This season with 15,000 new fans

[Guy Fawkes]

Yes know it is walking down the shoreham road, but last night was the east stand there or not, Watford fans were right our support was "sh.t , the corporate section are just there for eats and drinks, gus never went on touch line till second half, we are not prem , when you are manager at this level sometimes you need to motivate and shout and believe ,no one ever won a battle by sitting on their arse , if that was so we never have the Falklands , sorry but I'm 50 now and supported this club from 6 years of age, I cannot belive what I now see , we dont need f ing great escape song sung we are not escaping . Support the club and fight when all is lost and not just second half. If we are not committed and ready to go up say so six matches ago , don't cheat us to buy tickets for Barnsley when it will mean nothing , we are all hard up and have spent all we have spare this season , message to club how about a refund for Barnsley as you knew it would mean nothing to the season.

I really hope this is

Why would you only go to Barnsley if there was something riding on it? I have been a fan all my life and i regularly go to the last away game of the season because it is just that, the last away game of the season. My support is for the team however well they are doing and my attendance is not based on games where there is something riding on it. I am there to watch my team play.

The club never said that the Barnsley game would be important or that we would make the play-offs so i fail to see where our fans have been cheated We have had the toughest run in of all the teams challenging for the play off places so it was always going to be a tough ask to make it, especially given our recent history, at the beginning of the season and even ghalf way through most fans would be more than happy with a mid table finish (which it looks like we are going to get) we've had a brilliant season imo so i don't get this crap we are getting from some just because we arn't getting a play off place (sounds like some want us to run before we can walk)

In terms of atmosphere at the Watford game, it was a bit subdued at times because it was against a lesser (in terms of significance to us in general) team, but there were plenty of noise at various times during the game from all parts of the ground. The East stand is a family stand, the traditional stand for noise at Albion home games is the North stand and we are lucky because we have more than one area willing to sing and generate an atmosphere at games (Unlike West Ham who still only had about 20 fans in 1 corner singing and the rest of their crowd watched in silence even though they were willing easily)

In relation to your comment "the corporate section are just there for eats and drinks" this is also untrue, there are a lot of long term fans in that section who are here to watch the team, but don't let petty minded jealousy get in the way of facts, successful clubs need a good corporate section to help them fund their success and it helps to keep prices down for the rest of the fans it can't be anything but a good thing.

 

[ditchy]

Well now the season is coming to an end, there was a core support of approx 5000 at withdean and 1700 away on a good day, how do find these either returned or new supporters , questions -

Are they here for success only and prem football,
Do they know the songs ( when was last time you heard "lads and lasses walking up the the shoreham road"

Do they follow away ,

Maybe they spend all the time txt ing ,

Do they know the depth and feeling of sitting in the rain soaked to watch us and going to a porta cabin loo to dry out,

We have no loyalty points for doing any of that,

Well like your response ,


Seagulls seagulls ,

I guess all those diehard fans of Wigan, Reading, and other clubs that have had relatively recent sucess in the past 10years or so must feel the same with all their new supporters . Get real ! The club has improved drastically and that means new support and investment is generated. Without the new support that the new Stadium brings it would be a ghostly atmosphere and shit experience playing in a lower division. Dont knock your new found supporters , think of them as helping to grow the club .

 

[Paddy B]

I said this on another thread last night but it seems relevant here. I would love us to have 30,000 'new fans' if it means The Amex is full every week with a great atmosphere. You have to accept that at ANY public event there will be fanatics and casual observers. I occasionally go to the theatre or to watch live music or to the cinema. I'm not really that keen on any of them, but I don't expect to be made to feel like a second-class guest at any. There are probably people who love those things who laugh at my ignorance when I'm there. But so what? A full venue with people of varying degrees of passion is SO much better than a half-empty one. If some people want to give football a try in a fun and exciting atmosphere at a wonderful stadium then what's the problem?

I've said it before and I'll say it again. The 'reward' for all of us who put up with ten years of Withdean, Gillingham etc is that The Amex means something and is really special. To somebody who has turned up for the first time this season I imagine it's just another football ground. That's good enough for me.

Who are you and what have you done with the original TCB? This is the second time in two days that you have posted an awful lot of sense. Keep it up

 

[Commander]

I said this on another thread last night but it seems relevant here. I would love us to have 30,000 'new fans' if it means The Amex is full every week with a great atmosphere. You have to accept that at ANY public event there will be fanatics and casual observers. I occasionally go to the theatre or to watch live music or to the cinema. I'm not really that keen on any of them, but I don't expect to be made to feel like a second-class guest at any. There are probably people who love those things who laugh at my ignorance when I'm there. But so what? A full venue with people of varying degrees of passion is SO much better than a half-empty one. If some people want to give football a try in a fun and exciting atmosphere at a wonderful stadium then what's the problem?

