Moshe Gariani
Well-known member
- Mar 10, 2005
- 12,157
In May 1972, Brighton needed just one point against Rochdale to return to the Second Division. At the time the Goldstone crowd for the match was reported as being an amazing 34,766, but it is a little known fact that in reality only 24,766 passed through the old turnstiles that day.
As Ken Beamish recalled in ‘Match of My Life: Brighton & Hove Albion: "The Chairman was aware that we were a provincial club that never enjoyed any significant on-field success apart from the Charity Shield in 1910. Although our support was decent we needed to make more of an impression on the national scene so that he could attract sponsors and strengthen the squad for the following year. He cooked up a plan with Pat Saward that whatever the crowd was we would add 10,000 onto it so that the newspapers would have a story to tell about what a well supported club we are. At the time Crystal Palace were getting 12,000 against Bristol City in Div 2 so we knew us getting 34,000 in Div 3 against Rochdale would attract a lot of coverage."
A similar tale is told by his striking partner Willie Irvine in his autobiography ‘Together Again: "That game against Rochdale is still talked about for the incredible number of people that turned up. I always felt a bit guilty knowing the truth about the attendance but it is out in the open now and I don't suppose in 40 years time anyone will be bothered about it in any case".
Amazing stuff and shows that inflated attendance figures are not just a modern day phenomenon.
As Ken Beamish recalled in ‘Match of My Life: Brighton & Hove Albion: "The Chairman was aware that we were a provincial club that never enjoyed any significant on-field success apart from the Charity Shield in 1910. Although our support was decent we needed to make more of an impression on the national scene so that he could attract sponsors and strengthen the squad for the following year. He cooked up a plan with Pat Saward that whatever the crowd was we would add 10,000 onto it so that the newspapers would have a story to tell about what a well supported club we are. At the time Crystal Palace were getting 12,000 against Bristol City in Div 2 so we knew us getting 34,000 in Div 3 against Rochdale would attract a lot of coverage."
A similar tale is told by his striking partner Willie Irvine in his autobiography ‘Together Again: "That game against Rochdale is still talked about for the incredible number of people that turned up. I always felt a bit guilty knowing the truth about the attendance but it is out in the open now and I don't suppose in 40 years time anyone will be bothered about it in any case".
Amazing stuff and shows that inflated attendance figures are not just a modern day phenomenon.