Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
It's all being organised, stadium tour, meal, etc. I think he's also on the Albion Roar beforehand too.
Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊
How Danny Baker saved Brighton & Hove Albion - The inside story of Fans United
- Thread starter Wozza
- Start date
It's all being organised, stadium tour, meal, etc. I think he's also on the Albion Roar beforehand too.
Albumen
Don't wait for me!
Sticky please.
Dave the OAP
Well-known member
Terrific article warren. Almost exactly as I remember it.
I can remember getting out my old Huddersfield town shirt and standing in our favourite place in the chicken run. Stood with us were palace fans and charlton fans and at no time was there any animosity. I even think it is probably the only time "rivals" all leapt about and hugged each other when brighton scored the first.
I had a chat after the game to a guy who had travelled all the way from Alaska. He was on his honeymoon, but had flown back for the day. He lived in canada and was born in brighton but had emigrated with his family when he was 7. As we lived in goldstone road, I invited him back for some dinner and took him to a Gatwick hotel for the flight the next day. Never saw him again but that epitomised the spirit of the day with people coming from far and wide to support us in our hour of need.
I can remember getting out my old Huddersfield town shirt and standing in our favourite place in the chicken run. Stood with us were palace fans and charlton fans and at no time was there any animosity. I even think it is probably the only time "rivals" all leapt about and hugged each other when brighton scored the first.
I had a chat after the game to a guy who had travelled all the way from Alaska. He was on his honeymoon, but had flown back for the day. He lived in canada and was born in brighton but had emigrated with his family when he was 7. As we lived in goldstone road, I invited him back for some dinner and took him to a Gatwick hotel for the flight the next day. Never saw him again but that epitomised the spirit of the day with people coming from far and wide to support us in our hour of need.
Dave the OAP
Well-known member
Absolutely right! If it is at half time hopefully just before the players come out so people are back from a drink and wee wee.
The Albion Roar
97.2FM
Although it's in Build A Bonfire, it's rarely mentioned in dispatches about Warren's intervention to get Danny Baker to mention it on air; something vital in securing even more publicity and credibility. From there, it became a national - and international - story.
Great stuff.
Great stuff.
Silverhatch
Well-known member
Fabulous piece. Thank you.
As other's have said the memories may fade but the emotions are still raw. The fog was a perfect accompiniment to the day. It made everything feel more inimate and personal despite the fact that there were literally thousands of visiting supporters in the North.
For me I'd spent all season driving down from London for match days and end up, most of the time, being holed up outside on Old Shoreham or Road or behind the West or East stands hurling abuse at Archer and Belotti. I think most of us had given up on the pitch and were only focussed on the result(s) off it. It was actually ****ing magic to go into the Goldstone again fired up for all the right reasons. Fans United was the end of the beginning. It galvanised more new people and supported those that had done so much to get the plight of the club noticed. Not all publicity is good publicity - especially when you are the CEO of a major UK business and your dirty washing is now being aired publicly. Brilliant campaigning was making Archer squirm and it ultimately brought him to the table.
Had forgotten about those amazing press ads. I'd love one of the toilet roll. Anyone know if the artwork still exists?
PS. Feel most sorry for Cov fans who have no individual to focus their efforts at. SISU must be the most onerous example of "anti fan" investment in a football club. A hedge fund for ****'s sake!
As other's have said the memories may fade but the emotions are still raw. The fog was a perfect accompiniment to the day. It made everything feel more inimate and personal despite the fact that there were literally thousands of visiting supporters in the North.
For me I'd spent all season driving down from London for match days and end up, most of the time, being holed up outside on Old Shoreham or Road or behind the West or East stands hurling abuse at Archer and Belotti. I think most of us had given up on the pitch and were only focussed on the result(s) off it. It was actually ****ing magic to go into the Goldstone again fired up for all the right reasons. Fans United was the end of the beginning. It galvanised more new people and supported those that had done so much to get the plight of the club noticed. Not all publicity is good publicity - especially when you are the CEO of a major UK business and your dirty washing is now being aired publicly. Brilliant campaigning was making Archer squirm and it ultimately brought him to the table.
