Highest-ever league placing

[kevo]

I had a chance encounter at the Great British Beer Festival this evening with the Brighton legend that is the Doc. Sadly, he's no longer a season ticket holder (he stopped when we moved to the Amex), but he is hoping to get to some of the big away matches (can anyone help him out?).

We had a brief discussion on Brighton's previous top flight adventures. Both of us remembered beating Southampton 2-0 in a midweek game at the Dell in December 1981, to go 5th in the table. However, when you look it up, I'm pretty sure every authority says our highest-ever placing during the course of a season is 6th.

Any stattos out there know for sure? I was convinced we were briefly the fifth best team in the country, albeit for only a few days.

Will we beat it this season....? (or ever....). Our highest ever final position is 13th.

 

[seagullwedgee]

Were we not Champions of England back in 1910 or something like that?

 

[Goldstone1976]

We've been third for several weeks now.

 

[kevo]

Were we not Champions of England back in 1910 or something like that?

Yeah, but we finished top of the Southern League. The Football League was a different competition (got the title by beating Villa in the Charity Shield).

 

[perseus]

We've never finished a season in a higher position than Liverpool, Man United and Arsenal.

Up to last season it was Villas as well,. We have only been ahead of Spurs in the Southern League.

A few grounds we have never played at and others we have never won at.

 

[kevo]

Another record that could (possibly) be broken. In the late 70s, we were for one season (possibly two) the 12th best-supported club in the country. I suppose it's different now as it's 'tickets sold' rather than actual attendance, but I imagine we'd be around that mark this season too.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

We've never finished a season in a higher position than Liverpool, Man United and Arsenal.

Up to last season it was Villas as well,. We have only been ahead of Spurs in the Southern League.

A few grounds we have never played at and others we have never won at.

Christ. We are fledglings. There is only one way we can move foreward; attitude:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGL_vNtelrM

 

[AZ Gull]

I had a chance encounter at the Great British Beer Festival this evening with the Brighton legend that is the Doc. Sadly, he's no longer a season ticket holder (he stopped when we moved to the Amex), but he is hoping to get to some of the big away matches (can anyone help him out?).

We had a brief discussion on Brighton's previous top flight adventures. Both of us remembered beating Southampton 2-0 in a midweek game at the Dell in December 1981, to go 5th in the table. However, when you look it up, I'm pretty sure every authority says our highest-ever placing during the course of a season is 6th.

Any stattos out there know for sure? I was convinced we were briefly the fifth best team in the country, albeit for only a few days.

Will we beat it this season....? (or ever....). Our highest ever final position is 13th.

After beating Saints we went SIXTH in the table - see the match report below from the next home programme against Villa on December 28 1981 (we should have played Leeds on December 19th but it was postponed):-

 

[wellquickwoody]

I recall 5th under Mike Bailey's tenure.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

We reached 6th in the table and we were in our 3rd season in the top flight. For most BHA fans that should have been a sunlit upland, that for the rest of our previous history, had seemed a million miles away. Were the fans rejoicing and praising the management, were they heck. Not content with solid consolidation at the top level, apparently they wanted glorious attacking football to go with it. Murmurs of discontent became a general widespread gripe about the style of play..." oh...its so boring "..." don't enjoy games anymore " etc etc. The board should have backed Mike Bailey. We were starting to establish ourselves. But, as the old saying goes..." you don't appreciate what you've got til its gone " They sacked Bailey and the rest is history.
Just as Charlton fans, gorged on season after season of mid-table mediocrity in the top flight under Curbishley, decided they should be pushing on for better things and got a very good manager the sack, so ours did the same to Bailey.
Be careful what you wish for.

 

[Deleted User X18H]

5th in September 1980 or1981 I think.

That record go in Live League Table stats on Saturday if we went 1-0 up.

 

[El Presidente]

22nd September 1981. We went 5th following a 1-0 victory at Wolves, when Andy Ritchie scored a superb goal from 25 yards. There were about 150 of us there (it was a Tuesday night) and we were then chased all the way to the station after the game by some unhappy locals.

 

[El Presidente]

That record go in Live League Table stats on Saturday if we went 1-0 up.

Again in English Timmy?

 

[1234andcounting]

Another record that could (possibly) be broken. In the late 70s, we were for one season (possibly two) the 12th best-supported club in the country. I suppose it's different now as it's 'tickets sold' rather than actual attendance, but I imagine we'd be around that mark this season too.

1977-78 we were 12 best-supported club. I think it will be impossible to improve on that, given that it is, as you say, tickets sold, rather than actual attendance.

However, we will get our first 30,000+ crowd in the top flight of English football on Saturday.

 

[Return of the Rev]

First season highest position 16th second season highest 6th Third season 5th after beating wolves 4th season 11th. Best ever finish 13th.

 

[Return of the Rev]

First season highest position 16th second season highest 6th Third season 5th after beating wolves 4th season 11th. Best ever finish 13th.

 

[Albion my Albion]

My mate and I after the Wigan match last season. I've never been higher. If you know what I mean.

 

[The Birdman]

I recall 5th under Mike Bailey's tenure.

we rewarded him by sacking him. Don't make the same mistake. He was a great captain for Wolves and he played against the Albion in the league cup game which we lost 2-3 after beating Portsmouth and Birmingham in the early rounds with Great goal by Alex's Dawson.

 

[studio150]

22nd September 1981. We went 5th following a 1-0 victory at Wolves, when Andy Ritchie scored a superb goal from 25 yards. There were about 150 of us there (it was a Tuesday night) and we were then chased all the way to the station after the game by some unhappy locals.

I was there it was during our golden period against Wolves in the league when we beat them everytime we played them.
I think the locals were miffed as the result left Wolves bottom of the table.
Missed the fun back to the station as went by car

 

[kevo]

1977-78 we were 12 best-supported club. I think it will be impossible to improve on that, given that it is, as you say, tickets sold, rather than actual attendance.

However, we will get our first 30,000+ crowd in the top flight of English football on Saturday.

Although we didn't get a 30k crowd in Div 1, I think we were also 12th best supported club 79-80 as well as 77-78. We currently have the 12th largest capacity in the Premier League although Villa, Leeds, Sunderland and Derby in the Championship might also beat us on average attendances.