I've said it before and I'll say it again. The 'reward' for all of us who put up with ten years of Withdean, Gillingham etc is that The Amex means something and is really special. To somebody who has turned up for the first time this season I imagine it's just another football ground. That's good enough for me.

Spot on again Mr Badger. I keep agreeing with you at the moment, can you say something stupid please.

Yes know it is walking down the shoreham road, but last night was the east stand there or not, Watford fans were right our support was "sh.t , the corporate section are just there for eats and drinks, gus never went on touch line till second half, we are not prem , when you are manager at this level sometimes you need to motivate and shout and believe ,no one ever won a battle by sitting on their arse , if that was so we never have the Falklands , sorry but I'm 50 now and supported this club from 6 years of age, I cannot belive what I now see , we dont need f ing great escape song sung we are not escaping . Support the club and fight when all is lost and not just second half. If we are not committed and ready to go up say so six matches ago , don't cheat us to buy tickets for Barnsley when it will mean nothing , we are all hard up and have spent all we have spare this season , message to club how about a refund for Barnsley as you knew it would mean nothing to the season.

That is superb. Although it has to be a wind-up, surely?

 

[BBassic]

Probably a maximum of 2k are "new" fans - the rest have probably been following/supporting the club for a while but just havent had much of a chance to go to games - the Amex has changed that and the club is getting a bigger following - and we will have an extra 4,000 or so fans next season - the futures bright, the future is blue and white.

That's me. I'd been on very little money for years so couldn't afford to go to a game every week. I got the odd one in here and there, a couple of away but it was rare for me. That changed recently and luckily enough it coincided with the Amex becoming a reality so I've been able to go more and more.

 

[The Birdman]

well now the season is coming to an end, there was a core support of approx 5000 at withdean and 1700 away on a good day, how do find these either returned or new supporters , questions -

are they here for success only and prem football,
do they know the songs ( when was last time you heard "lads and lasses walking up the the shoreham road"

do they follow away ,

maybe they spend all the time txt ing ,

do they know the depth and feeling of sitting in the rain soaked to watch us and going to a porta cabin loo to dry out,

we have no loyalty points for doing any of that,

well like your response ,


seagulls seagulls ,

going down the shoreham road?

 

[SK1NT]

I liked the withdean i really enjoyed it there... didn't think it was that bad...

and yes i have been to vicarage rd before anyone asks...

 

[Moshe Gariani]

going down the shoreham road?

definitely "going down"... some prefer "Old" to "the"...

 

[kugrian]

Well now the season is coming to an end, there was a core support of approx 5000 at withdean and 1700 away on a good day, how do find these either returned or new supporters , questions -

Are they here for success only and prem football,
Do they know the songs ( when was last time you heard "lads and lasses walking up the the shoreham road"

Do they follow away ,

Maybe they spend all the time txt ing ,

Do they know the depth and feeling of sitting in the rain soaked to watch us and going to a porta cabin loo to dry out,

We have no loyalty points for doing any of that,

Well like your response ,


Seagulls seagulls ,

I'm a new fan. Never been to a football match and never really enjoyed football until late last year (thanks to Football Manager). I've lived in Brighton for just over a decade and really look forward to listening to the matches on the radio and following (some) of the threads on here and twitter when a match is going on.

I'm not here for success and prem football - I'm here because it's my local team and has a lot of freely accessible coverage. I don't know any of the songs, I do follow away (again, on the radio). I don't 'know the depth and feeling of sitting in the rain soaked to watch' Brighton, but I do feel passionate when they win and upset when they don't.

I'm also a fan of many bands, despite never seeing them live; a fan of many tv programmes despite never going to a live screening; and a fan of many authors, despite never going to a book signing.

Why would you be upset about the club getting new fans? You opposed to seeing it grow?

 

[Seasidesage]

I've been going since 1972, went to Withdean, Gillingham, so many God forsaken dumps away. Do I feel superior to a fan who started this season? Not in the slightest, good luck to everyone one of em. Some will be nice people and proper fans, some will be moaners, just like the die hards.

This rush to create different levels of fan is something that drives me mad, the only one's I have no time for are the idiots who criticise everything and who expect miracles not because they are new but because they think their opinion is more important than the majority. Currently this is the Gus out mob for me. Support the club through good times and bad because that is what being a fan is all about...

