3 Go wild at Villa ( Or how to save 50% on your away trips)

[NorfolkJim]

I found a great new way to keep down the cost of getting to those vital away games - Break down just when you're heading for home and get relayed by your breakdown service - Voila 50% fuel saving.

Well thats what happened when East Anglian Fulham fans went in for a bit of car sharing with Suffolk White & friend making a more than appereciated detour from Englands most Easternly point to pick me up from Norwich.

It made a great change to be able to discuss Fulham and the game ahead while on the move. Mostly I travel in splendid isolation with a copy of FFT for company. The usually long and boring trek to Brum passed quickly in spite of finding our our way blocked at Peterborough and having to take a rambling divert via Rushden. Went past Rushden & Diamonds FC, looked a nice little ground - have we not played them before?

We parked up in Star City, a great location for free parking and shops even though a decent 20 minutes stroll from the dumpy and frankly unappealing environs surrounding Villa Park, though a stroll through Bishops park it aint!  So pleased they've built a Tesco behind the Witton, preserving us from the mercy of Brums finest burger vans.

You all know about the match - I think our support was very decent and once again Villa park was a library, confirming what we'd already agreed, the criticism of our vocal support is greatly unjustified and its the same just about everywhere much of the time. Good point gained, could so easily have been all three. £1.80 for Bovril seems a bit steep and the concourse makes ours seem like the Emirates by comparison - Well, I say concourse, corridor more like, corridor with insufficient toilet facilities and tiny exits.

Having enjoyed the game we took advantage of Star Cities facilities and made our way for the traditional getting lost in Spagetti Junction - Meant we could take in the view of Villa Park both North & South bound and enjoy the full panorama of Birmingham in the dark.

Strangely, we had discussed our cost saving strategy earlier in the trip so it came as no real surprise when due to taking on the characteristics of a jackhammer on rumble strips we found ourselves waiting for a recovery truck - Not far from Coventry - that was despatched from Leicester!

Now I had thought that wrestler Giant Haystacks, God bless his soul, was pushing up the daisies somewhere but no, no, he is living in Leicester and drives a pick up truck. So 3 full hours after final whistle we are again on our way to East Anglia - Only - Norfolk is off limits to said Giant Haystacks. But amiable fellow he is, he promises to deliver me to general vicinity of Norwich after all but on his way home to Leicester - Well beggars cant be choosers and remember that 50% Fuel saving!

Well that was the plan - only the recovery truck broke down in darkest Suffolk. Desperately he searched for a lit area in which to grind to a halt only to discover Suffolk is heavily into the night sky and doesnt do well lit. But luck smiled on him and he managed to keep it moving till the one and only 24 hours service station in Beccles, and promoptly his truck breathed its last.

So now we needed an even bigger tow truck to load his tow truck with the car on, onto - and it was duly despatched from where? You guessed it, Leicester!

At this point Suffolk White decided to come to our rescue with his networking abilities to get us a lift to his home town leaving the sight of car on  truck on even bigger truck to be consigned only to our imaginations - and so, like the thoroughly good fellow he is, availing himself of his Mrs Car, he made the mercy dash North to Norwich where my own transport was thankfully still where I had left it.

So ar 2am I finaly got home to find the Mrs had helpfully NOT recorded MOTD, on which we were once again LAST, but dont forget, there was that increadibly 50% Fuel saving!

So the next time you cant quite afford that awayday to Wolves, make sure you arrange not only a car share but also an unrepairable on the roadside breakdown for amazing cheuffer service back to your door and who knows? You too may meet the wonderful Giant Haystacks. He's shaved his beard off but it was him, I'm 50% sure!

Oh! and that detour at Peterborough - Massive Fire - still burning as we passed in on the way to Suffolk - Dozens of fire engines everywhere - quite exciting really.

[Peabody]

Very good Jim but you did make it sound like 'Lakrise to Candleford'

[White Noise]

Thanks for that excellent tale of the unvarnished glamour of following Fulham Jim. Thank feck that Demps got that equalizer otherwise it might have all seemed like a lot of trouble to go to!! :dft011:

[mrska]

Magic ..  made me crack up... Great write up! :045:

[Scrumpy]

 :045:
Thanks Norfolk Jim. It's always good to hear accounts from fans that travel. It helps people realise just how much is involved on top of the actual 90 minutes.

Sounds like a bit of an epic! I'd usually say 'You'll look back and laugh about it one day', but it looks like you already are. :yay:

[NorfolkJim]

Yes it was kind of fun, and that my travelling companions are real positive - see the funny side - kind of guys really helped as well. It was a bit of an adventure - but you wouldn't want it every week!

[sipwell]

It is a shame that you only have 111 posts. On the other hand, I hope your future ones will be of a similar standard.

By the way: RECORDING Match of the Day???? What century do you live in? We, the modern lads, download the torrent and stream it via our computer's HMDI plug onto our television. Then again, we watch a lot of Fulham games via streams rather than do the effort to support our team live, half a day's drive from home   :011: :011: :011:

[SuffolkWhite]

Hahahahahaha :011: Great write up Jim, I am still laughing at my own misfortune, that or cry. It was a pleasure meeting up.  

Just to add the final bit of the story I had to drive past my forsaken motor after dropping JIm off and the bigger low loader lorry was there, (the car is still in Leicester with Giant Haystacks).

I got home after dropping Jim off and spotted a letter on the table for me, I opened it up and to find I had a speeding ticket for going over Tower Bridge at 28mph last Sunday after the Spuds game   so my day was complete, but we did get an point away, although I got 3pts    

[HatterDon]

NJ & SW: thanks for the report and follow-up. Lovely stuff and it reminded me of my motor trips from darkest Bedfordshire to Ipswich in the 60s/70s.

[finnster01]

Mr Norfolk Jim,
That was a fantastic read.  :clap_hands: Pure quality, and still laughing at the car on the truck on a bigger truck visuals. :Sparkyticus:

Kind of reminds me of the old Steve Martin movie "Planes, Trains and Automobiles"

[Logicalman]

As usual Jim, wonderful effort portraying the funnier side of difficult times of one of the faithful.  And thanks SW for adding that extra special ending to another wonderful Tale of Norfolk-folk.

[SuffolkWhite]

Just to up date, it was a wheel bearing and the car is back ready for action and another trip!!!! Any takers?!!! :026: