[Albion] Your football ancestry

mashman156 · Nov 5, 2024

Great thread with some good stories!

My grandpa was a Methodist Minister and used to travel round the country, being regularly relocated for his work. My old man was born while the family was living in Southsea and is a Portsmouth fan. I could have gone down that very depressing road at a young age but luckily Grandpa was a Brighton Fan from his youth!

Went to my first game with my Grandpa shortly before he died and never looked back! He'd be so happy with where the club is now! My 2 sons now, 1 is a Brighton Fan and can't wait to go to his first game at the Amex. Eldest son has been corrupted by school friends (though I suspect can be recovered!) and is a Spurs fan...very much enjoyed the other weeks comeback win!

Falmerfourtickets · Nov 5, 2024

Guinness Boy said:
Similarly to an infamous NSCer I was born in Brighton and bred in Hove. My blood is pure, baby.

Can there be such thing as an infamous NSCer?

Hotchilidog · Nov 5, 2024

Born in Barnet. Parents were Spurs fans. First Cup final I watched was in 1975, everyone wanted Fulham to win except for my uncle who supported West Ham so went for them to be different to the rest of the room. Grew up supporting the Hammers and going along to watch Barnet at Underhill.

Fast forward a couple of decades I was looking to move down to Brighton from London and took an interest in the Albion due to the protests and campaigns, which struck a chord with me after the Bond Scheme at West Ham. Came down to Fans Utd with Wealdstone and Rotherham mates from work and quite frankly that was when the bug took its first big bite into me.

Completed my move to the coast in 97, stayed in the campaign loop for the Albion's return to Brighton. Signed petitions got people to fill them out at work. Fell out of love with the premier league and on August 28 2000 I took my seat in the Internet stand for a 0-2 defeat to Kidderminster Harriers and the rest is history. After going match by match got my half season ticket for Row Z in the South stand and never looked back.

TLDR DFL turncoat and given the success since then you can add glory hunter to the charge sheet

BigBod · Nov 5, 2024

I'm the fan you all love to hate. Putting my head above the parapet here! No football heritage in our family, my Dad wasn't interested. My local team growing up was Chelsea, went to my first game in 1976, been to hundreds of games at Chelsea and still go now when I can. However, I just love football and have gone to watch whoever my local team is as I've moved around. When I was in the Navy I was based in Portland for a while so went to watch Weymouth, when I was based in Portsmouth I went to watch Pompy and other various grounds around the country depending on where I was. Now living in West Sussex I have been a STH for the last 10 years at Brighton. Did go to the Goldstone a few times back in the day. Go home and away with my mate who is a proper Brighton fan...lol... Enjoying following Brighton but they will never be my number 1 team.

Ludensian Gull · Nov 5, 2024

Born in Lincolnshire ,but Grandparents on dads side lived in Saltdean. Was always down there from a baby and grew up watching the Albion, going initially with my Grandad then making friends as I got a bit older and going with them.

Gill's White Jumper · Nov 5, 2024

Uncle Bill and cousin Robin were great football fans and they took me to my first match at the Goldstone age 7. After that my Dad was a messenger for the Albion's bankers (the job doesn't exist anymore - he used t take money to the bank's 'important' customers who couldn't be arsed to go to the bank themselves). He was also the man who put the Albion's gate receipts in the bank as banks were closed on Saturdays. For this he got two complimentary tickets for seats in the south stand and so I got to go to every home game. Afterwards he loaded the takings, mainly in coin, into the back of a taxi and we took it to the bank where he had keys, including for the vault!

Questions · Nov 5, 2024

Gill's White Jumper said:
Uncle Bill and cousin Robin were great football fans and they took me to my first match at the Goldstone age 7. After that my Dad was a messenger for the Albion's bankers (the job doesn't exist anymore - he used t take money to the bank's 'important' customers who couldn't be arsed to go to the bank themselves). He was also the man who put the Albion's gate receipts in the bank as banks were closed on Saturdays. For this he got two complimentary tickets for seats in the south stand and so I got to go to every home game. Afterwards he loaded the takings, mainly in coin, into the back of a taxi and we took it to the bank where he had keys, including for the vault!

