Would you change the last 15 years?

[alan partridge]

Good thread.

I've only supported Brighton 16 years. This IS, what I know of Brighton. Plus having been an exile so long now, it's going to be very odd supporting a 'normal' club. I'm no way as die hard as many, but I would like to think, despite how shit a lot of it's been, the last 15 years have been worth it. No club is going to appreciate a new stadium like we are going to.

 

[y2dave]

What KIND of Goldstone we would have today if we were still there is interesting to speculate on. It would have had to be redeveloped to an extent, the old place was in serious need of an urgent spruce-up, but the scope for improving it would have been extremely limited. I doubt we'd have been able to have a proper major stand built on the East side, as the residents would (understandably) have kicked up a right old stink at having their light blocked by a bloody great stand roof. At best, I reckon we'd have got something like Plymouth have - a single-tier roofed stand going around 3/4 of the ground covering the North, West and South. The East terrace would be tidied up, maybe a tiny stand with a dozen row of seats and a small roof over them ?

Had we remained, we would have been doomed to the small-time forever, a lower-league scuffler with an occasional visit to the Championship I reckons.

There were plans for 2 tier stands each holding 7k behind the north and south goals, a full length all seater west stand holding about 10k and a 3000 all seater east stand. That would have been 20k but 7k of it would have been terracing (lower tiers of each end). This would probably have been converted to about 16k all seater. Think these were 80's plans the council tried to revive around the time of the sale of the groundl. I think Ivor Caplin was heavily involved and it involved relocating a handful of business premises around the site.

Also worth pointing out the Goldstone site was potentially bigger if we reduced the huge playing surface and perimeter areas but we were restricted by height of stands planning restrictions.

 

[Easy 10]

There were plans for 2 tier stands each holding 7k behind the north and south goals, a full length all seater west stand holding about 10k and a 3000 all seater east stand. That would have been 20k but 7k of it would have been terracing (lower tiers of each end). This would probably have been converted to about 16k all seater. Think these were 80's plans the council tried to revive around the time of the sale of the groundl. I think Ivor Caplin was heavily involved and it involved relocating a handful of business premises around the site.

Also worth pointing out the Goldstone site was potentially bigger if we reduced the huge playing surface and perimeter areas but we were restricted by height of stands planning restrictions.

Interesting, I never knew that.
I'd LOVE to see those plans if they ever got as far as having an architect actually draw them up. But given the incumbants on the board at the time, I doubt it ever got any further than a rough sketch on the back of a fag packet.

 

[Return of the Rev]

Good thread Mr B.

Answer, hell no, apart from the Fulham march (home game) when I went in the West Stand, I wish Id got in the directors box a bit quicker and got a hold of Bellotti before he scarpered.

I managed to give he's car a pat as he scarpered from the goldstone that day! worth missing the rest of the fulham game tbo

 

[Man of Harveys]

I've never had any doubt in my mind that we would have moved from the Goldstone at some point, even if Archer/Belloti/Stanley had ever done the decent thing by the rest of the world and remained unfertilised beige stains on their mothers' bedsheets.

It had virtually no parking, was legally prevented from being developed along one side, too much of the capacity was terraces etc etc. And Falmer proves just how BIG a structure a 22,000 seat stadium is these days and there'd have been precisely no chance of ever cramming one in there. So we'd be settling for a 10,000 seat jobby which looked awful. Not ideal.

I seem to remember plenty of talk of our needing to get a new ground long, long before the onset of the Dark Days and realistically countless other similar grounds in similar settings have been abandoned in favour of Majeski-esque ones, perhaps very sadly; I doubt anyone (else!) will appreciate the virtues of the old-fashioned football ground until they've all gone.

Like someone who dies suddenly, everyone wants to say nice things about them afterwards even if they were far from immune from criticism while they were still with us and that's how I think many see the Goldstone, understandably.

Of course there's a decent/proper way of getting a new ground which we were prevented from enjoying, including simple stuff like playing at the old one while the new one's built. If only.

 

[y2dave]

Interesting, I never knew that.
I'd LOVE to see those plans if they ever got as far as having an architect actually draw them up. But given the incumbants on the board at the time, I doubt it ever got any further than a rough sketch on the back of a fag packet.

It wasn't quite back of a fag packet stuff but it was amateur efforts really, just an impression which a flid using microsoft paint could have knocked up. I think Barry Lloyd was the only one who genuinely persisted with any plans and got as far as a plans for a partnership to redevelop the site being considered by the board. He then moved on to a partnership with another development company (Wivenhoe??) but Archer stitched him up a treat despite investing loads of time.

 

[Goring Gull]

I was thinking about this with a Leeds supporter a few days ago and he said "despite the fact we nearly went bust he would not have changed the trips to Europe and the champions league semi final for any of it, People want drama why would you want to be a run of teh mill premier league side finishing mid table every year with no hope of Europ but too good to be relegated?" I thought he had a point.

Then i thought about the Albion yes it would have been easy to be a mid table league 1 club and not go through the last few years but look at teh drama the fun, the league titles, playoff final win at Cardiff, Bobby Zamore etc etc. I know which last 15-20 years i'd settle for.

 

[Westdene Wonder]

I would change our relegation from the Championship which resulted in seasons of First Division football and rare attendance at matches.

 

[m20gull]

There's one match result I would change (5 goals always sounds a lot) but then the next visit might not have been so sweet.

Other than that, no I would keep all of it.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

I'd settle for two promotions, one relegation, one promotion, one relegation and one promotion over the next 15 years. Of course.

 

[Freddie Goodwin.]

I'd echo what many have said so far.

Before the 'troubles', supporting the Albion had become a bit of a chore. i can see now that this seems to have been a policy decision to run the club down and drive support away thus making it easier to kill it off. Once they were rumbled things changed and fans came together to fight for the club. Some of those that joined in the demo's are now established in the club, and that's a good thing.

You can only appreciate the good through living through the hard times. That lad above, who's only been supporting for 15 years, well done and feel proud that you, and other youngsters, have gone for Albion rather than the easy option of a prem club.

I think we all deserve Falmer and the emotions will run high. Many other clubs have moved to new grounds but I don't think any others will feel it quite like we will.

It's so close and all that heartache seems easy now.

 

[TS90]

Course not. The lows make the highs that much better (and vice versa)

 

[greengu11]

Not a lot could I change, I do strongly believe that we Albion fans have grown stronger in that period and have been admired by many other supporters around the world.

But if i could cahnge anything it would of been to ensure we did not lose a generation of fans owing to the complete and utter bastards who put us in the mire in the first place.

Otherwise its been an interesting trip and now to sit back, take it easy and enjoy