7 AM start from Eton
My short-planned expedition to Weymouth, solo- due to its stupid complexity – was carried off without notable problems. Credit GWR, South West Trains, Virgin Cross Country and Elizabeth Line – 8 trains – not one late (contrast with the Yeovil Pen Mill, Weymouth service). I was lucky but when public transport works, it is a delight.
Not so lucky was the large family whose matriarch was struck down shortly into the second half of Yeovil’s away fixture at Weymouth. I was standing by the medical room, having purchased a cider when she was rushed in with her extended family in tow.
Shortly after, the lino had to inform the ref that the situation was bad enough for an air ambulance to be needed and shortly after, one arrived.
Weird drama at Weymouth game this pm. pic.twitter.com/Q9CP5U21zp
— Henry Tapper (@henryhtapper) April 1, 2024
The ambulance wasn’t there to pick up the patient but to set down two paramedics and quickly returned to Henstridge (yes that Henstridge- Thomas Hardy fans).
By now, sufficient time had elapsed for the future of the remaining 20 minutes to be in doubt. After a further wait, the players emerged, Yeovil in crocs, Weymouth in boots. It was pretty obvious who wanted to play on, Weymouth were leading 1-0.
But ground staff removed the corner flags and Yeovil’s manager emerged to tell us that his players were athletes and hadn’t got another 20 minutes in them.
Officially, the game was abandoned after 75 minutes.
On April 12th , the League made a decision to award the game to Weymouth.
National League statement on the abandoned Weymouth v Yeovil Town National League South fixture
— The Non-League Paper (@NonLeaguePaper) April 12, 2024
As we made our way back to the station, ( a 40 minute trudge) , we were passed by a number of Weymouth fans who clearly didn’t think much of our incapacity to carry on. You can see their point. The match was abandoned with Yeovil 18-1 against to turn things round.
It had been hard to get too excited over a first half where Yeovil were pretty rubbish.
Unimpressed by today’s performance. But only 3 points from promotion pic.twitter.com/Cj0PRk56Me
— Henry Tapper (@henryhtapper) April 1, 2024
Yeovil’s travelling fans numbered more than 2,000 and were in good voice with a decent repertoire of songs but while the fans turned up, the team didn’t.
My memories of the day include the fine wild-fowl-life of the Radipole wetlands
Not much to be said for the game today- but top ducks pic.twitter.com/5rbNl69hGi
— Henry Tapper (@henryhtapper) April 1, 2024
And the weirdness of trains running to time!
8th and final train of the day. No goals for #ytfc , no result, but relieved that we got lucky. Thoughts with the invalid #ytfc pic.twitter.com/p4nYuifvji
— Henry Tapper (@henryhtapper) April 1, 2024
Yeovil got lucky,our rivals, Chelmsford lost to bottom club Dover and we are now but one win from promotion by being league champions.
The best news for me personally was to get a message from Chris Sier who was also in Weymouth , watching his daughter sailing. Chris, that you are out and about after the winter you’ve had, is fantastic!
And my favorite moment? – the guilty handshake from the lad who threw his Corona empties into the hedge, bless our fans and bless Weymouth too, even if it is a shit-hole.
Really sorry your day could have been better, I was thinking of you when I heard the news report.
“Virgin Cross Country” – must have been a heritage train and luxury compared to today’s service!
When Virgin reluctantly took over the franchise they set out to increase fare revenue using on board facilities and services to attract passengers onto the long neglected Intercity long distance services which stretched from Aberdeen to Penzance, Poole to Manchester, Brighton to Glasgow, nearly all avoiding London. I was not alone in voluntarily using their services in place of the car to all those places (but only as far as Redhill on the Brighton line). The problem was that Virgin was so successful in attracting passengers that the Voyager 4 and 5 car units became hopelessly overcrowded, particularly between Birmingham and Reading or Bristol and Derby that sardine like standing (even in the toilets) became the experience for many – no fun on a four hour plus journey!
When the franchise came up for renewal in 2006 the Dept. of Transport decided to re-specify it as essentially an extended Birmingham commuter service to Bristol, Oxford and Derby with extensions to Aberdeen (exceptionally usually Edinburgh), Plymouth (occasionally Penzance), and Poole, plus the now infamous Manchester to Birmingham service. The franchise was awarded to Aviva (rumour at the time was that the DoT had a policy of stripping Virgin of its rail franchises because of the profit Virgin had made in the early years of its West Coast franchise from compensation payments for delays to the promised Route Modernisation programme). Aviva then stripped out the on board facilities such as luggage racks, replaced table seats with airline style seating, downgraded the first class service from hot meals and drinks to tea and biscuit (if you were lucky), replaced the on board shop with a trolley service that couldn’t get through the carriages because of the luggage which now had nowhere else to go except in the aisles and vestibules. They also downgraded the advance ticket system which Virgin had used so successful to divert pre-planning travellers onto quieter services. After a few uncomfortable journeys, I switched back to the car.
The franchise was due to be rebid in 2016, but then delayed to 2019 when a public consultation on the franchise renewal was withdrawn at the last minute. Aviva continue to operate the services under a direct contract with the DoT with a replacement 4 year (extendable for a further 4 years) contract was provided in October 2023. There are no substantive plans to renew or upgrade the all diesel fleet which is now all over 22 years old.
Perhaps lessons should be learnt for Government interference in other areas!
Sorry, end of rant.
Passengers on my Cross- Country train were offered the services of a buffet based at the back of the train which was “exact cash only”.
I would like to correct any impression that this was a “crap day”. Perhaps my lasting impression was of nearly 5,000 emotionally and often alcoholically charged spectators, agreeing to set down differences in respect to one of the crowd, who had what now appears to be an extreme allergic reaction.