What did he do with the cup final money ?

wellquickwoody · Nov 5, 2024

Born in London but to a Brightonian mother and moved to the town within a few years. Rest of maternal side of family were historically Brighton based. Started being taken to the Goldstone by age of 8 and the rest is history.

Ⓩ-Ⓐ-Ⓜ-Ⓞ-Ⓡ-Ⓐ · Nov 5, 2024

Born and bred near the 7 Dials

Marxo · Nov 5, 2024

Sussex born and bred, my dad took me to my first match where Norman Wisdom sang GOSBTS (we're going up and we'll win the cup, Sussex by the Sea) before the match and I was hooked for ever. I did embarrass my dad in front of his mates by asking who the man in black was.

Cordwainer · Nov 5, 2024

This is a great thread and a lovely counterpoint to the US election.
Northampton born n bred..loved football from an early age so unfortunately it was Cobblers for me.
Moved to Hove in 1993 and saw a few games at the Goldstone and Withdean but could take it or leave it at that time. Once my son came along and showed interest early on to become the BHAFC obsessive he is now inevitably and pleasingly put me on the path to becoming a Seagulls fan. Most likely means I fit into the JCL glory hunting category

Official Old Man · Nov 5, 2024

I had little interest in football pre teenage years, indeed at only 10 the World Cup '66 passed me by.
My very first interest was the '67 FA Cup for some reason and I started to follow Tottenham, purely because they won!
First ever match (I've just looked this up) was at WHL, 16th Jan 1971. Spurs lost 1:3 to Southampton. To think that could have influenced me to become a Saint!
Never went back to WHL but did venture to Chelsea a few times for a couple of games. This would have been between '71 to '72.
Then in 1973 I was given a ST at the Goldstone in the south stand on the wooden benches by my Uncle who was a STH in the West.
I was hooked.

Insel affe · Nov 5, 2024

Grandfather born in Paddington, he died in St Barnabas Church Sackville Road, around the corner from the Goldstone.
My dad said he never had an allegiance to any particular club, being a man of the faith, moving around a lot including India and Burma where he met my Gran before his last post (no pun intended) in Brighton.
My dad was a Southampton fan for some reason (he said he tried Brighton but, he said they were shit) in the late 60s, through the mid 70s he used to go all the time, despite living in Brighton and then Shoreham, where I was born. Obviously as mentioned before we had a strained relationship and I was in care for a while before I went back to live with him in Aldershot. We moved around a lot settling in in Wigan at the age of 12, before that my uncle took me to Brighton he was a staunch Albion fan, and through probably wanting to belong somewhere and keep an identity myself I followed Brighton from afar until I was old enough to go to games on my own, mainly up north from the age of 15. moved to London around 94 and stayed there until our daughter was born in a hospital on Euston Road, we moved back to Brighton when she was 6 months old and she is staunch Brighton even going to the very first game at the Amex the Sussex senior cup final, aged around a year and half I think.
Mums side, don't know, don't care.

Dun Lurkin · Nov 5, 2024

Born in Shoreham (not Southlands- it was full at the time) and lived in the same road in Southwick for all but 11 of my 77 years. (Those 11 were in Shoreham when I first married). Father not interested in football, apart from doing pools, but mother, being a Scot was very keen. Always followed the Albion through Argus reports from as long as I can remember, and still do. First game I attended was a special one off in1956 promotion game v Leyton Orient taken by neighbours. Got my first kit at about that time (see avatar) shirt from Wisdens ( Blue stripes printed on ordinary white shirt) and shorts courtesy of my aunt made from an old sheet! In 1959/60 season my cousin invited me to join him and his mates at a match which I readily accepted and I have been going ever since. I was still sitting with my cousin at the Amex until recently but he died this year of a brain tumour.

Guinness Boy · Nov 5, 2024

Falmerfourtickets said:
Can there be such thing as an infamous NSCer?

