Believe me it happened to me ALOT. To be fair generally when I was younger, tho still happens even now.
I was on holiday in Malta this year and there was a Man Utd fan who asked me that question. He would have been about mid 40s.
So a train that goes via Havent to Brighton (probably starting at Southampton OR Portsmouth) goes near or thru the South Croydon area? Lets think of some stations along the way:
Emsworth? nope. Chichester? Nope got me there. Barnham hmm doest feel like Croydon or anywhere near? Goring? Nope...
I would LOVE to know how what happened FIFTY miles away caused the COASTAL trains from Havant to Brighton to be all f***ed up considering its NOWHERE NEAR South Croydon.