From Radio Brighton '76: Brighton topple WBA in League Cup (3 mins)

[Goldstone Rapper]

On this day in 1976, that lovely Third Division side Brighton & Hove Albion made it through to the Fourth Round of the League Cup after beating top flight West Bromwich Albion.

Here's a three-minute match report....
http://www.seagulls.tv/sounds/1977/westbrom1976-77.mp3

So... who was there?

 

[Gwylan]

So... who was there?

I was, my mate Ed drove up. It was a miserably rainy day, we had a bump in the car park of a services station on the way up and got lost in Birmingham but it was all worth it. We took them apart, Ward scored two and Willie Johnston lost it and got sent off.
Time for a quick pint and home again, convinced we were seeing a special team (which we were).

I think Tony Towner's Fridge will remember as I'm pretty sure he was in the car with us.

 

[sams dad]

I was there.
What a night, one of my favourite away matches of all time.
As Gwylan says, we played West Brom off the pitch.
The support that night was awesome.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Yep. It was fantastic. The Hawthorns was a proper traditional ground (even then). And as Gwylan says we were watching a special team in a special era for the Albion.

One of the pleasures then was the reaction of other teams supporters to Peter Ward. Back in the day unless they had seen him live they were unlikely to have seen him. And he was ours.

 

[daveinprague]

I was there.. remember well.
Somebody called me a Brighton bastard and punched me in the back of the head....swung round with the return punch to the perp, and knocked out what I realised, when they hit the deck, was girl ...felt bad...for about a minute...She must have been trying to impress somebody, but not sure who.

Was funny in the local pub we all piled into...people moaning at us about the match thinking at first we were Brummites.


Theres only one THE ALBION!

 

[Questions]

Willie Johnstone

 

[Lincolnshire Seagull]

I was there with my bruv. Brilliant performance! Nearly fell asleep at the wheel driving back to Yorkshire where I lived at the time. One of the best away days of all.

 

[Merseyside Seagull]

I found an old casstte with a recording off the radio of second half commentary of the Newcastle promotion game "and that is the sound of Brighton & Hove Albion in the First Division".

Along with this casstte was one with the whole commentary of the 1983 Liverpool FA Cup victory.

Happt memories

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

Video footage of the Liverpool game with commentary from Radio Brighton can be found here
http://www.viddler.com/explore/seagullstv/videos/16/

 

[GOM]

I was there too, student in Stoke at the time. It was a memorable evening.

:albion1::albion1:

 

[Dave the OAP]

I was there...that was my first away game watching the Albion!

magnificent night

 

[Freddie Goodwin.]

It was the start of something big. Ok, it was something to knock out top Div 1 side Ipswich in the last round but no Div 1 side would underestimate us now, surely?

Well, in those days the LC was still a top competion and there was none of this 'weakened sides' lark. WBA had all their stars including, I believe, Brian Robson future 'captain fantastic' of England.

We took 2 charter trains up and it was like a dream to see how Albion, and wardy in particular, really destroyed the other Albion. I don't remember us ever being under any real pressure and us being able to pick them off with the speed of our counter attacks. It really could have been double the score.

Yep, one of the best ever away trips.

 

[Dave the OAP]

It was the start of something big. Ok, it was something to knock out top Div 1 side Ipswich in the last round but no Div 1 side would underestimate us now, surely?

Well, in those days the LC was still a top competion and there was none of this 'weakened sides' lark. WBA had all their stars including, I believe, Brian Robson future 'captain fantastic' of England.

We took 2 charter trains up and it was like a dream to see how Albion, and wardy in particular, really destroyed the other Albion. I don't remember us ever being under any real pressure and us being able to pick them off with the speed of our counter attacks. It really could have been double the score.

Yep, one of the best ever away trips.

I was on the first train...( we were bricked on the way out of the station)

Do you remember Wardy missing one from on the line in front of our fans in teh second half! It was the greatest miss I ever saw

 

[Return of the Rev]

BUNKED OFF SCHOOL! went up on one of the two special trains,brighton run the wba on the way back to smethick station as i recall

 

[Vicar!]

But who went to Tranmere on the Saturday after. Pulped then as well.

 

[papajaff]

Yep I was there. Politely asked the headmaster at Newman if I could have time off. When I told him where I wanted to go he just said "why didn't you just say that in the first place? Off you go".

15 at the time. What a great night.