Yes, there's an 'infamous' category at mod towers. It consists of the three people who asked for their data to be deleted and then came crawling back. One obviously, one in disguise and one a bit of both.

SeagullsoverLondon · Nov 5, 2024

Born in West London, but moved down to Sussex when I was 6. Didn't really have a team at that age, but my elder brothers carried on supporting Chelsea and Arsenal, so remember wanting Leeds to beat them in the FA Cups of the early 70s (feel dirty about that now). Therefore started following Brighton, despite being rubbish with a clueless manager (whatever happened to Brian Clough?) and fthe frst game my Dad took me to was a dreadful 2-0 defeat to Wrexham, and that was the start of it for me.

jackalbion · Nov 5, 2024

I'm from off Portland Road so at the time of my Birth it was the nearest ground in the top 10 divisions, so have supported Brighton all my life. My father gave me the middle name Albion so I didn't really have a choice, both my grandparents on his side went, and my mums side went occasionally, but my great great grandfather on my mums side was a huge Brighton fan. I think that should cover most of it, although I do find myself getting soft spots for certain teams through strange connections, I try to follow Mile Oak and Whitehawk as my nearest non-league sides.

POSKETT AT THE VALLEY · Nov 5, 2024

DavidinSouthampton said:
My dad was an Arsenal fan.
My mum’s family supported Luton Town, living just down the road in Harpenden
I was born in Kent - Beckenham, which is now part of London
My parents were living in Sydenham when I was born - prime Palace Country, I believe.

BUT

they moved to Worthing when I was 15 months old.
i used to go and watch Worthing as a small boy - Mick Streeter!
then one day they were losing 6-0 at half time so my group of friends left.
the next Brighton home game, we went, and continued going.
i had actually previously been once - 1967? QPR complete with Rodney Marsh, whom the debutant John Templeman marked out of the game!

Mick streeter. Proper centre forward and smashing bloke to go with it.

Berty23 · Nov 5, 2024

Born in Devon and was a kid of the 80s so my first team to support was obviously Liverpool in 87-88 because I thought John Barnes was a god. When I was about 12 (so very early 90s) my dad who grew up in Brighton and went to games until he was mid 20s said “you have never been to Liverpool, you might never go, so you either support Brighton like me or Torquay because they are local”

My dad was 6 foot 6 hulk of a man with a deep voice. Although he never hurt me I was a bit scared of him so I picked Brighton. Those first 5 or 6 years supporting Brighton were miserable. We went to the games at Plymouth away which then became Exeter away and eventually Torquay away as we fell down the leagues. Culminating in the coldest match I have experienced on NYD 1997 when Gary Nelson scored the winner against us on a frozen pitch at Torquay. Obviously things slowly improved during the 00s before it took off with falmer.

I now live in Warwick and my lad is 16 and massive Brighton fan.

aftershavedave · Nov 5, 2024

I was born in East London in the 60s and as a nipper went to see West Ham with my grandad (my hero) and uncle. In 75 a couple of the Hammers players turned up to a family wedding, night of the Cup Final. I always loved football. Been in or around Brighton since 81, and naturally followed my local team, at the Goldstone, a few times at Gillingham, then season tickets right through from Withdean until today. I have 3 teen boys who are fanatical Albion fans. I think 44 years qualifies me. Best away days were back in the day at such exotic places as Carlisle (with @Man of Harveys and @Willow), York, Cambridge, Barnet (with @Barnet Seagull and @Simster I think), Chesterfield (a volley of bottles from the friendly northern brexit monkeys), Aldershot, Grimsby (with @Stumpy Tim i believe), Southend ("bring on the champions"), Shrewsbury etc. I still enjoy seeing some very old faces with a nod or a hello, but we've never had it better. Worst trip: i had a ticket for Exeter away and a £20 bet in a club the night before (Shades?) that I wouldn't make it. I got as far as southampton to realise I'd lost my ticket for this sold out game, had a nap and drove home. This thread is indeed light and dark compared with the world today

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