OK a question for all you ex-pats

[glasfryn]

I was from Hastings rather than Brighton, but I've always been proud to say I'm a Brighton fan, even more so now of course! I can honestly say though, I can't recall anybody referring to the Brighton gay scene. To be honest, most Cities have a "gay district" of some kind and nowadays, it's rare to find someone my age that really gives a shit what people get up to in their bedroom. I think the whole "lol, ur a bumder!" thing is wearing off these days.

great post as are all of them

I'll tell everyone I'm from Brighton, very proud of my town and will live there again in the future.

you can come home with me big Mac....................but no sign yet

 

[Seagull kimchi]

Then don't compare it. Just come over without any preconceptions.

Big Asian community on Durban and KZN generally, but I would imagine that it will be nothing like the Asian communites that you are used to, so could be interesting. It was the Indian communities 150 year anniversary of being in SA last year, incidentally.

Good rply - thanks. I guess as Gandhi cut his teeth there - I would love to re-trace those steps!

 

[Seagull_Wes]

I was working security at an ice hockey game here in Canada a couple of months ago, and got into a conversation with a lad about "soccer".

After telling him where I was from, and that I supported Brighton, he repeatedly asked me what Premier League team I supported...

If anything, being away from home has made me even more proud of supporting the Albion and being Brighton born and raised. Absence really has made the heart grow fonder, and i'm constantly flicking back through my old souvenirs.

I'm also telling everyone who has a vague interest (generally not) about my support of the Albion, and I get the occasional comment like "Oh hey, you're top of the league!"

 

[Dr Q]

I say I'm from Sussex, and then narrow it down a bit if they know the place. No point saying I'm from Brighton as I'm not. If you say you are a Brighton fan, then next question is usually about the fans being shirt lifters etc though!

 

[Mackenzie]

great post as are all of them



you can come home with me big Mac....................but no sign yet

It'll happen 'bluehill'......ktf

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

I'm not an ex-pat but when i say I support brighton if football talk comes up most say "who" or "where?"

Do they think you're talking about the youth football club in Bayside ?

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

When I say I'm from Brighton , the comments I get back are that its full of gays , junkies and cockneys.

 

[kelownaseagull]

I'm out in BC, Canada, in fact at my condo at a Ski resort out west, walking around with my Brighton hoodie on. It's funny how many looks you get and questions asking about the sport, then the typical "they're not in the Premier....". Actually ran into someone in the summer who recognised my Albion shirt.

Have missed going to games each week since 2002 but have made sure I and the kids see any games when we are back. They may not have gone much, but they are both Albion supporters and always ask after the scores!!

Proud of the area and miss Brighton alot, mainly family and the stripes but know the kids have great opportunities out here.

 

[Castello]

whenever people ask me where im from I always say Brighton with pride, even though Ive now lived in Tottenham for more than half my life. With only a handful of exceptions I always get told how much people like Brighton. When I think of Brightion I always have good memories. However when I come back to visit my family, I always get reminded of why i stay in London.

 

[NMH]

[yt]4lR3ffBsMTc[/yt]

Having lived in Brighton and San Francisco, I can say the gay scene is a bit old and boring by now for anyone to get excited about - and that includes that 'Pride' crap. There's definitely more to both cities than that drab connection thougbn it's still one of the first things people do associate with them.

Brighton is pretty well known abroad, and Swedes used to holiday there all the time when coming to the UK. Now it's tired itself, with the shame of the neglected duties for the West Pier, and the awful West Street scene.

I can't feel quite as excited about the place to want to live there forever, so I won't. But - not a bad town to be from all the same.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I tend to say I'm from Sussex since I don't come from Brighton (although if pressed for details I'll say just outside Brighton since no-one outside of Sussex will have heard of the actual place). Alternatively I just say I'm from God's own county.

I don't give a stuff about the pre-conceptions of Brighton. If you want pre-conceptions, just listen to the anti-scouser jokes from all those who don't come from Liverpool (hub-caps, workshy, jobless, self-pitying, thieves, drugs, gangs, shootings, Beatles, football, more Beatles, more football, and so on and so on). Not all of these are true by the way.

 

[Goring Gull]

And so what if it has a gay scene. Just means that an entire community sought it out and made it their home because it's choice.

