Away coaches.

[siddle]

Would a minibus not be cheaper?!

[Hillside Raider]

A shame this becuase the days out for the away games were the best part of last season. Probably from Don Fraser's point of view it wasn't a good look to have a video watched hundreds of thousands of times, where a minority of Southport fans goaded the Chorley lad to throw the brick who then duly obliged. The irony is that a lot of the weopons grade "bellendery" from our fans seemed to subside towards the end of the season and people were a lot better behaved.

The club could be doing way more here to help. It's not as if anyone's asking them to run the coaches or for subsidies like other clubs in our division do, but why can't they use their clout within the local business community to find a suitable partner.

My own thoughts are that the club is genuinely ambivalent as to whether fans go to away games as they get no share of the gate. However this is short sighted as the players will miss the support when it's backs against the wall in some difficult away games. There's also a danger that a large section of our most vocal support who are relatively new/young will just lose the vibe and go and start watching other clubs in the area.

Again you've probably tried these already no doubt but someone who is local that claims to specialise in coaches for football fans:
https://www.vicoachhirepreston.co.uk/fo ... -hire.html

[Port on the Kent]

I appreciate the effort of those trying to sort something, I didn't use the coach myself but the away support last season was a bright spot.

My only suggestion (as Dan looks to have exhausted the options) is to see whether the club would help in a partnership to attract coach companies. I do not mean the club directly paying for travel, but for example, they could offer a free sponsorship perimeter board at Haig Ave and a couple of matches hospitality for a party of six or something.

That way, you could go back to Don Fraser and rather than just asking for their business, you could make them 'SFC supporters travel partner' and give them a board, advert in the programme and some hospitality. This would be paid for by the club but would be a small enough amount to be an overall benefit.

[siddle]

I appreciate the effort of those trying to sort something, I didn't use the coach myself but the away support last season was a bright spot.

My only suggestion (as Dan looks to have exhausted the options) is to see whether the club would help in a partnership to attract coach companies. I do not mean the club directly paying for travel, but for example, they could offer a free sponsorship perimeter board at Haig Ave and a couple of matches hospitality for a party of six or something.

That way, you could go back to Don Fraser and rather than just asking for their business, you could make them 'SFC supporters travel partner' and give them a board, advert in the programme and some hospitality. This would be paid for by the club but would be a small enough amount to be an overall benefit.

It's a good idea - have you contacted the club? They should be doing more to help - and I'm sure they will if asked.

[PhilCaven]

I have found this very useful website after doing some research where you can get quotes from different coach companies in your local area on prices for private hire. Hope this helps? https://www.coachhirecomparison.co.uk/

Phil they wanted over £2,000 to take 25 people to Boston. Not feasible.

Ive tried literally every company in the area. A lot dont want to do it and those that do want to do it want an unfeasible amount of money in order to do it. I will keep trying throughout the season but we are at a bit of a dead end at the moment.

Thanks for trying your best and hope you find one very soon. Have you tried Timewell's Travel who are based in Maghull?

[PortDan1121]

Again you've probably tried these already no doubt but someone who is local that claims to specialise in coaches for football fans:
https://www.vicoachhirepreston.co.uk/fo ... -hire.html

Funnily enough, I haven't tried them. That actually looks really good, trying with them now

[Ralphy Rylance]

Who do the club use for the team coach?
Surely there's a foot in the door there, though I appreciate it could be one of the companies that may be cost prohibitive for a fans coach.

[Gloucester man]

You did a great job last season saw the coaches at games. Sadly I wouldn't hold my breath expecting any help from the club they never have and I doubt ever will.
New years day 1978 2 sandgrounders were stuck in Aldershot we got a point 0-0. It was one the supporters club didn't run a coach they asked the club coach if they could help prior to KO and were refused point blank.
A bit of pure luck one of them the spotted us going in to the ground and asked for help? How we got them in I'm not sure but we got them as far as the Morris Dancers in Scarisbrick late that evening. They had a girlfriend waiting in a car lol
Puskas will tell you they didn't run a bus for that one and we bought 5 programmes back for the shop.
Neil did you go?

Hello;

I missed two games all season home and away, Aldershot and Swansea, I had been to Aldershot the season before, I managed a game at the Vetch Field back in the late 1980's when I was working in South Wales. . . Some of the trips required some real creativity that season. . Don caster midweek I arrived via the train without any lift back and the train home would only get me to Manchester, but luckily got a lift back in the back of Dave Bulman's Unipart van. . . Newport we did on a group train ticket, Southend we set off at midnight and broke down at Haydock, got to Liverpool and caught an early morning train to London. . I drove to Hartlepool midweek (I had passed my test the week before). . Watford last day was another group train ticket. . Interesting times. . We had had coaches earlier in the season for Wimbledon, Reading and Brentford. . Plus of course the annual drunken weekend in Bournemouth. . It was always a struggle to get sufficient numbers for a coach in 1977/78.

