Anybody ever been a mascot?

[Cadiz Seagull]

Not me, they weren't invented when I was young! But my son was, when he was 9, in 1991. At the Goldstone v Swindon (we lost and were crap!). It was a few days after Tom Appleby (ex vice chairman) died, so the warm-up was a bit shorter because of the minutes silence, so he didn't even get a kick! But he did get to wear those lovely stripey shorts
Great day out (even if it was a few weeks after I split up with my ex so she was sitting in the stand with us!) The club looked after us well, free strip for my son, drinks in the player's bar afterwards, the whole bit. He may have been a bit young to really relish the day but I certainly did.
And it's OK, I won't embarass you by telling everyone your name, Ash!

 

[Biscuit]

I wanted to be when we were at the Goldstone, I wanted to have my picture with Steve Foster..or if not Kurt Nogan.

 

[Trigger]

And it's OK, I won't embarass you by telling everyone your name, Ash!

I believe this is the same Ash that once went to Hartlepool away with his tracksuit bottoms on the wrong way round!

 

[H block]

First printed in one of the fanzines a few years ago about a man many of you will know I`m sure.


I didn`t sleep a wink the night before, well you wouldn`t would you not if you were going to follow the great Steve Foster out to play on the Goldstone`s hallowed turf for the first time. I`d been overlooked on a couple of previous occasions but now my time had come and I had a chance to score in front of the north stand in the Albion`s colours. They said I`d never get to play here, that I was too small, lacked pace, but what did they know because I`d finally arrived and proved them all wrong and how I`d loved to have seen their faces now as I ran out at 2-50 on that cold saturday afternoon 4 years ago to the tumultuous cheers from the Brighton crowd.
I arrived at the ground a bag of nerves at 1 o`clock and the first person I bumped into was club captain Fozzie. “ Best of luck “ he said at the end of our chat as I made my way in the direction of the changing rooms still unable to believe I would be following the great man on to the pitch in less than 2 hours. 2 o`clock came and I jogged out onto the pitch for the warm up.It was still a comparatively new thing to appear on the pitch an hour before kick off but to me it made sense, it gave the new players especially, a chance to sample at least some of the atmosphere of the place on match days and it sure beat sitting on your backside waiting for the off. I tried to concentrate on first time passing in a triangle with Ian Chapman and Junior Mcdougald but my eyes kept wandering to the crowd which although sparce at that time was still more than I`d ever played in front of before.
I could feel the butterflies in my stomach and I`m glad I had my tracksuit on at that stage because I`m sure they would have heard my knees knocking as far back as the very top step on the east terrace. Liam Brady came over to me at that stage and I could sense he knew I was nervous but he just kept it simple and told me to enjoy myself. He looked as cool as ever but when you`ve captained your country and played in Wembley cup finals I suppose a home game against Crewe with the greatest respect can all be taken in your stride. I joined Fozzie for a few gentle stretching exercises when without warning I got a sharp pain in the back of my thigh. My heart was in my mouth and I thought back to the start of the week when I`d had a few twinges in my hamstring but had just put it down to minor cramps. I couldn`t believe my big day was going to be curtailed by injury and certainly not at this late stage when kick off was less than a hour away. Alright I wasn`t as fit as I might have been but what the hell, adrenalin would see me through today surely. I decided a niggling injury wasn`t going to stop me today not on a pitch that had seen the likes of Peter Ward, Mark Lawrenson and Brian Horton grace its lush green surface.
I can`t remember much about the next hour except the frequent visits to the toilet I made which was odd really because I hadn`t eaten for 24 hours since I found out I was in. All of a sudden I got the nod and it was time, a big grin from Fozzie, handshakes from the rest of the team and we marched towards the tunnel to await our entry like Roman gladiators preparing for the arena.
It suddenly dawned on me that I was setting a precedent here because no one of my age had done what I was about to do. No, no one had become the club mascot at the ripe old age of 39. Didn`t I mention that before , it must have slipped my mind, writers block or something I suppose. Anyway I digress so its back to me running out along side the great man himself who as far as Albion fans can remember has never put a foot wrong apart perhaps from the incident at the Corals leisure centre but then again it wasn`t his foot that was wrongly placed was it. We headed towards the north stand goal and I said to him “just give me the ball as we get near the goal and I`ll do the rest”. Great finishers don`t need defenders in their way when they get within range and as I`d always been Denis Law up my local park as a kid I just knew that I could finish when it really mattered. Before we got into Denis Law territory I realised I was struggling to keep up with him because its difficult keeping up with a trained athlete when your 4 foot 7 inches, have flat feet and have spent 25 years drinking copious amounts of Stella Artois. Somehow though I found a hidden reserve of energy and made myself available to take his delightfully weighted pass in my stride. I must admit I was worried about our captain`s final ball at times but credit where credits due this time he delivered the killing pass perfectly. I only needed one touch to bring the ball under control and the rest was easy as I`d done it a thousand times in my dreams.
The net bulged as I thundered in an unstoppable shot and I ran towards the north stand to perform my carefully rehearsed Klinsmaneque type dive in the six yard box. The only trouble with diving headlong into a dryish goalmouth is your shorts tend to travel slower than the rest of you and the result was I exposed my bare arse to fans and players alike.It wasn`t the first time the Erskine rump had seen the light of day in public I admit but it was the first time seven thousand people had seen the spectacle at the same time. Not that the north standers were offended, Oh no they greeted the sight off me struggling to my feet with the chant of “ sign him up, sign him up, sign him up”. I managed to gain my composure though because 60 seconds later Nicky Rust was picking the ball out of the net again as this time I fooled him with a exquisitely placed shot from 2 yards. I then joined the Crewe captain, the referee and Steve Foster in the centre circle where the latter told me to toss up. Because of the din from the crowd I didn`t hear him properly and replied, “what in front of all these people, I`ll get arrested.” Once he repeated himself and I`d done my job I was off, receiving a great hand from the crowd.
For the record the Albion lost 1-0 that day and Crewe scored in the 3rd minute and as Ian Chapman later told me that he never laughed so much I can`t help but feel partly responsible for Brighton`s slow start . I watched the game from the executive seats courtesy of Ian Hart and Pete Kennard who as co-editors of Gulls Eye had sponsored the game that day but my mind was elsewhere to be honest, because I`d just scored 2 goals on my Goldstone debut, a feat unheard of in recent years till that bloke Freeman came along.

