Goldstone to Falmer

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Yes and no. The Goldstone was a shit hole but it was our shit hole.

If we moved straight to Withers instead of via Gillingham we may not have lost that "missing generation" that the club are doing a splendid in trying to win back with
Gullys Gang etc etc.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

Yes and no. The Goldstone was a shit hole but it was our shit hole.

If we moved straight to Withers instead of via Gillingham we may not have lost that "missing generation" that the club are doing a splendid in trying to win back with
Gullys Gang etc etc.

I think the lost generation are actually the 16 and under year olds who were deprived of a local club during the Gillingham years. There now likely to be what 25-29 year old Arsenal Man Ure fans.

 

[Return of the Rev]

Sold goldstone for 7 million spent 90 million on new ground goldstone memories of 34,000 falmer capacity 22,000,first paided 15p at goldstone,not sure what they will want at falmer maybe more? could pick sitting standing 20 seconds before going into ground,could walk to the goldstone,not falmer! but to be honest the goldstone was the fans,if they turn out in numbers and the club help with the atmosphere and with the possibilities of increased capacity we can make this a club that our children will have fantastic memories of! that north stand MUST rock like hell,alot of pressure on you young uns! Oldies might have to help out a bit what do ya reckon? :albion1: :albion1: :albion1: :albion1: :albion1: :albion1: :albion1: :albion1: :albion1: :albion1: :albion1: :albion1: :albion1: :albion1: :albion1: :albion1: :albion1: :albion1: :albion1: :albion1: :albion1: :albion1: :albion1: :albion1: :albion1: :albion1: :albion1: :albion1: :albion1: :albion1:

 

[bhaexpress]

The Goldstone was always going to be limited thanks to it's location. People may have fond memories of the place but Falmer will completely outstrip it. Whilst I have to admit the amount of grief getting there has put us through I would rather have not had to me it's a no brainer comparing the two. It's worth remembering that we were trying to move in the late seventies when things were a lot rosier than they have been up until very recently.

 

[Mr Blobby]

The Goldstone will always be home for me, but I am looking forward to Falmer. As others said an all seater Goldstone and especially an all seated North stand would have seamed wrong as well! I went to the Goldstone from when I was 7 until I was 29 so I grew up in that place.

Oh well onwards and upwards

I have seen the following Albion home games

438 Goldstone (1975 to 1997)
38 Priestfield (1997 to 1999)
281 Withdean (1999 to now)

So hopefully I willl make the 300 at Withdean, then its on to Falmer.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Given that there was no choice but to move from the Goldstone, it's a bit of a moot point really. Was all the nimby/enquiry hassle worth it ? from what everyone says about the new place, then yes.

In a few years time it will just be another event on our history, and people will say in years to come "do you remember when we fought together to achieve Falmer ?"

If the question is, do I prefer the old Goldstone to the new place, then unfortunately, while I have good memories of old, it was quite a shambolic place toward sthe end and the future is bright, and we have a new home to make our own.

 

[jimhigham]

The question is was it worth the pain but as a slight spinoff I would ask was the pain actually beneficial?

I'll be honest and say that my support of the Albion probably wasn't all that it could have been until our final few seasons at The Goldstone. When the chips were down and the club was unravelling I "rediscovered" the club. I went to far more games, I got involved, I protested and I sung until I was hoarse as we reeled in the team in 91st place. When the dust settled and we found ourselves alive but marooned in Kent we needed even more commitment to find our new home.

My point would be that while a lot has been made of a "lost generation" I would suggest that the current hardcore of supporters have a belief that has been forged in fire. Considering the fact that the club has been on life support for more than a decade I'd say that we get damn good attendances and these are only going to improve once we reach our new home. Apathy simply hasn't been an option for us.

In short, stick around. This is going to be GOOD!

 

[Collar Feeler]

Given that there was no choice but to move from the Goldstone, it's a bit of a moot point really. Was all the nimby/enquiry hassle worth it ? from what everyone says about the new place, then yes.

In a few years time it will just be another event on our history, and people will say in years to come "do you remember when we fought together to achieve Falmer ?"

If the question is, do I prefer the old Goldstone to the new place, then unfortunately, while I have good memories of old, it was quite a shambolic place toward sthe end and the future is bright, and we have a new home to make our own.

