Reds Away: Share your away day experiences

iczster

I thought I would start a thread just to share away day experiences. We all know United away days and fans are the best, simple fucking as.

All you need to do is ensure the post at least includes Away versus Team on Date in the Title

Feel free to add videos, pictures or just any particular experiences that you want to share with fellow UTD fans who maybe where not lucky enough to get tickets. Personally I'm always interested in away day stories.

I'll dig out some posts for games I've attended. Hopefully we can build up a nice reference thread.

iczster

The day started off fantastic, it was one of them days with the sun shining but a cold “snap” in the air. I slowly rolled out of bed excited but bricking it, about the game (we have not a great record in recent years) but also about going to Klanfield with all the media hype which seemed a lot more fervent than in recent times.

Got myself ready and made sure I wore no colours. I was going to the game on my own today (wouldn’t take my lad) and decided this was the safest approach. I didn’t want to get singled out around Stanley Park with my best Coronation Street accent, fairly obvious where I come from.

Anyway jumped into the RS and sped off down to Old Trafford to grab the coach. Unfortunately, a little but too quick as I saw my carefully prepared travel mug of coffee go for posh a shit all over the passenger door and foot well (OH FFS!!) as I took a hard right (Valetting booked for next week )

On arriving at Old Trafford there wasn’t many people around, I got talking to a minibus of lads up from Bournemouth who had to call for a single ticket (apparently our fine Ticket Office wouldn’t send it out). They had been up since 4:30 and then headed off to Klanfield.

Finally got on the coach around 9:40ish



A real good laugh on the trip to Klanfield, all good humoured banter with everyone on coach 2. We got there fairly early and I was surprised to see quite a few dippers mulling around with their fucking Suarez replicas on *sigh*

Coach driver just fucking dropped us off at the other side of Stanley Park and we had to snake our way to the ground. I was again surprised to find when we got there that the turnstiles weren’t even open

Surely, common sense and health and safety would be to get the UTD fans into the ground as quick as possible to avoid confrontation? Maybe that’s just me!

Outside Gate M



We finally got through the turnstiles around 11:20 to be handed with a letter off Fergie pleading for us to be on our best behaviour. The place was fairly empty to begin with:


So I grabbed myself a coffee and made a few phone calls. Eventually the place started to fill up and soon enough it was buzzing. The usual match day atmosphere, everyone one of us up for the crack and the game!

A short video of the scenes outside the refreshment kiosks; it is worth noting that this had been going on for quite a while



It was fairly comical to see some plaques around Klanfield with the words “Liverpool FC do not tolerate violence, racial or homophobic abuse of any kind ….” I didn’t get a picture of this but thought, hmm, bit late for that now. It reminded me of the Blatter picture … anyway I digress.

I eventually got to my seat and everyone was buzzing and charged for the game.

View of the lads warming up



View of the travelling faithful from my viewpoint



Obviously we all know what happened during the game but let me just add a few little things that maybe where not visible on the TV.

• The famous Klanfield atmosphere was none existent until the goal 3 minutes from time. At one stage we even started chanting “Where’s the famous atmosphere”. Watched the disgraceful ITV commentary and they didn’t show the UTD fans hardly at all and certainly didn’t capture the fact that we owned that stadium for 90 minutes
• Sarcastic cheers from us lot whenever the Liverpool FC announcement came over the PA system
• Despite rumours there was definitely no chanting about Hillsborough
• Again despite the shite that gets posted there was no UTD fans spitting on the memorial.
• When the goal went in, everyone went mental bonkers I was going crazy with people to my right and we all huddled together in celebration …. Park Park ….. wherever you maybe
• Loudest chants of the day where just before half time with “Red Army” for a full 5 minutes ….. left side …. Right side ….. left side … right side ….
• The team didnt come over to clap us, personally not bothered, if they where as gutted as I felt, could understand it!
• Quite a few chants about racism (as you would expect) but a little too many for my personal taste would have preferred our usual repertoire, such as:

1. Justice for Evra
2. DA DA DA DA DA DAA Racist bastard
3. There’s only one racist bastard
4. It’s never your fault, it’s never your ff-aa-uu-ll-tt, always the victims, it’s never your fault
5. Couple of banners best one “only racists walk alone”

After the game we had to wait a while to be let out of the ground and be escorted to our coaches and the station. This was all very good humoured and I must say I thought the Merseyside police handled it very well. They were mingled in with us laughing and joking. We dealt out a fair bit of banter to the stewards and some scouse slapper trying to wind us up. Eventually they let us out and we walked slowly to our transport.

The atmosphere was quality and all the UTD fans left in good humour. I didn’t take any pictures of the escort back, but I have added some provided by AARRONB06 (hope its ok mate). I didnt get as far as the station anyway, the coaches where closer.

Being escorted to the station (looks like a scene for the Bill)



Outside Lime St



Although it wasn’t the best of results on the day there is nothing like supporting UTD away from home. Everyone is just has passionate than you are and we all know the score. The away fans tend to live and breathe UTD and some of these boys (and girls) would run through brick walls for their club.

