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When did you start supporting the Albion?
- Thread starter Icy Gull
- Start date
Horsham Gull
H Block Offender
Sometime in 96 my dad started taking me
to the goldstone aged 12
to the goldstone aged 12
SirDouglasLoft
New member
- Jul 4, 2008
- 6,876
In 1999, aged 7.
28th August 1968
1-1 v Torquay United
1-1 v Torquay United
Braders
Abi Fletchers Gimpboy
first game was the first one at the Withdean when I was old enough to go on my own (made the most of it and had a season ticket right from the off)
supported them from afar long before then , but now it's an obsession to be honest...
supported them from afar long before then , but now it's an obsession to be honest...
Ecosse Exile
New member
Moved to Hollingbury from Glasgow in 1974, I was a Rangers fan, that was a given not a choice! Didnt really bother about football for a couple of years until a couple of lads at Carden Junior School dragged me to see Mullerys Marvels v Bury in 76. We stood on the chicken run and watched a boring 1-1 draw, i think Steve Piper got the goal, and somehow i was hooked.
After that i hardly missed a home game, my dad was a mounted copper at the time and i used to wait at the west stand for the horses to turn up and then i would sneak in with them when they opened the gates. I would then stand on the roof of the toilets in the South West corner and watch from there with several other kids.
Sometimes for evening games my dads mate Alan Johnson would take me and we would go in the North Stand "Dont tell your dad we've gone in the North" Alan would say
and of course i never would. The North Stand had a wicked reputation in those days and when i was old enough to go on my own i would always go in the North.
Now im back in Bonnie Scotland, i did plan on going to watch the Gers when i moved back, but the feeling just isnt the same so i dont bother, however when Brighton are up north wild horses wont keep me away.
After that i hardly missed a home game, my dad was a mounted copper at the time and i used to wait at the west stand for the horses to turn up and then i would sneak in with them when they opened the gates. I would then stand on the roof of the toilets in the South West corner and watch from there with several other kids.
Sometimes for evening games my dads mate Alan Johnson would take me and we would go in the North Stand "Dont tell your dad we've gone in the North" Alan would say
and of course i never would. The North Stand had a wicked reputation in those days and when i was old enough to go on my own i would always go in the North.Now im back in Bonnie Scotland, i did plan on going to watch the Gers when i moved back, but the feeling just isnt the same so i dont bother, however when Brighton are up north wild horses wont keep me away.
smudge
Up the Albion!
1970, blimey almost 40 years.
Box of Frogs
Zamoras Left Boot
That was around the time time my Dad first started taking me and I too had previously been a Chelsea fan due in no small part because of one Peter Osgood who remains a hero of mine.
Ever since my Dad took me back in '72. My eyes had been turned by the dandies of Chelsea at school but as soon as the old man took me to a real game at the Goldstone, just around the corner from where I was born, I was hooked and have been ever since. To this day smelling pipe tobacco reminds me of those days in the West Stand seats.
The early Albion teams I remember watching had the likes of Kit and John Napier, Fred Binney, Willie Irvine, John Templeman, Harry Wilson, Brian Powney etc playing for them. I later worked for a company alongside Jack Bertolini who became a good friend although I had missed out on his playing days.
1234andcounting
Well-known member
- Mar 31, 2008
- 1,609
12 April 1967. Brighton 0 Torquay 1 near the bottom of Div 3. Still, no unrealistic expectations generated!
HAILSHAM SEAGULL
Well-known member
- Nov 9, 2009
- 10,357
Sept 2nd 1964, not quite 9 year old.
My dad took me to the League cup tie midweek at home to Millwall.
Remember queuing up in Goldstone lane with a wooden beer crate to stand on and all these tough London grown ups talking swear words unknown to me then.
Wouldnt be long before I was using them in the North Stand
Got hooked that night and saw every home game that year after that as we were 4th division champions under Archie Macauley.
My dad took me to the League cup tie midweek at home to Millwall.
Remember queuing up in Goldstone lane with a wooden beer crate to stand on and all these tough London grown ups talking swear words unknown to me then.
Wouldnt be long before I was using them in the North Stand
Got hooked that night and saw every home game that year after that as we were 4th division champions under Archie Macauley.
Finchley Seagull
New member
I started supporting the Albion towards the end of the Garry Nelson era. It was the play off season (when we lost to Notts County at Wembley) so Nelson was upstaged by Small and Byrne for most of the season but still technically during his era.
Ernest
Stupid IDIOT
December 1969 so i'm celebrating my 40th anniversary this month.
