Class of '79

[Herr Tubthumper]

? Top flight records only go back to 1992. Where did 1979 come from?

 

[Dave the OAP]

Well for some of us of course they will NEVER be forgotten, those years under Mullery were the best times of my football-supporting life and among the best years of my whole life. Brilliant, brilliant memories.

However I DO take his point. I think Tooting sums it up well when he said that in some ways they were eclipsed by the 1983 Cup Final team, hell, in some respects they've even been eclipsed by the team that played Hereford in 1997. Everybody still goes on about Peter Ward of course but there were some unsung footsoldiers in there, the likes of Williams, Rollings, Sayer, etc who have maybe slipped off the collective radar. I don't think there's ever been some sort of reunion has there? Would love to see one.

As a secondary point I don't think the players at the time felt appreciated by the club. After the promotion party there was a lot of hoo-haa about 1st division players on 2nd divison wages and over the summer a lot of ill-feeling developed between the players and the board and management. Indeed on the Friday before the Arsenal game Mullery only had three players who'd signed their contracts; consequently he told the 'rebels' that he was going to play the youth team and tell the press the reason why!

My feelings exactly

 

[The Large One]

Well for some of us of course they will NEVER be forgotten, those years under Mullery were the best times of my football-supporting life and among the best years of my whole life. Brilliant, brilliant memories.

However I DO take his point. I think Tooting sums it up well when he said that in some ways they were eclipsed by the 1983 Cup Final team, hell, in some respects they've even been eclipsed by the team that played Hereford in 1997. Everybody still goes on about Peter Ward of course but there were some unsung footsoldiers in there, the likes of Williams, Rollings, Sayer, etc who have maybe slipped off the collective radar. I don't think there's ever been some sort of reunion has there? Would love to see one.

As a secondary point I don't think the players at the time felt appreciated by the club. After the promotion party there was a lot of hoo-haa about 1st division players on 2nd divison wages and over the summer a lot of ill-feeling developed between the players and the board and management. Indeed on the Friday before the Arsenal game Mullery only had three players who'd signed their contracts; consequently he told the 'rebels' that he was going to play the youth team and tell the press the reason why!

I feel an evening at Donatello's coming up.

Seriously, this is pretty much what I thought would be the reaction. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt for the club, while obviously looking forward at present (we are about to enter a new era), to celebrate its history a bit more proudly. 'The past explains the present' and all that...

We raised the subject again last night, for instance, about the possibility of a Brighton v Aston Villa friendly match next summer to commemorate the centenary of the Charity Shield victory.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

The 79 squad are all heroes to me.

A special evening would be a good idea Al.

 

[Rusthall Seagull]

The 79 squad are all heroes to me.

A special evening would be a good idea Al.

an evening of 'specials' - how exciting

 

[highway61]

I certainly remember and appreciate them.The excitement in the late 1970's culminating in promotion to the 1st Division was surely the most fantastic time to have been an Albion fan.
Today's younger fans ,sadly,can only imagine what it was like with a packed Goldstone every week and a genius like Wardy conjuring goals out of nowhere!Oh, for a skipper like Nobby Horton now.....what a boost that would be.
Fabulous times,fabulous team....it is sad if they feel under appreciated by the club;They are certainly not forgotten by me!

Can only echo what you say, great times, forever etched in the memory

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

I certainly remember and appreciate them.The excitement in the late 1970's culminating in promotion to the 1st Division was surely the most fantastic time to have been an Albion fan.
Today's younger fans ,sadly,can only imagine what it was like with a packed Goldstone every week and a genius like Wardy conjuring goals out of nowhere!Oh, for a skipper like Nobby Horton now.....what a boost that would be.
Fabulous times,fabulous team....it is sad if they feel under appreciated by the club;They are certainly not forgotten by me!

Well said that man. I too will never forget the team, or those who were part of the development process initiated by Peter Taylor and continued by Mullery, that gave me that day at St James's Park in May 1979.
1983 - Pah!

 

[Questions]

I was yakking with one of the 1979 promotion-winning side last night, and we were talking about this and that, and he said something which I found a bit odd, and would like to have the opinion of the older NSC bods.

He said he feels that that squad is ‘under-appreciated’ and 'largely forgotten'.

Personally, I think they’re heroes (that word again - I mean in a football context here), and that they wrote a glorious chapter in the club’s history. When I asked him about it, I think we got to realise that he felt it’s the club who he thinks doesn’t appreciate them, rather than the fans.

So do the fans feel a sense of appreciation for that side? Over to you.

If you are going to be a name dropper............. at least name them for fucks sake.
Christ TLO this is right up there with Uncle Speilberg`s ' I had a shag' thread.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

If you are going to be a name dropper............. at least name them for fucks sake.

I was in the pub with Mike Kerslake, Giles Stille, Michael Ring and Tony Vessey. Honest!

 

[The Large One]

If you are going to be a name dropper............. at least name them for fucks sake.
Christ TLO this is right up there with Uncle Speilberg`s ' I had a shag' thread.

Who said anything about name-dropping?

Oh yeah, you did.

 

[aftershavedave]

Who said anything about name-dropping?

Oh yeah, you did.

and you weren't name-dropping?

oh of course you weren't you'd never do that!

 

[Deleted User X18H]

I had a chit chat with one of the 1979 promotion winning team last week.

It was Gary Williams. That is all.

 

[The Large One]

and you weren't name-dropping?

oh of course you weren't you'd never do that!

Go on then - whose name was I dropping?

 

[Deleted User X18H]

Its not just me!!

 

[getofftheropes]

heroes.honouary men of sussex

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

If you are going to be a name dropper............. at least name them for fucks sake.
Christ TLO this is right up there with Uncle Speilberg`s ' I had a shag' thread.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Alan is too modest to name names so I will.

There was Peter Ward, Chris Cattlin, Gary Williams and Andy Rollings. Also there was John Vinnicombe and Tony Millard.

I must say Chris Cattlin in particular looking in fine fettle. Availing himself to the free wine he was in hearty spirits. He came over and introduced himself and was a great bloke.

He looked very dapper and looks younger now than he did 25 years ago.

Whatever he is on I want some of it.

 

[1234andcounting]

It seems that the achievements of the 76-79 teams have been subsumed into being about Peter Ward by the clubn (and to a lesser extent the fans). Obviously Nobby and Lawro still have a very high profile and don't maybe need, although maybe would like, a degree of recognition from the club. Those others who contributed to that period should certainly get more recognition from the club and hopefully will, come Falmer...

 

[CHAPPERS]

I'm sure Mr Ward won't mind me posting this link from his Twitter..

Picasa Web Albums - Diana - Wardy book la...

 

[The Oldman]

I lived in East Anglia during the 70/80's and getting anywhere from there was nightmare but I have lovely memories of car or train journeys home to Sussex or to away matches.
The Mullery years leading to promotion to the top flight, were simply the best. We had a wonderful team, playing really good football. The trip to Newcastle in 1979 was my best ever football experience. I could not believe that my team who I had watched fall to division 4 was now beating Newcastle so comprehensively to gain Division 1 status.
Cup Final never matched that feeling.