Fans United - 20 Years On...

[The Large One]

What a day.

It's so easy for many people - especially those who weren't there - looking at how rosy things are in the garden now, to not realise how much peril Brighton & Hove Albion were in from 1995-97. In short, we had no idea whether, come the end of the season, Brighton & Hove Albion would even exist - all options were on the table.

Bill Archer's arrogance and intransigence were such that he didn't care for Brighton's future. The FA didn't care. The Football League didn't care. But thankfully, some fans of other clubs did care...

In December 1996, a 16 year-old Plymouth Argyle fan, Richard Vaughan, hit upon a simple but brilliant idea to have fans from all clubs to descend on The Goldstone Ground, in their home shirts, to show support for our fight to get control of the Albion away from Bill Archer, David Bellotti and Greg Stanley.

And so was born FANS UNITED.

Aided by some excellent promotion from BISA, the Supporters' Club and some inspired work by Warren Chrismas, on 8th February 1997 - 20 (yes, TWENTY) years ago today - fans from over 65 clubs, resplendent in their own nipple-burning home shirts, visited a fog-laden Hove for the Albion's match against Hartlepool United. The crowd - officially 8,412 (yeah, right) - sang anti-Archer and anti-Bellotti songs all day, led by some bloke in a Chelsea shirt in the North Stand.

The result was vital. The 5-0 win meant Brighton scored more than Hereford United. A stat that looked meaningless on 8th February; it was pivotal come the final reckoning at the end of the season.

We all have such fond memories of the day, from the fog, to the number of different shirts, to the enlarged crowd, and Craig Maskell's hat-trick (and subsequent booting his own match ball into the North Stand crowd).

It was the probably the start of the (mostly) upward trajectory of the club's fortunes, culminating in the Albion being where there are now. But that in itself is another story entirely...

But meanwhile, what were your memories of Fans United Day, 20 years ago today?

 

[Mr Putdown]

What a day.

It's so easy for many people - especially those who weren't there - looking at how rosy things are in the garden now, to not realise how much peril Brighton & Hove Albion were in from 1995-97. In short, we had no idea whether, come the end of the season, Brighton & Hove Albion would even exist - all options were on the table.

Bill Archer's arrogance and intransigence were such that he didn't care for Brighton's future. The FA didn't care. The Football League didn't care. But thankfully, some fans of other clubs did care...

In December 1996, a 16 year-old Plymouth Argyle fan, Richard Vaughan, hit upon a simple but brilliant idea to have fans from all clubs to descend on The Goldstone Ground, in their home shirts, to show support for our fight to get control of the Albion away from Bill Archer, David Bellotti and Greg Stanley.

And so was born FANS UNITED.

Aided by some excellent promotion from BISA, the Supporters' Club and some inspired work by Warren Chrismas, on 8th February 1997 - 20 (yes, TWENTY) years ago today - fans from over 65 clubs, resplendent in their own nipple-burning home shirts, visited a fog-laden Hove for the Albion's match against Hartlepool United. The crowd - officially 8,412 (yeah, right) - sang anti-Archer and anti-Bellotti songs all day, led by some bloke in a Chelsea shirt in the North Stand.

The result was vital. The 5-0 win meant Brighton scored more than Hereford United. A stat that looked meaningless on 8th February; it was pivotal come the final reckoning at the end of the season.

We all have such fond memories of the day, from the fog, to the number of different shirts, to the enlarged crowd, and Craig Maskell's hat-trick (and subsequent booting his own match ball into the North Stand crowd).

It was the probably the start of the (mostly) upward trajectory of the club's fortunes, culminating in the Albion being where there are now. But that in itself is another story entirely...

But meanwhile, what were your memories of Fans United Day, 20 years ago today?

Personally? I experienced a bit of abuse which was to be expected, but there was one hell of a lot more appreciation by the majority.

And no bozza, I'm not trolling.

 

[catfish]

My recollections are a bit hazy but it was easily one of the most emotional days of my life.

