Seeking info on Barnsley away

[Hooleyfan 0]

Usually drive or use public transport to away games, but for the first time in years will be taking a Club Canary coach to Oakwell. Obviously no drinking on journey, but do the coaches usually arrive with much time to spare before the games for a visit to local pubs? I''ve read that if we dont fill the whole away end then it is unlikely there will be a bar open for visitors. Obviously I''m going for the footie but a beer during the day would be a nice touch.  Any regular Club Canary coach users or Oakwell visitors can comment on their experiences at Barnsley.

[Syteanric 1]

[quote user="Hooleyfan"]Usually drive or use public transport to away games, but for the first time in years will be taking a Club Canary coach to Oakwell. [/quote]

oh dear!

Not been to oakwell but used Club Cabbage before.. im not joking when i tell this story either....

During the promotion season we played Bradford on the opening day... the coach left Carrow Road late, we neared Bradford then the Driver turrned off towards Barsnely!!! it was only when the club steward (Gus George i think it was) Pointed the error out to the driver that he turned round!

He then got lost trying to find Valley Parade (which is incredible considering its on a hill and you can see it when you enter the city!!!!) he had to reverse into someones drive way to turn round then follow Roger Munbys car to the stadium....we got there with about 5 minutes to spare!

on my first ever away trip in 1998 to reading the bus broke down....

I last took the coach when we played Wet sham in the FA cup and got in an arguement with the driver about stopping.

A few pointers for you

1. The coach will be full of annyoing Teenagers who will spend the whole journey burping, farting, shouting and annoying you

2. the Driver will be an idiot, he will be rude, inconsiderate, and probably get lost.

3. Half the coaches have a bog, half dont.. be careful what you drink as their may not be a stop on route.

4. do enter the sweepstake. its about the only fun part of the journey.. costs £1 and my mate once got £45 out of it...  so it could brighten the day for you.

5. dont be late back to the coach after stops/on the way home.... the drivers dont wait...the driver i got into a row with for the Wet sham game wasnt prepared to wait and almost left some of us at a motorway service station...

6. unless you can down a pint in about 5 seconds you''ve got no chance!

If you do get a good driver who knows what he''s doing, people dont hang about at the stops and you make good time you might get about 45 minutes for a pint... We will fill the away end. so get one in the ground.. that way you dont have to worry about missing any of the game if the bus is late

jas :)

[Hooleyfan 0]

Thanks Jas! we will pick our seats carefully and might take my own satnav...just to be helpful to the driver...or to find our way home if the bus leaves without us or the youngsters get too loud, smelly or annoying. Today''s programme suggests that the coaches will stop at ''The Farm'' en route. I''m wondering whether we should be particularly excited by this????

[SitTee 0]

i have been on the coach twice. Once to coventry and once to ipswich. Both times were ok. There is normally around 5/6 buses that go and yeh the toilet onboard aint that nice i heard. Dont know about the teenagers bit because when i went on it it was fine and quiet on way back. The driver also normally puts 5 live on radio on way home too to listen to match. I think the coach is definetly worth the money because it would cost a lot more in petrol/train + parking etc. They normally get to the stadium around 2 hours before kick off except scum game. lol once you march down to portman road you only have enough time to sit down.

[Syteanric 1]

[quote user="Hooleyfan"]Thanks Jas! we will pick our seats carefully and might take my own satnav...just to be helpful to the driver...or to find our way home if the bus leaves without us or the youngsters get too loud, smelly or annoying. Today''s programme suggests that the coaches will stop at ''The Farm'' en route. I''m wondering whether we should be particularly excited by this????[/quote]

aha the famous "Farm shop" along the A47.... yes, a personal highlight from my club cabbage days.. the burgers move when you stab them there!!!!

 Another story, 2 lads went up to the bar and asked for a couple of bacardi breezers... the barman looked at them, then served them the drinks.. these lads voices hadn'' even broken yet! unbelieveable.. they were about 12!

i love the farm shop.... actually the sausage rolls arent bad, so stock up on them!

the anooying chavs usually stop annoying you with a threat of violence and an angry look in the eye.

jas :)

[Syteanric 1]

[quote user="kiwiNCFC"]i have been on the coach twice. Once to coventry and once to ipswich. Both times were ok. There is normally around 5/6 buses that go and yeh the toilet onboard aint that nice i heard. Dont know about the teenagers bit because when i went on it it was fine and quiet on way back. The driver also normally puts 5 live on radio on way home too to listen to match. I think the coach is definetly worth the money because it would cost a lot more in petrol/train + parking etc.

They normally get to the stadium around 2 hours before kick off except scum game. lol once you march down to portman road you only have enough time to sit down.
[/quote]

2 hours before kick off!!! Gordon Bennet! was the driver new or something?

jas :)

[ndhscanary 0]

To be honest with you ignore half of what he said above. I have been using the coach travel reguarly for the last 4 years and only once have we really got their late and experience any problems. The stewards on the coach are usally good, very friendly. The coach in the last 2 years has stopped at the farm shop both ways which is basically a cafe with fast food and also a bar. The coaches usually get there about 1 hour and a half before kick off so there is plenty of time for drinking. And trust me the bar in the ground will be open.

