Can’t help but notice how they’ve changed. Not so long ago, I’d happily book a train trip with friends, get the Prosecco and packed lunch out and have a nice, (but reasonably dignified) day out at an away game. Now train travel is simply unappealing. Seems to be riddled with underage drinkers with 24 cans each, starting at some daft hour, and by 10am turning into “who can be the most obnoxious person in the group?” Only been away to Orient this season - the last pub we went in was just full of people barely able to speak. When did away days turn from being “a few pre match beers” to “early start to get as paralytic as possible”? And how do folks afford it?!
We do every away day on the trains and it’s been that way since I first started going to away games around 2003? I don’t think anything has changed other than the price of the ticket.
Maybe the change is just me getting older and more intolerant! I think also trains are more packed so maybe the behaviour of others becomes more noticeable?
Plenty of BFC fans were in Lincoln yesterday mid-afternoon. All very good natured at that point but plenty of time for the ale to kick in. Made a point of staying home last night.
I agree that people acting the tit on trains is annoying, but away days are a chance to have a day out with your pals and enjoy having beer, banter (provided you're not offending anyone) and some well earned serotonin. If people want to do that by drinking from 8am, that's up to them, provided they're not causing a nuisance. I've been on many away days in the last 10 years and only seen trouble on the train once involving Barnsley fans. If anything, Barnsley fans are too friendly - probably to a degree of annoyance tbf. I'm sorry if your experience has been different - at the end of the day, everyone should be able to enjoy the football whether drinking or not and if that's not happening, something has to change. I'm too young to remember the football specials but surely they'd be a good idea now, pack it with those that like a drink and let everyone else go on the normal trains.
I used to love away days. I used to get rat arsed somewhere new and have a laugh. Nine times out ten the football came second because we were crap.
A couple of seasons ago we went to Blackpool on the 10am train from Sheffield. The train was rammed so we had to stand all the way to Manchester. There were discarded cans everywhere - left by fans who got off at Sheffield. Must have been hundreds of cans - at 10am. Several seats were soaked through so people couldn’t sit on them. One seat covered in vomit. 10am! I agree people should be allowed to enjoy themselves. I just see that it now seems to come at the expense of other people. The special train would be a good solution.
That sounds horrendous to be fair. My mate, who is a total flake and rarely goes to away games, went to Blackpool last season and they were all hammered on the way there in the morning. I think it's one of the away games most likely to attract that behaviour tbh - not that that's your fault. I personally wouldn't drink before midday but it's a lifestyle for some Edit: just to say Lincoln centre is packed with Barnsley supporters today and not seen any trouble whatsoever. Shame a small minority bugger things up occasionally and make us look like neanderthals.
Haha. I wouldn’t be able to do it the Alityke justice. That said, I don't think any of our antics upset anyone else.
I took the 18.45 train back from the Derby game and witnessed very nasty scenes in the carriage in which I was sitting. A very bloody fight was very close to breaking out between people who all appeared to be Barnsley fans. Fortunately, a young woman placed herself in the aisle between the warring parties. Someone pulled the emergency handle, the train stopped for 20 minutes or more and the police were waiting at the next stop to make some arrests. Copious amounts of alcohol almost certainly played their part in the events. A number of people in the carriage were genuinely upset by what they had seen. It hardly whetted the appetite for another train trip to watch the Reds.
