[Albion] What is the most bizarre/memorable Albion game(s) you have attended ?

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

2:8 Bristol Rovers 01/12/1973

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

In hindsight, that experience was the perfect early warning of a lifetime supporting the Albion. Well excited, takes ages to enter the ground, struggle to get to a reasonable point on the terrace and see what's going on, by which time we are about to concede our second comical goal to give us next to no chance after about ten minutes.

There was also an LDV match that we switched to Brentford. Think we lost on penalties. Or maybe won. We played loads of away matches in succession around that time, having called loads of Withdean ones off because the pitch was ****ed. There was a bit of a predicament with Ecovert, the stadium contractors, but Martin Perry was very diplomatic and good-humoured (publicy) about it all. We had to dig and do things to the pitch at late notice on various occasions, which was like trying to polish an equator. I think Ecovert had positioned themselves as experts on that kind of thing and then needed a lot of help from the club to make what appeared to be fairly basic realisations about things like how much sand would be required to cover the pitch and what the weather forecast would be for a given week.

Indeed. I remember all that, and went to that 'home' game too. This is how we have managed to play home matches in 5 stadia (good pub quz qustion, that).

I'll make a note of that expression for future reference I seem to recall a massive sink hole appearing at Withers one game, and little Gary Hart disappearing into it, never to be seen again. I may have slightly exaggerated. the last bit.

Ecovert, though. When I found they had the contract to run pretty much everything where I work, my heart sank. Luckily it became embedded in sand and I was able to dig it out with the help of some plucky volunteers.

 

[Jaxie]

Yep, another of mine too. The infamous floodlight failure in the cup having travelled all the way to Carrow Road. Match abandoned. Bloody canaries. !

Im sure there was a statement read out repeatedly to test the sound system. “Phone call for Gary” or something similar! Can’t remember it exactly.

 

[PFW]

I am surprised no one mentioned the 9 goal thriller that happened 31 years ago today. Sheffield United 5 Brighton 4. 3-nil down then winning 4-3 only to lose 5-4.
Talking to the Sheffield fans at the train station they couldn't believe what they had just seen. Crazy game indeed!!!

 

[The Optimist]

Barnet away 1998 (I think). It was absolutely hosing it down and, Underhill being on a slope, the bottom right corner of the pitch became a swamp. The ball basically sank every time it went there. Emeka Ifejagwa also nearly took someone's head off with a long range shot. Day ended with a few pints in Camden as we tried to dry off. Oh, and I think we won.

I think that is the wettest I've ever been at a football match.

 

[The Optimist]

Yep, another of mine too. The infamous floodlight failure in the cup having travelled all the way to Carrow Road. Match abandoned. Bloody canaries. !

I was travelling to the Cup game with the floodlight failure, when the wheel fell off my car! (Long story). Sitting in a garage waiting for the car to be fixed at 3.15pm and my mate got a text saying 'oh dear, you must be gutted' and we were thinking how does he know? We had no idea at the time that the game had been called off (I think this was still before mobile internet access was common).

 

[Dick Swiveller]

Perry’s painful incident against West Brom. 1988? Another one that sticks in my mind. He actually ran off the pitch with blood pouring from his gentleman’s area whilst West Brom were on the attack.
Kevin Bremner went in goal and was superb.

I was in the South Stand and heard him tell the physio it was "oozing blood".

 

[Dick Swiveller]

I think that is the wettest I've ever been at a football match.

Swindon play off? Killed my phone. Or Rochdale - killed my leather jacket.

 

[Icy Gull]

Peterborough Cup game in the snow is the first one that comes to mind. Fashanu as Bambi On Ice and all kicking off in the away end. Don’t remember the details but I do know it was pretty scary.

Millwall away in the playoffs when a policeman’s helmet was set on fire and we had a mounted Riot squad kitted out escort after the game. Winning at Millwall didn’t best please the locals.

For bizarre, the last game of the 2nd Championship season at Port Vale with riot squad policeman barring Albion fans in fancy dress from just about every pub. Ended up in the working mans club beside the ground. I had no idea the area was SUCH a shithole prior to that game. Singing “should have stayed at the big club” to Nobby Horton

 

[wigman]

Away at Dean Court in Jan’95 I think, it was cold with torrential rain for hours before and during the game. Passes stopped dead after 5 yards, the pitch was a shallow lake.

We played it brilliantly, McDugald, Minton and mates gave us a comfortable win.

Due to the torrential rain I opted for a seat that day.
Great win and it immediately stopped raining after the final whistle.
Happy days.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

What Albion game sticks in your mind and why ? It doesn't have to be what happens on field that makes it special.

I am always drawn back to Albion vs Walsall at the Goldstone on a Tuesday evening in 1976. I can't recall seeing another result like it when both teams came off level 0-0 at half time and the Albion ran out 7-0 victors. That's a goal about every 6 minutes. It was crazy stuff.

To add to the mayhem and mystery the seven second half goals were all scored by just 2 players - Ian Mellor 3 and Peter Ward 4. (kicking towards the South stand I think)

Plus the match was watched by just 14,000 yet 4 days earlier over 27,000 had piled in to watch the 1-1 draw with Palace.

I don't remember that game.

 

[Left Footer]

5-4 defeat at Sheffield United late 80s, 3-0 down, got back then lost to last minute winner.

 

[Barrow Boy]

I was at this game in 1965, think it was against Blackburn, Norman had re-written the words to Sussex By The Sea and came on the pitch at half time to sing it and get the fans to join in.




Next most memorable game has to be the Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, just couldn't believe I was standing there watching Albion in the most famous cup competition in the world. And when Smith DID score you could feel the concrete terracing actually moving up and down as we celebrated, that will live with me forever.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

For me, I think the Kelvin Morton game, Peterborough in the cup (frozen pitch / orange ball), and for sure the Doncaster (Amex opener) match.

 

[Taybha]

Posh Away , a foot of snow on the pitch , one of our goals was scored by a crudely made snowman .

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Can't remember who it was against but there was a game at Withdean, right near the end of the match, where our right back cleared the ball so high it looked like it was going to clear the South stand. The whole stadium and our starting 11 all kept our eyes on where the ball was going to end up.

Whilst this was going on, an opposition player quickly hurried the ball boy to throw him a ball which he did, the player took a quick throw and they ended up scoring straight from it whilst we and half our team all still had our eyes on where this ball was going.

By the time we all turned around the opposition were celebrating. I remember the phone-in after had loads of people blaming the ball boy.

Anyone else remember this game and who it was against?

I couldn't tell you who we were playing, but the defender who hoofed it into the trees, was definitely Adam Hinshelwood.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Posh Away , a foot of snow on the pitch , one of our goals was scored by a crudely made snowman .

One of THEIR goals!?

Scuffed shot straight along the ground. Digweed positioned himself low behind it, and it hit the divot on the six yard line, that he'd made for teeing up his goal-kicks, and looped up over his shoulder! (at 38 seconds: )

Utterly ridiculous game. The terrace was even more dangerous than the pitch.

 

[albionalbino]

Seeing Slade perform to the north stand as pre match entertainment in the 70's

 

[GREASED WEASEL]

Spurs 0-0

48,000 packed into WHL

It was the first time I thought we've hit the big time

 

[The Optimist]

Swindon play off? Killed my phone. Or Rochdale - killed my leather jacket.

Wetter than Swindon play off yes. You've reminded me that I got sunburnt in the first leg and soaked in the second. Rochdale, I don't remember so probably wasn't there.