Football special services

[j789]

All this moaning about the 74 on West Brom match days got me thinking about the football specials that were run in the past.

Does anyone have a list of all of the football special services that used to run for WBA, Villa, Blues and Wolves?

Also, I seem to remember on Easter bank holiday games, West Brom used to pay to put on a full range of local services direct to and from the game - I recall seeing multiple Metrobuses parked up along the Birmingham Road in the early 2000s. Anyone remember this too?

[B61 ANDREW]

 Also not forgetting many local coach operators running to various football grounds.

[BlackCountryBusSpotter]

Wasn't there a 74 Special last year due to the trams being down some BC Plattys were loaned in to operate them and were parked behind the Brummie End. I'm also sure there used to be 74E's to Island Road that were basically Football Specials as they can't turn around outside the Hawthorns. 

[Westy]

Walsall FC had some as well, as they used to be listed in the old PTE timetables.

[karl724223]

Who remembers the ode Cradley heathens speedway buses

[Rachvince53]

I can remember not so long back buses running as service AV1 to Villa Park.  Was it Midland (formerly Choice Travel) who ran them?

Just checked and Arriva have a service running to Villa Park from Tamworth registered from Feb 2023.

[Stu]

I remember The Green Bus running a number of 'AV' services, from various locations around Birmingham and Solihull to Villa Park. They may have also run some for Birmingham City.

I wonder how many people actually use the local buses to get to football matches though?

On Boxing Day I was with my dad driving through West Bromwich, and although this was just after lunchtime, there were already cars being parked up on Kenrick Way and Telford Way (I know this isn't new, I used to see this a lot when I lived over that way!).

I suppose people don't want to pay parking charges at the match-day car parks, but it beats me why people will drive to the game and park up somewhere that is at least 20 minute walk away!

Mind you saying that, on the handful of occasions I ever went to Villa Park with my friend, we used to get the 67 from Birmingham city centre and then walk from Lichfield Road, rather than try our luck on the 7.

[fleetline6477]

Midland Rider also used to run additional journeys on the 7 as 7E Witton Square on AV match days.

[2206]

I remember The Green Bus running a number of 'AV' services, from various locations around Birmingham and Solihull to Villa Park.

@Tony's bottom picture of 4657 it is on a AV2 in Solihull. Were some of these routes ex NX/TWM?
TWM may have ran extra 7's 11's to villa park I think at one point.

[Lukeee]

@Tony's bottom picture of 4657 it is on a AV2 in Solihull. Where some of these routes ex NX/TWM?
TWM may have ran extra 7's 11's to villa park I think at one point.

Believe they did run extras on the 7 once upon a time, as to weather these were shorts to villa Park or just extra buses on the route I'm not sure 

[Isle of Stroma]

Remember them? - I rode on them!

[Mike K]

Believe they did run extras on the 7 once upon a time, as to weather these were shorts to villa Park or just extra buses on the route I'm not sure

There were a number of short journeys to Villa Park on the 7 in the past. After games there would be a number of 7s parked up on Witton Lane just before the Witton Square roundabout waiting to take fans back into town. Personally, I'd walk down to Perry Barr to catch a bus, avoiding the worst of the traffic. These days I'll walk to the Bartons Arms for a couple of beers until the traffic has died down. 

[EK40]

I can remember not so long back buses running as service AV1 to Villa Park.  Was it Midland (formerly Choice Travel) who ran them?

Just checked and Arriva have a service running to Villa Park from Tamworth registered from Feb 2023.

that arriva service can be seen tracking normally, a chaserider service from cannock to vp via kingstanding also can be seen tracking rarely

[BlackCountryBusSpotter]

I remember The Green Bus running a number of 'AV' services, from various locations around Birmingham and Solihull to Villa Park. They may have also run some for Birmingham City.

I wonder how many people actually use the local buses to get to football matches though?

On Boxing Day I was with my dad driving through West Bromwich, and although this was just after lunchtime, there were already cars being parked up on Kenrick Way and Telford Way (I know this isn't new, I used to see this a lot when I lived over that way!).

I suppose people don't want to pay parking charges at the match-day car parks, but it beats me why people will drive to the game and park up somewhere that is at least 20 minute walk away!

Mind you saying that, on the handful of occasions I ever went to Villa Park with my friend, we used to get the 67 from Birmingham city centre and then walk from Lichfield Road, rather than try our luck on the 7.

Probably to go to the Pub there ay many around The Hawthorns that most fans would drink in. The Vine in Kenrick Park is popular with home and away. I think you could use the Public Footpath alongside the Metro to get to Halfords Lane. Or back twoards Birmingham Road. There is the Prince of Wales I think on Birmingham Road and then two in West Brom itself The Sandwell and the Billiard Hall though the 74 would probably the best bet to get from them to the ground. Other than that Handsworth has a couple but I don't think to many Albion Fans use them as they are going past the ground or having to park up in Handsworth which is a bottle neck at the best of times and my dad who used to work opposite the Ground and watch Albion says Handsworth ay really a good area to leave your car or to drink in. He says the safest bet is The Town or maybe the Vine which I think he remembers.

[BrumKev86]

I wonder how many people actually use the local buses to get to football matches though?

In Villa's case id say it's the best form of transport. Parking when I was going as a kid was awful. Remember my dad parking at One Stop shopping centre (1990s)  when we went and we would walk from there, which was about 30 mins. We just hid our colours as they didn't like fans parking there but it was free and no time limit back then. Then when i started going on my own I just got the 997 from Pheasey and walked from Perry Barr greyhound stadium, only 20min walk. 

Currently the train station is completely inadequate and WMT don't always run a reliable service. The parking is terrible so I think Aston Villa should put more investment into making sure supporters can get  to and from VP. It's all good having football specials from Cannock and Tamworth but it's needs to be from all corners of the Midlands.