 

[Robert Codners Nostrils]

Fortunately the game was not postponed due to fog. We wouldn't be where we are today if it had been!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Lankyseagull]

I was in the North Stand that day. I certainly remember the guy in the Chelsea shirt leading the singing! So many different colours being worn, particularly Charlton and a chap in (I think) an Eintracht Frankfurt hat. The success we are experiencing now could only have been a fantasy in those dark days.

"Fans United will never be defeated".

 

[Stato]

I remember being taken aback that we had to queue. Things had got so bad that we could usually get a cab from the pub and walk straight into the ground. After queuing we did end up walking straight in without getting our tickets checked as someone opened one of the exits at the back of the North Stand. Quite a few walked in for nothing. Amongst them was a Newcastle fan who got a laugh shouting out that it was nay wonder we were up the creek if we let people walk in without paying. There were good numbers from Wimbledon that we chatted to and a couple of coach loads from Charlton. I think their supporters club had arranged it as they didn't have a game, but there were so many clubs represented that we gave up spotting shirts in the end.

I remember Danny Baker getting the word out on his show and despite Soccer AM now being a pile of old pants, will never hear a bad word said about Helen Chamberlain, as she was with us in her Torquay shirt on the North Stand Terrace. Attila's German mates were conspicuous. We saw very little of the pitch because of the fog. It was my future father in-law's last trip to the Goldstone. He was watching from half way in the West Stand with his son and they told me that they could hardly make out much of either end. It would probably have been called off these days. Considering the impact it had in terms of momentum and goal difference, I'm so grateful it wasn't.

Mainly I remember spending all day saying thank you to people and getting choked up because they had taken the time to show that there were people in football who empathised and cared about the way we were being treated. If any of you are reading, thanks again from me and from my two daughters who weren't born then, but in part because of your actions that day, now have a club to feel part of, even though they both spend the whole game ignoring the football and staring at their phones.

 

[Marlton & Hove Albion]

I was there with my fiancé (now wife) trying to explain why we needed to fly over from the US to protest and show that Brighton mattered to a global audience of fans. It was a marvelous day, marvelous result and the beginning of better, brighter times (just didn't know it then). I was glad to be interviewed by Radio and Newspapers and share why it mattered so much to so many. I'm glad I was able to do my tiny tiny bit. UTA.

 

[atomised]

I remember chatting to so many different fans from different clubs at the pub at Hove Station. The overwhelming feeling of disbelief that so many had come to support us. Im sure there were coaches from Sunderland too which amazed me, huge distance to travel to support another club.
Id met Richard Vaughan briefly in a very foggy Hove Park earlier in the day and couldnt thank him enough for his idea.
The noise in the north stand that afternoon was incredible and was clearly the catalyst for the unbeaten home run that followed.
Finally after the game chatting outside the away end to Hartlepool fans who couldnt have cared less about the result that day. They were there to support us in our fight.

Another thing i recall from that season vividly was chatting to a Mansfield supporter on the day of the boycott who was in tears telling me how he had travelled down for the game but couldnt face going in and would join the boycott instead.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

I loved Fans United, and in a perverse way I loved the whole of that season. I think mostly because my 16 year old self was incapable of accepting/understanding that we really were staring into the abyss. Deep down I assumed somehow, someway we would survive so long as we protested enough. Which meant that all those marches, protests, pitch invasions, walk outs, boycotts and demonstrations had an underlying sense of excitement keeping the full extent of desperation at bay.

Anyway, Fans United. The fog, strangely, is something I keep forgetting about, even though it really was thick and it seems to be the first thing everyone mentions. For me being a non internet using teen at the time I knew of Fans United but was unaware of what would really happen so the first memory I have is of the walk across Hove Park and reading all the printed out messages of support tied to the railings and posts. Then of course outside the ground and seeing hundreds of fans from not just all over the uk but Europe milling around the Old Shoreham Road. This was going to be something special.