Remember coaches to Wimbledon,Reading,Brentford,Darlington,Stockport Huddersfield,Barnsley and the short ones. Hartlepool was supposed to be Friday night but cancelled frost.
We drove to Scunthorpe, Aldershot,Grimsby,Watford and York. Did you make Scunthorpe?

[yellosoul]

Could you do a mini bus and get a volunteer driver?

[yellosoul]

Who do the club use for the team coach?
Surely there's a foot in the door there, though I appreciate it could be one of the companies that may be cost prohibitive for a fans coach.

They used Anthony’s Travel in Runcorn for years, not sure if they still do

https://www.anthonys-travel.co.uk/

[PR9]

The club do indeed use Anthony's Travel and when asked they said it wasn't the sort of work they do.

[Sam]

Anthony's Travel would be very expensive if they did, they are fully kitted out with kitchens and sky TV, they aren't like the stuffy ones they used to go on with Holmeswood.

[portexileinbath]

The insurance didn't pay out on the window - DF had to fork out to replace it. Also that bus was off the road for a week also.
The kid who threw the brick was 14 and was banned for life from Chorley Football Club. But yet it happened. He was found guilty but because he was a kid in the care I believe, got away with it. His social workers kept coming round to DF begging them to drop the charges, I think overall they'd just had enough.

Sounds like a great care system when a 14 year old is throwing bricks at coaches outside a pub. I take it the social workers weren't offering DF compensation for damage and lost income in return for dropping charges.

The social workers didn't throw the brick !.

[Redrobe fan]

No they didn’t throw the brick, but the child was apparently in the care of the local authority so the local authority was in loco parentis and therefore responsible.

[Marsh Harrier]

I guess there are options to run coaches where demand makes them cost effective so it's worth getting a price on a match by match basis from the companies who will take footy fans. Could work for some of the more local matches?

Rail fares can be more affordable if you're clever so if you pair up with somebody and buy a two together railcard (£30) you can buy 2 returns to Boston @ £37 each, downside you always have to pair up with the same person. Other option get organised and buy advanced tickets.

Thought about the feasibility of sharing a coach with other clubs e.g. when we're at Alfreton, Chorley are at Boston but it wasn't a very long thought.

In reality the best way to get bums on seats is for Watson to get us challenging at the top of the table, I'm not confident that this will happen!

[David_1276]

I think for now, sparing some sort of miracle the best idea might be to set up a 'carpooling' thread on here so people can offer up/ pay for seats for games they are already going to/ wish to attend. I will be driving to some away games next season (not sure where or when yet, I haven't bothered to study the fixture list) and would be happy to have a full car if petrol is split between everyone. I'm currently in Buxton now and it's not a bad run, and it's a lovely setting for a ground so I definitely want to do that along with all of the other newly promoted/ relegated teams, plus the likes of Brackley and all of the local games.

[Churchtown Yellow]

The fact someone put video footage of a brick being lobbed at the coach at Chorley hasn’t helped. S/he knows who s/he is so thanks for that.

The behaviour on the coach wasn’t exemplary last year so not sure why there is surprise on here that DF don’t want to provide coaches this season.

[Big Mac 1985]

Why won’t the coach company from last season do it? Dan was always very complimentary about them.

[Ralphy Rylance]

The insurance didn't pay out on the window - DF had to fork out to replace it. Also that bus was off the road for a week also.
The kid who threw the brick was 14 and was banned for life from Chorley Football Club. But yet it happened. He was found guilty but because he was a kid in the care I believe, got away with it. His social workers kept coming round to DF begging them to drop the charges, I think overall they'd just had enough.

Sounds like a great care system when a 14 year old is throwing bricks at coaches outside a pub. I take it the social workers weren't offering DF compensation for damage and lost income in return for dropping charges.

The social workers didn't throw the brick !.

Well aware of that but they are responsible for the child and they were the ones asking for charges to be dropped. Don't see why anyone would agree to drop charges unless remediation for their loss was being offered in return.

[Ralphy Rylance]

Why won’t the coach company from last season do it? Dan was always very complimentary about them.

See Dan's post on page 1 of this thread.