Cadiz Seagull
Grey bearded old man
My first Albion game!
Having moved to Hassocks a few days earlier and being the proud possessor of a free train season ticket to Hove for school (I was 13) I set off for the Goldstone. In those days if the first team were at home then the reserves would play the opponent's reserves at their home ground and vice versa. Unfortunately, Brighton were playing away at Upton Park that day so the game I saw at the Goldstone was Brighton reserves v West Ham reserves.
I was very happy with this as I was actually a WHU fan having lived there for a few years. So there I was, standing next to the post in the south goal, resplendent in my West Ham scarf.
But that didn't last long, Brighton thrashed West Ham 5 - 1 and at half time my West Ham scarf went into my pocket and I became a Seagull (or a Dolphin, or a Shrimp, or whatever we were in those days).
A few years ago, Tim Carder managed to find me a copy of the programme below for that day (what a star that man is!). Other old farts will be familiar with some of the Albion players but you might also recognise two or three of the West Ham team, young kids working their way through the reserves and hoping one day to be able to get in the first team. I wonder what happened to them? Did any of them make it or did they all fall by the wayside?
View attachment West Ham prog 7th Nov 1959.pdf
Having moved to Hassocks a few days earlier and being the proud possessor of a free train season ticket to Hove for school (I was 13) I set off for the Goldstone. In those days if the first team were at home then the reserves would play the opponent's reserves at their home ground and vice versa. Unfortunately, Brighton were playing away at Upton Park that day so the game I saw at the Goldstone was Brighton reserves v West Ham reserves.
I was very happy with this as I was actually a WHU fan having lived there for a few years. So there I was, standing next to the post in the south goal, resplendent in my West Ham scarf.
But that didn't last long, Brighton thrashed West Ham 5 - 1 and at half time my West Ham scarf went into my pocket and I became a Seagull (or a Dolphin, or a Shrimp, or whatever we were in those days).
A few years ago, Tim Carder managed to find me a copy of the programme below for that day (what a star that man is!). Other old farts will be familiar with some of the Albion players but you might also recognise two or three of the West Ham team, young kids working their way through the reserves and hoping one day to be able to get in the first team. I wonder what happened to them? Did any of them make it or did they all fall by the wayside?
View attachment West Ham prog 7th Nov 1959.pdf
