What are your memories of your very first game at the Goldstone?

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Tim Over Whelmed

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 24, 2007
10,660
Arundel
1967

All I recall was it was very cold, I had a cherryade type drink, watched and listened to the North Stand more than the football and afterwards we went to a chippy. Not the most romantic or informative first game but I was only 5 3/4 at the time.

First game I was allowed to on my own was around 1975 (14 ish) and we played Crippled Alice ... it was more like training for some obscure Olympic event than watching football and that was just getting from the station to the ground.

First away game was at Pilarse also, didn't have a ticket but was assured on the train on the way up this wouldn't be a problem ... it was!

Happy but scary days.
 


Ifejiagwa

New member
Jul 14, 2009
1
1994?
Hull 3-0 win!
Dean Windass played for them.
Robert Codnor scored, think it was his first game back after a short spell in prison!
Stood in the North West corner....my first experience of proper football swearing!
 


No memory of the football, but I sneaked in either under the Goldstone's corrugated East Terrace/Chicken Run fence and got my clothes dusty - then my mate and I moved about on the terrace and got 'told off' by some old guffer for not staying still (old gits always like to order children about). Lots of other spectators in that area seemed to be old and wore flat 'Andy Capp' hats, and several people had those noisy wooden clacker things.
I didn't stay for the whole match, too much for a 4 or 5 year-old to take in over 90 minutes - and would've worried my parents too much to have gone missing for all that time (we lived near Hove Station).
We weren't 'Seagulls' at that time, and I don't remember if there was any singing at all - I don't think people did, much, back then
 






WATFORD zero

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 10, 2003
27,792
It was pre-season, I was very young, sat on the wall at the front of the north stand and this man scored 4. He was huge with legs like tree trunks, a nose spread right across his face, and he was our centre forward. He was the most impressive/frightening thing i had ever seen in my life.

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August 1960 - I was 6, my grandfather made me a box to stand on and my grandmother bought me a woollen blue and white scarf.
Remember my dad standing behind me by the perimeter wall on the east terrace and smoking Woodbines. It was Bristol Rovers, we won and scored lots of goals (six I think); my dad was very pleased - he liked Bill Curry and Adrian Thorne.
I still wear the scarf to every game although my mum managed to wash it on a hot programme sometime during the 60's so it's more of an itchy cravat now. As for my dad - well, those Woodbines did for him in the end.
 


cuthbert

Active member
Oct 24, 2009
752
19th April 1958 against Brentford, my mother and I came to Brighton to see my Gran who lived in Jesmond Road Hove. I persuaded my mother to take me to the football and we sat in the old wooden West Stand, the only time I ever had a seat at The Goldstone. My only memory was that the players came out down the side of the stand which I thought was odd, I had previously been to both Stamford Bridge and Kenilworth Road as well as a lot of non-league grounds.
 




fosters headband

Well-known member
Aug 15, 2003
5,165
Brighton
August 1960 - I was 6, my grandfather made me a box to stand on and my grandmother bought me a woollen blue and white scarf.
Remember my dad standing behind me by the perimeter wall on the east terrace and smoking Woodbines. It was Bristol Rovers, we won and scored lots of goals (six I think); my dad was very pleased - he liked Bill Curry and Adrian Thorne.
I still wear the scarf to every game although my mum managed to wash it on a hot programme sometime during the 60's so it's more of an itchy cravat now. As for my dad - well, those Woodbines did for him in the end.

1959-60 season was the season when I saw the Albion play one their finest games at Highbury when they beat Rotherham 6-0 in a second replay.
Curry and Thorne ripped them apart. Both clubs being in the old div 2.
 


Danny-Boy

Banned
Apr 21, 2009
5,579
The Coast
I doubt many had a better game for their 1st. 1975/6? Malcolm Alison's table topping stylish Crystal Palace team with Peter Taylor on the wing. Albion totally dominated them and won 2-0 with Harry Wilson having Taylor in his pocket. A crowd of around 33,000 and the fantastic atmosphere of an evening game. Bizarrely the memory of the smell of pipe tobacco smoke linges on too.

One newbie fan sold on the Albion

Bizarrely my first game was about 10 years later, not sure which season and this time it was DANNY Wilson on the wing who tore Palace apart. It might also have finished 2-0!
 


New Years Day 1983 v Watford. John Barnes and Luther Blisset played for Watford and a certain P. Ward was on loan from Notts. Forest. Rubbish game, 1 - 1 draw with Ward scoring (the match is on YouTube I believe). Didn't put me off coming again, and again........
 




1959-60 season was the season when I saw the Albion play one their finest games at Highbury when they beat Rotherham 6-0 in a second replay.
Curry and Thorne ripped them apart. Both clubs being in the old div 2.

I remember seeing my dad with a very serious hangover the morning after he'd been to this game. Lost away to Preston in the next round didn't we?
 


Merseyside Seagull

New member
Dec 18, 2003
178
Wirral
April 1972, home to Wrexham, won 3-2.

Sat in the south stand with my dad. I remember he brought me some small black plastic football boots, tied together with white cotton or elastic. I think they were meant to hang on the rear view mirror in the car. If so, not quite sure why he brought them, we didn't have a car!! I thnk I've still got them in a box the loft!
 






CHAPPERS

DISCO SPENG
Jul 5, 2003
45,101
English Division 3 (old) Brighton 1-0 Wigan 09-04-1988

First and last time I ever touched the match ball in the crowd. Curbishley diving header in front of the south stand.
 


Cassive Mock

New member
Nov 14, 2007
46
T/Wells
Dec 1981, against Aston Villa. We lost 1.0, but it didn't matter, hooked from the age of 8 and and feel sorry for every 'plastic' manc & scouse I went to school with. They will never understand what they have missed out on in the last 30 years.
 


mickygp

New member
Feb 11, 2009
858
Happy Days

Wednesday 16th April 1975
English Division Three (old)
Brighton 0-0 Halifax Town

Been hooked ever since :albion1:
 


Acker79

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Nov 15, 2008
31,921
Brighton
I don't really remember the football. I remember the players being bigger and closer than they ever were on TV. I remember struggling to keep up with my dad when walking to and from the ground. I remember getting sausage and chips from the fish and chip shop just before the bridge on sackville road. I remember a friendly steward standing by the stairs in the south stand as you come in. I remember the east stand getting smaller (well, the area they allowed fans into getting smaller). I remember my brother punching my arm in embarrassment wheneve I started to sing along, which is probably why I don't sing at games. Pavlov has a lot to answer for.

I remember always being amused at the end of season pre-match announcement on the PA ("You are reminded that, under no ciurcumstances, are you to go onto the pitch. Now, our emergency procedures. In the event of an emergency, please make your way onto the pitch")
 






whitelion

New member
Dec 16, 2003
12,828
Southwick
A neighbour took me age 7 to my first game in 1960/61 season.

Don't think I was that bothered with the football but spent my time at the back of the north stand kicking a football around with some other lads. From my memory there was quite a large lake (or it was a puddle) there. But seemed big at the time.
 
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