who decides on the route for the club coaches to take ?

[andy laz 0]

Was it a lash up or what, we left carrow rd at 0945 stopped at birch

hanger services for half an hour left there at 12.00 proceeded into

london on M11 then through docklands along the embankment  and

then joined heavey traffic into the chelsea area,our  coach driver

drove past the turn off for coach parking .He then had to turn around

in the road  to the amazement of the locals ,it was about 1435 so

we decided it would be best to leave the coach and find our own way to

the ground as we had come to see our team play football not see all the

sights of London has to offer bit miffed we didnt get to see Buckingam

palace though.We finally got into the ground at 1450 just time to use

the little boys room and find our seat , on the return he decided to go

on the south side of the river the over tower bridge and then return

through docklands and then on to the M11 .Surely it would have made

sense to have around the M25 and eithercome in on the M4 or M40 then

A40 into chelsea via hammersmith like we did a few years ago when we

went to Fulham which is just up the road from Chelsea .We spoke to a

police supperintendant after the game and he said there was no set

route for coaches to visit chelsea .Add to that you would expect a

coach taking football supporters to a game you either tune your radio

into BBC five live or Talksport  to  find out what was

happening prior to the game and find out how every body else had got on

.WE had to put up with a tape of  Daniel Odonell or someone like

him singing the classics like by the rivers of babylon ect he finally

got the message and changed tapes for some irish comedian ,no it wasnt

worthington .We were just getting into that when someone

complained  it was too lound as they had a headache and the

entertainment was then  turned off .I wont name the the opperators

of the coach company  but im sure they are more used to taking

pensioners  on day trips to the capital on sight seeing

tours  than football fans to away matches .Apart from every thing

we had a good dayout just apity we didnt get to have a few pints before

the game or have goal to cheer  OTBC

[Huddy 0]

I remember going along the same street in South London 3 times trying to find Selhurst Park on a club coach 3 years ago. It took about 6 hours!

[Beaker 0]

go on the train to london its so much easier. and never trust club cabbage, you are lucky if you get to the game on time.

[essexcanary 0]

great call andy

our coach driver was awful yesterday!

he didnt have a clue, he just followed someone else which meant he was jumpin red lights like u wouldnt believe.

surely goin through central london isnt the quickest way!!!  and we did the same comin back, they obv didnt learn his lesson!

get some bloody sat nav in the coach for god sake, and at the end they had the cheek to ask for tips for the driver!

[Norphilwich 0]

I have been on a club coach only once, which was about 12 years ago when we played and lost to Everton in the FA Cup.....After that never again, always by Car or Train for me!

[Green and Yellow 0]

I had the misfortune of travelling on the club coach NEVER again. We got lost so many times that I lost count and became dizzy having gone around the same roundabout three times. At 14.30 we were still in traffic and no where near the ground so I with about 5 or 6 other got off the coach and walked to the ground. 

[Smeg 0]

we had a spratts coach, and the drivers was quite good and really friendly, he dumped the club directions as soon as he saw a traffic jam and went via docklands and we were getting off the bus at 1.30.

we had a bit of a tour on the way home but apart from getting stuck at the lorry crash on the m11 it was ok

he even dropped me and my dad off in Eaton on his way back to the depot.

 

 

[Whats a right winger 0]

Our coach departed 9.15 & arrived at Chelsea at 12.40 so even with a delay around Tower Bridge and the inevitable delay on the Kings Road (that would have been the same which ever route was taken) plenty of time.

[Whats a right winger 0]

The only stop scheduled by the club was supposed to be for the coaches without a loo on board and then only for about 10 minutes. It appears some drivers decided to have a half our stop, surely unnecessary on a trip to London especially as motorway service stations are so expensive. To defend club canary I did notice that the regular coaches( & drivers) were all at Chelsea by one o''clock. And to answer a point further down despite travelling on club coaches for over 20 years I''ve only missed kick off twice, once with a  brakedown and once due to traffic james. Its very easy to criticise from the point of view of getting yourself or one car to a game, a bit more difficult to ensure that 44 coaches all get there on time

[wood 4 the trees 0]

we went by train but were talking about the long day and the changes we had to make (coach Nch to Diss undergrounds and same return).  We got back to Norwich at 2100 hrs what time did the coaches get back?  We were going to do the club cabbage thing for some other games but i''m having doubts now ''cause of your post. 

