This season with 15,000 new fans

[Captain Sensible]

definitely "going down"... some prefer "Old" to "the"...

Marching down

 

[Captain Sensible]

Sorry I haven't read all pages but this thread is stupid. If the thread said 10000 extra regulars plus a few new fans it would make sense.
Withdean prob hand a turnover fanbase of about 10-12k. We get a home support at the Amex of 18k. So that's 5k that the stadium has attracted. These could be new fans or as i suspect, Brighton people that used to only go to the odd game and now go to matches, plus some new fans.

For instance I met a bloke I went to school with at the reading game and he said he had a season ticket, he never was interested in football and doesn't have a great deal of historical knowledge. However he is Brightonian 100% and went to a few games with his dad at the Goldstone.

These are the sort of new fans, I don't mInd having them but there aren't that many as the OP suggests.

 

[tycoon0_0]

Well now the season is coming to an end, there was a core support of approx 5000 at withdean and 1700 away on a good day, how do find these either returned or new supporters , questions -

Are they here for success only and prem football,
Do they know the songs ( when was last time you heard "lads and lasses walking up the the shoreham road"

Do they follow away ,

Maybe they spend all the time txt ing ,

Do they know the depth and feeling of sitting in the rain soaked to watch us and going to a porta cabin loo to dry out,

We have no loyalty points for doing any of that,

Well like your response ,


Seagulls seagulls ,

New season ticket holder and never been to a Brighton game before I started going to the Amex. The reason, no one in my family supported football so who was going to take me as a kid?

Now I'm 20 I'm capable of making my own way and paying for my own tickets. Does that make me any less of a fan? No.

At least I can pronounce the players names unlike the knobs who sit behind me in West Stand Lower who still call him "Vinchenté"...

I go to away games that are geographically viable/of significant importance. Why, because I have a life outside of football and am not giving up an entire weekend to go half way up the country.

I did spend 50% of the first half against Watford on my phone, because we were absolutely awful. I paid for my seat and I found Twitter more entertaining than watch Gary Dicker give the ball away for 45 minutes.

Rant over.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

I did spend 50% of the first half against Watford on my phone, because we were absolutely awful. I paid for my seat and I found Twitter more entertaining than watch Gary Dicker give the ball away for 45 minutes.

Just to say on this - we were not absolutely awful. We were not at our best. There is a massive difference. We were still playing football, and mixing it up as well. We created some really good chances despite our stuttering performance, and give Watford some credit - they played well.

I'd have thought there was plenty there to hold anyone's attention. And in any case - when things are not at their best - that is when the team need our support.

 

[Simster]

I said this on another thread last night but it seems relevant here. I would love us to have 30,000 'new fans' if it means The Amex is full every week with a great atmosphere. You have to accept that at ANY public event there will be fanatics and casual observers. I occasionally go to the theatre or to watch live music or to the cinema. I'm not really that keen on any of them, but I don't expect to be made to feel like a second-class guest at any. There are probably people who love those things who laugh at my ignorance when I'm there. But so what? A full venue with people of varying degrees of passion is SO much better than a half-empty one. If some people want to give football a try in a fun and exciting atmosphere at a wonderful stadium then what's the problem?

I've said it before and I'll say it again. The 'reward' for all of us who put up with ten years of Withdean, Gillingham etc is that The Amex means something and is really special. To somebody who has turned up for the first time this season I imagine it's just another football ground. That's good enough for me.

This is absolutely spot on.

No doubt it has, but that wasnt what he put, he said the amex has changed things for people who " hadnt had much of a chance to go to games" , which is patently untrue.

Your previous statement is also patently untrue. There is no chance on earth that we now have 15000 new fairweather fans. I would imagine that there were thousands who went to some games at Withdean and some who went mostly away before. I know from experience, as I lived 300 miles from Brighton I only went to occasional home games but went away to considerably more.

