Losing the love for the albion

[Simster]

I really don't think we realise how lucky we are.

The atmosphere at The Amex is IMMENSE compared to most grounds of a similar size in this country, and we don't have hideous things like after-goal music.

I think people need to visit another ground, sit in the home side stand (i.e. equivalent of West Stand) and then re-assess their view of The Amex. I went to Nottingham Forest v Hull last season with my Forest supporting cousin, and I reckon about 300 of the 17,000+ Forest fans actually chanted at ANY point of the match. There was so little atmosphere I could hear conversations (mostly moaning) from people 2 or 3 rows in front.

Trust me, The Amex is a helluva atmosphere compared to most grounds in this country.

Good point well made. I should also add that some of us "old timers" tend to only recall the atmosphere on the terraces in the good old days when it was rammed and for fairly big games. Go and have a look at that Kelvin Morton match on youtube to see the stark reality - 15,000 at Palace for that one, and that was over the festive period, and the atmosphere was really not all that. In fact, loads of Palace Brighton games were the same, at either ground. 8,000 for the Henry Hughton draw, 13,000 for a tedious 1-0 defeat up there, 15,000 at the Goldstone when the North was closed in 1985, etc etc. And remember these were for the biggest games of the season! I'm sure all those Chelsea fans grumbling about plastics would probably rather not revert to the 7-8,000 gates in what was a shit stadium for the visit of the likes of Shrewsbury in that same era if push came to shove.

 

[nwgull]

I went there as I wanted good view as I dont like being high in the roof, didnt want the north stand as I felt like it would be too away game ish being behind the goal.

Research on what? I knew the prices

So you want to sit in the best seats, but your sense of entitlement makes you think that you shouldn't have to pay any more for them?

 

[5mins-from-amex]

That's exactly what I thought, but it's human nature to want to live in the past............

However, I prefer to concentrate on what's about to happen tomorrow, because yesterday's dead, gone, forgotten, and there's nothing I can do to change what happened, no matter how much I'd like to.

Great post, the way the albion are going is the format for football as a whole in this country, and as people want a new stadium, and a new top striker and top training Facilitys it will need paying for somehow, and seriously this club has been COMPLETELY changed from the albion of yester year and the way i see it its all for the better!

 

[Simster]

Indeed they are. If you'd told me a year or two back that we'd be shipping seven (7) goals to Crystal Palace in less than two seasons and that our former top striker would have scored three (3) of them I'd have said you were f***ing nuts. It doesn't come much better than this, trust me.

At least we're actually PLAYING them regularly nowadays, easily outdrawing them and last season finished above them, by a mile.

And if we win 5-0 at the Amex in the return fixture, I bet you won't be bouncing this thread.

 

[kevo]

I used to love going to the Goldstone,park my car on the side of the road,pay £8 at the turnstile to go in and stand where I want.times have changed I'm afraid and for all the bad changes you look at the stadium and facilities and things really are not too bad you know.

Feel the same way. I loved going to the Goldstone - always think of it as my 'spiritual home' - but let's face it, it was a bit of a dump. We now have a magnificent stadium and a team that will almost certainly be in the top flight within the next five years. It's the price you have to pay for progress. In any case, surely the fans make the club - and the fans who were at the Goldstone, Gillingham and Withdean are still here. Go to Dick's Bar before the game, and see all the old faces. It makes the Amex feel much more like home.

 

[Beach Hut]

Everything would always change moving to the Amex and also change for the better and be more expensive.

 

[User removed 4]

Good point well made. I should also add that some of us "old timers" tend to only recall the atmosphere on the terraces in the good old days when it was rammed and for fairly big games. Go and have a look at that Kelvin Morton match on youtube to see the stark reality - 15,000 at Palace for that one, and that was over the festive period, and the atmosphere was really not all that. In fact, loads of Palace Brighton games were the same, at either ground. 8,000 for the Henry Hughton draw, 13,000 for a tedious 1-0 defeat up there, 15,000 at the Goldstone when the North was closed in 1985, etc etc. And remember these were for the biggest games of the season! I'm sure all those Chelsea fans grumbling about plastics would probably rather not revert to the 7-8,000 gates in what was a shit stadium for the visit of the likes of Shrewsbury in that same era if push came to shove.

No, but i wouldnt mind going back to the matthew harding days when most of the people who went were genuine fans.

 

[Chesney Christ]

I pay equivalent of about £15 a game for my season ticket, spread out over the year through an easily manageable direct debit. Absolute BARGAIN. Its all about the Upper West!

 

[Hotchilidog]

I pay equivalent of about £15 a game for my season ticket, spread out over the year through an easily manageable direct debit. Absolute BARGAIN. Its all about the Upper West!

Absolutely agree. The OP should just quit going if he doesn't like it. Sick of all the whining on here these days.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

At least we're actually PLAYING them regularly nowadays, easily outdrawing them and last season finished above them, by a mile.

And if we win 5-0 at the Amex in the return fixture, I bet you won't be bouncing this thread.

I wouldn't be bouncing it either way. Not even I take my posts seriously.

 

[34064 Fighter Command]

Great post, the way the albion are going is the format for football as a whole in this country, and as people want a new stadium, and a new top striker and top training Facilitys it will need paying for somehow, and seriously this club has been COMPLETELY changed from the albion of yester year and the way i see it its all for the better!

I'm glad at least someone agrees with me - for what it's worth my memories of past Albion games are exactly what Simster has described, and in many cases much much worse, being at games at The Manor Ground, Plough Lane, Craven Cottage or Elm Park watching defeat after defeat after defeat, and a slow, steady but inexorable decline.