I have been to barnsley last 2 years and generally i have found it a great away day. Fans are allowed to sit anywhere so all the louder fans can get together and create a good atmosphere while the barnsley fans without a doubt are the worst fans in the world! We normally play really well at oakwell so hopefully it will be similur next week.

[Hooleyfan 0]

Thanks guys...good to get a few views of recent experience...must have been 25 years since I took an ''official'' coach, well before the Football Offences legislation and the booze ban and cant say I found the on board drinking and the uinating in empty cider bottles particularly palatable then...so should be a good experience. Was with the 500+ that made it to Plymouth last week so I would hope at least 1000+ will make the trip next Saturday.

[Graham Humphrey 13]

I went to Coventry and we left at 10am and arrived at the ground at 1.30pm so nice and early. That''s the only time I''ve ever been to an away match so far, I''m going to Barnsley too so hoping for a similarly painless experience. I had no problems at all last time.

[5-4-1 0]

SOUGHT IT OUT YOURSELF , WILLIAM  SARSTED

[5-4-1 0]

SOUGHT IT OUT YOURSELF , WILLIAM SAARRSTED

[Canary_on_the Trent 0]

as a fan in the midlands i don''t use club travel but have done in the past and on most occassions have arrived well in advance of kick off, possibly an hr?

Barnsley town centre is just up the hill from the football ground so not too far away

[Barclay_Boy 0]

[quote user="jas the barclay king"]

[quote user="Hooleyfan"]Usually drive or use public transport to away games, but for the first time in years will be taking a Club Canary coach to Oakwell. [/quote]

oh dear!

Not been to oakwell but used Club Cabbage before.. im not joking when i tell this story either....

During the promotion season we played Bradford on the opening day... the coach left Carrow Road late, we neared Bradford then the Driver turrned off towards Barsnely!!! it was only when the club steward (Gus George i think it was) Pointed the error out to the driver that he turned round!

He then got lost trying to find Valley Parade (which is incredible considering its on a hill and you can see it when you enter the city!!!!) he had to reverse into someones drive way to turn round then follow Roger Munbys car to the stadium....we got there with about 5 minutes to spare!

on my first ever away trip in 1998 to reading the bus broke down....

I last took the coach when we played Wet sham in the FA cup and got in an arguement with the driver about stopping.

A few pointers for you

1. The coach will be full of annyoing Teenagers who will spend the whole journey burping, farting, shouting and annoying you

2. the Driver will be an idiot, he will be rude, inconsiderate, and probably get lost.

3. Half the coaches have a bog, half dont.. be careful what you drink as their may not be a stop on route.

4. do enter the sweepstake. its about the only fun part of the journey.. costs £1 and my mate once got £45 out of it...  so it could brighten the day for you.

5. dont be late back to the coach after stops/on the way home.... the drivers dont wait...the driver i got into a row with for the Wet sham game wasnt prepared to wait and almost left some of us at a motorway service station...

6. unless you can down a pint in about 5 seconds you''ve got no chance!

If you do get a good driver who knows what he''s doing, people dont hang about at the stops and you make good time you might get about 45 minutes for a pint... We will fill the away end. so get one in the ground.. that way you dont have to worry about missing any of the game if the bus is late

jas :)

[/quote]

I''ve got another example. few seasons ago went with a mate  to Stockport away with club cabbage (what was I thinking of!!!) We got lost, went through Sheffield 3 times, the driver and the coach steward (possibly a woman, difficult to tell) almost came to blows. We ended up going via Snake Pass I think it was which almost burnt the clutch out, left at 08:30, got there at 14:45. Some lunatic, known as Simon, well known to the CC fraternity by the look of it, brought a tape of an italian football game to play on the in coach video. just as we got into the game the tape finished and he kindly explained that when he got home he had stopped the recording of the game. He then proceeded to change his trousers on board the coach and promoted the benefits of wearing shorts to the game to my mate! People on the coach were talking about the benefits of buying particular brands of socks and buying parcels of land. Where do these people come from? Oh and of course we were treated to a stop at that wonderful rest stop "the famous farmous cafe" as I dared to critiscize the place I was roundly told off by the steward who told me that all city fans loved stopping there. there are people in there who could be extras in a zombie film with no make up!

[gazzathegreat 0]

Believe me the stop at the Farm will be the highlight. It''s a massive shed in the middle of fenland, after King''s Lynn on the A17. Can''t remember the name of the town offhand. There are toilets (for which you will be grateful, if you are travelling cabbage). The Farm has a huge cafe area where you can get a huge fry up (and various variations very cheaply, be warned though, it''s pretty basic stuff). There is a shop where you can get sweets, snacks and bizarrely, huge sacks of onions and daffodil bulbs! There is a bar, but not sure if it will be open on the way there, depending on the time.

The farm used to be owned by one of a set of brothers. The other one had s similar set up across the road, think that one is closed now, quite funny as they used to be at war trying to attract passing trade.

Make good use of the Farm, might not get another stop, depending on route taken. I haven''t been to Barnsley on the coach, but as Jas, have been to Bradford.

[Canariesworld 0]

I have been on the club coaches a few times and we normally arrive about 1/1.30pm for a 3pm kick off. As somebody else mentioned Barnsley town centre and train station is only a short distance form the ground. In previous years we have had to wait ages at the gates for tickets as they didn''t sell away tickets in advance but at least they have changed that this year. Should be a good trip, I''m looking forward to it.

 

 

OTBC