14th December 1996, a turning point.

[Freddie Goodwin.]

Things rarely looked bleaker, Case had been sacked and bellotti under siege, every game was a battle off the pitch with the football a poor backdrop.

Albion's new manager was Steve Gritt, a non-entity to some and even the graffiti artist spelled his name wrong. This weeks protest was the Whistle protest and fans were encouraged to sneak whistles in to generally disrupt the game and it made for a shrill and noisey atmoshere. Somehow the players & ref coped and Albion won for the 1st time in ages, 3-0.

Gritt's team didn't lose a home match that season and the Great escape was on. Take a look at the table below to see just how bad our position was and look at how many of those teams are no longer in the league.

Nationwide League Division Three 1996/1997
Historical league standings at 14th December 1996

Home Away Overall
# Team Pl W D L F A W D L F A W D L F A Pts GS
1 Fulham 23 8 1 3 21 10 7 3 1 16 7 15 4 4 37 17 49 37
2 Carlisle United 23 7 2 2 18 9 5 5 2 17 13 12 7 4 35 22 43 35
3 Cambridge United 23 8 2 2 20 12 5 2 4 14 16 13 4 6 34 28 43 34
4 Wigan Athletic 22 9 1 1 26 10 3 4 4 14 15 12 5 5 40 25 41 40
5 Scunthorpe United 23 7 1 4 21 16 3 3 5 11 15 10 4 9 32 31 34 32
6 Cardiff City 21 6 1 4 17 13 4 3 3 8 9 10 4 7 25 22 34 25
7 Chester City 22 6 3 3 17 12 3 3 4 8 12 9 6 7 25 24 33 25
8 Colchester United 23 5 5 1 20 10 2 6 4 13 17 7 11 5 33 27 32 33
9 Swansea City 22 6 3 2 16 8 3 2 6 9 17 9 5 8 25 25 32 25
10 Barnet 22 5 5 1 16 7 3 3 5 7 10 8 8 6 23 17 32 23
11 Northampton Town 23 5 3 3 18 11 3 4 5 14 16 8 7 8 32 27 31 32
12 Lincoln City 23 4 6 2 15 11 4 1 6 14 23 8 7 8 29 34 31 29
13 Torquay United 23 7 1 4 13 8 2 3 6 10 16 9 4 10 23 24 31 23
14 Scarborough 22 4 5 2 15 13 3 4 4 15 15 7 9 6 30 28 30 30
15 Hull City 23 3 5 3 11 14 3 6 3 9 11 6 11 6 20 25 29 20
16 Rochdale 22 5 2 4 15 11 1 6 4 13 18 6 8 8 28 29 26 28
17 Exeter City 23 4 4 3 13 11 3 1 8 9 21 7 5 11 22 32 26 22
18 Hartlepool United 22 2 4 4 13 15 5 0 7 13 14 7 4 11 26 29 25 26
19 Mansfield Town 22 3 4 4 9 8 2 6 3 13 15 5 10 7 22 23 25 22
20 Leyton Orient 22 4 4 2 9 4 2 3 7 8 16 6 7 9 17 20 25 17
21 Doncaster Rovers 22 5 1 5 14 13 2 2 7 10 20 7 3 12 24 33 24 24
22 Hereford United 23 4 3 5 16 14 2 2 7 9 20 6 5 12 25 34 23 25
23 Darlington 23 4 3 4 16 14 2 1 9 15 27 6 4 13 31 41 22 31
24 Brighton & Hove Albion 23 3 4 5 17 19 1 0 10 4 23 4 4 15 21 42 16 21

(Be great if somebody could re-align this!)

 

[T soprano]

4 sides now in the prem
Hull
Swansea
Fulham
Cardiff
( Wigan as well down there)

 

[£1.99]

And Chester City are no longer. well ok i know there's a new Chester fc started by fans.

 

[Freddie Goodwin.]

Most of the clubs that went on to better things are now in new grounds.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

and it all came down to this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4SyMPHlwn8

 

[Leekbrookgull]

Brighton 'have walked the tightrope and reached the other side'. Wonderful line.

 

[Since1982]

Great post. And the contrasting fortunes of many of the teams in that division with us is extraordinary.

 

[Notters]

Still ridiculous that it was done on goals scored that season. Whose idea was that?