Had forgotten about those amazing press ads. I'd love one of the toilet roll. Anyone know if the artwork still exists?
PS. Feel most sorry for Cov fans who have no individual to focus their efforts at. SISU must be the most onerous example of "anti fan" investment in a football club. A hedge fund for ****'s sake!
Insel affe
HellBilly
Fantastic
What a day that will live with me forever....
Making me forever grateful for what we have now.
fosters headband
Well-known member
Wow what a battle that was over the years, brings it all flooding back. Great day and with many great people involved in the fight for our club. Many thanks to all of them.
Thanks, Warren. You write very well. I would hope that its not just RV who is introduced to the crowd this Saturday. . . . . . .
I should note that I have another tribute to Warren's organisational skills - for pretty much organising my season ticket when we moved to the Amex
I should note that I have another tribute to Warren's organisational skills - for pretty much organising my season ticket when we moved to the Amex
Thanks, Warren. You write very well. I would hope that its not just RV who is introduced to the crowd this Saturday. . . . . . .
I should note that I have another tribute to Warren's organisational skills - for pretty much organising my season ticket when we moved to the Amex
Tell you what - when Richard Vaughan is introduced for his round of applause, we can clap [MENTION=189]Wozza[/MENTION] instead / as well. (Although, he might get a bit embarrassed if I do, so, tbh, what with me sitting next to him!)
Bob'n'weave
Well-known member
Be nice if the club did something in a match program or a pre match bit on the Fans United game on the big screens. So many young fans don't know the full story of what we went through.
Paris
Well-known member
On day's like this we should raise a glass to Roy Chuter
The Albion Roar
97.2FM
beefypigeon
Well-known member
- Aug 14, 2008
- 974
Such a fantastic read, thank you for sharing!
The Andy Naylor Fan Club
Well-known member
Great read. Takes you back 20 years in an instant. Fantastic memories of the day and although I was 27 at the time I was like an excited kid seeing all the flags and shirts that represented the different clubs uniting to our cause. Also if my memory isn't playing tricks I recall hundreds of cards placed around Hove Park with messages of support from fans near and far. I'll have to dig out my Fans United t-shirt ( United Colours of Football ) to look at, alas no chance of it fitting me now! 
Ernest
Stupid IDIOT
Funny how 20 years later we are now on the CUSP of the PL with a ground to die for and the team that wanted to boot us out of the league are on their way into the Conference themselves. If it wasn't for Fans United we would have been dead and buried, all of a sudden we believed we could stay up and fans and team came together to do it.
Pevenseagull
meh
- Jul 20, 2003
- 20,704
Excellent read. Up until Fans United I'd thought that the FA cup final (when I was 13) was the event that made me Albion forever. No amount of tattoos could make a permanent mark on me.
Marvellous scenes.
Marvellous scenes.
- Thread starter
- #38
I know, I know. I felt the headline needed to be provocative to get interest from a wider audience.
Kalimantan Gull
Well-known member
20 year anniversary, wow! Probably will end up as my all-time favourite Albion experience, the mist in Hove Park, the crowds and crowds of people and the atmosphere in the North Stand what a day. My Dad and I befriended a Stoke fan for the day who we met near the turnstiles (although they ended up just opening the gates). Great day
attila
1997 Club
Great piece. Well done EVERYONE.
Gonna raise a glass to the memory of my old mate Roy tonight.
I always knew we'd get there in the end
'The battle's only just begun, but we have won the war.
Our club, though torn asunder, will survive.
And I salute each one of you who stood up and said NO!
And fought to keep the Albion alive.
And one day, when our new home's built, and we are storming back
A bunch of happy fans without a care
We'll look back on our darkest hour and raise our glasses high
and say with satisfaction: we were there.'
Gonna raise a glass to the memory of my old mate Roy tonight.
I always knew we'd get there in the end
'The battle's only just begun, but we have won the war.
Our club, though torn asunder, will survive.
And I salute each one of you who stood up and said NO!
And fought to keep the Albion alive.
And one day, when our new home's built, and we are storming back
A bunch of happy fans without a care
We'll look back on our darkest hour and raise our glasses high
and say with satisfaction: we were there.'