Question Soccer Special Trains

[Harry Bullocks]

Showing my age now...

Should the run of form continue, I wonder if the club would consider putting on a Soccer Special for the away trip to York on 20th April?

I went on one to follow the Blues to Derby in the late 70's...it was rumoured to have been the longest ever train specifically for transporting fans to a match at the time.

It's environmentally friendly, goes almost door-to-door and would guarantee an excellent support base when most needed?

I guess the finances would have to be weighed up...but rather than be at the mercy of the roads, congestion etc....dunno....food for thought?

Not much use to us "exiles", but logic would suggest the majority would leap at the chance to jump on at Southend, relax, couple of "sensible beers" and arrive full of song to the benefit of the team???

 

[Bromley Blue]

Any reason why you're raising this for a game over 4 months away?

 

[Harry Bullocks]

Pretty straight-forward really...even at this time in the morning...the club/players are encorouaging as many supporters as possible to attend away games to "give them a lift" - see Dags comments from PS and some of the players.

I'm guessing this sort of thing cannot be arranged overnight, so, planning ahead, if the push for promotion is sustained...why not get a trainload of fans up to York in one go..arrive at 1pm-ish, leave at say 6.30..non-stop back to Southend...job done!

 

[Bolton Shrimper]

Won't be needing it myself but having travelled on a few when they were popular back in the 70's I think it's a brilliant idea and would be loadsa fun. Plus it brings a lot of support to one point all at once...........did'nt we run 3 or 4 special trains to Cardiff for the 2004 LDV v Blackpool ?

 

[GodblessArthurRowley]

Won't be needing it myself but having travelled on a few when they were popular back in the 70's I think it's a brilliant idea and would be loadsa fun. Plus it brings a lot of support to one point all at once...........did'nt we run 3 or 4 special trains to Cardiff for the 2004 LDV v Blackpool ?

We did indeed, I remember seeing it pull into Cardiff Station as I waited for a regular service. I thought it was a presevation railway day out as the coaches were all from the 60's, and it was pulled by a diesel that looked well past its best. It went via Birmingham and I believe took about 8 hours to get back to Southend.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Any reason why you're raising this for a game over 4 months away?

Possibly because it could be worthwhile investigating organising it at this point in time?

 

[Fiftyone]

Possibly because it could be worthwhile investigating organising it at this point in time?[/QUOTE

I think we need a "Wino special" to be organised by the great man.:clap:

 

[OldBlueLady]

I think we need a "Wino special" to be organised by the great man.:clap:

With all due respect, and I count Wino as a good friend, the Trust organised the specials to Cardiff and they already have the contacts to do so again.

 

[WickfordShrimper]

no beer, no singing, no drugs and no thanks :-) anyway just book in Feb 2013 time for a party of 4 and its £30/40 a head and you can party all you like, with no police looking for an easy nick or stopping you going into a Pub ..lol

 

[Swiss Tony]

With all due respect, and I count Wino as a good friend, the Trust organised the specials to Cardiff and they already have the contacts to do so again.

I bet the zone train would be cheaper and faster.:tease:

 

[OldBlueLady]

I bet the zone train would be cheaper and faster.:tease:

Haha!!! Not sure on that Swiss, the Trust coaches arrived at Daggers first on Wednesday! :raspberry:

 

[Thorpe Groyney]

The big problem with the chartered trains is that scheduled national rail services take priority on the tracks, meaning a much longer journey. I'm not sure people would want to spend an inordinate number of hours on a dry train that takes considerably longer than other services.

 

[Fiftyone]

The big problem with the chartered trains is that scheduled national rail services take priority on the tracks, meaning a much longer journey. I'm not sure people would want to spend an inordinate number of hours on a dry train that takes considerably longer than other services.

Boooo to you - spoilsport.:smile:

 

[Thorpe Groyney]

I've been on one of those chartered trains and it's not half the fun it looks. Old stock, slow journey, and people getting more irritated as time goes by. It's just like being on the Liverpool Street line for an entire day.

Best bet is to book up well in advance on the mainline website for Kings Cross to York, Cheaper and quicker.

 

[The Late One]

, the Trust organised the specials to Cardiff and they already have the contacts to do so again.

Oh, no they didn't. The Trust took some of the bookings (and split the profit with SUFC the first time) but that was where the Trust organised bit stopped. Brian Wheeler arranged the trains.

 

[The Watermill Wino]

I think we need a "Wino special" to be organised by the great man.
We Have already. :winking:

 

[jamesmut2000]

Oh, no they didn't. The Trust took some of the bookings (and split the profit with SUFC the first time) but that was where the Trust organised bit stopped. Brian Wheeler arranged the trains.

That's ok then - we can just get Brian to organise it again...... Oh hang on....:smile:

 

[1966 and all that]

We did indeed, I remember seeing it pull into Cardiff Station as I waited for a regular service. I thought it was a presevation railway day out as the coaches were all from the 60's, and it was pulled by a diesel that looked well past its best. It went via Birmingham and I believe took about 8 hours to get back to Southend.

Was on that train. The loco got stuck half way up an incline (which the guard said with delight was the steepest in England) and they had to get another loco out to get us going again. Got home at 2.00 a.m. and then back up to London to catch the first Eurostar to Paris for a business meeting. Spookily bumped into another fan who was on both trains.

 

[Fiftyone]

I think we need a "Wino special" to be organised by the great man.
We Have already. :winking:

We are not worthy.

 

[sufcis4life_notjust4cardiff]

Can't see the need for a football special, just book to go on the regular train. London to York is only 1 hour 50 mins. You just have to book in advance for the cheap tickets. Going to away games by train is quick and easy, no need to start making things complicated with a football special or similar.

Look at the Cardiff LDV trains, think was about £35 each? and how long did it take? We went on the normal train, was about £20 return from Southend (booked in advance) and only 2 hours from London.

Interesting idea, but sounds like hassle compared to going by standard train.