This is correct too. We don't have 15,000 new fans at all. A large number of those are returning supporters of varying fanaticism who have had their interest piqued by a new stadium, and/or have an excuse to take their kids to the football.

 

[Moshe Gariani]

Marching down

?! Never, ever, heard that... how old are you...?

 

[Digweeds Trousers]

Interestingly I have spoken with a number (probably five or six) people who have been Brighton fans for years but not attended a game for 5 years until the season - and those attendance s were 'big games' a la Play off final etc.

Asking whoy they are now back every week they pretty much said it was made affordable. They have a youn one they take to home games and in the past and they all said the fact that a monthly payment system was what made the desireable affordable.

I think many underestimate the value that decision from the club has delivered. I would try and explain that to a Palace fan but if we got down to simple maths I fear the logic would be lost on them. They want to believe they are all plastic fans - they are terrified of the future if they are not. I am absolutely looking forward to crowds on a regular basis next year of 25,000

 

[Captain Sensible]

?! Never, ever, heard that... how old are you...?

36.
Must admit I don't go in the North but it was always Marching down as I remember it. Things change, words of songs change. So if it's now "going down" that's ok with me. Isn't the song written on one of the walls in the ground or at Dicks bar? That'll tell us.

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

I'm sure there must have been at least 12,000+ active fans who went to Withdean more than a handful of times a season (including the 4,500 STH) over the years.

The direct debit and lush surroundings have convinced fans to go to more games and/or buy a season ticket.

you sound like a gardener

 

[tycoon0_0]

Just to say on this - we were not absolutely awful. We were not at our best. There is a massive difference. We were still playing football, and mixing it up as well. We created some really good chances despite our stuttering performance, and give Watford some credit - they played well.

I'd have thought there was plenty there to hold anyone's attention. And in any case - when things are not at their best - that is when the team need our support.

That's your opinion. My opinion was we were awful. Bar the first-half against Leeds at home I haven't seen us play any worse. Watford were alright and deserved their lead but regardless, I pay for my seat and at times our first-half performance was laughable. Although the ref was by far the biggest joke, not for the first time this season.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

That's your opinion. My opinion was we were awful. Bar the first-half against Leeds at home I haven't seen us play any worse. Watford were alright and deserved their lead but regardless, I pay for my seat and at times our first-half performance was laughable. Although the ref was by far the biggest joke, not for the first time this season.

Well if you think we were awful - you should have been there when we were shit.

Did you boo ?

 

[Mellotron]

Spot on,it's just part time fans going full time.
Getting bored with ll this new fan tripe

Yup. Have got to know quite a few fans around me. Not a SINGLE one is a completely new fan. Palace are obsessed with this idea that these people all just appeared from absolutely nowhere. It's about 2-3,000 properly NEW fans at most.

 

[Aadam]

Well now the season is coming to an end, there was a core support of approx 5000 at withdean and 1700 away on a good day, how do find these either returned or new supporters , questions -

Are they here for success only and prem football,
Do they know the songs ( when was last time you heard "lads and lasses walking up the the shoreham road"

Do they follow away ,

Maybe they spend all the time txt ing ,

Do they know the depth and feeling of sitting in the rain soaked to watch us and going to a porta cabin loo to dry out,

We have no loyalty points for doing any of that,

Well like your response ,


Seagulls seagulls ,

What does it matter?

Oh my... I've not read everything in this thread, but here is my unworthy 2p worth.

Do you think in 1991 when Manchester United floated on the London Stock Exchange, and the subsequent success and expansion the fans were worried about new fans joining the club? No they weren't. Building a successful football club absolutely REQUIRES a large fan base. Without this, the club cannot grow it's business side, which we all know is a requirement for success.

The same people that harp on about 'real fans' and 'being there from the beginning' will be the same fans bitching that Gus isn't investing, the team isn't good enough to get up to the PL.