And Special it was...the ground was packed, an explosion of colour. I was unable to get my usual spot in the North Stand so ended up to the right of the goal, squeezed in in a style that I imagined was what was common place in the 'good old days'. The noise was incredible and the football...joyous(in my memory at least). A 5-0 win! The biggest Albion win I'd ever seen(ok, we also beat crawley 5-0 a few years earlier, but...).

I'm not sure I'd describe Fans United as the start of our rise back...more, perhaps, the day that our descent stopped and belief that the battle could be won took root.

 

[scousefan]

Anyone know if Richard Vaughan has ever visited the Amex. A few years ago I remember reading that he hadn't visited yet. He must be 35 now

 

[AZ Gull]

For me being a non internet using teen at the time I knew of Fans United but was unaware of what would really happen so the first memory I have is of the walk across Hove Park and reading all the printed out messages of support tied to the railings and posts.

This is perhaps the stand-out memory for me too. I lived in the Midlands at the time and also wasn't on the net. I drove down, parked up and walked across Hove Park. I started to read the messages and just started to well up at the breadth and depth of support for the club I loved, the club that was being driven into oblivion (so it seemed) from within. As TLO says, I'm not sure it's possible to convey to someone who didn't experience that period first hand, just how bad things got, how desperate our plight seemed.

But that day gave renewed hope, both on the pitch and off.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Anyone know if Richard Vaughan has ever visited the Amex. A few years ago I remember reading that he hadn't visited yet. He must be 35 now

He will be at the Burton game this weekend as a guest of the club.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

He will be at the Burton game this weekend as a guest of the club.

Fantastic! Pitch side interview I hope. He should be interviewed when most fans are there in recognition of his contribution.

 

[Everest]

He will be at the Burton game this weekend as a guest of the club.

I hope they interview him pitchside then, just so he can get the appreciation he deserves.

 

[Hamilton]

Twenty years is a long time, and whilst my specific memories of the day have receded somewhat (although I clearly remember the Chelsea fan), my emotional memory is still as strong. Just a sense of complete and utter relief that we weren't forgotten and wouldn't be given up by the grassroots of football. I think that's why so many of us are prepared to rally behind a cause now - we know how important it is.

I got to the ground early to see what would happen. Would people show up, and then I remember just smiling a lot; seeing Norwich, Liverpool, Palace, Plymouth, Notts County shirts all milling about. I remember the Eintracht Frankfurt crew. I remember being angry that it didn't get more TV time.

It was strange in the North Stand, because although happy at the carnival atmosphere, I also recall being deadly serious - caught between protest chants and a focus on the pitch. I wanted the team to win and show our 'guests' they were worth fighting for just as we were. And they delivered.

And then, I remember walking home from the game pissed as a fart, and yet I hadn't had a drink. I was just drunk on emotion.

Spare a thought for Hartlepool. I did briefly on the day. But only briefly.


Sent from my iPhone in a non-Calde world :-(

 

[The Birdman]

 

[Bozza]

Plenty of excellent ones in [MENTION=189]Wozza[/MENTION]'s piece here: https://medium.com/@warrenchrismas/...-brighton-hove-albion-11c1be4aaacb#.6el6smym1

 

[Return of the Rev]

I was in the North Stand that day. I certainly remember the guy in the Chelsea shirt leading the singing! So many different colours being worn, particularly Charlton and a chap in (I think) an Eintracht Frankfurt hat. The success we are experiencing now could only have been a fantasy in those dark days.

"Fans United will never be defeated".

The chelsea fan who watched the Albion in the 70/80's would that be the one

 

[scousefan]

He will be at the Burton game this weekend as a guest of the club.

Fabulous. He should get a huge round of applause from the fans

 

[Brovion]

There was a picture on here about a year ago taken in Hove Park. I liked it because I was in it! With my two children who were then 9 and 4. Phenomenal day, phenomenal times. These youngsters don't know they're born!