Just remember people, although the result didn’t go our way on Saturday, it makes the next victory all the sweeter. It really hurt looking the scouse in the eyes with them celebrating their hollow victory. Keep the faith and thanks for reading

Dont forget …… We all follow UNITED

Never is this more true than after a day like this!

iczster

I didn't shoot this but definitely worth a watch. Hopefully gives an idea on some of the stuff to upload.

Utd heap

There's at best a handful on here that go.

I'm not sure how much people on here are arsed about how i got pissed on a train, ballooned around like an idiot, went to the match, then can't remember the trip home.

Becomes quite repetitive and boring.

But best of luck

Starkie_1

I tried this a while ago with euro aways, like Heap said... Not enough on here lucky enough to do aways to gain an interest. They are fucking brilliant though. Nothing comes close, trains/lift there... On the tins all day, findin other reds in alien towns....

iczster

Sure there are some good tales from aways that can still be remembered. Be good to get some European experiences, games I personally never get chance to go to.

iczster

Well if we cant manage it on here mate, were fucked The leading UTD forum and all that.

Leroy The Red

You could be the new Marching, and this could be your Leeds watch thread.

Pscholes18

Clattenburg running down the wing....

McLovin

Great post mate. Nothing beats an away day.

The cup game at Chelsea's my favorite so far this year. Walk from Earls Court to the stadium, 6000 reds in fine voice giving them shit for 120 minutes...great night.

Unfortunately don't tend to record much in terms of videos/images though. There's always a handful of videos on youtube that I'll watch again following the games that are uploaded by others.

As the two other lads above have said though, not many on the Caf attend away games. If you're interested in that sort of stuff would try out RI.

iczster

Thanks mate, I'm aware of odd video dotted around. Just thought we really should have a reference for these on the CAF and some stories to visualise whilst watching them.

It doesn't have to be a full on Spielberg style video though Thanks for sharing the Chelsea stuff, got chubbed for that game

MUFCgal

I would love to experience an away match.

PatrickP

Good thread Iczster. I've had some brilliant games this year

Liverpool
Newcastle
Chelsea (cup)
Braga

Got Norwich next week too. Terrible at documenting stuff though.

Out of the 4 Liverpool was the worst.
The atmosphere before the game at Newcastle was brilliant and loved the walk to the ground.
Chelsea was brilliant, took my dad and was brilliant at Earls Court and during the game.
Braga is one of the most amazing stadiums I've been too. No frills but beautiful. Met loads of great lads out there too

Twigginater

Would love to go to some away days. I've only ever managed Stoke away.

But I can only afford memberships and home tickets and don't have the "connections" to get away. It's a shame as well because around 12/13 I used to love going to all our home games, but now when I go one of a handful times a season it's certainly lost something.

Soon as I'm not a student I'm having a season ticket off, and then hopefully I'll get to a few aways.

iczster

Great to hear from you Pat, haven't seen you posting around here for a while.

Trust me mate a season ticket doesn't really help in getting away tickets. For some reason our club as the most fucking ridiculous away ballot process in the premiership. Don't get me started on that one

Twigginater

Surely I'd have a better chance if I've got one though.

iczster

I'll give you that one mate hehe

Twigginater

It's either that or become one of those bellends who gets them through Thomas Cook. Not sure that'd go down to well.

Boothy

Istanbul next week, can't wait

iczster

Nice one Boothy, would you mind posting a few pics and a brief write up mate?

Leroy The Red

Pfft, wishful thinking, you'll need about twenty five seasons before you start getting away tickets.
Our away ticket policy is a disgrace, I'll admit I've benefited from it because I had a 'connection' back in 09/10 which got me to 18 of the 19 away games. I lost that connection and I've been to about four away games since. Cup aways are easy enough to get though. Especially the Non-PL ties. Those are usually the best too, Scunthorpe and Barnsley away spring to mind, and Leeds of course apart from the bit where a few of us could have been killed.

Boothy

I rarely post on here mate, if I remember I'll try

If I remember anything...

rufus diabolus

How do you get away's mate?

iczster

Would love to hear about anything you can remember

Leroy The Red

You've got over 9k posts.

Boothy

Well done fella you can read.

I used to turbo post, I post very rarely nowadays.

rufus diabolus

Thank god...

How do you get tickets boothy?

Fergus' son

Great OP, enjoyed that.

Twigginater

I still follow Boothy on twitter. He's too busy going mad in Sheffield with his uni friends to post on here

Liam147

Could've sworn this thread had been done. Turns out it was your round up of last season. Anyway, my post from that thread:

The Blackburn game last season, the one and only away I've been to (thanks again to Robin for that), what a night. It was the night I really felt we were gonna win it. A lot of us thought a draw was a very real possibility, and many of us would've taken that. After all, out of nowhere we'd be three points clear at the top. Unthinkable not so long before. Naturally I can't speak for the regular away goers, but that was absolutely mad. The constant singing throughout, the party atmosphere, the result, the end when Fergie and Rene (I think) ordered all the players to us, as if to say, you performed as well as they did tonight. You could list your highlights from that night alone. All of us booming out 'Vieira, whoa..' as if it'd been rehearsed and of course 'City's cracking up'. It was just as if 7,000 of us had turned up absolutely smashed thinking 'we'll have a good time if it kills us'.