Spooky, I was going to say exactly the same thing. The original question makes no real sense?! The Amex wasn't even on the table when we left the Goldstone and as fans we had no control over leaving. As such as soon as we had left the Goldstone our sole aim was to return to Brighton which we eventually did at Withdean. The question of was it worth all the pain might be valid if we knew the plan was to be away for 15 years and get a state of the art stadium at the end of it but we didn't know that. Looking back now I think everything we have been through and endured ultimately has to be seen to have been worth it since come next season we will all be sitting in one of the finest football stadiums in the country.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Spooky, I was going to say exactly the same thing.

Always happy to assist Lilly Law

 

[Notters]

NOTHING will beat standing in the North Stand when a last-minute winner hits the net.

 

[Brovion]

Some good points made by Ali Jenkins and Tricky Dicky. It's a case of "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger", the Albion were going nowhere long before Archer got involved and the Goldstone was a decaying shadow of its former self. The struggle against Archer, the exile, the eventual homecoming, the fight for Falmer, all these extra-carricular activities have all contributed to the identity of the modern Brighton fan.

It's all "what if's" though really. If we'd stayed at the Goldstone, if Archer had never got involved where would we be now? Probably where we'd been for most of our existence - a bog-standard third divison side with slightly above-average support. At least though we never had to make the decision of 'Goldstone or Falmer'? Can you imagine the rows on here beween the traditionalists and the modernisers? Indeed we'd probably have failed in the quest for a new ground as we already had one and thus we'd have had to stay at the Goldstone regardless of the site's suitability to become a modern stadium.

So I reckon, 'yes', worth the pain. Indeed it's the pain that will make that first game SO special.

 

[Return of the Rev]

The glory years late 70's and the archer years were my proudest as a brighton fan brought out the best in the fans,Glad i was around for both

 

[British Bulldog]

It's been a bit of a long and painful journey but once Falmer is open I've got no doubts it will have been worth it, Like a lot of fans I've got some great memories of the Goldstone but as with a lot of the old stadiums it reached it's use by date and there's no way it would've worked trying to turn it into an all seater stadium.

 

[Notters]

It's been a bit of a long and painful journey but once Falmer is open I've got no doubts it will have been worth it, Like a lot of fans I've got some great memories of the Goldstone but as with a lot of the old stadiums it reached it's use by date and there's no way it would've worked trying to turn it into an all seater stadium.

You're just going along a bit too much with the assumption that we SHOULD have all-seater stadia. The north stand as it was, was awesome.

 

[Mr Blobby]

A packed North Stand for the Promotion game v Bristol Rovers. Happy memories!

 

[British Bulldog]

You're just going along a bit too much with the assumption that we SHOULD have all-seater stadia. The north stand as it was, was awesome.

It was awesome but times and stadiums move on.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

It was awesome but times and stadiums move on.

Agree. All things considered, we're at a really exciting time in the history of our club. In fact, across the board resource wise, has it ever been better?

 

[Dave the OAP]

The thing I really miss about the Goldstone is being able to a? stand and B) the ease of the place.

There was hardly any hassles about getting tickets, none of this " you have to be on a membership database so WE know who you are". You could apart from big games turn up at half past two and stand where you like. Sitting was for the West Stand oldies and rich people.

I miss the edge of the place ( older fans will know what I mean) games with implied menace about them, the buzz that gave ( not advocating violence in any shape or form, BUT it was edgy!)...again maybe that is an age thing.

The smell of the bovril from the hut behing the east terrace.

I remember Southampton at home, being crushed in the east terrace when it was absolutely heaving, my wife fainting at the liverpool home game it being so packed ( both back in the late 70's)

I know Falmer is going to be a fantastic stadium, BUT it will never be line the Goldstone and perhaps for the younger generation that is good.

I suppose it is a bit like watching a pop concert.....nowadays if you want to see a BIG group, like Pink Floyd, genesis, Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones etc etc , you have to pay rediculous money and the whole experience is a bit "sanitised", whereas I saw all those groups in the 70's and 80's and it felt more "raw" perhaps.

BTW my body clock tells me its 3 in teh morning so I am off back to bed!

 

[Brovion]

You're just going along a bit too much with the assumption that we SHOULD have all-seater stadia. The north stand as it was, was awesome.

To play in the top two divisions we would have needed the North Stand to be all-seater. Yes all-seater football grounds are a stupid concept and yes hopefully we would have stood for ninety minutes anyway (and all those people who for various reasons don't like other people standing in all-seater grounds could have buggered off to the West Stand) but it would HAVE to have been made all-seater.

In some ways I think demolition was a kinder fate. An all-seater North Stand. *shudder*

 

[Biscuit]

No.

Would rather have been building Falmer while still at the Goldstone!