Were you there? Goldstone pitch invasions in 1996 and the final final game

[Barrel of Fun]

BoF, out of interest why were your boarding school so determined for you not to go to the game? Was it just this game in particular? Or were you never allowed to enjoy games of a weekend?

Had they had trouble before with pupils at the Goldstone?

There were mumblings of trouble and a planned pitch invasion from recollection. We had the usual assembly on Friday morning with a stern warning about attending. The actual headmaster at the time WAS in the Directors Box as I believe he got courtesy tickets due to the standing of the school. I shall expand in the PM to follow your reply!

 

[Arthur]

The people that run onto the pitch were not Brighton fans just idiots who played into the hands of Archer & Bellotti. That was the first & only time I've ever been truly ashamed to be a Brighton fan and I can remember standing in the north stand with around 2/3rds still in there booing those on the pitch.

You must have been at a different game to me that day then!!

It's also worth remembering that the trouble on the day was organised by Combat 18, the same group of thugs who caused the trouble at the Ireland V England game a couple of years after.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

The people that run onto the pitch were not Brighton fans just idiots who played into the hands of Archer & Bellotti. That was the first & only time I've ever been truly ashamed to be a Brighton fan and I can remember standing in the north stand with around 2/3rds still in there booing those on the pitch.

If anything it brought the whole situation to the attention of the mainstream media. Obviously a negative impact to begin with i.e. The News of the World article, but I think in some peverse way the York City invasion did strengthen our case to wrestle the club back from Archer. Plenty of soundbites followed and other fans realised what we were facing, followed by the eventual birth of 'Fans United'.

 

[Uncle Buck]

The people that run onto the pitch were not Brighton fans just idiots who played into the hands of Archer & Bellotti. That was the first & only time I've ever been truly ashamed to be a Brighton fan and I can remember standing in the north stand with around 2/3rds still in there booing those on the pitch.

It's also worth remembering that the trouble on the day was organised by Combat 18, the same group of thugs who caused the trouble at the Ireland V England game a couple of years after.

Move along, nothing to see...

 

[Safeway]

The people that run onto the pitch were not Brighton fans just idiots who played into the hands of Archer & Bellotti.

Err, how exactly?

 

[Arthur]

Move along, nothing to see...

Ahhh come on play nice.

He's obviously got Combat 18 confused with Al Qaeda. We all know they were to blame for the pitch invasion that day. Osama Bin Laden was the first one swinging on the crossbar if memory recalls!

 

[Uncle Buck]

Ahhh come on play nice.

He's obviously got Combat 18 confused with Al Qaeda. We all know they were to blame for the pitch invasion that day. Osama Bin Laden was the first one swinging on the crossbar if memory recalls!

I thought it was Tufty.

Still we should have done nothing and let the board continue with the real estate realignment plan they were carrying out.

 

[Simster]

The people that run onto the pitch were not Brighton fans just idiots who played into the hands of Archer & Bellotti. That was the first & only time I've ever been truly ashamed to be a Brighton fan and I can remember standing in the north stand with around 2/3rds still in there booing those on the pitch.

It's also worth remembering that the trouble on the day was organised by Combat 18, the same group of thugs who caused the trouble at the Ireland V England game a couple of years after.

Absolute wank.

 

[wehatepalace]

What a load of drivel super fan

word

 

[wehatepalace]

The people that run onto the pitch were not Brighton fans just idiots who played into the hands of Archer & Bellotti. That was the first & only time I've ever been truly ashamed to be a Brighton fan and I can remember standing in the north stand with around 2/3rds still in there booing those on the pitch.

It's also worth remembering that the trouble on the day was organised by Combat 18, the same group of thugs who caused the trouble at the Ireland V England game a couple of years after.

Are you Archer In Disguise

 

[Flavor Flav]

Ahhh come on play nice.

He's obviously got Combat 18 confused with Al Qaeda. We all know they were to blame for the pitch invasion that day. Osama Bin Laden was the first one swinging on the crossbar if memory recalls!

 

[Seagulls over Lewes]

The people that run onto the pitch were not Brighton fans just idiots who played into the hands of Archer & Bellotti. That was the first & only time I've ever been truly ashamed to be a Brighton fan and I can remember standing in the north stand with around 2/3rds still in there booing those on the pitch.

It's also worth remembering that the trouble on the day was organised by Combat 18, the same group of thugs who caused the trouble at the Ireland V England game a couple of years after.

I was at both these game so must be a member of Combat 18. But not on the pitch in one of them guess which game that was?

 

[scooter1]

My personal recollection of the final final game:
Stood in the East Stand with my then girlfriend in the horrible rain. We won 1 nil as I recall with Baird and their guy sent off in the first half - is that right?. As the final whistle blew I watched in awe as the pitch was invaded and people took sods of grass, anything they could get their hands on really. I wanted to run on, but instead just stood and watched whilst hugging my girlfriend saying " I'm gonna miss this place".
Then some players came out into the Directors area and there was cheering etc?? As I type this now I can't help but feel like i'm confusing 2 different games, but those are my abiding memories of that day.

Fans United - the day we demolished Hartlepool, now thats a whole different personal memory..

 

[ewe2]

We were rebels.......with a cause !!!!

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

[YT]S_dzAk2SOd0[/YT]

Storer!!!!!

 

[El Presidente]

Watching your recording of Hereford still brings me out in goosebumps

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[Jimmy Grimble]

Jim Proudfoot, now there's a commentator.

Those celebrations behind the Hereford goal are f***ing insane. So jealous.

 

[cheshunt seagull]

I was outside in the rain for the final game and came in at the final whistle, I had no stomach for digging or dismantling anything. I just walked around the pitch and went to every area of terrace I had ever stood on in 26 years, thinking about days with my Dad, and all those memorable moments. I went up to leave a few times but could not face it.. kept putting it off. I finally left through the middle of the North Stand, as so many times before, and couldn't believe that it was for the last time. Still hurts thinking about it now.

 

[Brightonfan1983]

What stays with me to this day is the eerie, echoing sound of the stadium being kicked and picked apart from almost straight after the final whistle. I wanted to quietly reflect and yet there was everyone treating the old place with such disrespect, just to get a bit of chair or some other memento.

I wanted to walk on the hallowed green pitch as it was for one last time, but by the time I got down there from the North Stand there were huge bald patches everywhere. I could understand people wanting a bit of turf and whatever but it felt wrong to me.

I remember that. I didn't have a problem with the turf-taking, but the echoing bangs of seats being kicked apart didn't sit well with me at all. I did get to my usual spot in the north stand about 90 mins early and was very moved, seeing people greet eachother as they had done for years and years. It hit home what it meant to this community, to lose that ground.

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

The people that run onto the pitch were not Brighton fans just idiots who played into the hands of Archer & Bellotti. That was the first & only time I've ever been truly ashamed to be a Brighton fan and I can remember standing in the north stand with around 2/3rds still in there booing those on the pitch.

It's also worth remembering that the trouble on the day was organised by Combat 18, the same group of thugs who caused the trouble at the Ireland V England game a couple of years after.

you sir, are a plank of the highest order, where have you got c18 from you couldn't dream that one up, reminds me of a incident after a fa cup replay against peterborough on a freezing night at the goldstone when some of their coaches were damaged and they were attacked outside the ground ,chelsea fans were blamed for that