A trip to Blackburn - Old Division Two - A Memory

End of the season table 1983/84

I see Cardiff City are on the road tonight to Blackburn in search of three points and it reminded me of an end of the season trip with Cardiff City Supporters Club in 1983/84 season. That was the season Ken Bates, paid £1 for Chelsea and they won the Second Division title.

It was a poor season for us finally finishing fifteenth in the league table and after the celebrations of the previous season and promotion it was hard to take. The only highlight of the season was the scumbag’s from the west Swansea City were relegated.

So on the last away game of the season the trip to Blackburn I was not expecting much of an away following, I was right, and by time we hit all the pickup points the coach was just over half full. To be honest I was expecting an uneventful trip until we joined the M5 toward Birmingham a coach pulled past us fall of Bristol City fans. Key a lot of posturing and flicking of the finger, all in banter.

We sat back having a laugh another and another coach load full of Bristol fans passed our very lonely coach. Checking the back of the paper there was the answer we were in the mists of a convoy of Bristol City coaches heading for Chester to celebrate promotion. This could be a nightmare and very messy with the Frankley service stop up ahead.

‘Common sense prevailed’ a decision was made to forgo our normal stop at Frankley, which was happily embraced on the coach and we would find somewhere else for an overdue pit stop. Lucky we did because from the road the car park did not look too friendly. Eventually we found somewhere.

We arrived in Blackburn early, were dropped outside the ground but there was a need to quench our thirst and we found a workingmen’s club a stone’s throw away from the ground. The guy was happy to let us in deeming us unlikely to kick-off and anyway the place was empty he needed the company. Now when you are an away fan sitting quietly having a drink the last things you do not want is the door to bust open, which could mean a bunch of naughty boys charging through the door looking for trouble.

Not this time some bloke alone came through the door pretending to be a chicken, full wing flapping and funny walk and he was surprised to see twenty or so Cardiff City fans sitting there. The bar keeper assured us it was not part of the entertainment with the guy embarrassingly telling us he expected is mates were in which was better than a kick-in.

The game was dire I remember with few in attendance we managed to eke out a 1-1 draw but win, lose, draw it was always a pleasure. The home trip was always quiet better with a win under ones belt but hey, it had so far been a great day out.

Remembering this morning and all the Bristol City coaches on the way to Chester, the roads were pretty much devoid of Bristol fans homeward bound. A decision was made to make a quick dart in and out of the Frankley service station. A mistake! Maybe has we parked up and below us there were a lot of coaches decked out in red and white, the colours of Bristol City and the decision of our driver to have something to eat all played along with what happen next.

Happy and merry on their promotion they seem happy to mingle not a hint of trouble then someone chants ‘Bluebirds’ then it turns into a nightmare and I run back to our coach. Soon our coach was the centre of attention with everyone, not quite but near enough and there was lots of banging of the side of the coach and the windows.

One angry man was knocking on the window jestering me to step off the coach I thought it would be better to stand my ground from the relatively safety of the coach. Things looked to be going tits up now the naughty people outside pull the escape door open and it was looking like we were going to have company. Then the seventh cavalry turn up in the shape of a copper on a motor bike and with our driver found, we were sent on our way after an interesting day.