Good Old Sussex By The Sea is so inextricably linked to place.
It plays from another era, distant and almost crackly, but it is the sound of the Goldstone Ground, RIP. Home until 1997. It is the sound that introduced hundreds if not thousands of matches there and just as the first few notes strike out I can feel the tingle in my spine. I know they still play it at the Amex - even with its brand new sound system and modern Fat Boy Slim songs the team still come out to GOSBTS. But it’s a brighter shinier Grenadier Guards version!
The song was written in 1907 by Willian Ward-Higgs and was soon adopted as the unofficial anthem of the county. It also is the anthem for the Sussex cricket team.
For me it marks a particular spot on the East Terrace at the old beloved Goldstone, the tinny sound blaring out at that magic moment at the beginning of a game when everyone can dream of victory and glory and nothing is ruined by the stain of reality. And then, if by some chance victory is ours, then it was played at the end.
Not surprisingly there aren’t many glamorous youtube clips of the song, but the one below is the original played at the ground. I don’t apologize for the sound, so it might be best to close your eyes and imagine you’re there!
This second is the infamous Norman Wisdom version from the 60s
Original blog: Day 6 - A song that reminds you of somewhere: Good Old Sussex by the Sea
It plays from another era, distant and almost crackly, but it is the sound of the Goldstone Ground, RIP. Home until 1997. It is the sound that introduced hundreds if not thousands of matches there and just as the first few notes strike out I can feel the tingle in my spine. I know they still play it at the Amex - even with its brand new sound system and modern Fat Boy Slim songs the team still come out to GOSBTS. But it’s a brighter shinier Grenadier Guards version!
The song was written in 1907 by Willian Ward-Higgs and was soon adopted as the unofficial anthem of the county. It also is the anthem for the Sussex cricket team.
For me it marks a particular spot on the East Terrace at the old beloved Goldstone, the tinny sound blaring out at that magic moment at the beginning of a game when everyone can dream of victory and glory and nothing is ruined by the stain of reality. And then, if by some chance victory is ours, then it was played at the end.
Not surprisingly there aren’t many glamorous youtube clips of the song, but the one below is the original played at the ground. I don’t apologize for the sound, so it might be best to close your eyes and imagine you’re there!
This second is the infamous Norman Wisdom version from the 60s
Original blog: Day 6 - A song that reminds you of somewhere: Good Old Sussex by the Sea
