[Archived] Worst Away Day?

[speeeeeeedie]

The QPR cup thread got me thinking about away matches.

What's the worst away day you've had following Rovers?

Which ground was/is the biggest pain to get to?

Where did you have a bad experience?

Games were Rovers got tonked and those where local "fans" kicked off will probably stick in memories. What about other scenarios?

For me, my worst was Aston Villa away in the FA cup 3rd round (could have been a league game though); 2001/2 ish. It poured down all day. The M6 was jammed with holiday traffic so it took twice as long to get there and back. The stand roof was leaky and dripped water on me all game, Rovers lost, and Villa fans were in the middle of a Doug Ellis/Lerner protest so they weren't happy either which gave the game an awful atmosphere.

As for worst ground to get to, mine was Upton Park. It was midweek, and a zoo on the roads in London. I've never been to Norwich or Ipswich but I assume that they are hard work due to their distance from East Lancs.

[Mattyblue]

Crystal Palace is a right arse to get to, pretty grotty area, crap away end... and of course May '89 and all that.

All these identikit grounds are naff- no character and usually on some retail park- Derby, Boro, Reading etc..

Love a good old fashioned ground- Hillsborough, City Ground, Goodison, Craven Cottage

[rigger]

Most times I have been to Portsmouth it has poured down, and we have been put in the open end, as a result ,soaked to the skin.

Also the walk from Burnden park to the railway station.

A good memory, the car-park after the Port Vale game.

[JHRover]

The flat pack retail park grounds are horrible. Reading, Brighton, Cardiff, Derby, Bolton, Stoke.

Can't beat the traditional old fashioned grounds. Hillsborough, Forest and Elland Road.

Ipswich and Norwich a pain to get to but both are proper old grounds in the town centres with plenty of good pubs nearby and usually a good day out apart from when we play them midweek.

My favourite in the Championship would be Brentford, Sheffield Wednesday or Newcastle. Worst would be Brighton or Reading. Brighton get loads of praise for their new ground but its built in the middle of a field next to the ring road with no pubs and nowhere to park. Horrible.

Bad experience in the Cup at Newport last season with the game getting called off at 2pm with 1,500 Rovers fans already in Newport suffering torrential rain and then having to repeat the journey 10 days later in nightmare traffic. Worth it in the end though as we got through.

Worst to get to would be West Ham, Charlton, Millwall or Palace in the car although try to go by train whenever possible to avoid traffic.

[Hanks]

A midweek away game at Grimsby in the early eighties springs to mind. We got beat 5-0 and the designated driver refused to stop at a pub on the way back.

[Butty]

Wigan is one of the better away days in terms of the function room under the stand they have for away fans etc but Ince's last game where we got beat 3-0 and Antonio Valencia absolutely destroyed Stephen Warnock was a shocker. The result was bad enough but I somehow managed to lose my phone on the game as well! Went to Wigan away this season also which was the worst Rovers performance I've seen since the Chicken farmers took over.

[tomphil]

Been quite lucky with away days down the years but any trek to Leicester always sticks out as crap even going back to the days of Filbert Street. It never seemed to be a Saturday afternoon fixture and usually a very poor following, terrible record there always play poor. Miserable up themselves locals and even though it isn't a million miles away it always seemed a trek.

[LDRover]

Worst - Palace 1989. Nuff said.

[Jock]

Been quite lucky with away days down the years but any trek to Leicester always sticks out as crap even going back to the days of Filbert Street. It never seemed to be a Saturday afternoon fixture and usually a very poor following, terrible record there always play poor. Miserable up themselves locals and even though it isn't a million miles away it always seemed a trek.

I remember going there around xmas time and being beaten 4-0. I only went to give Jimmy Quinn some stick.

[davulsukur]

I went to Newcastle away many moons ago but i went with a load of Newcastle fans and we sat in the home end.

Newcastle had just appointed Souness as manager but he wasn't in charge for the game.

All the way there, i was subjected to how many Newcastle would win by and how good every Newcastle player was etc. Sat in the home end, right next to a massive, loud mouth Geordie bloke who did running commentary on the game, highlighting how good Newcastle were and how poor Rovers were. Obviously, he assumed i was a Newcastle fan.

At some point in the game, the big Geordie stranger started nudging me and i looked round to see him pointing at the Rovers fans in the away end. Some, for whatever reason, were getting thrown out of the ground. He basically told me to join in with swearing at them and laughing, to which i didn't (as he was looking at the Rovers fans, he couldn't see me anyway)

Anyway, Newcastle ran out 3-0 comfortable winners, which basically left a fairly miserable journey home. Conversation about how amazing Newcastle are and how Rovers would definitely be relegated as we were so poor.

An awful day out all round really.

[AllRoverAsia]

Worst - Palace 1989. Nuff said.

Without doubt. I was working in Haywards Heath and got a ticket from a Palace fan in our office. Had to sit alone amongst Palace fans and had a perfect view of Miller blasting over when he should have scored. Horrible trip back to HH with jubilant Palace fans. S-house referee too.

[MCMC1875]

Without doubt. I was working in Haywards Heath and got a ticket from a Palace fan in our office. Had to sit alone amongst Palace fans and had a perfect view of Miller blasting over when he should have scored. Horrible trip back to HH with jubilant Palace fans. S-house referee too.

None other than George Courtney!

More than made up for it in his last game at Wembley 1992!

[donnermeat]

Worst one I went to was Portsmouth away, first game of the season, can't remember which season.