 

[somerset]

Yes know it is walking down the shoreham road, but last night was the east stand there or not, Watford fans were right our support was "sh.t , the corporate section are just there for eats and drinks, gus never went on touch line till second half, we are not prem , when you are manager at this level sometimes you need to motivate and shout and believe ,no one ever won a battle by sitting on their arse , if that was so we never have the Falklands , sorry but I'm 50 now and supported this club from 6 years of age, I cannot belive what I now see , we dont need f ing great escape song sung we are not escaping . Support the club and fight when all is lost and not just second half. If we are not committed and ready to go up say so six matches ago , don't cheat us to buy tickets for Barnsley when it will mean nothing , we are all hard up and have spent all we have spare this season , message to club how about a refund for Barnsley as you knew it would mean nothing to the season.

On my ignore list now, I have never heard such crap..... bye bye muppet.

 

[Commander]

This rush to create different levels of fan is something that drives me mad, the only one's I have no time for are the idiots who criticise everything and who expect miracles not because they are new but because they think their opinion is more important than the majority. Currently this is the Gus out mob for me. Support the club through good times and bad because that is what being a fan is all about...

Spot on. Couldn't have put it better myself.

Also, and I've been shot down for saying this before, but I've always found people who have been to every single game since the Big Bang are generally a little bit, well, sad. They usually lack basic social skills as well, and often have personal hygiene issues.

I went to the Goldstone for 9 years before it was knocked down, I had a season ticket at Gillingham and went to most games, and I had a season ticket the first year at Withdean, and went to about 10 home games and 6 or 7 away games a season most seasons after that, until the last couple of seasons when I think I went once, to the last game. I've now got a season ticket at the Amex and go to most games, plus the odd away. Where do I rank on the fan-o-meter? I couldn't give a f***. I go to football to have a laugh with mates, have a drink, enjoy the atmosphere and hopefully see the Albion win. If it's a good season it makes it more enjoyable, if it's a bad season then it makes it less enjoyable. But it's still enjoyable. At the moment it's f***ing amazing.

The guy next to me in the North used to be an Arsenal fan. He still has an Arsenal background on his phone. He sings, shouts, cheers, abuses the referee and hugs me when we score. He told me yesterday how much he's enjoyed this season and will be renewing next year. He's from London but has lived in Brighton for years but never went to Withdean because we were a shit lower league team playing in a shit stadium. Good on him for getting a season ticket at the Amex, and he's even been to a few of the closer away games. He's becoming more Brighton and less Arsenal every day. Why is he any less of a fan than me? He isn't.

We need people like him if we are serious about becoming a Premier League club.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Totally rubbish thread. Ridiculous or a wind-up. Times have changed and however much some may wish we were back in the 60's, 70's,80's etc it ain't ever gonna happen again. We need all the fans we can get, the op is fed up by our lacklustre end to the season, if we don't attract and keep newcomers then we will just remain small, irrelevant and provincial. Slagging off 1901 etc is self-defeating considering the money paid by those chaps. Perhaps the OP should choose a club with around the 5000 supporters he feels were with us at Withdean for a more 'pure' experience, Crawley maybe?

 

[User removed 4]

Probably a maximum of 2k are "new" fans - the rest have probably been following/supporting the club for a while but just havent had much of a chance to go to games - the Amex has changed that and the club is getting a bigger following - and we will have an extra 4,000 or so fans next season - the futures bright, the future is blue and white.

How has the Amex changed these fans ability to go to games ? Was Withdean sold out most of the time? Or is the truth of the matter that a nice stadium and a promotion has given them "more of a chance" to go to games ?

 

[Commander]

How has the Amex changed these fans ability to go to games ? Was Withdean sold out most of the time? Or is the truth of the matter that a nice stadium and a promotion has given them "more of a chance" to go to games ?

It's given them more of a reason to go to games. Cant see anything wrong with that, personally.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

What was dis-spiriting about Withdean was the preparation required. Last night one of our group put on her waterproof trousers as a precaution. I have not had mine on since Withdean. Who wants to go sit the outside somewhere where you need waterproof bloomin' trousers. Anyway as was often said on here pre-Amex - Come one, come all.

