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Now the novelty has worn off would you go back to the Goldstone?



Icy Gull

Back on the rollercoaster
Jul 5, 2003
72,015
And don't forget Buzzer we had the park to have proper fights in as well.

You don't need parks when there are houses and gardens to ambush from, Pompey being a good example.
 






Stumpy Tim

Well-known member
The Goldstone was largely sh*t though. Half the east stand closed, North stand half-full most of the time, piss everywhere, terrible eating options. Looking back there really was nothing good about it, apart from location - which is even better for me now than it was then - and the ease of buying tickets... but that's more to do with modern football than anything else.

No contest in my opinion - Amex every time
 


kevtherev

Well-known member
Feb 28, 2008
10,467
Tunbridge Wells
If and I do say if, the old West Stand, South Stand and North Stand were all knocked down and the land behind the old South Stand purchased. What sort of capacity could a two tier, wrap around three sides of the ground structure create??? I'm guessing about 22,500, then maybe another 8,000 seats running down the chicken run.....Nostalgic I know, but quite a romantic thought.....The Amex is a fantastic modern stadium and is the future, but it will never have the matchday atmosphere of the Goldstone, in it's heyday.
 










Eeyore

Colonel Hee-Haw of Queen's Park
NSC Patron
Apr 5, 2014
25,929
But if we could go back for one day, which game would we choose?
 




Garry Nelson's Left Foot

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
13,527
tokyo
How much reality are we suspending? And what era Goldstone? I loved the place even if I only knew it as the crumbling, dilapidated ground that it was for its last ten years. I don't think I ever experienced a crowd of over 20,000 while I was there so I would have loved to have experienced one of the 30,000+ crowds. So if we can go back to that Goldstone and have some updated facilities, keep the terracing and not have the lack of income it would generate(or not) affect our chances then yes, I would.

That said, I've only been to the amex once so it's going to struggle to compete for my affections with the place that more than any other thing made me fall in love with football.
 




nwgull

Well-known member
Jul 25, 2003
14,533
Manchester
No, it was crap in comparison to the Amex. The only good thing was that you could stand behind the goal. Even the location was no better than Falmer (if you were coming from out of town), particularly now that the trains run so well before and after games.
 




Peter Grummit

Well-known member
Oct 13, 2004
6,772
Lewes
It's easy to be seduced by the warm glow of selective good memories of the Goldstone. Those of us who grew up with the huge crowds of the late '70s and the seemingly invincible home record of the Mullery era have good reason to tint our glasses rose. But the final 10 years there were increasingly grim, both on and off the pitch, and we all knew things had to change. That 97 great home run that saved us from ignominy was the last hurrah, and a fitting one to go out on.

Of course what we really yearn for is our lost youth and carefree pre-commitment days, rather than the Goldstone itself. I was fortunate to spend much of my youth at the Goldstone or down the road at the County Ground. I am grateful I can now spend much of the summer at the latter which, whilst improved in recent years, remains essentially the same place, and a touchstone for me of a happy Sussex life. But every time I walk up from the station to the Amex, or up from the concourse to the West upper pitch view, I have to pinch myself that This. Is. Ours. We might whinge about corporatisation, beer prices, JCLs, but I wouldn't swap it for a return to the Goldstone.

Well, maybe one glimpse of the green sward through the North west terrace turnstiles and a squeeze of anticipation from my Dad's hand.

PG
 




Grombleton

Surrounded by <div>s
Dec 31, 2011
7,356
I was never fortunate enough to go to the Goldstone, so it would be nice to go for one game to see what it was like - pictures and videos don't do it justice.

However, when I walk over the railway bridge to the Amex, I still get goosebumps at how beautiful it is...and it's ours.
 








Seagull over Canaryland

Well-known member
Feb 8, 2011
3,557
Norfolk
Like others I have a rather rose tinted perspective of The Goldstone and would be curious to experience it one more time just for old times sake, especially in one of those 30k+ crowds when it was absolutely rammed full.

However I suspect the Goldstone would look horrendously dated and run down. The Goldstone was a traditional football 'ground' whereas The Amex is very much a 'stadium'.

Yes The Amex is rather sanitised - but it is safe, clean, comfortable and family friendly. Turning the OP's question around: if you could have gone forward in time from the Goldstone era I suspect most would be gobsmacked to experience The Amex.

I'm still grateful that The Albion did not go out of existence during the intervening years and will never take The Amex for granted.
 








Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
62,706
The Fatherland
No chance.
 


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