Bradford City fans stranded after late victory at Wigan in Capital One Cup (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)
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Bradford City fans stranded after late victory at Wigan in Capital One Cup
6:35pm Wednesday 31st October 2012 in News
By Hannah Postles, T&A Reporter
City fans (from left) Danny Baracskay, Steven Horsfall, Ross Elliott and James Knox
A crowd of Bradford City fans were left stranded at a Wigan railway station after staying to watch their side secure its biggest cup win in 24 years in a late penalty shoot-out.
About 150 Bantams’ supporters endured journeys of up to seven hours to get home – with some paying hundreds of pounds for taxis – when they missed the last train back after watching City win a place in the quarter- final of the League Cup at Premier League Wigan 4-2 on Tuesday.
Elated fans, including children as young as four, descended on Wigan Wallgate station hoping to make the 10.25pm Northern Rail service to Manchester Victoria, where they could catch the connecting 11.20pm service to Bradford.
Some of the 5,000-strong away supporters had left before the winning penalty was scored at about 10.20pm, but many fans who decided to stay and watch the late drama were forced to find their own way home.
One supporter Steven Horsfall, was among a group of seven men who spent more than £100 on their journey, finally arriving back in Bradford at about 2.45am.
They shared two taxis from Wigan to Manchester Piccadilly, with a fare of £80, caught a train from Manchester Piccadilly to Leeds and spent a further £30 on another taxi back to Bradford.
“When the game finished we tried to get out of the ground as soon as possible,” he said.
“It’s a fair old walk from the ground to the station, but when we got there a policeman told us we had missed the last train.
“Obviously, as a City fan I thought it was worth every penny but I do wonder why nothing was sorted as they knew 5,000 City fans were coming.
“It was more the hassle that bothered me as I have a heart problem so I get tired easier. I was glad to get home, even though it took four hours after the game had finished.”
His friend Danny Baracskay said: “It would have been common sense to put on an extra train on or coach service back to Bradford to make sure we all got home, with extra time and penalties being a possibility.
“I would have happily paid a little extra for this as its better than £80 and three hours added onto the journey.”
Other fans, including freelance journalist Mick Gledhill, who had been working at the game, were able to catch a service from Wigan to Manchester, where they waited for a connecting service from Manchester Airport to York, which arrived in Leeds at 2.30am.
They then had to arrange their own transport back to Bradford.
Another supporter, Joe Murgatroyd, said he missed the last train by “one minute” and he and a group of people he met flagged down a taxi and paid £50 to travel to Manchester Piccadilly.
“The train was just £2.60 for a return,” he said.
“Big farce really. At least we won.”
Comments(22)
Mike Strutter
says...
8:19pm Wed 31 Oct 12
RuggerTyke
says...
9:46pm Wed 31 Oct 12
Mike Strutter wrote:Well it is because these train companies are incompetent as it is and surely it was the BTP's duty to have made arrangements to accommodate such scenario, especially given recent history in cups as well as the most recent tie in JPT versus Hartlepool.
Is this news ?
I left at extra-time during the interval and missed the spot-kicks and missed the 10:25 by a minute, got the :53 to Picadilly where a train to Leeds was 'awaiting'!
Through good fortune the 01:00 National Express service to Bradford was also delayed but managed to catch it and get home.
I know Serco have ruined our Education system but to see them so blatantly abusing the train service is not so much baffling as daylight robbery giving the monopolies these behemoths such as G4S and Tesco have in our society.
Thee Voice of Reason
says...
10:11pm Wed 31 Oct 12
Dancinfeet
says...
10:32pm Wed 31 Oct 12
smitd
says...
10:48pm Wed 31 Oct 12
Reality50
says...
12:31am Thu 1 Nov 12
JRT
says...
12:39am Thu 1 Nov 12
The public transport system can't cope with flexibility - as in a train that sets off 15 mins after the end (at least)
No, you can't have earlier kick-offs.
We have to kick off so late to pander to lazy car drivers and the television people, we don't care about decent people who use public transport
BierleyBoy
says...
8:59am Thu 1 Nov 12
4,850 others had no problem.
The 7 that spent £100 to get home via Manchester & Leeds could have got a taxi back direct to Bradford far quicker and for less money.
Good grief!!
johnhem
says...
9:30am Thu 1 Nov 12
RuggerTyke
says...
9:42am Thu 1 Nov 12
johnhem wrote:And then pay a £1000 insurance premium and run it off fairy liquid ?.
i can't understand people catching trains and buses like that, a car could do it for about £20, share that between 5 passengers and its only £4 each. how much was the train fare? does the train take them door to door? get organised and use the club to arrange car shares for away matches and save a fortune. you make your own timetable and you can wait for a straggler, unlike trains and buses, and still be back way before public transport.
