Original "Valleyaway"

BobK

Do any of the older Lifers have memories of travelling to away games using the original Valleyaway back in the 1970s? I believe it was set up as an alternative to the official supporters club (and Lewis coaches) that then did not supply coaches to every away game.

Henry Irving

Pedro45

I mainly used to go by train, but Boxing Day games (when there were no trains) or very occasional other fixtures I used Valley Away. Hereford in about 1976 (won 3-2) was one such game; picked up in Eltham and a very long journey there and back via the M4 and up the Wye Valley I think?

cashncarry

Was that the one run by Mick Walker?

BobK

I think it was started by Tony Rand and a few others but after a couple of months Mick Walker continued it with the help of Jack Parrott, Jim Fenn and myself.

Johnnysummers5

I used Lewis coaches and to my knowledge, they had coaches to every away game

BobK

There was, I think, a couple of midweek games in the late 60s or early 70s where Lewis cancelled because they did not sell enough tickets.

Acab

Over to you Blackpool72😎

Oggy Red

Around 1971-72 I used Valley Away regularly; pick up from Eltham Church or The Valley gates. I was only 16 at the time.
Remember Mick Walker in particular. Is he still around?

After that, went on the Bubbles coach to Walsall, first match after relegation to the Third Division.
Jeez, what a day that was, blades and bricks .... people getting hurt. Oh yes, we lost 3-2 in the last minute after Keithy Peacock put us a goal up before half time.

Decided to use Lewis's after that, really great camaraderie, Les Turner, Chris Slattery et al.
And thereby hangs another tale. Good times!

BobK

My first away game outside London was Birmingham in 1968 and I used Lewis's and continued to use them for a good few years before Mick Walker asked me to give a hand keeping Valleyaway going.
 I was a friend of Chris and Barbara, his partner, and knew Les Turner from that time and later the Valley Club.
I think what a lot of Lifers might not realise is then it was a struggle to fill a 50-seater coach and that was not helped by the Motorways not all being completed so a lot of the games pass the Midlands were overnighters.

ShootersHillGuru

I used it a few times but I have to say I used Lewis coaches mostly. 

Acab

Oggy Red said:

Around 1971-72 I used Valley Away regularly; pick up from Eltham Church or The Valley gates. I was only 16 at the time.
Remember Mick Walker in particular. Is he still around?

After that, went on the Bubbles coach to Walsall, first match after relegation to the Third Division.
Jeez, what a day that was, blades and bricks .... people getting hurt. Oh yes, we lost 3-2 in the last minute after Keithy Peacock put us a goal up before half time.

Decided to use Lewis's after that, really great camaraderie, Les Turner, Chris Slattery et al.
And thereby hangs another tale. Good times!

Me, Bubbles and B72 and a few others had a nice little reunion last week. A nice day out after 15 months.

ElfsborgAddick

BobK said:

My first away game outside London was Birmingham in 1968 and I used Lewis's and continued to use them for a good few years before Mick Walker asked me to give a hand keeping Valleyaway going.
 I was a friend of Chris and Barbara, his partner, and knew Les Turner from that time and later the Valley Club.
I think what a lot of Lifers might not realise is then it was a struggle to fill a 50-seater coach and that was not helped by the Motorways not all being completed so a lot of the games pass the Midlands were overnighters.

Blimey, how long would it take to get to Birmingham in those days?

blackpool72

Acab said:

Over to you Blackpool72😎

Best we both say nothing mate ☺

cashncarry

Oggy Red said:

Around 1971-72 I used Valley Away regularly; pick up from Eltham Church or The Valley gates. I was only 16 at the time.
Remember Mick Walker in particular. Is he still around?

After that, went on the Bubbles coach to Walsall, first match after relegation to the Third Division.
Jeez, what a day that was, blades and bricks .... people getting hurt. Oh yes, we lost 3-2 in the last minute after Keithy Peacock put us a goal up before half time.

Decided to use Lewis's after that, really great camaraderie, Les Turner, Chris Slattery et al.
And thereby hangs another tale. Good times!

Mick Walker moved to Hastings (went for a few drinks with him).But not seen him around for a while.

Oggy Red

ElfsborgAddick said:

BobK said:

My first away game outside London was Birmingham in 1968 and I used Lewis's and continued to use them for a good few years before Mick Walker asked me to give a hand keeping Valleyaway going.
 I was a friend of Chris and Barbara, his partner, and knew Les Turner from that time and later the Valley Club.
I think what a lot of Lifers might not realise is then it was a struggle to fill a 50-seater coach and that was not helped by the Motorways not all being completed so a lot of the games pass the Midlands were overnighters.

Blimey, how long would it take to get to Birmingham in those days?

Yeah the M6 hadn't joined up with the M1 in those days.
Always stopped at the big pub at Brownhills on the way back from Preston, Bolton, Blackpool, etc

Remember going to Deepdale, Preston 1971-72, Oh yes, we lost 2-1 in the last few minutes after Paul Went? put us a goal up before half time.

Remember going to St Andrews 1971-72, where Charlton put on a scintillating performance in the first half but only the one goal to show for it.
Oh yes, we lost 4-1 with Birmingham scoring an avalanche of late goals, after Keithy Peacock put us a goal up before half time.

I remember going to Swindon for the first match of that 1971-72 Second Division season. 
Oh yes, we lost 2-1 in the last few minutes after Keithy Peacock put us a goal up before half time.

The M4 petered out at somewhere like Maidenhead! ..... it was the rural A4 thereafter to Swindon, much of it just 3 lanes, with the 'suicide' lane in the middle.
You went right through the town centres and villages, stop / start at traffic lights much of the way.

Same going to Cardiff that season, meandering through the Wiltshire countryside on the old A4.
Gawd we got murdered that day, lost 6-1 with 17 year old CB Paul Went scoring an own goal.
And then in the streets around Ninian Park, our coach was ambushed and bricked, caving in many windows while the Old Bill stood by and watched.

Those were the days. Ha ha!

BobK

I was at most of those games as well Oggy Red. I remember one trip to Swindon when we stopped at Malborough and some of the lads "borrowed" a large ash tray from a pub. The only way the police would let us leave for the match was for me to leave my driving licence with them to ensure we returned after the game. The ash tray did turn up I think but the lads still got nicked for it. Also there was a pub at Wellingborough, Northampton, that we used to go out of our way to visit after matches in that area.

Oggy Red

Yeah, that's right ..... the pub at Marlborough, for the Swindon game pub stop.
The coach stopped there on the way back from Cardiff too.

There was a bit of the M4 open between Bristol and Cardiff I think, and there was a motorway services on that short stretch only.
Maybe on the Welsh side of Severn Bridge, we stopped there too? Can't quite remember ..... well, it was half a century ago!