Away days in the 60's - travel

[JohnMcM]

Worcesterhibby started a thread about Jambo cars. It got me to thinking.

In the 60's before we could all afford to buy and run a car, how did you get about for the nearer away day matches.

Our choice was mostly the match day buses from St Andrew's Square which you had to buy your ticket for the day before the match.

Fond memories of the singing, and drinking (within moderation of course) with frequent singing requests to the driver to "stop the bus we need a "wee-wee".

Many a a driver had the hat passed around for them, very often very profitably for them.

The trips on the old Bluebirds until the more modern buses came along were a simple joy.

Using the train for the further afield matches often gave the chance of being in the same or the next carriage used by the team and staff. Wish I still had all those programmes with all those autographs though.

[BILLYHIBS]

Supporters buses wi the empty cans of Tartan and Skol rattling up and doon the bus bursting oan a pish

The whip roond for Wee Hughie that got lifted post match

The basic Football Special Trains that took you oot to the sticks and left you sitting for ages

Hibees!

[EI255]

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Supporters buses wi the empty cans of Tartan and Skol rattling up and doon the bus bursting oan a pish

The whip roond for Wee Hughie that got lifted post match

The basic Football Special Trains that took you oot to the sticks and left you sitting for ages

Hibees!

Most supporters in Germany still frequently use football special trains. And they can drink on them too.
Its just all wrong over here in Scotland. Sad.

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[BILLYHIBS]

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Most supporters in Germany still frequently use football special trains. And they can drink on them too.
Its just all wrong over here in Scotland. Sad.

Sent from my LG-H840 using Tapatalk

[MSK]

Libby travel bus for years with the mental Dougie Sneddon as convener, crazy days 😲

[Keith_M]

Don't go back as far as the 60s but I used to love away days on one of the many supporters buses. I've been on the football specials a couple of times but they were cancelled in the late 80s (I think) because of the increase in trouble.

There doesn't seem to be as many buses running as there used to be. People seem to prefer making their own way to games.

[Kato]

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Libby travel bus for years with the mental Dougie Sneddon as convener, crazy days 😲

Some of the best laughs I ever had as a Hibs fan on that bus - (just thought - except the crash going to Tannadice, horrendous.)

[BILLYHIBS]

There was always someone that knew a short cut and the driver ended up getting lost.

Nine times out of ten you had to abandon the bus and leave the driver to park it up and sprint/jog to the ground not Stadium as it was usually a dump

Happy days!

Carlton Branch rools ya bass!

[MSK]

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Some of the best laughs I ever had as a Hibs fan on that bus - (just thought - except the crash going to Tannadice, horrendous.)

Was a brilliant bus, absolute bonkers at times, yeah I was on the double decker when it tipped over just before Bridge of Earn, remember that day like it was yesterday 😔

[Kato]

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Was a brilliant bus, absolute bonkers at times, yeah I was on the double decker when it tipped over just before Bridge of Earn, remember that day like it was yesterday 😔

Still get that wobbly feeling going round Picardy Place roundabout.

[MSK]

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Still get that wobbly feeling going round Picardy Place roundabout.

Took me a while to set foot on a double decker after that, I was only 14 or 15 at the time I think, I was downstairs two seats back from the stairs on the side the bus landed, cant begin to imagine how those on the upper deck felt that day. I still remember a lot of guys climbed out of the bus and jumped on passing buses to make the game, thats passion eh ? 🇳🇬😲

[green with envy]

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Was a brilliant bus, absolute bonkers at times, yeah I was on the double decker when it tipped over just before Bridge of Earn, remember that day like it was yesterday 😔

Me too. I'll never forget that day. Hope you're resting well Mark.

[Kato]

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Hope you're resting well Mark.

[Hermit Crab]

Theres definitely a niche in the market for football specials, Virgin West Coast run the odd ones for big matches in London involving teams from the North West but thats about it. These were done away with due to trouble as another poster says. Its different these days though, CCTV is everywhere on trains as a deterrent to would be animals.

