Here is another wembley memory. This time from “prewarblue” who comments on our blog articles. (His real name is Phil McDowell!
Memories memories, went to all the games leading up to the 56 final with my uncle and aunt, only thing that really sticks in my mind is the semi final at Hillsborough. KRO drowning out Blaydon Races from all four sides of the ground (no segregation in these days!), I didnt get a ticket for Wembley. I disowned my uncle and aunt. I wouldn’t speak to them for months (well a week till it was time to collect me sweets).
Always vowed I would never set foot into Wembley till Blues played there. The great day arrived, it didn’t matter it was only a tin pot cup.
Blues, Wembley, the dream fulfilled, I had my ticket as part of a deal with West Midlands Travel. On the dayI went out to catch the bus over to St Andrews. However, where were all the bus?! Not ONE to be seen. Panic set in, I ran all the way in praying I would be in time.
I got to the ground, nothing, not a single bus anywhere. I was not far short of tears, I was running around like a demented chicken looking for a bus to take me. There were about 15 others doing the same. We caught hold of a poor bus inspector and was threatening what we were going to do to him if we missed out on the game! He told us not to worry a bus was coming, in fact he promised us. (By now he was panicing as we had him by one of the old style street lights with an arm sticking out of the side ready to lynch him from the arm if we didnt get the bus to Wembley!)
Sure enough just as we were debating as to what we could hang him with round the corner comes this gleaming RED AND GOLD vision, not for us going to Wembley in a clapped out Double Decker off the 11 route, oh no we had a brand spanking new Motorway Express 6 wheel thunderbolt. It had air-con, reclining seats and Hostess service.
We all piled on board after saying sorry to the inspector, (there was some talk of kissing him but we realised that was taking it a bit to far!).
It turns out this was the bus’s first day out on the road and was being diverted via Wembley to drop us off on its way to Victoria coach station to start its official duties for the day!
We passed everything in sight, even those who had left hours before in the missing buses from the ordinary services round the city. (I saw a fair few broken down on the hard shoulder, just getting onto the M40).
But thankfully I saw the game, my dream had come true. I had seen Blues at Wembley !!!! It didn’t matter that we had to come back on an inner circle No 8 bus with standing room only – doing 50mph down hill with the wind behind it, Blues at Wembley and we had WON the Leyland Daf cup!!!!
Leave a Reply