 

[dougdeep]

Still ridiculous that it was done on goals scored that season. Whose idea was that?

The man with the big chin

 

[Working class pride]

Steve Steve Gritt, he's hot no hair but we don't care". His achievement in keeping us n the league was greater than even Charlie Webb making us Champions of England in 1910. No matter what happens to this club and if we even manage to lift another trophy, Steve Gritt will always be our greatest manager. He came in with the fans at war with the club, after pitch invasions, goal posts being torn down, fireworks and walk outs, directors physically chased from the ground and smuggled out by the police, and the chairman told by the police not to attend games for his own safety. All that and adrift from the lowest division and staring the conference with no ground in the face. Its why Palace fans make me laugh when they say they have great fans and have been through hard times. They dont have a clue. I hope we get back to the top flight one day, I hope we again win a trophy, but that day on a terrace at Hereford will always be the greatest ever moment as an Brighton fan. Gritt is a proper legend and that is a word used far too often these days. If Gritt could be brought back to the Albion in some capacity then I would like that, even if part time. I'm not one for giving ex players or managers jobs for the boys but I think Gritt is the exception.

 

[Notters]

The man with the big chin

Jimmy Hill? Really? Tell me more.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Steve Steve Gritt, he's hot

I always liked the bloke, but never that much!

 

[Thunder Bolt]

And Chester City are no longer. well ok i know there's a new Chester fc started by fans.

Scarborough too.

 

[kevo]

Things rarely looked bleaker, Case had been sacked and bellotti under siege, every game was a battle off the pitch with the football a poor backdrop.

Albion's new manager was Steve Gritt, a non-entity to some and even the graffiti artist spelled his name wrong. This weeks protest was the Whistle protest and fans were encouraged to sneak whistles in to generally disrupt the game and it made for a shrill and noisey atmoshere. Somehow the players & ref coped and Albion won for the 1st time in ages, 3-0.

You've forgotten about the fan who handcuffed himself to the goalpost at half-time (that was the Hull game, wasn't it?)

 

[kevo]

...also, the table you've put up is actually after the Hull game.The situation before it was of course worse - nine points adrift at the bottom, and with two points to be deducted in the new year for the Lincoln pitch invasion. So in effect 11 points from safety.

Pos Team W D L F A Pts
21 Hereford United 6 5 11 23 31 23
22 Darlington 6 4 12 30 39 22
23 Hartlepool United 6 4 11 23 28 22
24 Brighton & Hove Albion 3 4 15 18 42 13* (two points deduction pending)

 

[Hiney]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/75238685@N02/sets/72157634157014007/show/

 

[Luke93]

Does anyone know what that season was based on goals scored?

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

and it all came down to this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4SyMPHlwn8

Thanks for posting the link, l hadn't seen that clip for a good few years. Certainly brought a lump to the throat as l relived the 90 minutes of torture, and then ecstasy at Hereford.

Having supported the club for nigh on 30 years, I've witnessed a fair few promotions, (and a sprinkling of relegations as well of course), as well as the highs from our move to the fabulous Amex, and yet in many ways my favourite time in supporting the Albion, were those dark days of the late 90's. Does anyone else feel the same?

 

[Cheshire Cat]

We really were effectively dead with the undertaker about to screw down the coffin lid.

 

[wallington seagull]

Steve Steve Gritt, he's hot no hair but we don't care". His achievement in keeping us n the league was greater than even Charlie Webb making us Champions of England in 1910. No matter what happens to this club and if we even manage to lift another trophy, Steve Gritt will always be our greatest manager. He came in with the fans at war with the club, after pitch invasions, goal posts being torn down, fireworks and walk outs, directors physically chased from the ground and smuggled out by the police, and the chairman told by the police not to attend games for his own safety. All that and adrift from the lowest division and staring the conference with no ground in the face. Its why Palace fans make me laugh when they say they have great fans and have been through hard times. They dont have a clue. I hope we get back to the top flight one day, I hope we again win a trophy, but that day on a terrace at Hereford will always be the greatest ever moment as an Brighton fan. Gritt is a proper legend and that is a word used far too often these days. If Gritt could be brought back to the Albion in some capacity then I would like that, even if part time. I'm not one for giving ex players or managers jobs for the boys but I think Gritt is the exception.

This, absolutely this!
Steve Gritt = legend