Coach travel this year is being provided by Bayliss Executive Travel.
Full information will follow in due course.
Carshalton Athletic (A) on the 24th August 2024
Coach will depart from Princes Park at 12:30pm for the price of £20 per DFCSA member, £25 per non-member.
Dover Athletic (A) on the 7th September 2024
Coach will depart from Princes Park at 12:15pm for the price of £25 per DFCSA member, £30 per non-member.
Billericay Town (A) on the 14th September 2024
Coach will depart from Princes Park at 12:30pm for the price of £20 per DFCSA member, £25 per non-member.
Chichester City (A) on the 26th October 2024
Coach will depart from Princes Park at 12:00pm for the price of £25 per DFCSA member, £30 per non-member.
As always, we would strongly recommend joining the Association if you are planning to use the coach more than once a season. Membership starts at £8 per year, and you can sign up for this on the day or in advance.
Please be advised – if you need to cancel your booking, you may be liable to pay for your journey if cancelled on the day of travel. To make your booking, please speak to Mick Austin either in the club bar on match days or by calling/texting on 07969 181796.
DFCSA Away Travel 2024/25
Moderator: Gary C
Re: DFCSA Away Travel 2024/25
As one poster has already acknowledged on the Dover match thread, the cost of coach travel to away games continues to be a challenge most seasons these days, so I wanted to help provide a bit more colour on behalf of the DFCSA.
Soon after the new season fixtures are announced, representatives from the Committee meet with each of the local coach providers (all privately owned) to discuss our travel requirements and obtain prices for all the away games that we would be looking to run coach travel to. Each price list provided is then carefully reviewed and a decision taken on the best company to use, typically driven by the cheapest costs but also ensuring that the standard of travel is of the level that we would all expect e.g. having toilet facilities for most/ longer trips.
This season we made the decision to use Bayliss Coaches - not only were they the best value for money but we have also been impressed with the standard of their available fleet, but also the professionalism of the drivers. Again as already stated, the Dover game was a known exception due to a prior commitment which we were made aware of, but we are sure that anyone using the coaches to future games will not be disappointed.
Referring to the cost comparison from last year, now being in the Isthmian league means that there are more local games. Last season, like with many previous to that, a number of coach journeys and ultimately the cost, have been shared between DFCSA and the actual Club where both players, officials and supporters would travel together making it more cost effective. But a new league, as well as new players also means that more people do not need to rely on coach travel with many players in particular making their own way to games. This was the reason for the cost on Saturday where the coach costing £795 was only being used by supporters, where last season it was shared with the club meaning DFCSA, and ultimately supporters, would have paid much less than the cost on Saturday.
The stark reality of coach travel these days is that we need supporters to travel to make it cost effective and ensure individual costs are kept to a minimum - the more people that travel the cheaper it will be for everyone. Last season, whilst continuing to ensure that we can meet our primary objective of ensuring supporters can travel to away games, there were at least 6 trips which each amounted to over £200 in losses given the cost of the coach versus the number of people that travelled to these particular games. This is clearly not sustainable going forward - so unless the required number of people are using the coaches, then providing coach travel for away games will very soon unfortunately be something that we can not guarantee.
I hope this helps provides some transparency and context to the challenges we face with coach travel but as always, please do come and talk to any committee member if you have an ideas/ suggestions etc. For DFCSA members, a reminder that there is also the DFCSA AGM on Saturday 21st September after the Bowers & Pitsea game.
Gary
Soon after the new season fixtures are announced, representatives from the Committee meet with each of the local coach providers (all privately owned) to discuss our travel requirements and obtain prices for all the away games that we would be looking to run coach travel to. Each price list provided is then carefully reviewed and a decision taken on the best company to use, typically driven by the cheapest costs but also ensuring that the standard of travel is of the level that we would all expect e.g. having toilet facilities for most/ longer trips.
This season we made the decision to use Bayliss Coaches - not only were they the best value for money but we have also been impressed with the standard of their available fleet, but also the professionalism of the drivers. Again as already stated, the Dover game was a known exception due to a prior commitment which we were made aware of, but we are sure that anyone using the coaches to future games will not be disappointed.
Referring to the cost comparison from last year, now being in the Isthmian league means that there are more local games. Last season, like with many previous to that, a number of coach journeys and ultimately the cost, have been shared between DFCSA and the actual Club where both players, officials and supporters would travel together making it more cost effective. But a new league, as well as new players also means that more people do not need to rely on coach travel with many players in particular making their own way to games. This was the reason for the cost on Saturday where the coach costing £795 was only being used by supporters, where last season it was shared with the club meaning DFCSA, and ultimately supporters, would have paid much less than the cost on Saturday.
The stark reality of coach travel these days is that we need supporters to travel to make it cost effective and ensure individual costs are kept to a minimum - the more people that travel the cheaper it will be for everyone. Last season, whilst continuing to ensure that we can meet our primary objective of ensuring supporters can travel to away games, there were at least 6 trips which each amounted to over £200 in losses given the cost of the coach versus the number of people that travelled to these particular games. This is clearly not sustainable going forward - so unless the required number of people are using the coaches, then providing coach travel for away games will very soon unfortunately be something that we can not guarantee.
I hope this helps provides some transparency and context to the challenges we face with coach travel but as always, please do come and talk to any committee member if you have an ideas/ suggestions etc. For DFCSA members, a reminder that there is also the DFCSA AGM on Saturday 21st September after the Bowers & Pitsea game.
Gary
Re: DFCSA Away Travel 2024/25
Thanks for this update, much appreciated. Keep up the good work guys 
Re: DFCSA Away Travel 2024/25
Gary,
Very well stated !
Thank you,
LA Dart
Very well stated !
Thank you,
LA Dart
Re: DFCSA Away Travel 2024/25
Worthing (A) on the 28th September 2024
Coach will depart from Princes Park at 11:45am for the price of £25 per DFCSA member, £30 per non-member.
To make your booking, please speak to Mick Austin either in the club bar on match days or by calling/texting on 07969 181796.
As always, we would strongly recommend joining the Association if you are planning to use the coach more than once a season. Membership starts at £8 per year, and you can sign up for this on the day or in advance.
Coach will depart from Princes Park at 11:45am for the price of £25 per DFCSA member, £30 per non-member.
To make your booking, please speak to Mick Austin either in the club bar on match days or by calling/texting on 07969 181796.
As always, we would strongly recommend joining the Association if you are planning to use the coach more than once a season. Membership starts at £8 per year, and you can sign up for this on the day or in advance.