Dear Jonny Williams,

[Triggaaar]

Really ? Most Palace fans I know thought you'd manage to stay in the Championship for a very long time.

Sorry I should have said, I was referring to our attendances. Palace fans here kept telling us the fans were only wanting to see the new stadium, and our crowds would halve the next season, etc etc.

 

[Sweeney Todd]

Really ? Most Palace fans I know thought you'd manage to stay in the Championship for a very long time.

The comparison of the two clubs’ current positions means nothing unless you consider the broader context. Boasting about Palace’s superior status is to take a snapshot in time. Brighton & Hove Albion is a work in progress and nobody connected with the club expects instant success. We have our way of doing things and Palace have theirs. Our way – forced on us by circumstances – was to rebuild the club from scratch and get the fundamentals in place. If we have to spend a few seasons in the Championship, consolidating, then so be it. The club must be doing something right, because it doesn’t need to be in the Premier League in order to fill its stadium.

As for the (apparent) jibe about spending some time in the Championship, we sustained Championship football for three years whilst being skint and having a village green for a home ground, an achievement for which even the most myopic Palace fan should give us credit.

 

[XSE25]

The comparison of the two clubs’ current positions means nothing unless you consider the broader context. Boasting about Palace’s superior status is to take a snapshot in time. Brighton & Hove Albion is a work in progress and nobody connected with the club expects instant success. We have our way of doing things and Palace have theirs. Our way – forced on us by circumstances – was to rebuild the club from scratch and get the fundamentals in place. If we have to spend a few seasons in the Championship, consolidating, then so be it. The club must be doing something right, because it doesn’t need to be in the Premier League in order to fill its stadium.

As for the (apparent) jibe about spending some time in the Championship, we sustained Championship football for three years whilst being skint and having a village green for a home ground, an achievement for which even the most myopic Palace fan should give us credit.

Fair enough.
It was just a little jibe.
I fully expect Brighton to be in the Premiership in the near future - I just hope it's not before we get ourselves established enough to keep the upper hand.

 

[VHA on NSC]

Exactly. I've seen very little comment on NSC about Palace and second season syndrome, but I've seen pages of Palace fans here saying Brighton fans were only here for the first season. Oh, first two seasons. They seem to have gone quiet about that now.

It has been a very big achievement for Brighton to retain this new generation of support for so many seasons thus far. Especially when one considers that, unexpectedly, big crowds do not seem to equate either to any degree of success, nor superiority over clubs with smaller crowds.

 

[Triggaaar]

It has been a very big achievement for Brighton to retain this new generation of support for so many seasons thus far.

Thanks.

Especially when one considers that, unexpectedly, big crowds do not seem to equate either to any degree of success, nor superiority over clubs with smaller crowds.

Why do think that's both unexpected and not the case? If you expected big crowds to be important, what has changed?

 

[VHA on NSC]

Thanks.
Why do think that's both unexpected and not the case? If you expected big crowds to be important, what has changed?

It's not really my belief, more what I was repeatedly told by BHAFC supporters. As for the lack of success, I based that on the lack of success.

 

[andy1980]

It's not really my belief, more what I was repeatedly told by BHAFC supporters. As for the lack of success, I based that on the lack of success.

Whats your definition of success? We finished our highest league position in over 20 years, last season, how isn't that success? We have 1 game left this season and still have a chance of getting into the play-offs, thats quite successful.

 

[Triggaaar]

Especially when one considers that, unexpectedly, big crowds do not seem to equate either to any degree of success, nor superiority over clubs with smaller crowds.

It's not really my belief, more what I was repeatedly told by BHAFC supporters.

BHA supporters repeatedly told you that big crowds equate to instant success? I don't believe you. They didn't mention superiority either. Larger crowds means more money, which in the long term, will help bring success on the field. And of course we like to see our club being well supported, but then I wouldn't say that makes one club superior to another, because that's not how I view football. If it was, I'd support Man U.

I appreciate that all you're really wanting to do is try and appear superior yourself, but it's not working. Palace fans on NSC are the worst of the sing when you're winning brigade.

 

[ThePaddy]

do is try and appear superior yourself, but it's not working. Palace fans on NSC are the worst of the sing when you're winning brigade.

Luckily for us, we're usually winning.

 

[churley1]

That is rubbish, as we did offer Glenn a deal, he just took yours because it was a better one for him.

I just looked on the BBS and the thread was started by that Woosie fella on the 10th October, although was because he saw the Sky Sports article. He still believed it enough to start a thread about it though.

Only going by what people constantly say on here regarding that one, I'll put it down to sour grapes then if it's not true.

I think we start any thread about articles from Sky Sports, especially if it's about a player from a top club!

 

[churley1]

BHA supporters repeatedly told you that big crowds equate to instant success? I don't believe you. They didn't mention superiority either. Larger crowds means more money, which in the long term, will help bring success on the field. And of course we like to see our club being well supported, but then I wouldn't say that makes one club superior to another, because that's not how I view football. If it was, I'd support Man U.

I appreciate that all you're really wanting to do is try and appear superior yourself, but it's not working. Palace fans on NSC are the worst of the sing when you're winning brigade.

I largely agree with you but how many times have their beens jibes about our attendances and how yours are/were much bigger despite us only losing to you once in the last 6 attempts, Brighton fans seemingly love to remind us that your attendances are so high.

