Yup, I was 30 in 1983 and felt like I had most of my life still in front of me. Where the f**k did that go!
Well technically you did, so you were right.
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Were you around in 1983
- Thread starter Poyningsgull
- Start date
Well technically you did, so you were right.
sydney
tinky ****in winky
yes ...yes i was....!!
Official Old Man
Uckfield Seagull
I was one of the Albions biggest fans in the early 70's. There for the third tier promotion and dreaming of the promised land with Mike Bamber. Away trips on the Seagull Special, home games on the open East and later in the West. The highs and the lows. THAT Southampton Spurs game and the dreams of one day getting there. In 79 I flew up north and celebrated the day that dream came true. All my adult life and most of my childhood (25 years) all came to an end at Newcastle. 79/80 was boring. We'd done what the target was all about and reached the promised land. The dream was over for me and by 80/81 I hardly went to any games.
All this is something that worries me now. Games are exciting with targets every season but promotion will bring mid table mediocrity. Beat the lower teams and lose to the big boys. Europe? your kidding me. Yes a cup run with the luck of the draw could get us to Wembley in the semi's but top 4 or 6?
And don't forget that 22,000 home gates will suddenly become 30,000 sell outs for all the big games.
Worried but bring it on.
All this is something that worries me now. Games are exciting with targets every season but promotion will bring mid table mediocrity. Beat the lower teams and lose to the big boys. Europe? your kidding me. Yes a cup run with the luck of the draw could get us to Wembley in the semi's but top 4 or 6?
And don't forget that 22,000 home gates will suddenly become 30,000 sell outs for all the big games.
Worried but bring it on.
sydney
tinky ****in winky
waterhall.....pretty sure....!!
79/80 boring!!!! Have a look at the results, in particular Boxing Day. Until then most of us thought relegation was a given and 80.81 season we had to win the last 4 games to stay up. Impossible! ….. or was it.
Official Old Man
Uckfield Seagull
Maybe the wrong way to put it. But after, I guess for me, about 15 years of always wanting to be in the top league, all the dreaming and all the cold wet away games, having reached the target bought the whole dream to an end.
Speaking to a Stoke City fan and he said the same.
Losing the roof on the north stand did not help and attendances were surprisingly lower than could have been expected.
Jambo Seagull
Well-known member
Echoing what other people have alluded to, whilst the cup run in '83 was magnificent, with the trip to Anfield one of my all-time highlights waching sport, for me the really magical time to follow the Albion was 1976-79. Flying up the leagues, seeing Ward and Mellor in their pomp, 7 second half goals against Walsall, the rivalry with Palace, seeing us play in front of 48000 people at White Hart Lane in the 2nd division. So many great memories.
In contrast my abiding memory of us playing in the top-flight is getting stuffed 4-0 in our first game in Division 1. After the novelty died down the football became pretty humdrum as I recall. We were sensational in the cup in 82/83 but woeful in the league.
In contrast my abiding memory of us playing in the top-flight is getting stuffed 4-0 in our first game in Division 1. After the novelty died down the football became pretty humdrum as I recall. We were sensational in the cup in 82/83 but woeful in the league.
No no, pre-season in the late 70's perhaps very early 80's held at waterhall, but even that changed to Falmer at the university (our last venue) but the 'in season' training ground was Peacehaven Football Club, Sportspark, Piddinghoe Avenue, for a time including 1983.
To some extent Peacehaven was the very first dedicated training area, as before then it had always fluctuated between Waterhall and Falmer in pre seasons and Hove Park, Corals Greyhound Stadium and within the Goldstone ground (around the track and inside the very small 'gym) during that era.
To put a timeline on it, it was when Mickey Thomas, Sammy Nelson, Tony Grealish, Andy Ritchie et al signed.
Many of the players ended up living out that way, Tony Grealish, Andy Ritchie did definitely.
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sydney
tinky ****in winky
i had a trial at waterhall when i was 16 so that would have been 1982.....mid-week , pissing rain.....the squad were training there that day.
played a five a side game case and melia watching.......i did a thumping sliding tackle on a lad from rustington and gave him a hernia...!!
it's fine, didn't wan't to be a pro anyway......
i had a trial at waterhall when i was 16 so that would have been 1982.....mid-week , pissing rain.....the squad were training there that day.
played a five a side game case and melia watching.......i did a thumping sliding tackle on a lad from rustington and gave him a hernia...!!
it's fine, didn't wan't to be a pro anyway......
Me neither ......
Many a trial game was held there as at Lancing College, if the squad was training it was likely to be pre season unless Hove Park (the park not the school) had too much dog shite, or Corals had a dog meet that day, how things have moved on.
But definitely Peacehaven FC for a full season or two.
Yet for 3 of those 4 seasons we escaped relegation. Would any Brighton squad since 1983 have lasted so long in the top flight, if we'd got there obviously.
Yep and was at an age when 12-15 years old was unsupervised and there was an intimidating vibe that just excited me and my mates, great era for me.
D
Deleted member 2719
Guest
Proper fans know how to spell Priestfield.
Nicely caught and landed i would say
, at least i got a whopper. 
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
Nicely caught and landed i would say
Nah, I'm just a tiddler.
D
Deleted member 2719
Guest
The_Viper
Well-known member
Nah, was yet to be born for another 7 years yet. Such a shit JCL, I know 
darkwolf666
Well-known member
Been scared of making my first post, as didn't want to seem like a newbie or troll, but this topic seemed perfect for me...
Yep, I was around in '83 - been watching the Albion since around 1969 - and as someone above alluded to loved the thrill of attending the games, particularly night matches at the Goldstone, where there was just a buzz. Still can't believe how expensive football is now - going back to the early '70s I used to catch a train from Burgess Hill with my mates, pay to watch the game and get my programme, all out of my pocket money and paper round wages! Would have to have an impressive paper round to do that these days!
I must have been one of the few people who were happy when we played at Priestfield, as I live just up the road from there these days... quite funny now looking back, when everyone was moaning about having a ridiculous journey for a "home" match, for me it was a short hop.
Good old days, sort of!
Yep, I was around in '83 - been watching the Albion since around 1969 - and as someone above alluded to loved the thrill of attending the games, particularly night matches at the Goldstone, where there was just a buzz. Still can't believe how expensive football is now - going back to the early '70s I used to catch a train from Burgess Hill with my mates, pay to watch the game and get my programme, all out of my pocket money and paper round wages! Would have to have an impressive paper round to do that these days!
I must have been one of the few people who were happy when we played at Priestfield, as I live just up the road from there these days... quite funny now looking back, when everyone was moaning about having a ridiculous journey for a "home" match, for me it was a short hop.
Good old days, sort of!