I'd love to have seen the Albion win at Wembley in 1991, but that day didn't work out like that.

I'd love to still be going to the Goldstone Ground, but it's gone and consigned to the past.

I'd love to have avoided enduring the prolonged planning enquiries, writing endless letters to Planners whilst watching from a temporary stand at Withdean for over a decade, there were times when I really began to believe, once Lewes District Coucil threatened a judicial review, that we would be stuck there forever.

But We've emerged from the darkness into a bright new tomorrow and I cannot see anything but good times ahead.

 

[5mins-from-amex]

If we were still at the Goldstone then i think we would be in the same kind of position that oldham find themselves in, playing in a dilapidated stadium (which now consists of 3 stands) with nothing but pipe dreams of redevelopment or a new stadium, dont forget that oldham were in the prem in the 90's! so now look at our club and where we are going... Still feel the need to moan?

 

[goldstone]

I agree with much of what the OP is saying. I don't feel quite the attachment to the club as I did in the Goldstone and Withdean days.

I think it's a David and Goliath thing. We were a "David" underdog who it was fun to support. Now we're a bit "Goliath" and it's maybe not quite so enjoyable switching to the other side of the fence.

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

all of the OP's problems are just issues with modern football in general........albion are just following suit

it's a shame because there are many people who are simply being priced out of football these days. times are hard and yet football prices just go up and up, however that's only because people are willing to pay it. Clubs know that they can charge x amount for a ticket, x amount for a beer etc. and enough people will pay it to make it worth while. It's too expensive for some (me included), but then so are luxury cars, penthouse appartments, holidays to barbados....

 

[Dave the OAP]

I agree with much of what the OP is saying. I don't feel quite the attachment to the club as I did in the Goldstone and Withdean days.

I think it's a David and Goliath thing. We were a "David" underdog who it was fun to support. Now we're a bit "Goliath" and it's maybe not quite so enjoyable switching to the other side of the fence.

there actually is some truth in that....I suppose after all the trials and tribulations, and doing all the "get archer and bellotti out " stuff for so many years, we should all take time to sit back and enjoy the ride....well I suppose its like coming down after a cafine high....it sort of leaves you with a feeling sometimes of "come on excite me". I got the the first few times of going to the amex and a few games when Vicente was doing his stuff ( and a game or two this year also). The stadium wow factor has come and gone and the normal hassley things about watching football are back, maybe that is what people are concerned about ( like this have I fallen out with the albion thread)

 

[gripper stebson]

All I will say is this.

I took my 8 year old nephew to his first game v Bolton... and he absolutely LOVED IT despite the weather! Would he have had the same experience sitting at Withdean in the pissing rain? No.

It's modern football.

 

[gripper stebson]

Don't like the direction we are headng ? best football ever, best stadium, fantastic crowds, tickets are £28 (only £4 more than i paid at the Withdean) 3 rows to the front of WSU its a brilliant view...don't have a pie, parking £13 i think everyone knows the answer to that, ITS FREE TO GET THERE IF YOU LIVE WITH 10 miles (not bad iether is it ??). Still feels like my Albion to me, Yes some of the tickets are high but my season ticket works out at £18 a game in WSU its great value and i love it.

Spoonie you are correct my friend. Very correct!

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

No it isn't.
Wembley works out at over £8,000 per seat
Emirates, about £6,500.
Amex (30,750 when completed) works out about half that - I say about half because we don't know how much all this extra work is costing.

Didn't Uncle Tony upspec the 1901 areas in the East Stand and the original build included all the neccessaries for the increase in capacity ? I can see the final total cost for The Amex being £110M.

 

[Worthing exile]

£4 pies, £4.50 cheeseburgers .

This is the only point I really agree with.

The Club, albeit sometimes because of planning restrictions have created a captive audience by not allowing any other catering near the ground. Also because of the traffic limitations, some fans choose to get there early and stay late and need to eat and drink. This means that they basically can charge as much as they think most fans will pay.
The unit prices will be the same as elsewhere, staff are on normal catering and minimum wages so high prices mean big profits both for the caterer and the club.

All you can do is boycott catering. But will you? No.

 

[Gazwag]

Pricing

£4 pies, £4.50 cheeseburgers - Not only well overpriced, also nothing special, we appear to be paying premiership food prices, why?

£13 car parking, never been to an away ground anywhere in the country and paid that? Why are we being ripped off?

£41 for a Newcastle ticket in a 3rd round cup game, FCUKING WHY?

£635 season ticket - Premiership prices already!


Banning people,stewards, singing songs & atmophere

- Fans getting thrown out for anti palace songs!! Seriously! (what is this perfect zombie lik environment being created)

- Over zelous stewards being instructed to behave in this way by the club to anyone not staying either in silence

- Where I sit if you say fcuk or bollocks your looked at by fellow fans like your an animal (It's the FOOTBALL LOVE)

- The club trying to create this nice, fun and family orientated environment with no swearing, no anti palace songs, Gee up music, comfy seats and sweets and lollipops on sale, how lovely!

Pies - they are the best I have ever tasted in a football ground - you can always eat before you come, I'm amazed by the amount of people who moan about the cost but are not able to organise themselves to eat and/or drink before or after a game.

Weekend matches cost me £2 or £3 parking and mid week nothing as I drive to Lewes and get the free train to Falmer.

£28 for a Newcastle ticket, pretty reasonable for a match v a premiership team, if you are not enroled in the auto cup tickets you can pay this to see the game

£100 a month for three season tickets - bloody good value in my eyes


I do however agree with the second part of your post