With all the old rolling stock that is currently being withdrawn a TOC could buy them and use them for specials and because they're so old it wouldn't really matter if the crowd was a bit rowdy. It would keep the fans away from day train services and stop them annoying normal punters.

[.Sean.]

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Theres definitely a niche in the market for football specials, Virgin West Coast run the odd ones for big matches in London involving teams from the North West but thats about it. These were done away with due to trouble as another poster says. Its different these days though, CCTV is everywhere on trains as a deterrent to would be animals.

With all the old rolling stock that is currently being withdrawn a TOC could buy them and use them for specials and because they're so old it wouldn't really matter if the crowd was a bit rowdy. It would keep the fans away from day train services and stop them annoying normal punters.

That’d be brilliant and 100% something I would use

[green with envy]

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Libby travel bus for years with the mental Dougie Sneddon as convener, crazy days 😲

That was also my supporters bus. Travelled on it from when it started after Dougie & Stu broke away from the Carlton, till it pretty much ended.

[Waxy]

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Libby travel bus for years with the mental Dougie Sneddon as convener, crazy days 😲

Remember breaking down on the outskirts of Glasgow after ibrox (i think)then having to abandon it and walk back for a train 84/85ish

[MSK]

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Remember breaking down on the outskirts of Glasgow after ibrox (i think)then having to abandon it and walk back for a train 84/85ish

I remember going through, possibly Maryhill and driving past a wee park, wee laddies giving us the two fingers and the middle finger salute, of which we returned in kindness, all of a sudden Dougie shouted duck !! As the wee *******s started lobbing stones etc, think we lost a couple of windows that day 😆

[HIBERNIAN-0762]

Joined Hibs club when it was up Carlton Terrace (I think it was) was on Bernie Glanceys St Giles juveniles bus which left from the Grassmarket. Great memories of going to Shawfield, Cathkin Park etc 😊 that must have been 1963 IIRC.

[linlithgowhibbie]

First game away was as an 9 year old on the Carlton bus circa 1964/65 to Dunfermline when we won 6-5. Hooked ever since. Was a member the year after and am still a member of the Hibs club after all these years with only a 2 year gap in the 80s

Now assist in running the Linlithgow and Bo'ness branch who have a bus to all home games and some away ones, but getting harder to break even due to many factors!

[heretoday]

Going to lovely places like Motherwell and Airdrie in the 70s and returning with the bus windows missing.

[Carheenlea]

Sandy McNair, in one of his trademark articles told tales of the corporation buses that would run from St Andrews Square to away games. They were named Excursion 1, 2, 3 and so on depending on demand, and Excursion 1 was deemed the premium and most desired bus to be on for extra kudos. Maybe the Uber Fans of the day’s bus of choice!

[IberianHibernian]

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Sandy McNair, in one of his trademark articles told tales of the corporation buses that would run from St Andrews Square to away games. They were named Excursion 1, 2, 3 and so on depending on demand, and Excursion 1 was deemed the premium and most desired bus to be on for extra kudos. Maybe the Uber Fans of the day’s bus of choice!

Remember these , probably mid / late 70s . Usually 2 or 3 buses ( hence chants like " Excursion 1 they kill for fun " ) but big matches like cup match at Motherwell ( about 8000 Hibbies - anyone remember the massive show of tricolours with We Are Sailing belted out by Hibernian support ? ) ) probably over 20 buses . Buses were cheap and great connection for fans who weren`t based in Edinburgh . Train football specials were great too but was obviously hard to predict demand so I remember some empty trains and some of the trains used seemed to be from age of steam . Particularly bad memories of one which broke down on Tay Bridge after a vist to Dens and took a couple of hours to be repaired (maybe not a special train ) . Would like to see re introduction of football specials for big occasions like cup semis and finals but thinking mainly of non football fans who are entitled to travelling without company of loads of fans .

