Brighton have a bigger identity than London clubs

[Barrel of Fun]

So you have gone from 1. Disagreeing to 2. Agreeing ..to now 3. Surprised its a thread ! Also see my point about Sheffield, or pompey or Saints. Its not a geography thing but agreed isolated towns like Brighton and Plymouth have a natural advantage

I'm sorry I got pulled in to this, but it is a geography thing. However, there are clubs that would gain huge support, despite rivals within spitting distance. We are/were not one of them. We've never attracted a regular following that could be described as a bumper crowd over the period of more than half a decade.

 

[Working class pride]

I'm sorry I got pulled in to this, but it is a geography thing. However, there are clubs that would gain huge support, despite rivals within spitting distance. We are/were not one of them. We've never attracted a regular following that could be described as a bumper crowd over the period of more than half a decade.

Thats not right, for the lower league football (mainly 3rd division) Brighton have done very well for crowds. I think you also need to live in london to understand the point. Its a London thing. Everything looks into London these days and the pace of life so fast moving with well everything the capital has to offer, that the football clubs are just off the radar for everyone but the football fans themselves.

 

[el punal]

There was a survey carried out some years ago and surprisingly the club with the largest % of supporters who travelled more than 30 miles to a home game was Southampton. Probably due to lack of top clubs in the South West

Very feasible. Dorset and in particular Bournemouth have a big Saints following. I wonder if this is one of the reasons why Bournemouth, as a club, will always struggle to expand - big brother on the doorstep so to speak.

I would be interested to know what percentage of Albion fans, who go on a regular basis to games, live outside of Sussex.

From a historical point of view (and geographical) the heartland areas of the south coast clubs are :

Brighton - most of Sussex to Chichester/Bognor in the west. Hastings to the east. Crawley to the north.

Portsmouth - east Hampshire, Petersfield to the north, Fareham to the west and Chichester/Bognor to the east. And a lot from the Isle of Wight.

Southampton - central and west Hampshire, large parts of Dorset, and parts of Wiltshire around Salisbury.

Bournemouth - very much immediate local area and Poole.

So on the basis that I have just described, Brighton, Portsmouth and Southampton have pretty much got large catchment areas of fans and all three could draw 30,000 crowds (if Fratton Park was expanded) on a regular basis subject to success.

All of this being totally subjective of course.

 

[Red Side Of Sussex]

If the Albion got back to the Cup final it would be a real Sussex event, not just an event for die hard Albion fans.

Not in Crawley it wouldn't,unless you supported Brighton.Its probably the same for the rest of Sussex too.
When Crawley played Manchester United they took 11,000.It was originally sopposed to be 9,500 but the demand was so great another 1500 were seated in a separate tier.
Most were people from Crawley, of which 8 or 9 thousand hadn't even set foot inside the Broadfield stadium in their lives.It's a strange situation here.We have genuine Interest in the club from lots of people who live in Crawley,shame they only stir when the big clubs turn up In FA cup matches.

If Brighton reached the FA cup final again,it would be an event for Sussex for sure,but not that great.
The overwhelming majority of people in Sussex who didn't support Brighon wouldn't be that bothered really.It would be the city of Brighton and Hove where the excitement and FA cup fever would happen.

 

[Simster]

possibly the dafted thread on NSC ever.



Millwall FC move out of the geography of Millwall many generations ago, so that area's demographic changes are not entirely relevent. Living in SE1 at the the time of Millwall's FA Cup, the high streets and the shopping centre at Surrey Quays were a ghost town, and every pub heaving, except the Surrey Docks 'spoonies (no TV). living in nieghbouring SE8 at the time of Millwall's Autoglass trophy day out it was clearly a big deal for the locals with flags and colours everywhere. with some exception for Chelsea (which does seem to have a disconnect from its surrounding area), i dont think any of the London clubs are not strongly rooted in and identified with their locality.

Absolutely correct. The idea that London clubs don't have local roots is utterly ridiculous. Even Chelsea do, it's just that Chelsea's reach is much harder to define than most London clubs.

 

[Working class pride]

I think its a London thing, the nature of London. For example, if Man United turn up to any town then it would be an event. All of Brighton, greater Brighton and most of Sussex would be aware of it, as would be the case if they were at Pompey, or Burnley, or Norwich ect. But really, Man U in London doesn't even register. Yes the game might be a big one but its not the biggest event in town that day and doesnt even register as a major event

 

[Working class pride]

Not in Crawley it wouldn't,unless you supported Brighton.Its probably the same for the rest of Sussex too.
When Crawley played Manchester United they took 11,000.It was originally sopposed to be 9,500 but the demand was so great another 1500 were seated in a separate tier.
Most were people from Crawley, of which 8 or 9 thousand hadn't even set foot inside the Broadfield stadium in their lives.It's a strange situation here.We have genuine Interest in the club from lots of people who live in Crawley,shame they only stir when the big clubs turn up In FA cup matches.

If Brighton reached the FA cup final again,it would be an event for Sussex for sure,but not that great.
The overwhelming majority of people in Sussex who didn't support Brighon wouldn't be that bothered really.It would be the city of Brighton and Hove where the excitement and FA cup fever would happen.

i remember the 83 cup final and it was a sussex event...as was hereford and for those thinking im saying they dont have local roots, im not! you miss the point, they do but the community does not look to each club as say sussex do to the albion

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

As I said, its not the fans I'm really talking about, its the community. Brighton are the club for Sussex and people recognise that. In London its not the same identity. Its not as strong an identity in the community because anyone supports anyone in London and the local schools, pubs ect dont seem a single local side to look to as they do in the Brighton's and Pompeys. Even non football fans in Brighton will wonder how the Albion are getting on if they have a big game. Its just not like that in London

Although I live in Plymouth I am from T Wells and visit Kent and Sussex ofren mostly Heathfield and Eastbourne as well as T Wells.
Even though they dont go to the Amex or particulary support Brighton I always have conversations with many people who talk about Brighton and always look out for their results and want them to do well because they are Sussex. Those that know I support the Albion always want to talk about them.
I worked for a guy down here for a day who happened to hail from Sussex and even though he has never been we talked about nothing else he knew almost as much about the club and its history as I do.
Plymouth is very strong for this, it's as if the whole city is behind Argyle but the vast majority dont go but its a Plymouth thing so they want them to do well.
I get the OP's point, its about non supporters who live in the city and surrounding areas that look out for the results and want them to do well.

 

[beorhthelm]

I think its a London thing, the nature of London. For example, if Man United turn up to any town then it would be an event. All of Brighton, greater Brighton and most of Sussex would be aware of it, as would be the case if they were at Pompey, or Burnley, or Norwich ect. But really, Man U in London doesn't even register. Yes the game might be a big one but its not the biggest event in town that day and doesnt even register as a major event

see i think this is where you are going wrong, seeing London as a single whole. in the boroughs where they reside, the clubs are a big deal. i recall a preseason Millwall-Spur "friendly" being quite an event, and if you try getting up Holloway rd or around Fulham* (anywhere between Hammersmith and the river) on a match day, you're well aware of what the biggest event "in town" is.
*for a Chelsea game. Fulham games dont really register so much.

 

[Working class pride]

see i think this is where you are going wrong, seeing London as a single whole. in the boroughs where they reside, the clubs are a big deal. i recall a preseason Millwall-Spur "friendly" being quite an event, and if you try getting up Holloway rd or around Fulham* (anywhere between Hammersmith and the river) on a match day, you're well aware of what the biggest event "in town" is.
*for a Chelsea game. Fulham games dont really register so much.

I live in London mate. Millwall / Spurs was in the face of the locals for the same reason that Brighton/Palace is for the locals of that game. It doesnt get to what Im saying. Raleigh Chopper has expressed what I am getting at very well.

 

[jimbob5]

I have noticed that London clubs don't have the same strong identity that the Albion and clubs like the Albion do. Clubs like Brighton and Pompey have a natural area where the locals will all look to see how they do. London just isn't like that and the locals just don't really bother about the local football team unless they support them. Granted its less so for clubs on the edge of London (Watford and Palace seem to have more of a local interest than most proper London clubs). Just an observation.

London is a very big place laddie. I often hear on phone ins 'Hi I'm Bob from Brighton and I'm a Chelsea fan …..'

 

[Working class pride]

London is a very big place laddie. I often hear on phone ins 'Hi I'm Bob from Brighton and I'm a Chelsea fan …..'

I know laddie, Ive lived here most of my life.. you have some reading to do.

 

[jimbob5]

I think its a London thing, the nature of London. For example, if Man United turn up to any town then it would be an event. All of Brighton, greater Brighton and most of Sussex would be aware of it, as would be the case if they were at Pompey, or Burnley, or Norwich ect. But really, Man U in London doesn't even register. Yes the game might be a big one but its not the biggest event in town that day and doesnt even register as a major event

I recall coming back to Brighton having watched Brighton win at Plymouth and get promoted in 2001. I went into the centre of town for a few pints only to feel a bit underwhelmed by the promotion celebrations, or lack of them.

 

[Working class pride]

I recall coming back to Brighton having watched Brighton win at Plymouth and get promoted in 2001. I went into the centre of town for a few pints only to feel a bit underwhelmed by the promotion celebrations, or lack of them.

Again, you miss the point, read Raleigh Chopper, that's the point really and an observation about London.

 

[jimbob5]

Again, you miss the point, read Raleigh Chopper, that's the point really and an observation about London.

Oh well if you are looking at it from a London point of view I think you'll find that there are still many people in Brighton who could not give a toss about BHA. They either don't like football or are more interested in Manchester United etc etc. In that respect it's no different to London.

 

[jimbob5]

Oh well if you are looking at it from a London point of view I think you'll find that there are still many people in Brighton who could not give a toss about BHA. They either don't like football or are more interested in Manchester United etc etc. In that respect it's no different to London.

Though to be fair, you and Raleigh might have had a point circa 30 years ago.

 

[Red Side Of Sussex]

i remember the 83 cup final and it was a sussex event...as was hereford and for those thinking im saying they dont have local roots, im not! you miss the point, they do but the community does not look to each club as say sussex do to the albion

Back in 83 the whole country stopped for the day when the cup final was on.It would have been no different in Sussex.That is probably why it felt like a Sussex event.I bet though just as many people watching the game at home in Sussex back then were supporting Manchester Utd as they were Brighton

I sort of agree about the Brighton Sussex connection. I think the connection is more to do with Sussex as a place rather then the people who live in it,if that makes sense! I would call it more of an affinity really.

My mum's side of the family are from Brighton.When they moved to Crawley in the early sixties my mum's two younger brothers ended up supporting Arsenal.
They both moved to OZ in the mid seventies and eighties and have gone back supporting the team where they were both born.Brighton.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Considering the size of the city, a surprisingly low percentage of fans actually come from the Brighton and Hove conurbation. The real heartland of Albion fans is ' up-country ' If you draw an arc from Worthing, through Horsham, Haywards Heath and down to Eastbourne and Hastings...thats where the real bedrock of support comes from. Its also surprising how many fans travel more than 50 miles to games, from all over the Home Counties.

 

[jimbob5]

Considering the size of the city, a surprisingly low percentage of fans actually come from the Brighton and Hove conurbation. The real heartland of Albion fans is ' up-country ' If you draw an arc from Worthing, through Horsham, Haywards Heath and down to Eastbourne and Hastings...thats where the real bedrock of support comes from. Its also surprising how many fans travel more than 50 miles to games, from all over the Home Counties.

Maybe because Brighton has become too expensive for the average Joe to live. A great place but I'd imagine when peeps get to a certain age and been to every club and pub and restaurant several times thy want to move out and get more bung for their buck and are happy just to make the occasional visit.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-29915801

About half-way down is a map of London based on tweets about football clubs.