The whole gay thing makes me laugh and it's true alot of people think it. Manchester has a big gay scene but when people from Manchester say where they are from do people say it's full of gays ...No.

I think it's a bomus that people think this as it puts off alot of groups of lads heading to Brighton for the weekend - less tossers is a good thing or it would be like Blackpool.

 

[Seagull_Wes]

I've kind of got used to it constantly being referred as "Gaysville" by people. It's just part of being from such a diverse and multi-cultural place such as Brighton, and it makes me pretty proud.

 

[Ex-Staffs Gull]

I tell them Sussex, if they struggle then I may say south east 60 miles from London. If they know it I may say Brighton, if they are very clues up I may then say Eastbourne.
Like loads of others, I always get 'who d'ya support?' when I say Albion, I get ' yeah but who do you like in the EPL' trying to get me into there frame of reference which I understand, but unfortunately they don't understand when I say only Brighton.

 

[Mental Lental]

Them: "Which soccer team do you support?"

Me: "Brighton."

Them: "Which Premier League team do you support?"

Me: "Brighton."

Cue confused look on face as they wonder if they have made a mistake about Brighton's league position

Them: "But Brighton aren't in the Premier League are they?"

Me: "Not yet."

 

[OzMike]

When people ask, I say 'Brighton' with pride, not that sort of pride
When they ask what Premiership team I support I say 'I don't' and 'I support Brighton', then have to explain about the different leagues and how I support them because I was born there and not Manchester etc.
When they ask me if it's near London I say 'no it's near Hove' and leave them quessing.
Ex pats ask me why the hell I left as it's such a cool place, sometimes I do dwell on this.
When the Aussies take the piss and say they've heard it's the gay capital of europe I remind them that Sydney is the gay capital of the world, usually shuts them up.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I say I'm from Brighton, and then explain that its a seaside town south of London popular with tourists. They will then tell me they support Chelsea or Liverpool or Man Utd and I tell them that I hate those teams, which really confuses them. But then I am in the middle of Borneo.

When I'm in Jakarta or Bali I meet a load of Brits, and if they are premier league supporters the conversation rarely goes anywhere. Different story with fans of smaller teams, the other day I met a guy who emigrated to Australia 40 years ago, who is a Rochdale fan, and it was great to swap stories of the lower-leagues.

 

[glasfryn]

[yt]4lR3ffBsMTc[/yt]

Having lived in Brighton and San Francisco, I can say the gay scene is a bit old and boring by now for anyone to get excited about - and that includes that 'Pride' crap. There's definitely more to both cities than that drab connection thougbn it's still one of the first things people do associate with them.

Brighton is pretty well known abroad, and Swedes used to holiday there all the time when coming to the UK. Now it's tired itself, with the shame of the neglected duties for the West Pier, and the awful West Street scene.

I can't feel quite as excited about the place to want to live there forever, so I won't. But - not a bad town to be from all the same.

unfortunately I have lost contact with a great friend in Sweden(Gothenberg/Goteborg) he came on a student holiday in Brighton and I went there and everybody I met there knew Brighton and at that time it rocked.

where are you Jan?

 

[colinz]

I generally just say, "born in London raised in Sussex". Then depending on where the conversation is heading, I'll say I support Brighton cause they're my local team.
As yet never heard anyone make disparaging remarks about Brighton being a gay hang out.

 

[BadFish]

I am very proud to say I come from Brighton. Often people have heard about it and have spent a 'mad weekend there' during a stay in London. If this is the case they usually remember it as a fantastic place lots of fun. If not i tell them it is a seaside town south of London. Sometimes we get into the gay conversation but being from a town with a large gay population never bothered me and still doesn't so it is a non issue and no one has ever really made an issue of it.

As for football if people ask me who I support I say Brighton. If they ask me if i have a premier league team I say Liverpool because they are (if you think this makes me a plastic fan then so be it). We then usually carry on the conversation and talk about the Premier league (if i had left it at Brighton we would probably be talking about something else) which mean i get to chat about football and i usually manage to steer the conversation around to the Albion anyway.

Lots of Aussies like football and lots of them have adopted a Premier League team (why wouldn't you when that is the league that gets the most exposure). There are lots of fans who see the problems with the premier league and are really interested in the lower leagues and how well and passionatley supported they are, i guess there isn't much similar in AFL.