Goldstone Memories - 1984/85

[Dinner with Gotsmanov]

I seem to recall that we had Carlisle Away on the opening day. Went out on the lash on the Friday, sort of kipped down at a mate's until 5.00 then lurched off to Brighton Station to get the train. Wound up in Carlisle in time for a few liveners at a pub called the Albion (had to be done) before going to the game to see us win 3-0 on a gloriously sunny day.

The 4-2 victory at Grimsby (2-1down with about 5 mins to play) on the Tuesday before the final game (I think) was a good end to the awaydays that season as well.

Think I only missed three games that season in all competitions, my best ever.

Them were the days, my friends

 

[Ernest]

I got SMASHED after the Grimsby away game but worth it, plenty of matches when it got a bit TASTY in and about the ground that season. That was the end of real bother as Birmingham, Luton and Heysel saw things change at the end of the season and STRINGENT laws brought in

 

[atfc village]

Worthington's long range effort versus Wimbledon counts as my own personal highlight of that season as well. Took off like a golf shot from his left foot. Sublime. And as for that Notts County game! God rest his soul, but how Justin came to be an Albion player less than 12 months later having committed GBH on our backline that evening is still beyond me.

Regarding Moseley, Tony Le Mes you're along the right lines - he conceded the fewest goals, and was ever present. But, and this is what I was thinking of, no team managed to put more than two goals past him in the league all season. The more you think about it, the more remarkable that gets. Aldershot managed three in a League Cup tie, but in the 42 league fixtures the maximum was two. Small wonder we chose him as our Player of the Season.

TBF we did have an extra 30 mins to put 3 past Moseley, Though we were unlucky to lose the first leg 3 1 at The Goldstone.

 

[SIMMO SAYS]

Was this still around the Seagull Special train?
Remember getting on the next door carriage to the players.
Spoke to Chris Cattlin before boarding.
I am sixty so I may be wrong Christ I'm sounding like BG

 

[Spencer Vignes]

No, the Seagull Special trains were long gone by the time the 1984/85 season came around. For away games it was pretty much a case of (a) going by coach, or (b) making your own way by service train. The specials still ran for occasional away games - such as the previous season for the Watford fifth round FA Cup tie, and the following year (again in the FA Cup at Peterborough) - but these were rarities.

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

No, the Seagull Special trains were long gone by the time the 1984/85 season came around. For away games it was pretty much a case of (a) going by coach, or (b) making your own way by service train. The specials still ran for occasional away games - such as the previous season for the Watford fifth round FA Cup tie, and the following year (again in the FA Cup at Peterborough) - but these were rarities.

The club used to have block tickets for scheduled services out of london to most away games, around 100 tickets , correct me if I'm wrong ?
regards
DR

 

[Eeyore]

Was this still around the Seagull Special train?
Remember getting on the next door carriage to the players.
Spoke to Chris Cattlin before boarding.
I am sixty so I may be wrong ��Christ I'm sounding like BG

I seem to remember three during Catlin's reign. I was young and on the latter two. Watford (Feb 1984) Hull City (Jan 1986) and Peterborough United (Feb 1986)

The Hull City one was £18. (£50 in today's prices). So pretty good value, I guess.

 

[Tooting Gull]

A few memories stand out at the Goldstone. Loved the Notts County home game on the first Tuesday night, Worthington was class, stood watching him from the West terrace which was rare for me. The Birmingham game of course, we were brilliant, Penney scored a cracker, the Zulu nutters all left the away enclosure and then charged into the West stand near the end. Any win over Palace is sweet, so Gary O'Reilly's goal. Pompey on Boxing Day. A 3-1 midweek win over Blackburn. And obviously the Henry Hughton/Gerry Ryan incident.

 

[Dinner with Gotsmanov]

The club used to have block tickets for scheduled services out of london to most away games, around 100 tickets , correct me if I'm wrong ?
regards
DR

I think I bought my train ticket from the club, £12 for a Brighton - Carlisle day return. I think this may have included tube travel as well. No idea what arrangements the club made to facilitate such good value travel but very glad they did.

 

[AZ Gull]

I think I bought my train ticket from the club, £12 for a Brighton - Carlisle day return. I think this may have included tube travel as well. No idea what arrangements the club made to facilitate such good value travel but very glad they did.

