By Andrew Dillon
SMASHED windows, sticky seats and odious streams of beer and urine.
Sopping wet toilet rolls arcing at 50 mph like modern-day Cruise Missiles towards the heads of unwitting passengers standing on a station platform.
That was the wild world of the once-infamous Football Special service at the height of hooliganism in the 1970s and 80s.
When hordes of travelling fans were herded onto decrepit rolling stock and carted non-stop from one town to another as a way of getting to and from games.
They were cheap, cheerful – at least before the result – and came with the added bonus of isolating the ‘away mob’ as much as possible from the rest of society for the duration of the journey at least.
Not that you were totally immune if you were idling on the platform of a station somewhere in between, only to become the victim of a weaponized bog roll lobbed from a window as the Football Special whizzed through.
I saw it with my own eyes and believe me, some of those hoodlums were more accurate than our team’s centre forward.
So, how intriguing that the Football Specials of yesteryear appears to be making a comeback in 21st century form into a game that has changed radically in barely three decades.
And how exciting that football clubs are switching onto the idea that a sport which produces the same annual carbon footprint as that of Austria can help cut its emissions with just a little foresight and planning.
Some time ago, dialogue between the Newcastle United Supporters’ Club and London North Eastern Railway resulted in a ‘special’ train being put on for fans to head home to Tyneside after their Carabao Cup semi final first leg at Arsenal last month.
Usually, the last service from the Capital to the North East leaves Kings Cross at 2200 hrs. On the night of Wednesday, February 5 there was a dedicated 2305 departure.
With Newcastle winning 2-0 it was a good-humoured if lengthy journey back that rolled into its final destination at 0234 the following day.
LNER are already working on ways to get as many of the Toon Army as possible to London by rail for the Carabao Cup final itself at Wembley on March 16.
The Rail companies understandably have to make it viable. Only teams with a sizeable fanbase can really pay their way.
But LNER have shown they are willing to listen when it comes to new innovations with fan convenience and climate change in mind.
Just recently, West Ham United have secured 20 percent discounted rail travel for fans at forthcoming away games in the Premier League and Barclays Women’s Super League.
Just two examples of how rail travel can work for those who make football what it is in an age where the loyalty and commitment of average punters is tested to the limit.
The behaviour of today’s football supporters is nothing like what it was at the tail end of the last millennium.
Yes, there is still sporadic trouble but it’s minimal compared to ‘hoolie heyday’ when 200-strong gangs would turn up in towns and cities looking for a punch up – and get one.
The contemporary curse is not the mindless thug but more the careless kick offs.
Loyal Bournemouth supporters trekked 354 miles to Newcastle United for a 12.30pm game last month.
A quick check on National Rail Enquiries confirms there is no train leaving the South Coast seaside resort early enough on the day to arrive in Newcastle by midday. So the motor it is.
The St.James’ Park away end was still full but with people heading north by hook or by crook the resulting carbon footprint was much higher than it needed to be.
A new report – Dirty Tackle : the growing carbon footprint of football, highlights the environmental costs to the social and well being benefits of the world’s most popular sport.
The authors estimate that just one Premier League fixture emits 1,700 tons of carbon dioxide – with around half of that travel related.
Figures vary but rail travel can produce around a third of the emissions as that from two passengers in a petrol car per kilometre travelled.
The social and mental benefits of a football match are impossible to quantify but there is no doubt they are huge. Otherwise nobody would follow their team to the ends of the Earth.
Football needs to find a way to keep one down with the other staying as high as possible. If fans groups can follow Newcastle’s lead and engage the rail companies there is every chance that the 21st century Football Special could help reduce the environmental costs of our beloved game, or even use it to make our public transport network better for us all – imagine.