[The Harp]

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Joined Hibs club when it was up Carlton Terrace (I think it was) was on Bernie Glanceys St Giles juveniles bus which left from the Grassmarket. Great memories of going to Shawfield, Cathkin Park etc 😊 that must have been 1963 IIRC.

Joined the club in '63 at 7 Carlton Terrace and travelled on the St Giles, what a branch that was back then. Bernie was a great guy and was like a 2nd dad to us young laddies.

Can remember the last game of 62/63 season when we had to win at Starks Park to stay in the old 1st Division. So many fans turned up in the Grassmarket for the bus that we were sitting 3 to each double seat and that still wasn't enough to get everyone on board, so Bernie borrowed chairs from the pub and set them up in the aisle to accommodate everyone.

We got as far as Haymarket when we were stopped by the police. A young policeman got on board and looked bewildered to see a sea of faces looking up at him. There must have been 80+ on the bus which was meant to sit about 40. Fortunately, after booking the driver, he let us continue our journey to Kirkcaldy, much to the relief of everyone on board. Needless to say, Bernie started up a special collection from the passengers to help pay for the driver's fine.

[southsider]

When we went to Aberdeen the buses used to leave at midnight. Was in a bar with a live band when a huge fight broke out and a few boys, me included got lifted. Taken to the local nick. I asked to phone my lawyer. After he stoped laughing (who the **** dae ye want Petrochelli a tv programme of the time) . Naw Mr Walter Sutherland QC who will be in the East Nuek bar. Walter used tar drink in the Vic on Causewayside wi my granny. Anyway the bold Walter turns up at the jail immaculately dressed in a Harris Tweed suit and deerstalker hat. But wi green & white balloons attached. Just when he was going to his big speach the Sargent says U come for that laddie ( I was 18). Yes sir Just take him. In fact just take the ****im lot of them. Thanks to Walter we all got off. Some man.Carried a walking cane with a big silver head.

[Wembley67]

What's the story with the bus that crashed?

[MSK]

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What's the story with the bus that crashed?

Libby travel double decker travelling to Tannadice for a Scottish cup game, bus was heading towards Bridge of Earn and as the bus took the big swinging bend it was buffeted by winds coming off the hills, the bus rocked a bit then all of a sudden we were slammed again and the driver struggled to keep us on the road.

Within a few seconds we were bouncing off both axels then we went over onto our right side, absolutely terrifying. Bus slid down the road a bit then came to rest at the central reservation.

[Wembley67]

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Libby travel double decker travelling to Tannadice for a Scottish cup game, bus was heading towards Bridge of Earn and as the bus took the big swinging bend it was buffeted by winds coming off the hills, the bus rocked a bit then all of a sudden we were slammed again and the driver struggled to keep us on the road.

Within a few seconds we were bouncing off both axels then we went over onto our right side, absolutely terrifying. Bus slid down the road a bit then came to rest at the central reservation.

Crikey, that must have been petrifying.

[MSK]

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Crikey, that must have been petrifying.

Especially as kids, and there quite a few on the bus that particular day, I have travelled that same road and cornered the very same bend many times since in the beer lorry and it used to give me the shivers each time I passed that spot where we went over, I keep thinking of that poor fellow hibbie who lost his life 🇳🇬

If I recall correctly, not long after our crash a mini bus carrying hearts fans crashed at the same bit, I think the mini bus went down the ditch to the left of the road, I think there was a fatality on that bus too. I knew a hearts fan from Bingham (where we lived too) who was seriously injured.

[green with envy]

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Especially as kids, and there quite a few on the bus that particular day, I have travelled that same road and cornered the very same bend many times since in the beer lorry and it used to give me the shivers each time I passed that spot where we went over, I keep thinking of that poor fellow hibbie who lost his life 🇳🇬

If I recall correctly, not long after our crash a mini bus carrying hearts fans crashed at the same bit, I think the mini bus went down the ditch to the left of the road, I think there was a fatality on that bus too. I knew a hearts fan from Bingham (where we lived too) who was seriously injured.

Correct.