if you had known all those years ago.....

[Return of the Rev]

That things would turn out quite rosy would you have made more of an effort to support the albion in the dark days? Seems to be a few more season ticket holders at amex as opposed to the priestfield! With hindsight would you have made more of an effort?

 

[BHAboi]

I'm happy that I followed albion home and away in the dark days, those days will never be back and I can say I was there.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Not in the way you suggest, but I do wish I had gone to the Goldstone more and I wish I had been around more during the 95-96 and 96-97 season, I was a t Uni and then had a girlfriend up in Nottingham where I would drive there every saturday, a lot of what was going on passed me by, right up to when I discovered the Seagulls Server.

I don't really regret not going to Gillingham, I remember singing 'we'll never go to Gillingham' on the North Stand and felt I should be true to my word lolol: I was young) but I did manage a few dreadful away games during that period.

 

[e77]

I think it is easy to forget that someone leaving university in the summer would have been 9 or 10 when we moved to Withdean or 7 or 8 when we started at Gillingham so unless they had keen parents it was unlikely they could get to many games back then!

 

[HovaGirl]

For some of us, it was difficult, because we were rearing children and didn't have much money. We've been in Greece for the past decade which made it even more difficult. But we've bought season tickets in the hope we can get over to see at least some of the matches. Our tickets will be used by family and friends and the Albion has our money in the bank. (None of this means we didn't support The Albion during the dark days. We just couldn't get to matches.)

 

[catfish]

Having witnessed all the crap during the dark days makes the current situation even more enjoyable.

 

[Gulls and Rooks]

I'm happy that I followed albion home and away in the dark days, those days will never be back and I can say I was there.

This

I became a season ticket holder in the first season at Gillingham after years of turning up on the day at the Goldstone. There has been some tosh but fun times too, any one remember doing the conga on the 5th Jan 99 (tues night) when we were beaten by Milwall 1-5 at Gillingham in the Auto Windscreens Shield, singing something about them only breaking it anyway.

 

[Durlston]

The lowest point at the Goldstone was that 3-2 home defeat to Darlington (who were second bottom) on a chilly December evening and it turned out to be Jimmy Case's last match as manager. The club was on its knees; similar to Plymouth now. I remember the demonstrations afterwards and thought "How much worse can things get?". I went to about a dozen games at Gillingham but the place was just so depressing and some of the players like John Westcott and Jason Peake were awful even if they did try their hardest.

 

[Return of the Rev]

I think it is easy to forget that someone leaving university in the summer would have been 9 or 10 when we moved to Withdean or 7 or 8 when we started at Gillingham so unless they had keen parents it was unlikely they could get to many games back then!

MY 17 TEAR OLD WENT TO THE GOLDSTONE,PRIESTFIELD,WITHDEAN AND NOW FALMER! I SUPPOSE HE WAS A LUCKY BOY!

 

[Notters]

Having witnessed all the crap during the dark days makes the current situation even more enjoyable.

Precisely this. This is why any plastic or JCL will never feel the joy that the rest of us feel when we go to the Amex. Note this isn't a rant about plastics and JCLs.

 

[Brovion]

Having witnessed all the crap during the dark days makes the current situation even more enjoyable.

In a nutshell. I saw our rise up the divisions and the 'Glory Years', and then I witnessed our downfall. I marched and demonstrated, I went to watch crap at Gillingham and suffered Withdean, although admittedly not so much in the years between Wilkins and Poyet.

It's because of all that that I'm absolutely LOVING this period in time; I intend to savour every moment, every match as football is cyclical and we will be shit again one day - although hopefully we'll never sink as low as we did before. But before this current halcyon era ends I really believe that we'll surpass the achievements of the late 70s and early 80s. Not only will we reach the premier league but we WILL win a Cup. (If we can take the bloody things seriously - but that's another issue!)

 

[CheeseRolls]

The lowest point at the Goldstone was that 3-2 home defeat to Darlington (who were second bottom) on a chilly December evening and it turned out to be Jimmy Case's last match as manager. The club was on its knees; similar to Plymouth now. I remember the demonstrations afterwards and thought "How much worse can things get?". I went to about a dozen games at Gillingham but the place was just so depressing and some of the players like John Westcott and Jason Peake were awful even if they did try their hardest.

My own personal low point at Gillingham came, midway through our tenancy, when there appeared to be no end in sight and numbers were dropping off even amongst the die hards. I probably don't have things in order and will stand corrected, but we had a period where we got the exact same crowd two games running and the third game was only slightly different. What I thought we needed was a local game where the opposition could at least boost the attendance, what we got was Barnet who bought 80 people. I checked on the map and Barnet to Gillingham was no further than Brighton to Gillingham and in some ways more straightforward. Come the day when we have Barnet fans pleading for help in their fight against the rugby club and I will be staying in washing my hair that evening.

 

[Storer 68]

Coming home from Home to Millwall in the Freight Rover/Auto Windscreens trophy at Priestfield in january 1998.
Brighton
M Ormerod, T Browne, P Sturgess, J Minton (D Allan, 87), R Johnson, A Arnott (K Mayo , 45), S Storer, M Bennett, G Hart, J Moralee, I Culverhouse (A Ansah, 55)
Millwall N Spink, G Lavin, J Stuart, T Cahill, S Nethercott, S Fitzgerald , S Reid, R Bowry, N Harris (D Hockton, 80), P Shaw, L Neill
Subs not used: Subs not used: K Stevens, M Bircham

Attendance 1,250.

Beaten 1-5

Sometimes I have to pinch myself that things have turned out so well

 

[CAPTAIN GREALISH]

having witnessed all the crap during the dark days makes the current situation even more enjoyable.

this

 

[Albalbion]

I'm happy that I followed albion home and away in the dark days, those days will never be back and I can say I was there.

This.

 

[blue2]

happy with my input