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[Albion] Canvey Island v Brighton



Jam The Man

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
8,226
South East North Lancing
Not sure how the temporary stand we were in didn’t collapse.

It was also the only time I had to run to get back on to the coach, as a load of WHU fans came to wish us well with some rocks.
 






Peteinblack

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jun 3, 2004
4,135
Bath, Somerset.
Burnley? Stoke? Oldham? Hull? In fact Hull City is an anagram of Shit Hole....almost.

Hartlepool too - their ground backed onto the docks (what was left of them) - I remember seeing the rusting cranes behind one of the stands, shrouded in cold fog drifting in from the North Sea.

And Rotherham's 'Millmoor' was surrounded by car scrapyards and railway lines - really grim.

Ah, memories of visiting all 92 League Grounds in the late '80s :)
 


Neville's Breakfast

Well-known member
May 1, 2016
13,450
Oxton, Birkenhead
Hartlepool too - their ground backed onto the docks (what was left of them) - I remember seeing the rusting cranes behind one of the stands, shrouded in cold fog drifting in from the North Sea.

And Rotherham's 'Millmoor' was surrounded by car scrapyards and railway lines - really grim.

Ah, memories of visiting all 92 League Grounds in the late '80s :)

Really enjoyed visiting both of those grounds.
 


Dave the OAP

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
46,761
at home
Hartlepool too - their ground backed onto the docks (what was left of them) - I remember seeing the rusting cranes behind one of the stands, shrouded in cold fog drifting in from the North Sea.

And Rotherham's 'Millmoor' was surrounded by car scrapyards and railway lines - really grim.

Ah, memories of visiting all 92 League Grounds in the late '80s :)

Rotherham was like the Maracana compared to Canvey Island. In all the years I have been away, that was the worst experience I have ever had. I am still scarred by the memory.
 




Trevor

In my Fifties, still know nothing
NSC Patron
Dec 16, 2012
2,268
Milton Keynes
So I remember that day and my experiences differ. I do remember thinking Christ how has it come to this when turning up. We had bought home tickets - I didn't see any trouble and it was quite a funny party atmosphere. Sudbury Town (the next year) fel a much unhappier atmosphere. I know that the Canvey match is one that lots of people talk about in those terms - just where you happen to be I think. John Keeley was in goal for them wasn't he. 2 matches in the cup that year that you could see the Thames - don't know why I mention that.The 4-1 flattered us in the replay I remember
 


Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
62,697
The Fatherland
So I remember that day and my experiences differ. I do remember thinking Christ how has it come to this when turning up. We had bought home tickets - I didn't see any trouble and it was quite a funny party atmosphere. Sudbury Town (the next year) fel a much unhappier atmosphere. I know that the Canvey match is one that lots of people talk about in those terms - just where you happen to be I think. John Keeley was in goal for them wasn't he. 2 matches in the cup that year that you could see the Thames - don't know why I mention that.The 4-1 flattered us in the replay I remember

I have a similar opinion. It was a really fun day out and I preferred visiting places like Canvey and Sudbury and Kingstonian to some other FL club we’d been to before. I agree the football was abysmal but surely no one followed the Albion in those days to watch good football?
 


Insel affe

HellBilly
Feb 23, 2009
24,335
Brighton factually.....
I agree the football was abysmal but surely no one followed the Albion in those days to watch good football?

It really was embarrassing at times, many times I came away shaking my head and asking myself why do I do this to myself :cry:
We really were not glory hunters back then eh, teams loved playing against us, we were somewhat considered big fish, christ knows why.
 






The Clown of Pevensey Bay

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
4,340
Suburbia
Christ, I was there.

Was this not the infamous interview when Brady was told had Brighton not scored again then they'd be out, to which his response was "yeah, and if me granny had balls she'd be me granda"

Yes! I think Canvey had a chance late on. John Lees said to Liam, if that had gone in we’d have lost. And he replied with the famous quote.

This was my first EVER away game. Heady days.
 


Official Old Man

Uckfield Seagull
Aug 27, 2011
9,101
Brighton
For anyone wondering , Brighton won the replay 4-1

Always someone who ruins it before I get a chance to watch the highlights programme.

Fully agree, bused in from the outskirts it looked worse than a dump. Even the next to derelict terrace houses next to certain northern grounds looked like up market mansions in comparison to Canvey housing.

One thing that will always stick in my mind regarding the Liverpool trip in '83 was the slums. On the Seagull Special train and bused to the ground we were taken through the worst poverty and slum areas I'd ever seen. I guess that at the time southerners rarely ventured north for holidays and this was a big eye opener.
 




Superphil

Dismember
Jul 7, 2003
25,679
In a pile of football shirts
That was a mad day, parked in a field, bussed to the ground. Temporary terrace erected behind the goal, witty shouts of "Taxi" to Keeley each time he was facing a corner or cross (he was a taxi driver at the time).

Interesting to note that we were wearing the Admiral kit with stripes on the back. I was of the understanding that our Admiral players kit had a white square on the back for the number to go on, perhaps that was either earlier or later during our time with Admiral as kit supplier.
 




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