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



m20gull

Well-known member
Jun 10, 2004
3,479
Land of the Chavs
Yes I was there, another of those truly emotional and unforgettable days to be an Albion supporter. The 'love in' at the end was incredible and I think from then on I knew we had the support of real football fans but, to underline the point, the Walsall fans would never have appreciated what was going on at our club if the York game hadn't have been abandoned and received the media attention it did.

I'd forgotten that one :down:
 






Surf 'n' Turf

New member
Sep 21, 2008
253
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.

What a load of b*llocks. Some of the lads that ran on the pitch from the West Stand were from Littlehampton. Combat 18 :lol: You've been reading the Sun, News Of The World or the daily Mail too much.
 












Freddie Goodwin.

Well-known member
Mar 31, 2007
7,186
Brighton
One of my lads swapped shirts with a York fan. He's probably still got it but very tatty.

WE seemed to have tremendous support from other fans. How must the small group of mansfield thought when we all swarmed into the ground on the 'boycot' game and anachy all around?

Could have scared the life out of them but they joined us in the protest, it was not about hooliganism.
 




WE seemed to have tremendous support from other fans. How must the small group of mansfield thought when we all swarmed into the ground on the 'boycot' game and anachy all around?

Well, I was amongst that "small" section (I didn't want to be included in the home "count"). I thought they had an excellent following that day, and some of them joined me on the pitch in the SE corner. They seemed pretty surprised when the East terrace gates burst open, saying things like I thought it was supposed to be a boycott! One of them remarked to me I don't think we could have mustered a mob that size to do that (ie storm the pitch and confront the directors' box).

Could have scared the life out of them but they joined us in the protest, it was not about hooliganism.
I certainly don't think any of them feared for their safety in any way at all.
 
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pasty

A different kind of pasty
Jul 5, 2003
31,040
West, West, West Sussex
Were you standing with me, SF and Zeff for the final game, I can't remember ?

You know what, nor can I ! I couldn't get a ticket for the North East where we always used to go, so if you were up there, then no. I was in the East, but right down by the South stand.
 










Ratso2005

Well-known member
Dec 4, 2004
285
Though "...organised by Combat 18" is clearly a nonsense as regards to the York game, but - in fact because - everyone knew a pitch invasion was on the cards, I vividly remember becoming aware of (as a Goldstone regular of 13 years at the time) a large element of people at the game, most obviously punk, anarchist and crusty types, who I had never seen there before, and have never seen supporting the Albion again. These were some of the first on the playing surface and made a big show of parading bits of goalpost around, and were clearly there for a bit of semi-sanctioned chaos rather than the BHAFC cause.

They were a minority of course but I feared that they would dilute and sour the real cause in the minds of neutrals and the authorities.

I found this upsetting at the time and I still do to think about it.
 


The Spanish

Well-known member
Aug 12, 2008
6,478
P
Though "...organised by Combat 18" is clearly a nonsense as regards to the York game, but - in fact because - everyone knew a pitch invasion was on the cards, I vividly remember becoming aware of (as a Goldstone regular of 13 years at the time) a large element of people at the game, most obviously punk, anarchist and crusty types, who I had never seen there before, and have never seen supporting the Albion again. These were some of the first on the playing surface and made a big show of parading bits of goalpost around, and were clearly there for a bit of semi-sanctioned chaos rather than the BHAFC cause.

They were a minority of course but I feared that they would dilute and sour the real cause in the minds of neutrals and the authorities.

I found this upsetting at the time and I still do to think about it.

everyone in the entire f***ing town knew this was going to happen.

this is why the c18 conspiracy is so hilarious. a few crusties show up and its Reclaim the Streets getting involved too.

People like to gawp at a bit of disorder. end of story.
 


Jam The Man

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
8,226
South East North Lancing
I'm not sure what people are not understanding about this Combat 18 thing...no-one is saying they WERE there or organised it etc.
What 100% DID happen was that there was a big rumour in the hours leading up to game that they were going to be there to make it worse... even 'Build A Bonfire' alludes to the rumour...


As it turned out, they were not present at all!
 




Friendly Fire

who was that female that got a slap that day :blush:

I THINK SHE GOT HEAD BUTTED,AND WAS MISTAKEN FOR A BLOKE.ALOT OF PEOPLE WERE GIVING STICK TO THE PITCH INVADERS.
SOME PEOPLE MADE SPEECHES OTHER PEOPLE PUT THERE NECK ON THE LINE. I SUPPOSE THATS THE WAY OF REVOLUTIONS,FOOT SOLDIERS REMAIN FOOT SOLDIERS,SPEECH MAKERS JUST MAKE DIFFERRENT SPEECHES.
 


Jan 30, 2008
31,981
c18 had a lot of there literature printed in uckfield allegedly, remember reading one of their mags ,not for the faint hearted
 


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