Gilliver's Travels
Peripatetic
1958 -- first game uncertain.
I was there when Adrian Thorne banged in five goals to win our first ever promotion from Division Three South. Other memories include being among the 36,000+ record crowd when we played Fulham and Johnny Haynes. The open-mouthed astonishment when the god that was Brian Clough was seen actually walking towards the Goldstone home dugout -- imagine as if nowadays we'd suddenly secured the services of Arsene Wenger.
The era of Mike Bamber, and Alan Mullery, and all that followed. That purple patch from 1975 to 1983: coming to regard crowds of 25,000 as the norm; the incomparable Peter Ward -- as so many others have noted, the most exciting player ever to have appeared in the stripes. The awe-inspiring imperiousness of Mark Lawrenson; the utterly fantastic captaincy of Brian Horton. Travelling to Newcastle in 1979 for what remains, for me, the greatest moment in Albion history, and that pinch-me-I'm-dreaming moment as we secured our berth in the top division.
A few months later, sitting in the ridiculous but necessary Lego stand, as Arsenal thumped us 4-0 in front of 28,000 fans in our opening Division One game; feeling that, under Mike Bailey, a position of 13th in the top division was somehow underachievement -- how we would kill for that now.
Of course, the 1983 Cup Final. Helping my dad climb to the very top of Wembley's steps to join the 25,000 delirious dreamers. Another pinch-me moment as Gordon Smith put us in the lead to set the world's most famous scoreboard reading Manchester United 0, Brighton & Hove Albion 1. And then, the Gary Stevens, Gordon Smith and Gary Bailey moments all combining to create the most fantastic day out imaginable.
Of course the three promotions of recent years in the era of Dick Knight and Bobby Zamora have together created some wonderful memories to spur on a new generation of younger fans. But those of us privileged enough to remember the golden era now realise how incredibly lucky we were to witness such great days. We can only hope that, beneath the roof of our amazing new stadium, the present generation will be rewarded with even more spectacular achievements which they in turn will be able to claim as their own treasured memories of what it really means to be an Albion fan.
I was there when Adrian Thorne banged in five goals to win our first ever promotion from Division Three South. Other memories include being among the 36,000+ record crowd when we played Fulham and Johnny Haynes. The open-mouthed astonishment when the god that was Brian Clough was seen actually walking towards the Goldstone home dugout -- imagine as if nowadays we'd suddenly secured the services of Arsene Wenger.
The era of Mike Bamber, and Alan Mullery, and all that followed. That purple patch from 1975 to 1983: coming to regard crowds of 25,000 as the norm; the incomparable Peter Ward -- as so many others have noted, the most exciting player ever to have appeared in the stripes. The awe-inspiring imperiousness of Mark Lawrenson; the utterly fantastic captaincy of Brian Horton. Travelling to Newcastle in 1979 for what remains, for me, the greatest moment in Albion history, and that pinch-me-I'm-dreaming moment as we secured our berth in the top division.
A few months later, sitting in the ridiculous but necessary Lego stand, as Arsenal thumped us 4-0 in front of 28,000 fans in our opening Division One game; feeling that, under Mike Bailey, a position of 13th in the top division was somehow underachievement -- how we would kill for that now.
Of course, the 1983 Cup Final. Helping my dad climb to the very top of Wembley's steps to join the 25,000 delirious dreamers. Another pinch-me moment as Gordon Smith put us in the lead to set the world's most famous scoreboard reading Manchester United 0, Brighton & Hove Albion 1. And then, the Gary Stevens, Gordon Smith and Gary Bailey moments all combining to create the most fantastic day out imaginable.
Of course the three promotions of recent years in the era of Dick Knight and Bobby Zamora have together created some wonderful memories to spur on a new generation of younger fans. But those of us privileged enough to remember the golden era now realise how incredibly lucky we were to witness such great days. We can only hope that, beneath the roof of our amazing new stadium, the present generation will be rewarded with even more spectacular achievements which they in turn will be able to claim as their own treasured memories of what it really means to be an Albion fan.
Russell Slade's hat
New member
Member since Birth 1993.
Freddie Goodwin.
Well-known member
Dec 16th 1967 a 0-0 draw with Swindon. I thought it was a pretty good match & I was hooked.
CP 0 3 BHA
Well-known member
My first memory is a night match against the Palace at the Goldstone in about 1974 - I think it was the night the nickname "Seagulls" was born when we started singing it as a response to the Eeagles" from the Palace fans.
pishhead
Well-known member
1989 against Wolves away, the same day that Palace got humped 9-0 against the scousers.