An away day is one of the best parts of following a football club, and for a supporters' club or a group of mates, a coach or minibus is the obvious way to do it. Nobody has to drive, nobody has to navigate a strange city, and you travel there and back together. But football travel works under rules that don't apply to any other kind of trip, and some of them are the law rather than a preference. If you're the one organising, it's worth knowing them before you book, because they shape the whole day.
The alcohol rules are law, not house rules
The one that surprises people most is alcohol. Under the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc.) Act 1985, alcohol isn't allowed on coaches and other vehicles carrying groups to and from designated football matches. The law covers vehicles adapted to carry nine or more passengers, so it applies to minibuses as well as full-size coaches, and it covers the whole journey there and back.
It isn't just the passengers who are affected. It's an offence to have alcohol in your possession on the vehicle, and an offence to be drunk on it. It's also an offence for the operator or the hirer, which includes whoever organised the booking, to knowingly allow alcohol to be carried. That means the person who booked the coach has a real stake in making sure nobody brings a crate on board. Police do stop and check supporters' coaches, particularly for higher-profile fixtures, and a stop can hold up the whole group.
For what it's worth, our own terms already rule out drinking on board any of our vehicles, whatever the occasion, so this isn't something we can bend on a match day. The simplest approach is to tell everyone clearly when they sign up that there's no alcohol on the coach, and to remind them again the day before. Most supporters know the rules. The problems tend to come from the one person who doesn't, so a clear message from the organiser saves a lot of awkwardness at the pick-up point.
How a match day is usually organised
There's also a set of voluntary guidelines for carrying passengers to football matches in England and Wales, agreed with the police, and they explain why match-day travel runs the way it does. The operator is expected to let the local police's dedicated football officer know about the trip at least 48 hours beforehand, with the number of supporters and vehicles. That's one reason we ask for your numbers in good time rather than on the morning.
The guidelines also set out timings. Coaches are expected to arrive at the ground no earlier than two hours before kick-off and no later than one hour before, and to leave within 30 minutes of the final whistle unless police direct otherwise. That last one catches groups out. If half the coach wants a drink near the ground after the game, the timing doesn't allow it, and the vehicle has to leave with whoever is on board. Agree the departure point and time in advance and make sure everyone has it.
Stopping on the way needs thought too. Coaches aren't expected to stop within ten miles of the ground without police agreement, and a stop at a pub or anywhere selling alcohol is only expected where the alcohol comes with a substantial meal, agreed in advance. In practice, most groups plan one comfort stop at a motorway services on the way and keep it at that. If you're taking under-18s, the guidelines also expect at least one nominated responsible adult for them, which is sensible for any trip with young supporters.
Choosing the vehicle and planning the timings
Numbers drive the choice. A group of friends of up to about 14 fits comfortably in a 16-seater minibus, which is also easier to get close to some grounds. A supporters' club filling a full trip usually wants a 49-seater or 70-seater coach, and a full coach usually works out much cheaper per head than several smaller vehicles. Whatever the size, collect money early. We need a deposit to confirm the booking and the balance before the day, and it's much easier to chase thirty people in September than the week before an away game.
Distance and kick-off time together decide how long the day is, and that matters because drivers work under legal limits on driving time and on the length of their working day. A Saturday 3pm kick-off a couple of hours up the motorway is straightforward. A long trip north for an evening kick-off, finishing late and driving back overnight, is a different job, and it may need a second driver. Give us the fixture and the ground when you ask for a quote and we'll plan it properly.
Fixtures move, too. Matches get switched for television, cup replays and weather can change a date at short notice, so it's worth knowing how changes work before you book. We accept amendments up to three working days before the hire, subject to a small amendment fee and any change in price, but a major change of date can count as a cancellation. If there's a real chance your fixture will move, tell us when you book and we'll talk it through.
To get a price, send us the fixture, the ground, your pick-up point in or around Birmingham and your expected numbers through our quote form. Our coach hire page shows the full range of vehicles if you want to see what's available first.