All the best OGH. You've been a true star at this club through some bad times and some absolutley great times and never given less than 100%.
I look forward to giving you the send off you deserve at your testamonial.
Thanks for giving 100% everytime you put the stripes on Gary, as said by everyone on here you are a true albion legend! Gawd bless ya matey n' all the best for the future.
On cold, wet and windy nights at Gillingham and Withdean, not everyone seemed to fancy it. Gary Hart did. Thats why he is officially now an ALBION LEGEND.
I've posted most of the below before (a month or so ago), but unashamedly i'm posting it again as Gary Hart is worth all the adulation that's coming...
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That Gary Hart testimonial programme was a terrific read and all congrats to Roz and the contributors who made it happen, because it's top notch.
It got me thinking that the term 'Legend' is often bandied around far too much in football. But for me the programme highlighted everything that makes Gary Hart a 'proper' football legend.
Harty is everything any football fan wants from a player of their team - determination, commitment, dedication and dare I say it - love. It's not often a player's love of a team matches that of the fans. Here we have an exception.
This bloke had no affinity to us back in 1998 and arrived for peanuts to play in a craphole in Kent, and has rewarded us with absolute guts, blood and sweat in performances ever since. I remember a mate of mine saying to me in June 2001, just after we won the league, that we ought to ship out Harty as he wouldn't be up to the third tier of pro football - well and truly proved wrong!
As much as a heart warming thought it would be, I would be staggered if the likes of the current young gems in the squad (Elphick, Lynch etc) hang around for ten years with us, as football just does not demand or expect the same sort of 'one-club' loyalty anymore. And good luck to those that move on as it's a short career and earnings have to be taken into account. The likes of Harty and Kerry Mayo - and even Michel Kuipers - for longevity, will maybe not be seen again. Add Butters to that list too...
Gary Hart is something else.
Not getting away from the fact that he's a bloody good player, you always know that every ounce of effort goes into every performance, and whilst the atmosphere at Withdean has often been mildly better than poor, it was always better when Harty was flying down the wing and giving it everything in his owen inimitable way. Mistimed challenges and all! It always got the crowd going.
I hope Harty is back at the club in some capacity in the future... He says in the testimonial programme that he wants to be working for us as we move into Falmer and whether it's as a player or a coach, I'm sure virtually every Brighton fan would want that to be the case.
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When we signed some bloke for a grand and a set of tracksuits from non league, nobody, that is NOBODY had any idea what an absolute bloody bargain we were getting.
And very very few players would be able to expect a thread like this when they go.
OGH - Not many players can change a game with a mistimed tackle.
Cold, wet and windy Withdean, team playing poorly, and crowd subdued. OGH goes flying in, bit of handbags, crowd gets going, team starts playing, we end up winning.
It happened quite often, his never say die attitute is not often seen these days, he is a true model professional, and a credit to himself.
He was also a bloody good player - the goal at home to Wolves when he made Lescott (yes that Lescott) look like he was a pub player is a favourite memory of mine, as is the Tranmere thunderbolt, and the cross he put in for Lee Steele to quite literally 'steal' the game from Bristol City.
He will be missed - and I for one am looking forward to thanking him for 10 years of service at his Testimonial.
What an attention seeker! You've definitely been reading NSC for too long.
Seriously, good luck Gary in everything you do in the future. I only hope that when it comes to any parade of legends before the first game at Falmer, that your name will be first on the teamsheet.
Thank you, thank you and thank you again. For giving the team and fans hope in those dark Gillingham days, for making the football entertaining to watch, and for giving your all each and every time you took to the pitch.
Gary - there were times at Gillingham when your approach to playing was the only thing stopping me feeling utter despair for our club. I remember you running full pelt to try and keep an overhit forward pass on the pitch and the few of us in the new stand at Gillingham cheering you for trying so hard. Highlight of the game for us.
And there can't be many players who have gone from being the only highlight in desparate times to a totem in glory days, but that's what you did. I was always delighted when my kids got photos of you from the Junior Seagulls, as they'd chosen you as their favourite player. That's something to be proud of when you're in a title-winning team.
Good luck Harty. I remember being extremely drunk and grabbing you at a party to ring up a mate of mine on my mobile to say 'Hi Al it's Gary Hart'.....he never did believe me!! BUt you were more than happy to do it. I was also amazed by your modesty and your genuine affection for the club when talking to you that evening...you are an absolute legend.
As others have said Gary, you are the ULTIMATE fans player. You give absolutely everything, every single time and we cannot ever ask for more than that!
I always find it amazing that something as simple as giving 100% every time you step on the pitch is so rare in football, but I think that fact it is so rare shows why the Seagulls will NEVER forget you!
All the best for the future mate, hope to see you back at Withdean and more importantly, one way or the other, see you at Falmer for the opening match!
What more is there to say apart from what has already been said.
OGH was the one player that made the Albion worth watching for long periods over the past few years. There is nothing like 100% effort to get the fans on-side, and combine that with skill and versatility and you really do have a true fans' player!
I am a Wilkins fan, but I do question his decision to release Harty, and his limited playing opportunities this year. He did fantastically well standing in for Andy Whing this season and in my view deserved a much longer run-out in the team.