One West Ham supporter, Roshi, remembers his day out at Edgar Street on Wednesday January 9th 1974. The Bulls had drawn a third round FA Cup game at West Ham the previous Saturday and the replay was watched by 17,423. This from his blog West Ham Till I Die.
After a crack of the dawn start we made our way from Upton Park on what can only be described as heap of junk towards the M4 and wait for it “Hereford in the cup” 73/74 season. First the driver got lost getting out of London and by the time the Heston services were looming every one was calling for a “comfort break”, not this driver (with his 10 year old daughter sat on the engine cover alongside him) we sailed straight past so that in his words “we could make up time” by the time we hit the Maidenhead turn off the troops were about to burst in a collective “weeathon” he finally stopped just off the motorway and we all ran into a field.
The rest of the journey was spent cruising at about 40 miles an hour, and kick off was looming, still miles away and only 40 mins to kick off, boy ‘o boy was this driver taking some serious stick (good job he had his daughter with him).
And then it happened we got lost on the outskirts of Hereford the game had kicked off the lads were going mad! finally got into the ground 20mins late. We lost 2-1 “how did that happen” and back to the coach for the long haul home. It turns out the coach has no heating, it’s raining and blow me the bloody windscreen wipers don’t work and the engine chugged as if it wanted to just die! it was a complete fiasco.
We finally made it to some services on the M4 and the we were all sitting down cupping a cup of tea trying to get warm, talking about another cup dream shattered by some wannabes from the depths of the football league when into the services walk the team and Frank Lampard came over to our table and in a very matter of fact way said “SORRY ABOUT THAT LADS”. To be honest I’ll never know who took more abuse that day the coach driver or poor old Frank, what I do know is, it was the last time I ever went on a supporters coach to an away game!
The Hereford goals were scored by Tommy Naylor and Alan Jones.
Text at top (next game etc)
Next Game: Scarborough In The League At Edgar Street On Tuesday 19th November At 7.45pm