Memories of the York "riot"

[Seagullible]

remember feeling very numb walking round toward the ticket office to meet a friend. Thought it was taken away from the real fans by morons who pulled down the goals and ripped up the hallowed turf.

 

[Set of Tracksuits]

Similar feeling to our game at Belle Vue against Donny Rovers when our lads led the climb across to their directors's box to get at Richardson - I wasn't part of that attempt but cheered with pride!

Very odd times indeed ...

That was me.

 

[The Wookiee]

remember feeling very numb walking round toward the ticket office to meet a friend. Thought it was taken away from the real fans by morons who pulled down the goals and ripped up the hallowed turf.

But wasn't that the point of the excercise, to get the game abandonded?

 

[LEWES CLIFF]

Was in the west when a crew i had never seen before said there was going to be a pitch invasion,i had my three young kids with me so stood right at the back.I thought it was 3-15 WHEN IT ALL KICKED OFF AND REMEMBER LOOKING AT THUGS JUST THERE FOR TROUBLE AND A DAY OUT wreck our pitch and thought talk about shooting ourselfs in the foot.

 

[Peter]

What's all this bollocks about it being a sad day, and loads of troublemakers....?!?

I remember it being an incredible monumental achievement, I felt so proud that people power won on that day and that we were not gonna give up without a fight. I seem to remember some people were having picnics on the pitch and were treating it like a day in the park. It was great when I got home aswell to see Brighton on CNN and spotting myself on the pitch.

Passionate days.

 

[On the Left Wing]

That was me.

and you carry such girlie bags, an all!

 

[Seagullible]

But wasn't that the point of the excercise, to get the game abandonded?

yes to get it abandonded but some went too far. ripping up the pitch was not needed nor was damage to the players tunnel. A lot of those there I hadn't seen before and just seemed to want to be involved in a riot

 

[Uncle Buck]

yes to get it abandonded but some went too far. ripping up the pitch was not needed nor was damage to the players tunnel. A lot of those there I hadn't seen before and just seemed to want to be involved in a riot

I think you are forgetting, that at the time people pressumed that it would be the last ever game at the Goldstone, as no announcement had come from the club that we were staying for another year and so people did not care.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I was with two of my kids (as they then were) on the Northwest terrace.

We all knew something was going to happen at 3.13pm. The surprising thing was how much the older one was upset by it. The younger one was much more robust.

At about 4 o'clock, we walked out of the ground and slowly off in the direction of Hove Station.



Do I remember right, though? The police waited until all the damage had been done, before entering the ground from the northwest corner in single file, to take up positions between the fans on the pitch and the Directors' Box.

No suggestion that the boys in blue were there to "prevent a riot", or even disapprove of it. 'Curious', I thought at the time, what with Bellotti being Chairman of the Sussex Police Authority and all. Maybe they didn't care for him, either.

 

[Beeneys gloves]

One of the most bizarre moments of being an Albion fan, in the West Stand and it got to the point where the stewards were encouraging everyone to get on the pitch!

Strange walking home around 4pm and wondering what to do until Baywatch came on at 5.30 which was the usual post-Albion viewing.

Also thought that we might get our cash back but alas, it never happened.....

 

[Brovion]

I ran on the pitch with the intention of getting the game stopped. Although I didn't take part in the more extreme activities (smashing the goals up and digging up the pitch) I recognise it was, sadly, a necessary action. Total respect if you were one of the 'vandals' - if us peaceful protesters had had our way the police would have (eventually) cleared us off the pitch, the game would have re-started and we would never have got the coverage we did. That 'riot' demonstrated how passionate we were, not how thoughtless.

I really can't believe people are criticising the direct action. Brighton and Hove Albion would now be a footnote in football history if the only weapons we'd used against Archer were Fans Utd and a leaflet campaign. Wrexham take note.

 

[wehatepalace]

i was one of those "yobs" pictured hanging off the crossbar, i was in virtualy every single newspaper the following day but i wasn't proud of what i'd done, but i knew it was all or nothing, and as i finaly left the pitch that fateful afternoon i shed a tear , thinking whys it come to this ??
looking back i still think we did the right thing and i'd do it all again tommorrow if needed

 

[Infernal Optimist]

Agree with hiim above

 

[Ernest]

I ran on the pitch with the intention of getting the game stopped. Although I didn't take part in the more extreme activities (smashing the goals up and digging up the pitch) I recognise it was, sadly, a necessary action. Total respect if you were one of the 'vandals' - if us peaceful protesters had had our way the police would have (eventually) cleared us off the pitch, the game would have re-started and we would never have got the coverage we did. That 'riot' demonstrated how passionate we were, not how thoughtless.

I really can't believe people are criticising the direct action. Brighton and Hove Albion would now be a footnote in football history if the only weapons we'd used against Archer were Fans Utd and a leaflet campaign. Wrexham take note.

Well said

 

[Charlies Shinpad]

I'll always remember some skinhead snapping the North Stand cross bar


Actually he is a mate of mine

 

[Mr Blobby]

I was proud of being part of the pitch invasion that got the game abandoned. It had to be stopped and the only way was to snap the goal posts.

No direct action and you would not be watching the Albion today.

Perhaps some people need to read build a bonfire.

I am proud that I was

1) part of the York Protest
2) part of the Lincoln protest
3) The demo at Archers house in Mellor
4) The demo at Doncaster to try and oust Richardson
5) Part of the Mansfield boycott
6) Part of the Hereford walk out

Infact I am proud we still have a club to support, mainly down to us the fans and direct action.

Mr Blobby
"East Side 1975 to the bitter end with a final season in the North Stand!"

 

[Moshe Gariani]

you should be very proud Blobby... that is a fantastic roll of honour and if they gave out medals for Albion campaigns you'd have a deservedly nice set of them...

it must have been said a bazillion times on here before, but its those "different" experiences that have made being a Brighton fan so special over the past decade in particular...

I was in the centre circle at the Lincoln game myself... my memory is that there were only about 50 of us who made the trip out of the North Stand that night... the "protest" didn't have universal support at the time but it did make the nationals the next day and further publicise the cause... (I seem to remember the next home game was Fulham and the Old Bill had photosheets of people to nick - I kept my baseball cap pulled down and went in the South West for that game...!)

 

[n1 gull]

Very emotional times, we all could be called rioters, hooligans etc... but as I recall no away fans were targeted, just cross bars, the pitch and obviously the directors box.
I'd do it again in a heart beat. Some things are worth fighting for.

 

[On the Left Wing]

All the above is possibly part of the reason I feel such a strong bond with Wrexham cos they are doing all this for the first time (much of it for me is deja vu, only the names have changed) - plus a load of things we never thought of (their mass delivery of TV boxes to Hamilton's house (captured on video) and abandoning an MOT failure car covered in graffitti across his drive entrance in Middle Class Hale Barns was class) .... they haven't done the pitch invasion and crossbar thing yet, but time will tell.

 

[Incredigull]

One of the most bizarre moments of being an Albion fan, in the West Stand and it got to the point where the stewards were encouraging everyone to get on the pitch!





Allegedly