Well guess what, here's a reality check for you. These new fans that follow Brighton, will fill up the extra 8,000 seats next season, buy the merchandise and help build the club financially to enable them to compete and get you to the promise land you so very much crave.

Thanks,

Adam -- Been to Goldstone a couple of times, Gillingham a couple of times. Never at Withdean. Always looked out for Brighton results and now I have a access to comfortable corporate seats, I'm enjoying spending a lot of money on Brighton.

 

[Fozzyboy]

I have to say that the superiority complex adopted by a few self-labelled diehards pisses me off.
I haven't lived in Brighton for nearly 40 years but I made a few games at Gillingham and at Withdean and I've even been to the Amex three times.
I get to around a dozen away games a year depending on who is in our league (it's a geographical thing).
I only know the old songs.
I am proud of all that the Albion represent and have achieved and I am delighted and proud that we could attract so many new supporters (even if a few of them boo). I really hope we can retain them and build on those numbers next season.
Does that make me a bad fan or a good fan? I neither know nor care. All I know is that I am a fan and I frankly don't give a flying F*** what other people might think of me

Spot on. I'm getting fed up with this Superior complex too. I love Brighton & have been to as many games as I can over the years which include some classics & some hoofing disasters. I love seeing a spanking new stadium with 19k+ in it each week. As for new fans, I think it’s brilliant that we are attracting people to the games & I don't care how many games they go to. Some people can't afford to go to games, have responsibilities or are not physically able to go.... does that make them a lesser fan than a fit, well off person with time on their hands According to some of you "in not so many words", it does!!

 

[Freddie Goodwin.]

It's been great to meet up with so many old faces again but also to see the new fans, especially the youngsters who are actually experiencing real live football for the 1st time and finding it so much better than TV.

 

[somerset]

It's been great to meet up with so many old faces again but also to see the new fans, especially the youngsters who are actually experiencing real live football for the 1st time and finding it so much better than TV.

Exactly, that high pitched lot in the East Stand are the North Stand Kollective of the future!!!!..........

 

[albion68]

The key to it all is that the Albion have always had the potential for good size crowds because there are no major clubs for 40-50 miles [early days for Crawley still] ,its just a case of playing at a nice new stadium and playing in a higher league is drawing the fans in ,and some new ones too especially kids who might have parents who moved down from london but support a team like Chelsea for example but the kids will be Brighton fans now which is great for the future .

 

[Cypriot-Seagull]

Why do some people have a problem with fans from their own club
Surely if this club is to grow into a so called "big club" then surely the fan base must grow too- hence increasing the capacity of the Amex.
If it was a case of "you didn't go to the Goldstone,Gills,Withers etc etc then you are not a true supporter" the Amex would only have 6k crowds, is that what we want?
I left Hove to live in Cyprus in 1999 but was a STH at the Goldstone and I can assure you there was no such discussions of this nature back then.
I guess the point I'm trying to make is GET OVER IT WITH THIS JCL THING and support our club together!!

 

[AlastairWatts]

What a load of old rubbish? 'cos you're some kind of self appointed hero does that mean that no-one who hasn't experienced the 'hardships' you mention shouldn't be allowed to follow/support Albion? Wherever I've been in the world the first priority on a Saturday evening has always been to find out the score. And as the Whitdean held only 7000 or whatever it simply wasn't possible for everyone who wanted to go to get a ticket. What you seem to be saying is that only those who went there should go the new stadium - gonna be a bit empty that way.

 

[Lethargic]

So my 4 year old daughter has been bugging me to take her to her second game at the Amex and today was to be the day but considering the excellent advice in the op I have decided that another new fan would be detrimental to this club so she will be staying at home. Have I bollox what a load of cock my daughter will be going and enjoying it with all the other new fans, and I guess you can put me in your new fans box as although been supporting Albion for over 30 years I have been a bad fan for the past 15 years or so due to various reasons but then again I don't give a toss what you think and I have loved talking to new and old fans alike, this club is growing in all senses and we should embrace it.