Most memorable - ORIENT (h)

[Freddie Goodwin.]

Surely an obvious choice, can anyone who was there forget the drama of the 4-4 Goldstone match?

From being 12 points adrift at the turn of the year, Albion, with the fans behind them in the fight against the evil trio, were showing signs of life. Home wins were now the norm against ever growing protests and a volatile atmosphere.

Into this came Orient. A team that had been a thorn in our side & had taken the role of our main rivals.

The game was a cracker. 2-0 up at half time we then went 3-2 down in a hectic spell. Orient were scoring into the north goal and over indulging in the celebrations infront of the hostile northstanders. This is where so much hatred of McGleish comes from.

With a near riot on the cards the 'Butcher of London Road' got onto the pitch and headed for the Orient players Utter mayhem and Dean's brother, Ray, then playing for Orient was attacked before the police piled in.

What an atmosphere and the game wasn't over. I'm not sure if we went 2-4 down or came back to 3-3 before going behind again but it was a late, late goal to tie it up at 4-4, the highest scoring draw I'd ever seen.

OK, so there were some unsavoury moments but for action & drama, this was football at it's best.

I suppose we have to be greatfull for orient. On the 2nd to last match of the season, whilst we were beating Doncaster, Orient beat Hereford & we were off the bottom of the table for the 1st time in months with just the hereford game to play. many expected orient to roll over against hereford, they had nothing to play for, so well done to the O's, you're not all bad!

 

[Scotty Mac]

paul mcdonald penalty to make it 4-4 wasnt it? the man must have had nerves of steel

 

[Lord Bracknell]

At the Donny game, the chant of "One-Nil to the Orient" meant almost as much to us as Stuart Storer's goal.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Wilkins is attacked rescuing the ref!

Sunday Mirror, Mar 9, 1997 by STEVE WHITING

Brighton 4 Leyton Orient 4

Ray Wilkins was attacked and kicked by an angry fan as the Goldstone Ground erupted in fury yesterday.

The trouble exploded when Orient took a 4-3 lead with half an hour to go. Brighton fans, incensed by a gesture they thought was mocking them from Orient winger Lee Hodges, swarmed on to the field.

One made a bee-line for referee Frank Stretton. He didn't get far. Wilkins, 40, who is on a month's loan at Brisbane Road, stopped him in his tracks.

Later, Wilkins told me: "The guys came streaming on to the pitch. One of them was about to banjo the ref. His eyes were staring like he was either mad or on something. I stepped in front of him and stopped him, and later the referee thanked me."

Four fans were arrested, and FA spokesman Steve Double said: "We are very concerned at the initial reports of players being attacked by fans. We will await the reports from the match officials, and if necessary the police too.

"We will also consider allegations of possible incitement by players."

Orient boss Tommy Taylor fumed: "Brighton's manager Steve Gritt is a mate of mine. But if I was at the FA, I'd chuck them out of the League for this." And chairman Barry Hearn said: "The security was appalling. This could be the death-knell for Brighton."

Hearn supported Orient players for trying to restrain the fans. He added: "If I was on the bench I'd have joined in. We simply can't condone what the Brighton fans did and we will protest."

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Lee Hodges?

Who he?

 

[Herne Hill Seagull]

Swarmed on? If I recall correctly there were a total of four supporters on the field.

Typical tabloid shit.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Orient boss Tommy Taylor fumed: "Brighton's manager Steve Gritt is a mate of mine. But if I was at the FA, I'd chuck them out of the League for this." And chairman Barry Hearn said: "The security was appalling. This could be the death-knell for Brighton."

Hearn supported Orient players for trying to restrain the fans. He added: "If I was on the bench I'd have joined in. We simply can't condone what the Brighton fans did and we will protest."

Has the word incitement managed to evade both Taylor and Hearn? I f***ing hate Barry Hearn. I am a lover, not a fighter, but would happily land one on his hooter.

 

[Pevenseagull]

1-0 on Grand National day I think, late winner

evidently not that memorable

 

[Zesh Rehman]

Barry Hearne is a f***ing ****

 

[Simon Morgan]

2-0, Rogers and Mayo the scorers. Starting to really come into our own in div 3 and outplay Orient in a comfortable win.

 

[The Auditor]

paul mcdonald penalty to make it 4-4 wasnt it? the man must have had nerves of steel

It was McDonald in the relative calm of the South End....we should have had a penalty at 2-0 to us..ref bottled it as he would have had to send the goalie off. The penalty at the end was a bit "soft"...probably putting right the earlier wrong !!

I thought it was McGleish and Griffiths who made the gestures at the North Stand..

 

[Skaville]

"We will also consider allegations of possible incitement by players."

Did anything ever come of that?

I bloody hate Orient. Silly little piss pot of a club in the arse end of London. I had the misfortune of living in Leytonstone for a while. What a pile of shite.

I'd love to go tomorrow, but I'm on parent detail

 

[Skaville]

Whilst nothing will ever top that 4-4, which is something that will always be etched in the memory for anyone that was there, I think the 4-1 from last season deserves a mention.

The performance that day was something else and a coming of age for Dean Wilkins and the side after the drab fayre served up by the previous incumbent. It's a shame that Deano hasn't managed to reproduce that level of football as often as hw would have liked. They really knocked it around well, albeit against 10 men and Adam El Abd's strike was an absolute joy to behold.

 

[bristolseagull]

For me it's got to be the 6-1 drubbing we dished out

01/03/2008
cracking game......

 

[JP20]

The first game my dad ever took me to was the 4-4 in 1997.

saw the two maskell headers go in within the space of about 10 minutes and obviously thought "this is brilliant!!!" have been a BHA fan ever since

 

[wigman]

I was there and i feared more points deductions after the pitch incident.
I still hate McGleish with a passion!

 

[Simster]

For me it's got to be the 6-1 drubbing we dished out

01/03/2008
cracking game......

Your memory's gone. I think that one finished six NIL didn't it?

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Whilst nothing will ever top that 4-4, which is something that will always be etched in the memory for anyone that was there, I think the 4-1 from last season deserves a mention.

The performance that day was something else and a coming of age for Dean Wilkins and the side after the drab fayre served up by the previous incumbent. It's a shame that Deano hasn't managed to reproduce that level of football as often as hw would have liked. They really knocked it around well, albeit against 10 men and Adam El Abd's strike was an absolute joy to behold.

I agree - it was one of the first signs that Deano was building a good, footballing team. Despite the hiccup over Xmas this year, I still think we;re on track.

Let's hope we continue stabilising and improving tomorrow.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

1-0 to us at Brisbane Road in December 1977 - stonking goal from Paul Clark.
The fireman's strike was on at the time and while we were having a drink in the Bolney Grange on the way home a fire broke out in the restaurant kitchen. We evacuated to the car park but the fire spread to the roof before the army were able to get there. From memory, the place was pretty much gutted and was rebuilt. Unexpected end to a great day out.

 

[bigkev2007]

does anyone remember the fan running on the pitch and attacking ray wilkins he was standing next to me in the north stand probally the best ever brighton game i have gone to awesome it should have been 5-5 cause both teams had a goal disallowed jason peake i think it was for us u dont get games like that these days
awesome!!