Taken from the first home programme that season, 28 August 1984 against Notts County:-

 

[Eeyore]

Taken from the first home programme that season, 28 August 1984 against Notts County:-

View attachment 78736

Very good value. The Oldham train works out at £40 in current prices.

 

[ExmouthExile]

Some of my best memories of watching the Albion were from 84/85, the first season I started following them regularly home and away. As we're playing Wolves, I remember when we played Wolves at home that season, I remember their very animated manager Tommy Docherty getting loads of stick from the Brighton fans and fair play to him, he took it all with a good sense of humour, thought he was more entertaining to watch than his team.

 

[Peter Grummit]

I was at Warwick university that season but managed 30 games home and away, helped by an amazing day return deal on the direct Crosscountry train Coventry-Brighton. £3.75 with a student railcard.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

 

[Spencer Vignes]

Our 5-1 win over Wolves in the penultimate home game of the 84/85 season actually sent them down to the third tier for the first time in their history. They were very, very poor that day, with one exception, that being a young Tim Flowers in goal who did his best to keep the score down. I always remember him coming out after half time and taking up his position in front of the North Stand with us singing 'Going down, going down, going down' at him. To his credit, he turned and started conducting us with his arms!

Regarding what happened after the regular Seagulls Specials bit the dust, yes, the club did start block booking seats on regular service trains out of the London terminals. I did this once (I think it was for a game at Leicester) and we turned up at St Pancras to discover our seats taken by West Ham fans going to Sheffield (anyone else remember that?). Let's just say we didn't make a fuss!

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Chris Catlin inherited a good basis of a team and was a fine tactition who in the end was poorly treated by the club having just missed out on promotion

Far from the last Albion manager to be poorly treated by the club.

1984/85 was my first ever season supporting the Albion. A Brighton supporting work colleague in London got me interested, when he dragged me down to watch an evening game against Carlisle that season. We won, and I found myself really enjoying it. I then watched the game the following Saturday against Wolves which we won by a cricket score, and I remember seeing Tommy Docherty's long face as he left the Wolves dugout. Happy days!

The rest as they say, is history.

 

[Eeyore]

Far from the last Albion manager to be poorly treated by the club.

1984/85 was my first ever season supporting the Albion. A Brighton supporting work colleague in London got me interested, when he dragged me down to watch an evening game against Carlisle that season. We won, and I found myself really enjoying it. I then watched the game the following Saturday against Wolves which we won by a cricket score, and I remember seeing Tommy Docherty's long face as he left the Wolves dugout. Happy days!

The rest as they say, is history.

4-1 in the February. Although the Wolves match was later on in the May. Well done on your work colleague. Glad he wasn't from Croydon.

 

[Eeyore]

Our 5-1 win over Wolves in the penultimate home game of the 84/85 season actually sent them down to the third tier for the first time in their history. They were very, very poor that day, with one exception, that being a young Tim Flowers in goal who did his best to keep the score down. I always remember him coming out after half time and taking up his position in front of the North Stand with us singing 'Going down, going down, going down' at him. To his credit, he turned and started conducting us with his arms!

Regarding what happened after the regular Seagulls Specials bit the dust, yes, the club did start block booking seats on regular service trains out of the London terminals. I did this once (I think it was for a game at Leicester) and we turned up at St Pancras to discover our seats taken by West Ham fans going to Sheffield (anyone else remember that?). Let's just say we didn't make a fuss!

I think Wolves continued a slide right through the leagues.

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

Our 5-1 win over Wolves in the penultimate home game of the 84/85 season actually sent them down to the third tier for the first time in their history. They were very, very poor that day, with one exception, that being a young Tim Flowers in goal who did his best to keep the score down. I always remember him coming out after half time and taking up his position in front of the North Stand with us singing 'Going down, going down, going down' at him. To his credit, he turned and started conducting us with his arms!

Regarding what happened after the regular Seagulls Specials bit the dust, yes, the club did start block booking seats on regular service trains out of the London terminals. I did this once (I think it was for a game at Leicester) and we turned up at St Pancras to discover our seats taken by West Ham fans going to Sheffield (anyone else remember that?). Let's just say we didn't make a fuss!

was there an ITV camera man on the train
regards
DR

 

[Spencer Vignes]

Not from what I recall. Why do you ask?

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

Not from what I recall. Why do you ask?

there was a documentary made about the ICF, seem to remember they were going to Sheffield in it around that time, DO YOU REMEMBER THE PERSIL TRAIN VOUCHERS
regards
DR