 

[wehatepalace]

not been a mascot but i used to play fot the then (junior) seagulls and we won a national 5 a side comp and we were taken on a lap of honour round the goldstone pitch when we played sunderland as we went past the east terrace the mackems booed us but then as we went past the north stand they chanted albion songs at us !!! it was magical that memory will stay with me until the day i die it was the nearest i ever got to running out on to the hallowed turf !!!!!

 

[Wilko]

I was a mascot at Fulham away 1988 New Years Day - We won 2-1, I think Dale Jasper scored !!

Got a great pic of me running out alongside Bremner, Rougvie and Nelson.

 

[Safeway]

I wanted to be when we were at the Goldstone, I wanted to have my picture with Steve Foster..or if not Kurt Nogan.

Wouldn't you have been about FOUR?

Never been mascot for The Albion, but was once for Eastbourne United during the glorious Sussex Senior Cup run of 1990. Ran out with the team for the quarter-final against Hailsham Town at The Oval. Had a kickabout with the players and oversaw the tossing of the coin. Was well nervous becase there were about 500 there that day, as opposed to the usual 40 or so.

The match finished goalless and United won 1-0 after extra time in the replay. They beat Pagham 6-0 at Lancing in the semi before losing 2-1 to Crawley Town in the final at The Goldstone.

 

[Captain Pugwash]

never a mascot



but i was on a front cover of the programme once

 

[Cian]

Not for the Albion, not even for a team that plays in a professional league

Arranmore United/Rovers/Celtic/WhateverTheHellTheyFeelLikeThisSeason in about 1994

 

[Scotty Mac]

yes!

reading away in the penultimate game of 1993-94 at elm park, they won and got promoted and it was boiling hot.

then rotherham away in 1994-95, it was a tuesday evening and i can't remember the score, although shaun goater scored for rotherham

brentford away 1995-96 boxing day. we won 1-0 and the pitch was frozen

chester home 1996-97. first game of the season and we won 2-1

 

[Bobby's Gull]

never a mascot

Nope me neither! If I was now, I'd feel a bit stupid!

 

[¡Cereal Killer!]

Never have been, been a ballboy a few times though!

 

[shingle]

Not me, but last season young shingle was the mascot against Wycombe Wanderers and I must confess that as he came out with DC, the old bottom lip was a bit wobbly

 

[glasgull]

Yep, I was and it was a bloody good day! Also one of two times that my mum has the albion play (the other was later that season in the playoff final at wembley, nott county, grrr....)

Southend it was, got the strip etc, and managed to keep the 50p that they used for the toss at the start- you can tell i'm scottish.
We won as well, against southend, 3-2 i think, beautiful day.
Remember meeting all the players which was great.

Also met all the players at mansfield - went down to the players bar, held steve foster's pint AND i won 45 quid and two signed footballs. Great day...

Oh to be a kid again....

 

[Braders]

nope , was a ballboy once (brighton vs scunthorpe at withdean , that boring 0-0 one)

 

[Cadiz Seagull]

Re: Re: Anybody ever been a mascot?

I believe this is the same Ash that once went to Hartlepool away with his tracksuit bottoms on the wrong way round!

That sounds like him

 

[Dawsey]

I was at the Priestfield against Scunthorpe in 1997. We lost 3-1 and I've got a photo of me somewhere with a very young looking OGH on the pitch.

 

[Albion Edd]

I've never been a mascot, but was a ball boy once, I think I only touched the ball about twice

 

[Mendoza]

I was mascot in 1990 for my 10th birthday.
We played pompey at the goldstone and it was a midweek game.
we won 3-2, wendy scored a free kick, i think aspinall scored for pompey.
we then went on to the play off final and thats enough of that

 

[CHAPPERS]

Yep, I have.

9 years old against Hull on a Friday evening in 1990. We won 2 nil in front of very few fans for some reason.

While watching the photos being taken I was resting my hands on my knees with the Albion players behind me. One of them kicked the ball at me and it hit me on the arse, it was either John Crumplin or Sergei Gotsmanov (the bastards). Needless to say the North Stand were heartily amused by this and gave a cheer.
Not impressed.