most violence seen at goldstone

[wigman]

Cas Pennant makes reference to having a pretty hard time from BHA fans in one of his books. I think the WHU fans kipped on the beech and set light to one of the boats to keep warm. Circa 1982 i think...i was there and BHA won 3-1.

Was that the game where you had a perfect disallowed?

 

[wigman]

Was that the game where you had a perfect disallowed?

Sorry, should have said perfect goal.

 

[Simster]

Have we had any good RUCKS with ASTON VILLA?

 

[Tooting Gull]

Cas Pennant makes reference to having a pretty hard time from BHA fans in one of his books. I think the WHU fans kipped on the beech and set light to one of the boats to keep warm. Circa 1982 i think...i was there and BHA won 3-1.

On Cass Pennant's official website he is described in his new highbrow role as a HOOLIOLOGIST. Which apart from anything else, is just a great word.

 

[jevs]

Was that the game where you had a perfect disallowed?

I really can't remember. I can remember standing right at the top of a very packed east terrace and WHU got a consolation from Alan Devonshire right at the death.

Pennant describes the walk from the station into town on the friday night as pretty scary....he said there were Brighton "boys" coming out of pubs and side streets from all over the place.

Not many supporters got the thumbs up from Pennant but BHA were one.

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

Fascinating photos.

It is hard to imagine proper violence at football nowadays, having missed that era!

 

[the wanderbus]

The Millwall game everyone was talking about was in 1978 (i can tell you the exact date but the programme is at work). The Millwall lot were, for some strange reason, given the area in the south west terrace (south side of the tunnel).


QUOTE]

It's been on here time & time again that millwall game was the first home league game in august 77, the Arsenal midweek game was in the league cup around oct/ nov 79. It also kicked off with Arsenal after the fa cup game in 88, when they were let out of the NE they didn't expect a large BHA contingent to be lining Hove park waiting for them. Have to agree with others though the div 2 game v spurs was definately the worst & remains the only home game I've ever been slung out of for fighting .

 

[Storer68]

Chelsea in 1983 - the one after which Chris Hutchings was arrested

 

[Tooting Gull]

Those pictures are scary, especially that black and white one. How packed is that terrace? It looks like Hillsborough. Wouldn't have taken much, that day.

 

[Stat Brother]

One mans scary is another mans 'oh happy days'.

 

[Spiros]

The 78 Spurs game was far worse than the Chelsea game in 83. At the Spurs game there was trouble all game, all round the ground, even in the South Stand after Spurs fans invaded the pitch about 15-20 minutes into the game (after Paul Clark had put us 1 up?). A handful of them ran the full length of the pitch and jumped over the wall at the front of the terrace, straight into the Albion fans behind the south goal. I was a terrified 13 year old standing right at the front and these bokes went striaght over my head. Next I saw them on the ground, curled up tight, with countless boots kicking them. I later saw one dragged out by police covered in blood. It was the first time I'd actually seen this sort of thing close up rather than on the TV and at that age it scared the shit out of me.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Fulham at the Goldstone (96?) when it got a bit frisky after the game, fighting outside Hove station and a hundred or so Fulham being chased onto the railway bridge, where they made a stand taking off their belts and snapping off car aerials and trying to charge the BHA mob.

 

[Tooting Gull]

One mans scary is another mans 'oh happy days'.

Totally take that point, I'd always stand if given the choice (and did). But it's not until something does go wrong that you become aware of the potential for disaster, and with hindsight it was always there.

 

[The Wookiee]

Fulham at the Goldstone (96?) when it got a bit frisky after the game, fighting outside Hove station and a hundred or so Fulham being chased onto the railway bridge, where they made a stand taking off their belts and snapping off car aerials and trying to charge the BHA mob.

I belive they smashed up the Nightingale pub at Brighton station not long after that

 

[The Wookiee]

The 78 Spurs game was far worse than the Chelsea game in 83. At the Spurs game there was trouble all game, all round the ground, even in the South Stand after Spurs fans invaded the pitch about 15-20 minutes into the game (after Paul Clark had put us 1 up?). A handful of them ran the full length of the pitch and jumped over the wall at the front of the terrace, straight into the Albion fans behind the south goal. I was a terrified 13 year old standing right at the front and these bokes went striaght over my head. Next I saw them on the ground, curled up tight, with countless boots kicking them. I later saw one dragged out by police covered in blood. It was the first time I'd actually seen this sort of thing close up rather than on the TV and at that age it scared the shit out of me.