I'm happy to admit that has thankfully calmed down but I never quite understood why some BHAFC fans were so desperate to let us know their average attendances.

 

[Triggaaar]

I largely agree with you but how many times have their beens jibes about our attendances and how yours are/were much bigger

Just like Palace fans go on about being in the top two divisions for 30 something years. And just like Palace fans used to talk about attendances while we were stuck at the Withdean. Once we got our new ground and filled it, of course Brighton fans are going to use it to belittle Palace. Palace fans will brag about anything they have that we don't have, and vice versa.

 

[VHA on NSC]

Whats your definition of success? We finished our highest league position in over 20 years, last season, how isn't that success? We have 1 game left this season and still have a chance of getting into the play-offs, thats quite successful.

I would say success, for instance in the playoffs, would be winning them, rather than being knocked out of them. Perhaps even by the team that won them. I would also equate success with being in the nation's top league. It's all relative of course, therefore I'd consider any club calling itself 'premier league ready' yet perennially 'premier league just missing out' to be failing. Especially if their crowds and consequent superior income were supposed to make them powerhouses of the division.

 

[VHA on NSC]

BHA supporters repeatedly told you that big crowds equate to instant success? I don't believe you. They didn't mention superiority either.

Quite a bold statement, considering it's blatantly inaccurate. CPFC would apparently be forever in Brighton's shadow (naturally, considering BHAFC were apparently catapulted into the 'top nine clubs in the country' and so on...

 

[VHA on NSC]

Just like Palace fans go on about being in the top two divisions for 30 something years. And just like Palace fans used to talk about attendances while we were stuck at the Withdean. Once we got our new ground and filled it, of course Brighton fans are going to use it to belittle Palace. Palace fans will brag about anything they have that we don't have, and vice versa.

That's absolutely fine. But presumably being laughed at when it all fell flat is equally acceptable?

 

[Stato]

I largely agree with you but how many times have their beens jibes about our attendances and how yours are/were much bigger despite us only losing to you once in the last 6 attempts, Brighton fans seemingly love to remind us that your attendances are so high.

I'm happy to admit that has thankfully calmed down but I never quite understood why some BHAFC fans were so desperate to let us know their average attendances.

It doesn't require a lot of imagination to understand why Brighton fans spoke about attendances upon the opening of The Amex. The last two times we managed to scrape up to the Championship we were up against the same odds that Yeovil were this year. We had to come to your ground and swallow a massive defeat in 2002. At the time of this game the club were struggling because the manager who got us promoted walked before the start of the season believing he couldn't compete on the budget available. (Not a problem for your lot who had got creditors to foot the bill for keeping the advantage.)

The large attendances meant that we were finally competing on a level playing field and, when we did so, twenty minutes in the play offs make it easy for you to forget that, we actually finished above you both seasons. Your success in the play offs and staying up this year give you the upper hand in the rivalry for the present, but having our infrastructure and attendances mean that, when you come down, we will compete with you on a relatively even basis, in the same way as we have done against other teams with parachute payments*.

The old cliché is that results are temporary, class is permanent. You have had a slight advantage in results since the Amex opened (W3, D2, L1), but it is our advantage in class of facilities and related attractiveness to paying customers, that give us the chance to turn this around. A chance we could have only dreamed of during the years of decline, battles and homelessness.

*Unless, of course we have leapfrogged you.

 

[Buckley's Mad Eye]

It has been a very big achievement for Brighton to retain this new generation of support for so many seasons thus far. Especially when one considers that, unexpectedly, big crowds do not seem to equate either to any degree of success, nor superiority over clubs with smaller crowds.

Thanks for dropping by. Its great to see committed supporters from other clubs adding their input to this great forum.

As a bit of background could you tell us a bit about your Palace supporting history. This season must have been particularly exciting for you, have you made every game so far?

 

[Triggaaar]

Quite a bold statement, considering it's blatantly inaccurate. CPFC would apparently be forever in Brighton's shadow (naturally, considering BHAFC were apparently catapulted into the 'top nine clubs in the country' and so on...

What are you talking about? Your comments make even less sense when you take into account the fact that you didn't join NSC until after you'd got to the playoff final.

That's absolutely fine. But presumably being laughed at when it all fell flat is equally acceptable?

Again, what are you talking about? Nothing's fallen flat for us yet. We're still progressing nicely as a club thanks.

 

[VHA on NSC]

Thanks for dropping by. Its great to see committed supporters from other clubs adding their input to this great forum.

As a bit of background could you tell us a bit about your Palace supporting history. This season must have been particularly exciting for you, have you made every game so far?

I have not been to a single game. I have, however, seen every game in its entirety. Before suffering the inconvenience of being in another country, I did enjoy 7 seasons of CPFC in the top flight as a season ticket holder. Including a couple in the PL. Hope this helps!

 

[VHA on NSC]

What are you talking about? Your comments make even less sense when you take into account the fact that you didn't join NSC until after you'd got to the playoff final.

Again, what are you talking about? Nothing's fallen flat for us yet. We're still progressing nicely as a club thanks.

Firstly, one doesn't need to be a member of NSC to see or hear such bold statements from Brighton fans.

Secondly, if you didn't feel for instance that the smug, overconfident build up to the 1-3 and playoff defeat didn't fall flat for Brighton, then I applaud your chipper outlook.