Setting off at 5.30am and not returning home til midnight, sat in an uncovered stand (full of fag ends from pre season friendlies and thistles and nettles sprouting out of the conctrete) whilst the weather went through every cycle known to man, lost 3-0, Neill and Todd sent off (which was later rightfully rescinded for Toddy) and thinking we'd bought a right dud in Benni McCarthy.

[Mike Graham]

Perterborough away in the 70's.

Went on a coach from Chorley. Got beat and the bus got bricked afterwards with a Roark going thru a window on the left, hit the bloke in front of me on the top of his head and then out of the window on the right hand side. Blooming cold on the way home.

Brighton away in the 70's or 80's.

Our Ribblesdale coach broke down outside Brighton. Arrrived at 1/2 time with Rovers leading 0-2. The only turnstile open was in the. Right on end and we took a right battering. Brighton scored two in the 2nd half. Went 100's of miles for a good kicking and 35 minutes of @#/?.

Blackpool away in the 70's.

It was like WW3 in the car park behind their old Kop End.

I loved grounds like the Baseball Ground, Roker Park and smaller ones like Barrow, Feethams at Darlington and Halifax. I hated Goodison - always full of gobby locals looking for a fight.

The worst ground at the moment is Ewood. No atmosphere, no crowd and 90 minutes of poo.

[AJW]

getting battered at Coventry late 90's , it was snowing , freezing cold and we played with an orange ball and i think we played in yellow as my mate is colour blind and struggles with oranges and yellows , so he saw naff all!! they ended up getting 4 or 5 that day , i think

[frosty]

A few come to mind.

Wigan 08/09 - Ince's last game. Got there late due to traffic, we were already 0-2 down upon arrival. Didn't get any better.

Millwall 12/13 (FA Cup quarter final) - long way to go for an awful game, although the replay at Ewood a few days later is still probably the worst game I've ever seen.

Bolton 15/16 - just after Christmas last year, we were absolutely atrocious and lost 0-1 to the worst team in the league. Was glad to see them get relegated as we've somehow lost our last 5 or 6 visits there and I've been to all but one I think.

Blackpool 12/13 - Berg's penultimate game. Freezing cold, 0-2 defeat, Etuhu in the middle, awful all round - not a good day.

Everton 05/06 - horrible away end, terrible view, we got beat 0-1 even though they played with 10 men for 80 mins and they had to bring their fourth-choice keeper on after the one that started got sent off. It was probably raining too.

[Rover_Shaun]

Worst - Palace 1989. Nuff said.

Never ever be beaten that

F***** Glad all F**** Over

We were let down badly that day by a few players

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Elland RD Leeds late 80s.

You were just glad to get into the ground and then away safely.

[Hasta]

I remember being drained after the Palace 89 game and I only listened on the radio. Must have been gut wrenching to have been there.

On a personal experience, worst away game was Sheffield Utd in the FA Cup QF in 1993. We had lost in the league cup semi at Hillsborough 3 days earlier and to get knocked out of a second cup competition in 3 days on penalties was a real sickener. Especially as we were the better side in that game. Im sure we'd have one one of those cups that year had Shearer not got injured (and qualified for Europe).

I think the worst experiences are when you are younger. As you grow older you can separate Rovers from reality. Chelsea in the FA cup semi at OT and the first Burnley defeat at Ewood would have gutted me 15/20 years earlier. Nowadays I get angry after the game but I don't let it linger inside me for days.

As for other bad experiences, I went to Wimbledon away at Selhurst for a night game in 1994. We didn't arrive till half time when we were leading 1-0. We ended up losing 4-1.

My only proper history of shitehouse away fans is getting a few digs crossing the road for no reason after Chelsea away, first game of the season in 1993/94.

[Oldgregg86]

Newport in the cup. No game on and had to sit drenched all the way back. Southampton in the early noughties was bad to. Only got there at half time due to traffic . Cole sent off lost 2_0 drenched and 45 minutes later back on coach going home. Chelsea at OT was deflating. Really thought we deserved to win and go to the final. Still never been to Wembley and won't go until rovers get their so that from a personal point of view gutted me

[McClarky]

A midweek away game at Grimsby in the early eighties springs to mind. We got beat 5-0 and the designated driver refused to stop at a pub on the way back.

Was that in about 84? I went on my own from Uni in Sheffield on the train. There were hardly any Rovers there and we were slaughtered. Great night out.

[Hanks]

Was that in about 84? I went on my own from Uni in Sheffield on the train. There were hardly any Rovers there and we were slaughtered. Great night out.

It was a night match in September 82, we got hammered there again in November 85, 5-2.

[Mike E]

I loved Chelsea at OT, so proud of the team and ofc there was the amazing 76k rendition of 500 miles.

Beaten only by watching Runrig at Hampden Park.

[Trinidad Rover]

Brighton away 3 or 4 seasons ago....

Kean/Berg/Appleton - I can't even remember but we got tonked, Etuhu got sent off and it was generally crap.

The ground is rubbish too.

[only2garners]

Was that in about 84? I went on my own from Uni in Sheffield on the train. There were hardly any Rovers there and we were slaughtered. Great night out.

That reminds me of a cup game at Bolton in the early seventies. It was probably 72, 73 or 74 as I went from university at Sheffield. The game was postponed twice so i ended up making the journey three times in frost and/or fog. think we won in the end though.

89 at Palace was tough, compounded for me by being on holiday in Cornwall in the week before so had to be up at sparrowfart to get the train from Truro to get there.