I must've been about ten rows down from the guy in the first video (if I'm not mistaken it's our own 99RB):







Then reading some of the comments after that game from the Blackburn fans about not even watching the game, just 'watching us nutters for 90 minutes'.

Great experience and I night I'll never forget.

iczster

Yeah I had to get it off my chest how the season ended mate, so I decided to be positive and round the season up. Good spot mate

I also was at the Blackburn game and would like to add the following

Another memorable night of this season was our trip away to Blackburn. Luckily I had got some tickets in the ballot and we had a good allocation with over 7,000 reds taking up the entire Darwen end of the ground. Personally speaking I am sad to see Blackburn get relegated. They are a North West club so it was a fairly easy away to get to and we always had a good allocation of tickets.

I remember when Valencia eventually scored late in the game and he was beating his chest going mental. Quite a uncharacteristic celebration and when Young scored a great goal a few minutes later the traveling reds went mental bonkers.

I will never forget the sheer emotion of that night and the atmosphere we created. My highlights were:

• The atmosphere for a FULL 90 minutes. Anyone who was there that night will know what I mean
• Fergie giving us the fist pumps after we asked him to give us a wave.
• The renditions of Forever and ever, well follow the boys (will never forget that)
• The City are cracking up chant
• Having absolutely no voice the day after
• The Golden Cup before the game, just fucking mental. What was all the beer flying round?

Remember the city are cracking up chant

Liam147

Yeah, fantastic night. The build up to it with Vieira and Mancini's comments (hence the booming Vieira song at the start), plus that this was a game a lot of fans would've been relatively happy with a draw. We'd still have opened a gap, but to win was extra special.

With Valencia's goal, that was something else. Rooney's overhead vs City wasn't celebrated like that. It was like being caught in a tidal wave, so I couldn't even see his celebration. Just absolute mayhem.

I'd never really liked Blackburn, and they had a habit of taking points off us, but after that night, and realising the incredible away support and atmosphere it generated I wanted them to stay up. A local ground with a 7k allocation (with what felt like 8k in the stadium), you want these sides up. Reading, Southampton and West Ham can go back down for me.

Sadly it'll always be tinged with what happened next. It still hurts to think that in the grand scheme, this was just another night, and another win that wasn't quite enough.

iczster

Yeah mate it was a potential banana skin of a tie, Blackburn where fighting for their lives at that stage. I honestly thought we'd clinched it with the 3 points there. Also, the fans gave DDG a fantastic ovation at the end, the lad looked close to tears. Like we'd finally excepted him.

Magical stuff.

PatrickP

Blackburn was brilliant last year. Was my best game I went to.

The whole stand was bouncing for the whole game. Was gutted when they were relegated just because we wouldn't go again next season

newseasonticket

Last seasons highlights.

Blackburn was amazing as a few have already said, the numbers we took. Very rare we get 7000 for a league game. At the time city were cracking up and it was becoming our title to win. Incredible atmosphere.

City away in the cup. Having stayed in Manchester the night before the game and being rather the worse for wear thought I was still asleep when rumours of Scholes being on the bench started to filter through. Taking the lead, Kompany being sent off and almost crying when Scholes came on was mental. Clinging on for a result too.

Ajax, Amsterdam with United. Nothing else needs to be said really.

Norwich away, great hog roast roll before the game from a stall outside. Being stood next to home fans and shouting 'let's be 'aving you, wher are you?'. Taking bundles of abuse form them when they equalised. And then, what I still think is one the best things in life, a last minute winner. It has to be one of the greatest feelings in life a last minute winner.

PatrickP

I forgot about City in the Cup. First half amazing, second half nail biting

iczster

Chubbed for that as well. Pat, any chance you could post a few pics and comments for the Norwich game this week mate?

Rood

I dont go away that often nowadays but did make it to the Chelski cup game the other day - was a good one due to the increased allocation and resultant atmosphere, shame about the result but at least we got our monies worth with extra time !

I try to make at least one Euro trip a season - did Basel last season (horrible match ), am off to Istanbul this weekend and it will be good to enjoy the trip without any worries about the result

PatrickP

Yeah I will try Icz

I think my mate has some of Braga. Will see if he can send them me. I have one from Braga which my mate sent me when he was watching it on TV. I am the one on the left

Sir Giggs

I apply for every domestic away and have an approx 1 in 10 success rate. Will try to post stuff on here for any future ones.

Next away for me is Galatasaray but I'll be in the home end for that one ! As a blonde-haired blue-eyed Mancunian lad I reckon I may stick out a little bit but I'm hoping the Turkish group I'm with will look after me.