(Y) 

[JP 0]

Our coach left at about 9:50 and arrived in Chelsea at 2:15ish, after (like every other coach) taking the wrong route. I think it may have been a ''spratts'' coach, he said it was one of two of that kind their on the day. Number 29, driven by the two Daves. Despite the getting lost and stuff in traffic at times, it was great fun, both the Daves were very welcoming and friendly, with both seeming to know what they were doing. I would definetly travel by coach again!

[Syteanric 1]

The Coaches are crap.. i remember getting in an Arguement with the driver when we played West Ham in the cup 2 years ago i think... over stopping for the loo... He seemed to think 20 mins was half an hour and started going with a load of us still going back to the coach after being told we had half an hour!"

in the promotion season we went to Bradford on the opening game. The coach got lost! he started going towards Barnsley until we all told him who we were playing so he had to double back.. he then went completely the wrong way from Valley Parade and started heading out of Bradford towards Leeds.. he had to turn around in someones driveway (i kid u not!) then we had to follow Roger Munby (who was in his car) all the way to valley Parade... we got there about 5 past 3! when they came round with the collection for the driver i put a bottle top in it..l thats about all he was worth!

thank god me and my mates drive now!

jas :)

 

[GemmaNorwich 0]

I was on coach 27 and the trip there wasnt so bad but the way home we were stuck in traffic for about an hour not moving.

[K Lo 246]

Why don''t these things have sat-nav?

[Largey 0]

Anyone on Coach 7 for the chelsea game?

 

The one that had gearbox problems, and got to Carrow Road about 10pm!

 

That was a chore comin home!!

[ncfcpremier<P><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"> <?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" ><v:stroke joinstyle="miter"><v:stroke><FONT><FONT><v:formulas><v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0" 0]

i was on coach 19 and driver seemed like he didn''t have a clue what was going on!

[Mello Yello 2,572]

[quote user="ncfcpremier"]i was on coach 19 and driver seemed like he didn''t have a clue what was going on![/quote]

Was it Neil Doncaster, moonlighting?

[ca 1]

Have you all complained to the club?

[Green and Yellow 0]

I was on coach 31 and if the driver was under 65 that would be generous to him.

[Syteanric 1]

[quote user="Mello Yello"]

[quote user="ncfcpremier"]i was on coach 19 and driver seemed like he didn''t have a clue what was going on![/quote]

Was it Neil Doncaster, moonlighting?

[/quote]

lol! no Mello.. Neil knows where tyo take everyone.. DOWN!

jas :)

[Syteanric 1]

 

i can remember a midweeker at Grimsby, i didnt go to it.. but a friend of mine did... their coach broke down and the coach company didnt have a spare to send out.. so a coach had to go all the way to Norwich then come all the way back to pick the fans stranded at Cleethorpes up! i shudder to think what time they got home.. what made it worse was that many of them had work/school the next day

jas :)

[Largey 0]

Well luckily we found a Seagull coach to follow us back to the A11 just in case our ''brand new coach'' broke down again.

[Snakepit Boy 0]

[quote user="mattlarge"]

Anyone on Coach 7 for the chelsea game?

[/quote]

Quite a few people, I expect.

[Largey 0]

51 or abouts ;)

[Canary02 0]

I was on 39 and we had to "give it a push" in the bloody car park at Birchanger on the way back because the engine wouldn''t start! I''ve never seen a coach pushed backwards 50 yards and then sped forwards towards the kerb with 20 blokes yelling "give it a ****** go" at the driver before. God bless dodgy old charabangs.

[Canary in the Forest 0]

Will be exacerbated next year when visiting many new watering holes in Div 1

[percyvarco 0]

no direction for the team and no directions for the coaches. NCFC in a nutshell