 

[robynsdad]

Another completely new fan. Never went to a match before this season. I've lived in the area for 10 years and used to follow Brighton over those years in terms of checking their results, hoping they would go up, stay up etc but never really fancied the Withdean. Sorry. This season I've been to 8 home matches and enjoyed them way way more than i'd expected. When i can't be there always make an effort to listen on the radio. Putting myself on the list for season tickets now. What changed? Well obviously the Amex for one thing, I have been driving past regularly and watching it emerge. I think it's beautiful. I knew something of the history so understood a bit of what it meant and was really excited to be able to go to matches there. And then there's my daughter, who is now eight years old. Each time we drove past the building site over the last 2 years I told her that when it was finished I'd take her to a match there which I did. I expected it to be a one-off novelty but to my surprise (and even more to the wife's surprise) she has become a huge fan (although critical of gus's failure to play forster caskey on a regular basis) and wants to go to every match. So now we have something special - going to the football together, loving the atmosphere and, for the first time in either of our lives, feeling like we are supporting a local team, not some distant premier league giant. It's been a revelation to me, getting to know the players in a team properly, seeing them play live and getting to understand the value of having players with real spirit (El Abd and Barnes) as well as flair players like Vincente and Lua Lua. I still don't pretend to really understand football, but also come to understand that never stops anyone else spouting off. The fact that the football has been fantastic and we got so close to play-offs is just a bonus. Pies are bloody good too. If all this makes you think I'm not a proper fan, I really don't care. It works for me. Now...anyone got a couple of tickets for Birmingham match they want to sell?

 

[Commander]

Another completely new fan. Never went to a match before this season. I've lived in the area for 10 years and used to follow Brighton over those years in terms of checking their results, hoping they would go up, stay up etc but never really fancied the Withdean. Sorry. This season I've been to 8 home matches and enjoyed them way way more than i'd expected. When i can't be there always make an effort to listen on the radio. Putting myself on the list for season tickets now. What changed? Well obviously the Amex for one thing, I have been driving past regularly and watching it emerge. I think it's beautiful. I knew something of the history so understood a bit of what it meant and was really excited to be able to go to matches there. And then there's my daughter, who is now eight years old. Each time we drove past the building site over the last 2 years I told her that when it was finished I'd take her to a match there which I did. I expected it to be a one-off novelty but to my surprise (and even more to the wife's surprise) she has become a huge fan (although critical of gus's failure to play forster caskey on a regular basis) and wants to go to every match. So now we have something special - going to the football together, loving the atmosphere and, for the first time in either of our lives, feeling like we are supporting a local team, not some distant premier league giant. It's been a revelation to me, getting to know the players in a team properly, seeing them play live and getting to understand the value of having players with real spirit (El Abd and Barnes) as well as flair players like Vincente and Lua Lua. I still don't pretend to really understand football, but also come to understand that never stops anyone else spouting off. The fact that the football has been fantastic and we got so close to play-offs is just a bonus. Pies are bloody good too. If all this makes you think I'm not a proper fan, I really don't care. It works for me. Now...anyone got a couple of tickets for Birmingham match they want to sell?

Welcome aboard, the more like you the merrier. I have two tickets for sale, to a new fan like you they will be priced at £40,000.00 each.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Another completely new fan. Never went to a match before this season. I've lived in the area for 10 years and used to follow Brighton over those years in terms of checking their results, hoping they would go up, stay up etc but never really fancied the Withdean. Sorry. This season I've been to 8 home matches and enjoyed them way way more than i'd expected. When i can't be there always make an effort to listen on the radio. Putting myself on the list for season tickets now. What changed? Well obviously the Amex for one thing, I have been driving past regularly and watching it emerge. I think it's beautiful. I knew something of the history so understood a bit of what it meant and was really excited to be able to go to matches there. And then there's my daughter, who is now eight years old. Each time we drove past the building site over the last 2 years I told her that when it was finished I'd take her to a match there which I did. I expected it to be a one-off novelty but to my surprise (and even more to the wife's surprise) she has become a huge fan (although critical of gus's failure to play forster caskey on a regular basis) and wants to go to every match. So now we have something special - going to the football together, loving the atmosphere and, for the first time in either of our lives, feeling like we are supporting a local team, not some distant premier league giant. It's been a revelation to me, getting to know the players in a team properly, seeing them play live and getting to understand the value of having players with real spirit (El Abd and Barnes) as well as flair players like Vincente and Lua Lua. I still don't pretend to really understand football, but also come to understand that never stops anyone else spouting off. The fact that the football has been fantastic and we got so close to play-offs is just a bonus. Pies are bloody good too. If all this makes you think I'm not a proper fan, I really don't care. It works for me. Now...anyone got a couple of tickets for Birmingham match they want to sell?

That sir, is a top top post!

 

[robynsdad]

sounds like a bargain, assuming they come with free pie and a pint?