Working class pride
Banned
- Feb 14, 2010
- 4,932
I am not sure I agree about the very large fan base. We are certainly heading in the right direction under Tony Bloom. Attendances this season are certainly beyond expectations (including those at the club itself), but let's not get too carried away. I recall attendances fell to below 10,000 when we were in the top flight, and that's when the cost was £1.50 to watch the Albion, not £30.
Crowds fell because Brighton had a major hooligan problem that was bigger than most both with our fans and also with travelling fans because Brighton is a weekend away. However Brighton have historically always have the larger crowds for the division the play in. The generation above me always think of the Albion with big crowds in the 3rd div, and they were in the crowd when Brighton got 34,000 for games with clubs like Rochdale. Difference is that there was no desire for the Albion to progress in those days. The crowds are now back, but the difference is that the board and fans will also require success.