with a goal in last five minutes effectively ending Pompeys promotion hopes. Glad they never scored any earlier, there's only so long you can keep a straight face in such circumstances

[THINWHITEDUKE]

Feb 74, Ipswich away lost 7-0, foggy memory, delayed kick-off due to waterlogged pitch? Coach from Lord Louis, driver dropped us at Stamford Bridge for some bizarre reason, spent the afternoon dodging very wide-eyed Chelsea fans, 52 SFC fans wandering aimlessly around their area. Absolute madness!! What was the driver thinking?

[Hatch]

Leeds mid nineties.

 

Drove all the way up there, had a load of beers before hand, fell asleep 5 mins before kick off in my seat and was woken up at the end.

Then was driven back.

Didn't see one minute of football.

[Dan]

The ones that stick out are;

 

Burnley away first year in the championship, someone was almost thrown off the coach after pelting a Jammy Dodger at the driver.

 

The 6-0 win over Wolves, purely for the result.

 

Arriving into Manchester Piccadilly as Rochdale was cancelled and ending up in Bury for a FC United of Manchester match. The pub we were in before the game had people smoking pipes, the curtains shut and a laptop on the side that all the locals were using to gamble on. When we went to order drinks the bar woman's exact words were "Your not from round here are you." We also met an Irish fella who was visiting Bury on holiday.

 

FC Sochaux v Saints in preseason in Freibourg, Switzerland 2010 I believe. The French side brought about 10 fans, saints around 30 so overall there were more players, coaches and officials than there was people watching. As the players were warming up we were able to have a kick about on the pitch, with no one really bothered. Before the game had even started we were just having a chat with all the players on the running track and the pitch.

[Colinjb]

Away to Sheffield Wednesday in 2000.

 

Was originally going to a non-league game with Dad around Nottingham but it was called off while we were on our way up. So after looking in the paper we decided to keep going and see if we could get into Hillsborough.

 

We did, but in the home end, the Spion Kop behind the goal. Surrounded by very partisan south yorkshiremen in bitterly cold conditions I managed to subdue myself when Jo Tessem steered in a penalty (with thanks to Dad whispering, "For f**ks sake shut up...." as soon as the net rippled....)

 

Odd day, but was all smiles on the way home.

[diggers]

Wimbledon away in a Midweek Cup match at Plough Lane. Think we won 2-0 with Boyer scoring late 70's. Freezing cold, icy night, loads of space on the away terrace.

In an attempt to keep warm people were lighting fires using newspapers, programmes and trash from the catering .. and the police didn't do anything about it!!

 

Bloody hell, - I remember that, I was one of those lighting bonfires! and there was loads of Chelsea there if my mind serves me too. One of the Warrens better performances ;-)

[shurlock]

Nantes - PSG. Got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. A very long night ended up being taken under the wing of a bunch of shady and volatile PSG supporters.

Edited 9 May, 2013 by shurlock

[pingwing]

FC Sochaux v Saints in preseason in Freibourg, Switzerland 2010 I believe. The French side brought about 10 fans, saints around 30 so overall there were more players, coaches and officials than there was people watching. As the players were warming up we were able to have a kick about on the pitch, with no one really bothered. Before the game had even started we were just having a chat with all the players on the running track and the pitch.

 

That was a great day out! veal sausages, cardinal lager to drink during the game and having a **** with Lallana at half time.

 

Met Cortese there as well, found out how little butters cost and had my mate tell him all about how just championship football would do him for a few years.

[westmidlandsaint]

Man City last ever game at Maine Road just before the cup final think we won 1-0 sat in a temporary stand but rumours went around the Man City fans that Oasis were doing a gig at the end of the game and as we came out of the ground people were trying to get in to see the gig but were only allowed in with a match ticket so we sold them our ticket stubs turned out it was just a tribute act!! Paid for the pub dinner on the way home tho

[View From The Top]

Cardiff (A) at Ninian Park under the Dutch. My ban had been revoked & it was my 1st Saints game in 3 years. Drove down by myself as Corky had his nippers b/day party, which my lad was at & DJ was scoring at the cricket.

 

Very weird being back watching my club but on my own. When DM scored three years of frustration was let loose.

 

In recent times Millwall last season in the league was the most surreal experience. I really don't think I've ever lost it like that and the skates (a) as my nipper, at 10, thought it utterly unremarkable, which was somewhat of a shock to hear!

[EastleighSoulBoy]

Skates away in '76. Everyone said beforehand that we were going in the Fratton End mob handed. I got decked out in red 'n' white but went with my dad instead of going with the rest of the crew. It wasn't until I got through the pay-on-the-day turnstiles that I realised everyone else had chickened out. I got so much abuse as I was escorted around the pitch by the OB.

 

The Tuesday after we had beat Palarse in the semi final.

 

Like you say, lots of promises broken. We were stood in the Milton end and it was nearly all bingo bus people. Just before K.O. a whole shoal of skates came in, the thin blue line did well to prevent a slaughter of the innocents.

 

After the game it was very edgy, the four of us were followed. We dived into the Magpie for a beer and then had to fight off a good few as we got into the car down the side street. Luckily the boot of the car had a few surprises in it, enough to make them think again! :blush::blush:

 

R.I.P. Des Bullard & Maurice Annals, two of my accomplices that night.