Getting a team to an away fixture is harder than it sounds. Half the squad drives, two people's cars break down, somebody turns up at the wrong ground, and kick-off slips while you wait for the goalkeeper. Sports team minibus hire London clubs book with us puts the whole squad in one vehicle, with the kit, and gets it there with time to warm up.
Away fixtures for clubs and squads
Football is the biggest share, from Sunday league sides to youth academies. Rugby, cricket, hockey and netball clubs book us too, along with rowing crews, running clubs and martial arts teams heading to competitions.
Leagues around London spread a long way. A Saturday rugby fixture in Sussex or a cricket match in Hertfordshire can be ninety minutes each way, and a cup run can take a club much further. For those, the vehicle and driver are out for most of the day.
Women's and girls' teams have grown fast in recent years, and plenty of newer clubs are booking transport for the first time. If that's you, call and we'll talk you through what a typical away day involves.
The fixture list drives everything. Some clubs book one away game. Others book every away fixture for the season, which takes the weekly organising off someone's plate. A 16-seater suits most squads with a manager and a couple of coaches. Bigger clubs with two teams travelling on the same day may need two vehicles or a mini coach.
Kit, boots and the mud question
Kit is the second squad on every sports booking, and it often takes up more room than the first. Kit bags, boots, ball bags, water bottles, first aid kits, and for cricket, coffin bags big enough to need their own seat. Tell us what's coming so the vehicle has room for it.
If the vehicle is waiting, bags can stay on board during the match, which saves carrying them to the changing rooms and back. Valuables are better kept with you.
Then there's the mud. A winter rugby or football match on a wet pitch sends a squad back to the vehicle in a state. Boots in bags, muddy kit bagged up, and a towel or two on the seats keeps everyone happy.
Sports team minibus hire London for tournaments
Tournaments are a day out as much as a fixture. A youth football tournament at Hackney Marshes, a hockey festival in Kent, a netball league day at a sports centre across London. The vehicle and driver stay with you all day, so you can come and go between matches and head home when the last game finishes.
Lee Valley's hockey and tennis centre at the Olympic Park, and the sports centres around London, host plenty of league days and finals. For those, parking can be tight on busy days, so the driver may drop at the entrance and wait nearby.
For tournaments abroad, we can run the airport legs at each end, so the squad and the kit get to the terminal together.
For tournaments outside London, tell us the start time and the venue, and we'll plan the pickup with time to register, warm up and find your pitch.
Kick-off times and traffic
Most clubs want to arrive an hour before kick-off. That gives time for changing, warming up and the team talk. We plan the pickup backwards from there, with a buffer for weekend traffic.
Weekend traffic in London has its own rhythm, and it isn't always lighter than a weekday. Saturday afternoons are busy around the big football grounds. Sunday mornings are quieter, except near events like the London Marathon or road closures for cycling races. Engineering works on the trains also push more people onto the roads at weekends. If your fixture clashes with a big event nearby, we'll flag it and suggest an earlier start.
Midweek floodlit fixtures are their own challenge. Leaving at 5pm on a Wednesday means the evening rush, so a 7:30 kick-off across London needs a pickup earlier than most players would like. For those, a drop at the ground and a wait through the match usually beats two separate runs.
Season-long bookings
If you book us for every away fixture, send the fixture list at the start of the season and we'll book the dates in. When a fixture changes, let us know as soon as the league confirms it.
End-of-season dinners and tours book up early too, especially in May. If your club has a presentation night at a venue across London, a minibus home is a lot easier than a dozen taxis at midnight.
The same driver for the season is a nice touch where we can manage it. They learn the squad, the kit and the usual grounds.
Junior teams and safeguarding
For junior teams, parents and the club will want to know who's driving. When the match is over, agree with parents where they're collecting from, the clubhouse or the drop-off point, so nobody's waiting at the wrong gate. Give us a named contact for each fixture, usually the coach or team manager, and a mobile number that'll be answered on the day. Supervision on board is the club's responsibility, so coaches or parent helpers travel with the team in the numbers the club's policy requires.
Seat belts are fitted and should be worn. For very young players, tell us if any need booster seats.
For team transport, call 020 7183 0567.