Freddie Goodwin.
Well-known member
Usually a game is memorable because it's a great game or a game of massive imnportance. My PV game is neither. It was one of the worse games I've ever seen and it has given me a loathing of PV for over 28 years now.
70/71 was a poor season for Albion. After a near miss on promotion the previos season, manager Goodwin and his backroom staff of George dalton and Willie Bell (also a player) were head hunted by Birmingham City.
Another novice manager came in but Pat Saward did not have the same instant impact of Freddie Goodwin. The exciting Albion just didn't look the same in an all white kit and it started very much as a 'hangover' season. It seemed that Saward didn't get along with some senior players. Alex dawson, who had been pivital, was ignored in a team that just could not score. New young signing Peter O'sullivan, from Manchester United was lightweight & poor. Certainly no signs that he would play 400 odd games and become an Albion legend.
I believe it was a dull October day when PV came to town for a rare visit. They were a club who always knocked around the bottom of Div 4 but had somehow been promoted and were struggling. They came to the Goldstone with the intention of taking back a point. Three points for a win was yet to be brought in but was intended to save football from the likes of PV who kept 10 players back and just wellied every ball high, wide and anywhere as long as it was away from their goal and wasted time. wacking the ball into the stands or out of the ground was a bonus.
Albion were a lightweight side and were in a run of 6 games without a goal. We would have had trouble scoring against St Dunstan's and this game was the ultimate bore draw. I suppose it could have been worse because they did almost win on just about their only attack.
Port vale were relegated and i hoped I'd never see them again. Saward worked hard to build his team and make it one of the most exciting Albion teams ever that won promotion the following season. Exciting and free scoring, now there's a turnaround.
When i started watching football, the likes of crewe, Hartlepool & vale were always at the bottom of the league. i've never got used to them being better than us. I've not seen a good game against Vale. I even went to watch WBA beat them in the playoff final a few years back & had trouble with the vale fans (my brother was supporting West Brom)
The only good thing to come from vale was Brian Horton. When peter taylor the 1st bought him it was just the sort of player every Albion team needs. We've had our fair share of pretty boys who can play a bit but Horton was the steel, grit & organisation and went on to be a true legend. When Horton signed I looked back through my old records and, sure enough, the young horton was a part of that dour PV team on that day at the Goldstone.
To add to my misery on that day, Brighton buses were on strike. At least the 'green' buses were so it took me ages and a long walk to get a 'blue' bus. It took me well over an hour to get to the game, watch that utter crap then the same to journey home.
I'd love us to beat vale...no i'd love us to THRASH vale and to send them down never to return. apart from the obvious, we all have teams we love to hate and vale our mine. don't let me down boy's, i'd hate some vale fan bouncing this on saturday night!
70/71 was a poor season for Albion. After a near miss on promotion the previos season, manager Goodwin and his backroom staff of George dalton and Willie Bell (also a player) were head hunted by Birmingham City.
Another novice manager came in but Pat Saward did not have the same instant impact of Freddie Goodwin. The exciting Albion just didn't look the same in an all white kit and it started very much as a 'hangover' season. It seemed that Saward didn't get along with some senior players. Alex dawson, who had been pivital, was ignored in a team that just could not score. New young signing Peter O'sullivan, from Manchester United was lightweight & poor. Certainly no signs that he would play 400 odd games and become an Albion legend.
I believe it was a dull October day when PV came to town for a rare visit. They were a club who always knocked around the bottom of Div 4 but had somehow been promoted and were struggling. They came to the Goldstone with the intention of taking back a point. Three points for a win was yet to be brought in but was intended to save football from the likes of PV who kept 10 players back and just wellied every ball high, wide and anywhere as long as it was away from their goal and wasted time. wacking the ball into the stands or out of the ground was a bonus.
Albion were a lightweight side and were in a run of 6 games without a goal. We would have had trouble scoring against St Dunstan's and this game was the ultimate bore draw. I suppose it could have been worse because they did almost win on just about their only attack.
Port vale were relegated and i hoped I'd never see them again. Saward worked hard to build his team and make it one of the most exciting Albion teams ever that won promotion the following season. Exciting and free scoring, now there's a turnaround.
When i started watching football, the likes of crewe, Hartlepool & vale were always at the bottom of the league. i've never got used to them being better than us. I've not seen a good game against Vale. I even went to watch WBA beat them in the playoff final a few years back & had trouble with the vale fans (my brother was supporting West Brom)
The only good thing to come from vale was Brian Horton. When peter taylor the 1st bought him it was just the sort of player every Albion team needs. We've had our fair share of pretty boys who can play a bit but Horton was the steel, grit & organisation and went on to be a true legend. When Horton signed I looked back through my old records and, sure enough, the young horton was a part of that dour PV team on that day at the Goldstone.
To add to my misery on that day, Brighton buses were on strike. At least the 'green' buses were so it took me ages and a long walk to get a 'blue' bus. It took me well over an hour to get to the game, watch that utter crap then the same to journey home.
I'd love us to beat vale...no i'd love us to THRASH vale and to send them down never to return. apart from the obvious, we all have teams we love to hate and vale our mine. don't let me down boy's, i'd hate some vale fan bouncing this on saturday night!
Vale players gave us a guard of honour as the Albion team came out 
Nice touch,Brian. Then a few seasons later saw Vale lose at home to Hartlepool under lights,in the snow. 6-2. 