A Spurs fan recalls his memories:

Remember when we first played them back in 77/8 in the old 2nd div. We had just come down from the 1st and they'd gone up from the 3rd and because they'd run clubs like Peterborough, Southend and Chesterfield they thought they were the dog's bollox, especially as they'd come away from WHL relatively unscathed earlier that season. Also Millwall had done f*** all that season and in previous years

Well on a sunny day in April the Yids had travelled o'nite in droves and caused f***ing havoc. Sadly one of ours got stabbed so it was even more inevitable that BHA would need taking down a peg or two on match day. Several of ours had got tickets for the N Stand and others from the East stand managed to run round the fence to access the N Stand. After about 15 mins a wave of Spurs made their way to the where the main throng of Brighton were standing and it was :batter: There were no perimeter fences and loads of BHA made their way onto the pitch while the players were taken off and the escapees were escorted to the S Stand. In the mean time the mighty Yids were continuing to :batter: endlessly with plod nowhere to be seen. It went on unabated for ages but the bent ***** deserved it. We ended up losing the match on the field but trounced them on the terraces. Afterwards I remember jumping on the terraces singing " Oh we're the barmy Tot'num Army la-da-da-da-da, Oh we're the barmy Tot'num Army la-da-da-da-day. Oh we're the barmy Tot'num Army la-da-da-da-da, Oh we're the barmy Tot'num Army la-da-da-da-day and so on. W Ham came down a few months later but couldn't make the same impact as us by getting the game stopped
As u can see I enjoyed the day from an observational stance rather than being pro-active. However that was to change in 1979/80 when we were both playing in the top flight. Me and the lads were in town early getting tanked up and such was our reputation from our previous match that there were BHA supporters wearing Spurs badges as they were shitting it. There was quite a few of us in the N Stand but there was a line of OB preventing us from attacking the Seaweeds. Ricky V illa did a foul early on and the Seaweeds were chanting "off, off, off, off" and we were shouting "on, on, on, on" Fortunately Ricky got away with a booking. As the following week we were playing Swindon in the FA Cup and the song went up " IF u've all godda ticket, clap yr hands" and the whole of us infiltrators joined in. Then as I hadn't got a ticket (although I saw the replay) I started "If u HAVENT godda ticket, clap yr hands" and everyone joined in with that as well, LOL. Anyway half time came and we hadn't penetrated police lines. I went for a jimmy in the bogs at the back and realised u could acces the N Stand where all the BHA were , so after the 2nd half started and they started applauding at some bollox, it was time to wade in. Got battered but managed to stay on my feet and b: managed to haul me back with the Yid contingent. Excitement over for another year with over 40 arrests that day.

When we played them in 80/81 I couldn't be arsed to infiltrate again although a few did but f*** all really happened. I do remember this Brighton tit with a flag which said "You'll never crack our Brighton Rock" We cracked up laughing and started singing "Who's the wanker, who's the wanker, who's the wanker with the flag?" LOL. Can't remember the f***ing result of the match.

I went once more for an evening match in 81/2 and f*** all happened, so I never went again.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

I remember West Ham in 78ish. Evening game

We got in the ground early and were stood on the East Terrace and there looked like a little group of about 50 fans packed together right dead centre of the North Stand. It started filling up and about 20 minutes before kick off, there came the shout " we are Eeeeeevil" from the group and all hell broke loose.

That was a really scary moment and I remember people trying to get on the pitch out of the way.

The Tottenham game, Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham ( spot the link) Millwall, and Birmingham City, when they came in next to the Lego stand!

I also remember terrible trouble at Hove Station when we played Liverpool one evening match ( I think it was after we had drawn up there in the Cup).

 

[LABHA]

Remember Swansea at home early 90s,came out North stand and some lovely welsh twats gave it,but came a cropper,6-7 of us had it with them,then got chased by Brighton lads thinking we were Tafffs,luckily someone recognised 1 o 2 of us, then on way to walk to Hove station kicked off again,Swansea had good few by then and it was Headless chickens stuff.

 

[sam86]

Having missed that era, I can never decide whether I would have liked it or not. Sounds highly entertaining, but of course, slightly worrying.

Good stories / pics.

 

[The Wookiee]

Anybody remember Blackpool at home in 1987

Brighton fan got stabbed in the Nellie Peck pub before the game.

Kicked off down Goldstone Lane after the game and down West Street around 2am

 

[Publius Ovidius]

Having missed that era, I can never decide whether I would have liked it or not. Sounds highly entertaining, but of course, slightly worrying.

Good stories / pics.

when you walked out of the East Terrace to be faced by 300 millwall maniacs thumping everyone in sight, it was bloody scary mate.

BTW when we played Chelsea away after the notorious home game, there were more Brighton fans in the shed that day than in the visiting supporters area