Originally Posted by
Elite_Pie
Although I think this game was a few months before my first away game, the mention of the charter train evokes some fantastic memories. These are all a bit hazy and may not be factually correct, but for me they are what being a Notts fan is all about. As I recall, they were organised by the supporter's club and I remember Claude Bishop and Neal Hook running them.
1. The away trip to Carlisle. Once we got the other side of Manchester, it was a scenic delight. Sitting back and looking out at the magnificence of the Lake District made one of our longest trips seem short.
2. The day we played a top of the table clash at Sunderland and lost 4-0. As we walked back to the train station it was absolutely pissing down, but these was the days of hooliganism so the police kept us waiting outside in the pouring rain until all the home fans had dispersed. We all boarded the train soaked to the skin, and still hadn't dried off when we got back to Nottingham.
3. A game at Highbury which I think was in the FA Cup. Arsenal beat us on a freezing cold day, and when we got on the train it was announced that the heating system had broken. The journey back was like sitting in a fridge.
4. A cup game on the south coast (I think either Bournemouth or Portsmouth) which we found out on arrival had been postponed due to a frozen pitch. We were told the return train was still scheduled to leave at 5:30, so I spent most of the afternoon in a betting shop, mainly for a bit of warmth. I got lucky and covered not only the cost of the journey, but also enough for a coffee and omelette and chips in a local cafe.
5. The epic Fulham 1-5 Notts game when they had Bobby Moore, George Best and Rodney Marsh in the team. For London games the train always stopped at St Pancras and we had to make the onward journey using the London underground. I just managed to hop on a tube and got back at St Pancras station an hour before we were due to depart, so sought out the nearest pub which had only just opened at 5:30 (no all day drinking in those days). I was euphoric so must have necked 4 pints in 40 minutes. I even asked for a couple of bottles with the tops taken off to sneak on the train for the journey back.
6. Whatever the game or distance, whenever we got back to Nottingham station there was always a bloke outside selling the Football Post. I always tried to be quick to avoid the queue.
We often get mocked for being 'old people' but I wouldn't swap memories like these for anything.