Here's an idea for next season. The club makes an away travel season ticket. You pay X for the entire season and this funds the coach. If you don't go, you don't go but the coach is still paid for.

Curtism's idea is fine but realistically, how many people would part with £250 up-front, for away travel?

I reckon it would be good to target 2 or 3 games (ones which are difficult/expensive by train) and there's a few of us Sidcupians that would go (not Bridgend though. Already got our train tix!).

Shame coach travel is so blimmin expensive. Maybe we should club together and buy our own!



PS- Nice to see our boy's on the posh Quins Etihad coach. Surprised they thought it safe to take it to Cas!

I would

Tried to get the club to speak with other teams to let us in on the cheap if we did this.

Ok ... greedy coach company wanting firm comitment then offering a £800
one-off's.

Regret to say think you need to do more work before you get firm comitments from me.

1. Only Saturday, Sunday & B/H games.
2. Firm price and booking 14 W/days in advance
3. Sorting out of pick-up & drop points plus routing i.e. trip starts at The Stoop not in north London etc before The Stoop to M25.

How many quotes did you get as I've been given 'quick' quote of £650 for a 46 seater with loo/tv and hoer 'bring your own coffee/tea/sugar.

Routemaster



I know we have been here before, but they are still an option. Since I first muted the idea, they have become rare, but they are available.
If there are 30 hard core away fans, then £250/£300 each should do it. Even though as wire has pointed out I am a part time fan at home, I will immediately throw £250 into the hat. 29 more and we own a bus!
What better way (apart from a fleet of 4 black cabs) to turn up at an away ground (Catalans would be worth the £250 on its own) than in an iconic london red double decker bus?

Who would drive it? How slow would it be? Are they safe for prolonged motorway travel? How reliable are they?

Its a nice idea visually but I remain incredibly sceptical

The old posts are long gone, so I am doing this from memory.
1989 scania engines, capable of 60 mph (aren't all large vehicles regulated to 55 now?). Licence is required, but we can cross that bridge if we ever get to it.
Re-furbished interior and the option to (once we have it) modernise (bar'n'bog) as we go....
Stable, reliable and very much in demand. They were available back in 2004 for £7,500. That's 10 journeys at £800.....paid for


I never said at the time it would be comfy, but it would be a laugh and we would be able to dictate pick up/drop off, departure times and policy for drinking/smoking/eating etc.
We're all going on a summer Holiday....what chance we call it Cliff

It would be horrible.

When has it been otherwise?

I was thinking that too, but I'd love to see a bus with a bar

Oh my Journo friend...you miss the point.
The PR alone would be worth the £7,500. That and the "summer" journeys up north would be a larf. It really would be a money spinner after year 1.....10 trips and it has paid for itself...

I'd love to spend £250 of my own cash to get some PR for the club, especially after the money they have given me over the years.

Will do if there is any real feed back from people, but I am not going to put pressure on myself to do loads of work if it is a no brainer. I am relying on people like Gob, PP, Lister, Darthchris to give me real feed back as they travel a lot more than I do.

If it comes across that it would be a positive thing and people would use the facility then I will get a number of quotes but I need to know there is a commitment and I am not wasting mine and everyone elses time.

I can't believe that we couldn't get 40 names even out of our usual crowd of say 2500 to fill a coach, if it was promoted the right way and the right match targetted. It would never really be an option for me living in Kent and relying soley on public transport but I think it is certainally an idea worth pursuing.

What would people prefer, an early start and having a couple of hours free time before kick off, or a more sensible departure time and just arriving for kick off?

For me personally, i'd like a couple of hours before the match for a beer, lookround etc.

Bridgend for up to 3 (probably).

In an ideal world I would like to arrive a bit before an away game too to sample the local culture, but this isnt a necessity.



Also I think the Routemaster is a great idea, though at this very moment in time I don't have £250 to contribute, I would love to get involved in some way, get the quins colous painted on it, and have a personalised number plate of Luk3 D0RN

A QRL 'Routemaster' great idea from the promo/pr viewpoint but somewhat impractical otherwise.

1. Where would one 'park' the unit for the 349 days it's not used
2. It would need two drivers - both with full 'passenger' licences
3. Who would keep the unit in good repair

and as for going to Catalan away.......have never seen a full double decker on the ferry for starters.

I'm interested in away travel but let us keep it practial and in the 'real world'.......

Interesting to see what used coach's cost..... www.usedcoachsales.co.uk Some right old 'bangers' but also some interesting units, like the 75 seater Neoplan 'Skyliner' .....it seems to have the lot. Perhaps we need to find a London operator using such a unit.....would suggest one should be able to get 75 supporters.

Interesting to see what used coach's cost..... www.usedcoachsales.co.uk Some right old 'bangers' but also some interesting units, like the 75 seater Neoplan 'Skyliner' .....it seems to have the lot. Perhaps we need to find a London operator using such a unit.....would suggest one should be able to get 75 supporters.

I'd be inclined to give it a miss after the Manly debacle.

I would be interested in taking a share of a london bus, room for the kids?

Wouldn't travelling in a London bus be a wheeze?

We could all sing "Summer Holiday" as we go along. (you're not old enough to know that one, Sogs).

Count me in.

It sounds a great laugh in theory, but surely fuel and maintenance costs would amount to several grand a year every year on top of the initial price? As has already been mentioned, what are the safety issues regarding such vehicles on motorways? (Seatbelts for instance?) I'd think about contributing if it was a serious prospect.

Definitely up for away travel. At the risk of being dull suggest we try to create a committed hardcore before buying the route master but will happily contribute to such a project. We could ask the bloke who reads the news on Wogan to borrow / hire his for one game. Think of the publicity.