"get over it!"
says...
12:04pm Thu 1 Nov 12
You have decided your own fate by staying to watch till the end!
Suggesting that a train company " should of sorted something or put a coach on knowing that 5000 people were travelling! what planet are you from.
Stand on the platform at the interchange and leeds on any York raceday and you will realise this doesnt happen!
I defo wouldnt be paying 100 quid to get 50 miles home. I would have just hung round till the morning and got the service train home and probably would have been home in time for work. surely a budget hotel in wigan would be cheaper or sat in a well lit station like preston or manchester with all your city mates . I dont think i would be telling my story in the paper either!
thebantammenace
says...
1:45pm Thu 1 Nov 12
"Stranded" implies they were left there maliciously. Erm, no they weren't. They knew what time the train was and made a decision to risk missing it, and when they did miss it they start panicking about how to get home.
My train to work in a morning leaves at 0804. I know I need to leave home at 0750 to get it. Tomorrow I will stay home an extra 5 minutes, knowing I may miss it and when I do miss it I will expect a full story to be run in the T&A!!!
johnhem
says...
3:29pm Thu 1 Nov 12
RuggerTyke wrote:obviously you get your insurance quotes from the newspapers. not a driver then? if you want to be pedantic you can use the cars all season for away and home games, pay your tax and fuel and depreciation and still be 75% better off.
johnhem wrote:And then pay a £1000 insurance premium and run it off fairy liquid ?.
i can't understand people catching trains and buses like that, a car could do it for about £20, share that between 5 passengers and its only £4 each. how much was the train fare? does the train take them door to door? get organised and use the club to arrange car shares for away matches and save a fortune. you make your own timetable and you can wait for a straggler, unlike trains and buses, and still be back way before public transport.
it worked 20 odd years ago when a group of us followed the bulls and its no different now.
no waiting for buses/trains, picked up and dropped at home and ground. you don't get that on public transport.
just to burst your bubble, fairy liquid costs more than petrol per gallon.
"get over it!"
says...
4:16pm Thu 1 Nov 12
It says on the advert!
RuggerTyke
says...
5:00pm Thu 1 Nov 12
Being a Bradfordian, £1000 is a low-end estimate for experienced drivers!
basil fawlty
says...
5:01pm Thu 1 Nov 12
Clarky11
says...
5:59pm Thu 1 Nov 12
JRT
says...
7:52pm Thu 1 Nov 12
johnhem wrote:YES car sharing is a good idea BUT many want to go on their own and not co-ordinate with other people.
i can't understand people catching trains and buses like that, a car could do it for about £20, share that between 5 passengers and its only £4 each. how much was the train fare? does the train take them door to door? get organised and use the club to arrange car shares for away matches and save a fortune. you make your own timetable and you can wait for a straggler, unlike trains and buses, and still be back way before public transport.
IF this is by car, there's lots of congestion/not good for the environment/late kick off's - IF this is by train you can set off when you want and (er - hopefully) come back, so the railways get used. Which is a GOOD THING.
Reality50
says...
8:35pm Thu 1 Nov 12
Clarky11
says...
10:52pm Thu 1 Nov 12
Reality50 wrote:Last train was 10.25 from Wigan Wallgate , they should have left early , no point in leaving ground at 10.30 and expect to get 10.25 , definetley would not have paid 100 in taxis if stranded would have got my head down in station till morning
Well I don't drive and wanted to watch The Killers next week in Sheffield but sadly there is no train back to where I need to go after 10.20pm so it means I can't go. No train between two major northern cities after half ten.The government tell you to use public transport but the service is pathetic. As for the City fans I think had they gone to Wigan North Western station they could have managed a later train to Bradford via Preston on the Blackpool-York line rather than get taxis into Manchester.They also could have got the 10.55pm Wigan to Manchester Victoria train so not sure why they needed taxis.
TirNaNog
says...
2:44pm Fri 2 Nov 12
thebantammenace wrote:Well? Don't keep us waiting! Did you catch it or miss it?
So this story is that a bunch of fans knew they were going to miss a train and then actually did miss it?! Is this really a story?!
"Stranded" implies they were left there maliciously. Erm, no they weren't. They knew what time the train was and made a decision to risk missing it, and when they did miss it they start panicking about how to get home.
My train to work in a morning leaves at 0804. I know I need to leave home at 0750 to get it. Tomorrow I will stay home an extra 5 minutes, knowing I may miss it and when I do miss it I will expect a full story to be run in the T&A!!!
fash1966 says...
8:05pm Wed 31 Oct 12