[Albion] A little fact I'd actually forgotten about the Hereford game

[Juan Albion]

Obviously we all know that we needed to draw or win to be safe. But I had forgotten that it wasn't goal difference that saved us. If the tiebreaker for two teams level on points had been goal difference as it almost always has been in my lifetime, we would have gone out of the league. But that season it was goals scored, not goal difference. If something special happens on Monday (big IF), remember that.

Most seasons the final table would have looked like this.

God truly must be an Albion fan.

 

[bhafc99]

And the main reason we had enough goals? Fans Utd Day.

 

[The Optimist]

An interesting fact. I remember it being goals scored for a bit but didn’t realise it coincided with that season.

If we’d needed a win I wonder if we’d have got it.

 

[BN41Albion]

Obviously we all know that we needed to draw or win to be safe. But I had forgotten that it wasn't goal difference that saved us. If the tiebreaker for two teams level on points had been goal difference as it almost always has been in my lifetime, we would have gone out of the league. But that season it was goals scored, not goal difference. If something special happens on Monday (big IF), remember that.

Most seasons the final table would have looked like this.

God truly must be an Albion fan.

Funny how football changes, looking at where a lot of those teams are now, many for the worse, some for the (much) better. Sliding doors and all that had things gone differently that day

 

[Stat Brother]

Funny how football changes, looking at where a lot of those teams are now, many for the worse, some for the (much) better. Sliding doors and all that had things gone differently that day

A quarter of that division have now played in the Premier League.

 

[Billy the Fish]

Might be a minority opinion but I think if the result had gone the other way we still would've flourished eventually.

The building blocks were there, Dick Knight, Withdean(after a couple of years) and the support.

 

[Jam The Man]

Goals scored as the deciding factor was around for about 5 years I think. It was to encourage more attacking football.

 

[CheeseRolls]

Might be a minority opinion but I think if the result had gone the other way we still would've flourished eventually.

The building blocks were there, Dick Knight, Withdean(after a couple of years) and the support.

We will never know fortunately. There were two major obstacles.

1 The conference didn't want us. There was plenty of bad publicity over the York game, whether it was justified or not sections of the media put the boot in. Also the football league had refused to promote the conference winners a couple of seasons before, as they were ground sharing. The league had been burnt by this one in the past when Maidstone went bust unable to fund their own ground after promotion and were also trying to raise safety standards at lower league grounds after the Bradford fire. The conference were of a different mindset and plenty of chairman were ready to block a ground sharing club joining from the league.

2 I don't want to point fingers at anyone or score points. I am sure many of the people who uttered it have wiped it from their memories. "I used to support Brighton back in the day". No one says that any more do they? Whole kids clubs and schools without a single Brighton shirt. Charlton coaches picking up supporters from Lancing to take them to the Valley. They were hard times, we didn't need them any harder.

 

[nickbrighton]

Goals scored as the deciding factor was around for about 5 years I think. It was to encourage more attacking football.

I always thought that it was just for that one season that it was decided on goals for, and that it reverted to GD the following one

 

[AZ Gull]

I always thought that it was just for that one season that it was decided on goals for, and that it reverted to GD the following one

I've seen that mentioned before myself, and I think it has become an Albion myth. It isn't true.

I can't find a definitive reference for when goals scored was introduced (instead of goal difference), but this sentence on wikipedia suggests it was for the 1991-92 season (or possibly the 1992-93 season):-



Goal difference was definitely re-introduced for the 1999-2000 season (it is referenced in the pre-season programme against Nottm Forest on July 24 1999):-

 

[Baldseagull]

A quarter of that division have now played in the Premier League.

A subsequent FA Cup Winner, a League Cup Winner, and a Europa League Finalist too.

 

[Stat Brother]

A subsequent FA Cup Winner, a League Cup Winner, and a Europa League Finalist too.

I knew id miss other good results if I highlighted Wigan's cup win.

 

[jimhigham]

A quarter of that division have now played in the Premier League.

And yet, oddly, there’s only one playing there right now

 

[Stat Brother]

And yet, oddly, there’s only one playing there right now

Carlisle?

 

[Baldseagull]

I knew if miss other good results if I highlighted Wigan's cup win.

I may have done so too, but just Wigan, Swansea, and Fulham jumped out as having had some fantastic times since then.

Just had a quick shufti and Fulham also won the Intertoto cup in 2002, which is a bit Mickey Mouse, but better than an empty Trophy cabinet, and I missed out Cardiff reaching the FA cup final.

Edit: Hull also FA cup finalists.

 

[Notters]

Possibly the most talked about fact in albion history?

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

If it had been decided on 2 points for a win, Exeter would have gone down.

I had somehow got it into my head we had a point deduction for the York pitch invasion but it was administered for the following season (or not at all) it seems. Unless somehow the organizers had been told here would be no point deduction that season it always struck me as very risky to stop that game (albeit I realise this opinion appears to be shared by nobody, after getting pelters last time I mentioned it).

If we had gone down, though....as noted above it is unlikely we would have been allowed into the Conference while ground sharing. We weren't universally popular at the time.

 

[nickbrighton]

I've seen that mentioned before myself, and I think it has become an Albion myth. It isn't true.



]

The program notes show that this is when squad numbers were introduced, Ive wondered that for ages, and no one seemed to know the answer when it has come up on NSC

Thank you

 

[jimhigham]

it always struck me as very risky to stop that game (albeit I realise this opinion appears to be shared by nobody, after getting pelters last time I mentioned it).

I remember you getting pelted

I’m inclined to agree. It was really risky but by the time of the York match, desperation trumped all other considerations. I totally get why it happened but you wouldn’t call it a calculated risk. We lashed out and, if we’re honest, got lucky and threw a double six with the final outcome.

Phew!

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

If it had been decided on 2 points for a win, Exeter would have gone down.

I had somehow got it into my head we had a point deduction for the York pitch invasion but it was administered for the following season (or not at all) it seems. Unless somehow the organizers had been told here would be no point deduction that season it always struck me as very risky to stop that game (albeit I realise this opinion appears to be shared by nobody, after getting pelters last time I mentioned it).

If we had gone down, though....as noted above it is unlikely we would have been allowed into the Conference while ground sharing. We weren't universally popular at the time.

View attachment 140744

We did have a two point deduction in the 96-97 season, it was applied after a pitch invasion against Lincoln in October 1996 (https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/brighton-have-two-points-deducted-1313939.html). I'm not sure if it was suspended from the York game, or other incidents, and applied on further "failure to control supporters" violations.

We'd have had 49 points with out it (13 wins, 10 draws).