What are your memories of your FIRST visit to The Goldstone Ground?

[Trufflehound]

I thought you would have said..'I would never support a club that would allow me to support them!'

So you know about the restraining order?

 

[Trufflehound]

Forfars!?

That was in the days when Forfars were still club-friendly. They baked a massive Albion cake to commemorate the promotion season in 1972.

 

[Knightsworld]

What are your memories of your FIRST visit to The Goldstone Ground?

Brighton 7 Walsall 0 nuff' said

I actually remember the build up to the game, my mum had knitted me a HUGE scarf (which made me look like Dr Who!) especially for the game, and my dad's friend who was taking us to the game was very late in picking us up. I can remember sitting on my front wall at about 7 o'clock in Mile Oak, almost in tears thinking that he was not coming. Anyway got to the ground and the mass of supporters was incredible sight for a lad so young. The game being played under floodlights and the atmosphere was incredible. At half time my dad asked me if i was enjoying it. 0-0 hardly the most entertaing of halves to get me hooked, then the second half started and the rest as they say is history.

 

[Hiney]

 

[desprateseagull]

I was about 10, saw BHA beat Preston Northend 5-1 at the Goldstone, near the tunnel in the West stand I think - there was quite a crowd, though the grown ups let us little uns to the front. one kid had a wooden block to stand on, to see over the wall.

we had brought some crisps & chocolate for half time, though these went in about 15-20 minutes.

I dont remember much about the match, though the next game was only 1-0 or something.

though the bug had bitten. subsequent games were in the n/east terrace, n/west (easier to get to), then into the north stand- mainly for cover during the bad weather.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

That was in the days when Forfars were still club-friendly. They baked a massive Albion cake to commemorate the promotion season in 1972.

I had a feeling it was. I had an Albion Shirt birthday cake when I was 10. I have a feeling it had Nobo on the cake

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

It was in December 1984 versus Wimbledon. I couldn't go during term time as I had school on a Saturday. I had never been to a football match before, and was begging my dad to take me to one. At the time I was an on-off Tottenham supporter, as most of my mates at school were (we had no football supporting background in my family as dad went to rugby playing schools). The memories which stick most with me are how weird the lego stand was. I thought "what on earth is that thing"? seeing as it was separate from the West Stand. Secondly, a school mate had told me that there were seats behind both goals and terracing only on the East Side. I was struck by the sheer racket coming from the North Stand and how big and open the East Terrace was. The Albion won 2-1 with the winner by Frank Worthington. Stuart Evans had scored the first goal for Wimbledon, but I can't remember who equalised for the Albion. Even so, my Tottenham-supporting days were soon over, and I was hooked and have been ever since, notwithstanding recent difficulties.

 

[Simon Morgan]

First match was 2-2 against Crewe in the penultimate season at the Goldstone (1994?) We went 2-0 down at half time, but then stormed back to salvage a point with goals from Dean Wilkins and Peter Smith. The second half was unbelievable, as the crowd was waking up when the comeback was on

Personally, I just found the whole thing a very surreal experience, but I obviously jumped at the chance of going again from then on.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

August 1988, 8 years old, home to bradford, old division two, lost 3-1(i think).

It was something I'd waited for what seemed like forever for. Actually it was only a year but when you're a kid a year is forever. Over the previous year or two I'd noticed that every other saturday my dad would mysteriously disappear after lunch and would reappear just before tea. Sometimes he'd be in a foul mood, other times he'd be elated. If he was in a bad mood it was always best to get out of his way.

For a long time I had no idea what put him in the mood. Then one day I asked. The answer: The football. The same football as I would watch on sunday afternoon on 'The Big Match'. I was captivated. I loved watching sunday afternoon football and I loved going to the park and trying my best to kick a ball with my dad and older brother. So I asked, then begged, for him to take me. But he wouldn't. He said Brighton were in the third tier and he didn't want me to see us play at such a low level and risk losing me to a team on the t.v. He said that if we got promoted then he's take me...

I spent the rest of the season watching Grandstand all afternoon and hoping Brighton had won. Realising that the win over Bristol Rovers meant that I could watch the Albion the following year was a sweet, sweet moment.

Anyway, my memories of my first game...

We used to park on the far side of Hove Park and walk across. The walk in itself was an amazing experience. What seemed like thousands of people all streaming across the park in the same directions. So many people wearing blue and white hats, scarfs and NOBO emblazoned shirts(what's a nobo dad? A palace fan son, a palace fan...). You could hear the music and announcer halfway or more across the park. Then the noise from the north stand. songs, chants and just a general 'wall' of sound(it probably wasn't that loud but it seemed it to me). The excitement built as we walked around the back of the East stand, I squeezed through the turnstyle and entered the concrete and weed East stand. As we climbed the steps of the stand the noise seemed to get louder and louder and then...I was at the top of the East stand! I was actually awestruck. I felt so high up, the stadium seemed so big, so many people. We made our way to a bar about halfway down and set up my little stool thing that I was to stand on. I then waited for kick off. I remember very little about the game except that we lost, Garry Nelson scoring our goal.

Ah, happy memories...

 

[tedebear]

I never went It was gone long before I turned up here...

But I have been lectured about 50 times about not shopping on the site or various other DIY stores I'm not to visit

 

[Beeercan]

1994 i was between 5 and 6, Blackpool we lost 4-2 i believe, i rememeber sitting in the Family Stand as it was then.

And I asked about 5 mins in "Where's the commentry, whats going on there's no words"

I was a good day despite losing, only went to 2 other games at the Goldstone (it was during every kids glory hunting years)

 

[Meade's Ball]

Sometimes in 1984. 5-3, i think we may have lost. After one of our goals i got over-excited and lobbed an upside down dunce's cap of chips in to the air. Two were in my hair. My fringe had 9 dabs of Ketchup.
That was all South Stand though. Boring sitting down pretty much wherever one goes.

 

[Brovion]

I moved to Lancing from the Croydon area in December 1965 and sometime in early 1966 I went to the Goldstone. The problem is I don't remember when or who it was against, but it was sometime in Feb, Mar or April. Before the World Cup anyway.

I remember thinking it wasn't as good as going to Selhurst Park!

 

[coventrygull]

Bournemouth at home on 26 December 1968. We won 4-1. My most vivid memory is of the police cell behind the North Stand.

This was also my first ever game. Sat on the wall on the East terrace.

 

[Northstander]

Mhy first visit was a midweek reserve match and I sat at the top of an empty west Stand.

Rermember going on the pitch to tread dopwn the dufts of turf, stood on the penlaty spot in front of North stand in awe!

For a young boy whose best mates dad was a steward, this was a dream!

 

[Northstander]

When I gert home from work that is being saved on me pc!

 

[Basil Fawlty]

Do you remember it?!

All I know from that day. is that I knew exactly where my mum and dad where going and they took me there.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

All I know from that day. is that I knew exactly where my mum and dad where going and they took me there.

So why not tell us about the first game you actually remember going to??

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Mhy first visit was a midweek reserve match and I sat at the top of an empty west Stand.

I used to love those reserve games. You virtually had the freedom of the ground to go where you wanted!!!!

Got a photocopied team sheet for 10p I think.

 

[Basil Fawlty]

So why not tell us about the first game you actually remember going to??

Because that was the first game I went to, don't have a go at me for it! Blame it on my parents.