Were you there - outside the West Stand after the Sudbury town replay??

[CHAPPERS]

Anyone else??

Paul Samrah was there with a loudpeaker urging Jimmy Case to turn his back of A***er and Bullshitti and resign. I remember being there for a good hour and a half, when the Sudbury players walked out to their coach we had made a makeshift gangway that they had to walk through and had lined up a cup of tea that we were gonna kick at them when they walked through. When they did, whoever was supposed to kick it completely mistimed it and one of their players laughed at us. Very embarrasing indeed.

 

[Dave the OAP]

i was there

 

[Albion Rob]

No, I walked staright to the station unable to speakm with tears running down my cheeks.

Was there for Darlo though, that was quality and made a big difference IMHO.

 

[Safeway]

Not after that game, Shizouka and I legged it up to Corals for last orders (the original plan was to walk up after a comfortable victory for a few beers and bets).

Remember after the Darlington game though, the 3-2 defeat, when everyone gathered behind the West Stand. Some silly bitch from Meridian was there and someone smashed a window. Marvelous.

 

[m20gull]

I remember going to Sudbury but have erased any memory of the replay. Was it on Sky?

 

[The Orange Seagull]

Yes i was at the darlington match too and joined the demo afterwards.Do you remember singing "we're shit and its Archers fault" to the tune of Go West!

 

[BensGrandad]

I remember after a game talking to Jimmy Case about our poor performance and he told me it wasn't his fault he was only obeying orders! Somebody please enlighten me which game it was as it is killing me. The team coach was backed up to the changing room doors on a large car park and it was suggested that Bellotti had been smuggled into the boot and released when the coach reached the motorway just down the road. It was a midweek match. Please help!!

 

[Uncle Buck]

I remember after a game talking to Jimmy Case about our poor performance and he told me it wasn't his fault he was only obeying orders! Somebody please enlighten me which game it was as it is killing me. The team coach was backed up to the changing room doors on a large car park and it was suggested that Bellotti had been smuggled into the boot and released when the coach reached the motorway just down the road. It was a midweek match. Please help!!

Sounds like Rochdale away.

 

[m20gull]

Rochdale away midweek, Case as manager and Belotti in charge.

Happy days!

 

[Uncle Buck]

Rochdale away midweek, Case as manager and Belotti in charge.

Happy days!

Another one of the many love in's with opposition supporters, before we started taking the piss out of them all, when we got good again.

 

[BensGrandad]

I think that you are right many thanks I can now have my siesta.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

I was at both. In fact I'm in one of the photos in More Than 90 Minutes, talking to Case outside the West entrance... If I remember it was bloody cold, and we didn't leave until well after midnight....

Rochdale was superb, especially as we chased Bellotti aorund thew town and followed the coach all the way home to hound the man... happy (if worrying) days.

Papa

 

[CHAPPERS]

While I'm at it.

Who was on the pitch when Liam Brady had to come on at half time and ask us to go back into the stands? I remember telling a stewards that I was going on and he said something like 'go for it mate, i'll let you back in the stand'. There was a 4-4-2 about it and my face takes up at least half a page.

Most of those who went on chose to return to the West Stand instead of the north for some reason.

 

[Albionite83]

The atmosphere after that Darlo game was easily the most poisonous at any time of the protests. If some of those people had got hold of Bellotti that night, I honestly believe they would have killed him.

 

[Dancin Ninja BHA]

Crazy, heady days back then.

Without fail, every home game that season there would something happening in the stands/outside the ground in protest

Watching football at Withdean is still to me all a bit surreal, especially when I think back to that last season at the Goldstone and all the goings-on

 

[The Orange Seagull]

Surprisingly 96-97 is one of my favourite seasons supporting the albion,you turned up at a match never knowing what was going to happen and it was great to see all the supporters sticking together and making the best of the situation in what was our darkest hour!

One of the best moments was seeing Bellotti fleeing from the directors box about 60 secs into a match cos albion fans were after him,not sure which one though,may have been the darlo match!

 

[y2dave]

I was on the pitch for the Notts County match (Liam Brady asked us very nicely to leave and he's make sure we won the game)and during the Lincoln match when we went on three times in total. The lincoln game unfairly cost us two points but made the back page of the times and a few other papers.

 

[m20gull]

Surprisingly 96-97 is one of my favourite seasons supporting the albion,you turned up at a match never knowing what was going to happen and it was great to see all the supporters sticking together and making the best of the situation in what was our darkest hour!

One of the best moments was seeing Bellotti fleeing from the directors box about 60 secs into a match cos albion fans were after him,not sure which one though,may have been the darlo match!

He had to do the same at Wigan away, the day of the protest at Archer's house. He came out to the director's box and found all the Brighton in the Seats a few rows away in the main stand at the old ramshackle stadium. Looked like a frightened rabbit and ran away.

 

[y2dave]

Ceefax put an instant update on the scores pages during the Wigan game that Belloti was forced to leave the Directors box with Police Escorts!

 

[m20gull]

See. You can't think about those days withourt smiling

But only because of where we are now. Second division I mean, not Withdean.