50 years ago today.

FirenzeFox

FirenzeFox

Roofer
Wolves away in the FA Cup 3rd round. John Farrington equaliser took us back to Filbert St for a memorable replay.
I ran my first bus trip out of Corby that day. 53 seater supplied by Murt Flanagan. Full bus ran at 50p a head.
And so started 30 years of away trips up and down the country. Our bus was usually off the police radar, which came in handy for trips to Peterborough and Nottingham for example. Always tried for first bus there. Astonished to find 20 odd coaches outside Boothferry Park when we turned up for that cup tie. Pre match tour of Doncaster to blame. Definitely first to arrive at Fellows Park for the next round.
Some very memorable trips in those 30 odd years. Harborough boys always enjoyed a trip on Flanigans as we headed for games in the West Midlands. Black Horse at Walcot, always a favourite watering hole on those days. I know Zoonie's bus trips are the stuff of legend, but some of our away trips in Flanagans "luxury" coaches from the Badlands ain't far behind.
 
Parked our Coach next to you for all the playoff finals in Harrow on the Hill, followed by a session in the Moon on the Hill PH🍺🍺🍺🍺
 
Nickj said:
Parked our Coach next to you for all the playoff finals in Harrow on the Hill, followed by a session in the Moon on the Hill PH🍺🍺🍺🍺
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We had a residency at Wealdstone ExServicemens club for the Wembley trips. Locals loved us so much they put up a welcoming banner for the Tranmere game. Our bus would not start ahead of the Blackburn play off final. Parked in Harrow Station car park completed journey on the tube. After that we never took the bus beyond that car park for future Wembley trips.
 
FirenzeFox said:
Wolves away in the FA Cup 3rd round. John Farrington equaliser took us back to Filbert St for a memorable replay.
I ran my first bus trip out of Corby that day. 53 seater supplied by Murt Flanagan. Full bus ran at 50p a head.
And so started 30 years of away trips up and down the country. Our bus was usually off the police radar, which came in handy for trips to Peterborough and Nottingham for example. Always tried for first bus there. Astonished to find 20 odd coaches outside Boothferry Park when we turned up for that cup tie. Pre match tour of Doncaster to blame. Definitely first to arrive at Fellows Park for the next round.
Some very memorable trips in those 30 odd years. Harborough boys always enjoyed a trip on Flanigans as we headed for games in the West Midlands. Black Horse at Walcot, always a favourite watering hole on those days. I know Zoonie's bus trips are the stuff of legend, but some of our away trips in Flanagans "luxury" coaches from the Badlands ain't far behind.
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Loved reading this post.... I was at a funeral before Christmas ( Mates Mum) he was an occasional traveller on the Flanagan’s buses in the late seventies to eighties era . He remembers Cowboy but didn’t know if he was still around...
 
Blue City said:
Loved reading this post.... I was at a funeral before Christmas ( Mates Mum) he was an occasional traveller on the Flanagan’s buses in the late seventies to eighties era . He remembers Cowboy but didn’t know if he was still around...
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The Stanion Cowboy is still with us. He posts on here.
 
I was at the Wolves game too, but went on the train from Norwich where I worked at the time. Went via London and on the tube back I noticed Sir Alf Ramsey sitting opposite, he had also been to the game. I recall Wolves were going well at the time, and had beaten Manyoo away the previous week.

As it happened we were going on the same train from Liverpool St, him to Ipswich, me to Norwich. For a moment I thought he thought I was stalking him so I kept my distance,.Funny how you remember these things after all these years.

And after over 50 years of going to away matches I have never, ever, been on a supporters coach.
 
I was there too. Dominated but thought we were never going to score. Then we lost to Orient in the next round.
 
I was there as well, great atmosphere, remember those lads who climbed up into the roof of the stand. I don't think Mr plod for them when they came down either. Do remember very well going back to the trains. Always thought very fucking little of them since then.
 
FirenzeFox said:
We had a residency at Wealdstone ExServicemens club for the Wembley trips. Locals loved us so much they put up a welcoming banner for the Tranmere game. Our bus would not start ahead of the Blackburn play off final. Parked in Harrow Station car park completed journey on the tube. After that we never took the bus beyond that car park for future Wembley trips.
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You can't be blamed for that Smithy, Julie ran the Blackburn bus..blessing in disguise though that the bus wouldn't start.
 
Blue City said:
👍🏼 He is The Cowboy 🤠 on here then ... some of the Harboro lads I know tell some good stories of Flanagan’s away days.
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The Cowboy who occasionally posts on here ( usually in the Politics, Covid & Conspiracy Theories forum ) is someone completely different.
 
I suppose I could always look it up, but did he ever play for us again ? Again I could check, but wasn't Jimmy Bloomfield the Orient Manager?
 
I have a vague recollection of Bristol Rovers away on the aforesaid transport, FAC3 around 1985, we lost 3-1 I think, snowed on the way home, stopped at services on the M5 and the teambus pulled in. We through snow balls at them and they ****ed off sharpish leaving Simon Morgan I think it was behind. Seems a very long time ago
 
Bristol Rovers away sounds awful. I thought the ground we visited the year were in the Third Division was the worst I have ever been in, worse than Grimsby, even.
 
I never went to Twerton Park, Daggers, but if it was worse than the Memorial Ground it must have been bad. I saw a review of the MG which said "nineteenth century facilities at twenty first century prices" which sounds about right.
 
been thinking about this, went hillyboro on a coach and in the wembley days went a couple of times on a coach organized from the avenue , (just off the saff) it was an early start from about 6.30am, they done beer and breakfast.
coming back we went up stevenage way and some off the lads wanted to relieve themselves and as the bus was stuck in traffic the driver opened the door so they could get off , needless to say traffic started moving so the door was closed and off we went on our merry way leaving them behind.
 
Since1972 said:
I have a vague recollection of Bristol Rovers away on the aforesaid transport, FAC3 around 1985, we lost 3-1 I think, snowed on the way home, stopped at services on the M5 and the teambus pulled in. We through snow balls at them and they ****ed off sharpish leaving Simon Morgan I think it was behind. Seems a very long time ago
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That was fun.....We were inside the services when the word went round the team coach had pulled in. Out we went to meet and greet our "heroes". The first snowball was very quickly followed by a barrage aimed at the coach. They scarpered very quickly back to the M5.
The story was included in Phil Shaw`s weekly "Fanzine" column published in the Guardian back in those days. Quoting from my letter, "Sometimes... words alone are not enough".
 
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