Last bus to Bedford
By Monkey1
May 27 2013
Rupert Murdoch’s mob & the RFU showed utter contempt for rugby supporters by stipulating that the Championship final games should be played mid-week in the evenings, but our Supporters Club were up for the challenge, and so were the supporters.
An impressive number made the trek down to Bedford on Thursday, by car, by train, by whatever means they could, and of course, the away trip bus. God bless her, and all who sail in her.
Being located in Newcastle and playing games throughout England means that most away games involve a long trip. That usually means an early start at weekends so lunchtime was one of the more civilised times to be setting off from Kingston Park. Margaret was in charge of proceedings as she was on my very first away trip bus, more years ago than either of us would admit. Back then I had a six year old daughter in tow which was very handy as she took up hardly any space so I got plenty of room to stretch out. That six year old is now as old as some of our academy players so I was confined to just one seat on the packed bus.
Bedford doesn’t look too far away on the map, but getting there involves travelling down the old A1, and after Doncaster that road eats away at time itself. I made the mistake of travelling back from Kent up the A1 instead of the M1, never again. It doesn’t seem much different from when I was very small & was dragged down to the outskirts of London in my dad’s Rover 110. It took all day. On the bus of course it doesn’t matter, just gives time for a chat, but I was aware that every one of those miles would have to be retraced in the wee small hours.
Fortunately it all went smoothly & we arrived at Goldington Road with plenty of time to get tickets, get in, and get a pint. It was a very good pint too, Wells Eagle, brewed in Bedford, and even the plastic pots were specially branded up for Bedford Blues. Bar service in the clubhouse was excellent, even when the crowds arrived in force. Armed with a brew it was time to go out & find a pitch before it got too busy, and already most prime spots were taken, we ended up with a good place however on the 22, leaning on the hoardings. Next to us were some locals, very welcoming & pleased that we had made the effort to attend. They were also very pleased to see the ground filling up, their best crowd of the season.
Now I finally got to see the famous, or infamous Goldington Road pitch, and it was not what I expected. For a start there isn’t a straightforward uphill & downhill as it slopes from corner to corner. It doesn’t look much of a slope either, but the locals assured me it is 12 ft from corner to corner, so to put that into perspective that makes running from low end to high end not just the distance of a rugby pitch, but add in running up a flight of stairs too. I am not going to go into the rights & wrongs of an imperfect pitch for playing rugby at this level, but Bedford seem to have managed pretty well for 130 years.
With people still arriving at the main gate the game got under way on a pitch that was wet enough to promise handling errors for anyone daft enough to try anything too clever. Leipy will be writing a match report to give the details, but in summary we got what we expected when the team was announced. The Falcons tactic was evident from the early on, keep possession, take the ball into Bedford’s 22, play it safe & force them into giving penalties away. The Blues actually took the first 3 points, but then the game settled down and they were frustrated by only getting rubbish ball, hoofed up the pitch with the prospect of spilling the wet ball. The scoreboard ticked over relentlessly, and despite Bedford finding some holes in our defence towards the end & taking a couple of penalties for their own tally, they never looked too dangerous & the final whistle blew to a 9 point lead for Falcons to take to the second half of this contest at Kingston Park on Wednesday evening.
Game over & time for another pint before meeting the bus at 10pm at the main gate. Bar service was still up to standard despite it being busy, having to queue in the rain for the toilets wasn’t so good. MSC or not, they need to do something about that. My local pub which only has to cater for 3 farmers & a dog has better toilets than Goldington Road, now I see why they keep being mentioned.
Out in the rain to soak up the last of the atmosphere the chant of “Deano, Deano” went up as the big man headed for the bar, his stint in front of the media over. Our time in Bedford was also over, and a thoroughly enjoyable trip out it had been. Back to the waiting bus, the rain quite heavy now, we bade farewell to those heading off under their own steam and the bus headed back to the old A1. Some nattered away, others got some sleep as the wheels on the bus went round and round. Once again we enjoyed the delights of a stop at Blyth services, then back on the road to arrive at Kingston Park just after 3am. By the time I arrived home up in the hills it wasn’t just getting light, the birds were singing as daylight got Friday under way. I have been on some long trips to away games, but this one must take the record for latest to get back home.
Despite joking about needing my map of Bedford for the last few seasons, we finally earned the right to use it. At the start of the season I was determined that Goldington Road was one of the grounds I had to get to, so I am glad I made the trip, but to be honest I don’t want to go there again unless by some miracle Bedford Blues can sort the place out to host premiership rugby there. Having been unable to make away trips for a while due to family priorities it was good to be back on the bus, and whatever the outcome on Wednesday night I am looking forward to more fun next season, although hopefully to boring premiership grounds.
Many thanks to Richie, Margaret & Kevin for making it both possible and enjoyable, and I hope others will be tempted to try the bus trips next season with the prospect of some decent rugby to watch & support.
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Onwards and Upwards!
Monkey it would nice if we were able to create an online gallery. I've enjoyed some fabulous experiences at grounds around the country and would be nice to share the experiences of others. Just an idea
Jolly good idea