When did you start supporting the Albion?

[Southover Street Seagull]

Moved to Brighton in Feb 1981 from Portsmouth, saw them a few times in the 4th Division but never got the bug. Aged ten I think the first game I went to was against Liverpool on the 17th October 1981 or against Forest on the 20th February 1982. Went to the Cup Final reply, then had a sabbatical for five years and saw Goldstone Gaz and co on the 27th August 1988 against Bradford.
Been going every season ever since.

 

[Questions]

Think he signed for Brighton in 74 with Clough...

Just loved the bloke though...

Cant remember that clearly now...
Think he came after that lanky scarecrow Lamie Robertson

Lammie`s missus taught at our school for a while and gave out a free ticket or two to who ever wrote a half decent essay in her classes. I think she was quite attractive but I was only about 13 and that was a long time ago now.
He was absolute crap though.

Fred Binney was a god to me and I got well pissed off at Hereford when they dropped him for that skinny kid.

 

[Blackadder]

Pat Sayward was the manager when I first watched the Albion. We nearly got relegated that season. We were promoted the following season (Napiers, Beamish, Sully, Powney et al) then relegated and Pat was sacked. Not by NSC in those days!

 

[severnside gull]

1959 v Aston Villa


..................and if you think this season is the worst you must have a very short memory.

 

[beardy gull]

First game 1977 v Stoke City aged 7. STH since 83/84. Blimey.

 

[Mackenzie]

First match 1981, regular from 85/86 0nwards.

 

[Icy Gull]

It's an option I forgot to add :thick: but it seems that very few Albion fans actually started supporting us when we were shit. I reckon we could get relegated this season, have a decent season next and with a League 2 winning team could get very big crowds at Falmer for tier 4 football. We are mostly just glory hunters, albeit lower league ones, and it really doesn't matter what division we are in a winning good footballing team wil draw big crowds down here. A successful League 2 team would quite possibly get bigger crowds than a struggling Championship team, where we'd be outnumbered by the opposition at Falmer on occasions.

I comfort myself with this thought as we stare League 2 football in the face for the 3rd season out of the last 4

 

[Skintagain 1983]

1972 - Pat Saward manager and Tony Towner debut.

Remember watching the promotion battle match v Aston Villa on MOTD with my dad, but I can't remember if I we had actually gone to see it.. but was hooked from that point on. Went regularly the next season (72/73) when we struggled in old Div 2.

 

[Spanish Seagulls]

27th Aug 1975 League Cup Vs Brentford 1-1 Draw.
This was the second leg of the game & I couldn't figure out as an 8 year old why everyone was so disappointed not knowing it was the second leg so out we went.
Used to go to Burgess Hill to stay with a lovely family as a kid on those CCHF holidays for underprivileged kids from London. It was my first ever game & had to choose who I would support & as Brentford was only down the road from Shepherds Bush didn't like them & have stayed loyal (albeit from a distance mostly, ever since ) Have been to nearly every London game since & about 50 "home" games. Quite lucky as I saw the "glory" years inc an incredible 0-0 with Spurs & the replay with Palarse at Stamford Bridge among lots of highs & lows but always believed we'd get by even through the darkest times as we will now as we have more going for us now than at other times.

 

[highway61]

Because it's the town in which I was born and I can't stand glory hunters. 1963.

!963 for me too. Chicken run . with my dad.

 

[albionalex]

The McGhee/Wilkins era.

 

[Woodingdean Gull]

The Albion beating Fulham at the Goldstone in front of our record crowd. The ground was heaving, the atmosphere fantastic and at 13 I was hooked. 1958 I think.

It was either Boxing day or the day after. Jimmy Langley, (brilliant left back and ex-Albion captain until he was transferred to Fulham), captained Fulham that day and they included Johhny Haynes and a certain Jimmy Hill.

I first went in 1952/3 as a 6 year old but the first match I can really remember was beating Tonbridge in 1953/4 season - I think it was a cup game of some sort.

 

[Geriatric Seagull]

Oops - you're right !

Sorry, all these new-fangled divisions get me confused! It was Division Two. Season started with a 1-1 draw against Bristol City. Remember sitting on the side of the pitch for the Fulham game in 1958/9 and the Watford game at the end of the previous season. (6-0)

 

[Seecider]

In the early 70's when we won promotion only to get hammered from what I can remember dring the following season. It seemed that we only started performing when we were all but down again. It was tough in the West Country what with Cloughie, Walton and hersham, Leatherhead and te 2-8 v Brizzle Rovers

 

[Gully]

I reckon it was the 75/76 season that I started following the Albion, it was definitely the season before we were promoted to the second division, so that makes me pre-glory years but post Clough.

 

[doug7126]

i was in the youth team and we got free tickets as long as we were in shirt and tie. but only went a few times as a young lad as i wanted to play more than watch. i think it was about 93/94 was my first game.

 

[Carrot Cruncher]

I first started taking a real interest in the 81/82 season aged 5.

First game was in 1984, I was like a coiled spring!

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

1999

 

[defrocked priest]

1974 Have a look at my profile.

 

[Prodigal Son]

Having been born in Brighton in '64', it would have been rude not to support the dear old albion, despite my Dad dragging me to the "Dripping Pan" every home game to watch Lewes.

My first game was Albion vs Oxford, when it was 2-2. Think I was 9 or 10 so around 73/74. Moved away from Sussex whilst in the Armed Forces, so support faltered a bit. Interest rekindled when Paul Rogers moved to my village in 2000 and my two lads became football nuts.

Would not give up my season ticket for anybody now!