What made you a Brighton fan?

[Lankyseagull]

In my childhood, Manchester United was thrown at me by most of my family, Dad, Uncles etc etc so in my early years I supported them I guess. Then in 1983 Albion got to the FA Cup Final and I said to myself 'I ought to be supporting my LOCAL team, not a team from up north'. Unfortunately, it wasn't until a few years later (after passing my driving test) that I was able to get to the Goldstone regularly. It's been a love affair ever since!

 

[WallyBanana]

My first game was 1988 when we beat Bristol Rovers 2-1 and got promotion to the old Division 2. Had just been recently released from the Royal Alex having had suspected meningitis, and had a lumber puncture. Probably not a good idea looking back but glad I went nevertheless. Never experienced such a buzz as my first football match. Now just bought my 5 year old his first season ticket after taking him about 8 times last year!

 

[Northstandite]

Yes buy Henry f***ing houghton Chris houghtons brother I seem to recall....got very nasty outside afterwards

Martin Kewon, a genuine friend of the Albion still remembers it. And on national radio recently, it was said a couple of Albion players got quick punches in.

Crunch time: Aaron Ramsey's broken leg is a wake-up call for the game of pain | Mail Online

 

[Curious Orange]

I think I decided to be a Spurs fan at the age of 5 after watching their FA Cup Final Match on TV... but that never really worked out (in that I went to as many actual matches as your average Man Utd fan), and then Dad took me to the Goldstone in about '85 - proper ground; proper football; proper atmosphere with the North Stand in full voice; and proper players like Danny Wilson, Dean Saunders, my hero Terry Conner, Steve Penney, Steve Gatting, Martin Keown, and Gerry Armstrong... Common sense prevailed and a quarter century love-affair began.

 

[Daffy Duck]

Never wanted to support any other team, never even crossed my mind. It's in my blood & got hooked when my Dad took me a very long time ago!

 

[Chucky20]

My old man took me up to Gillingham, Boxing Day 1996 against Brentford. I was 6 years old.. supported us ever since, I'm 20 now so a good 14 years clocked up already and many more ahead! All my mates are United, Chelsea, Arsenal etc fans so its nice to be able to say I support my local team when I get asked!

 

[Glawstergull]

I remember Spurs beating Brizzle Rovers 9-0 in 1977 and the following week they were at our place... huge crowd in anticipation of another drubbing and if I remember rightly they held us!

My Dad is a Rovers fan.He was in Paris and theis game was shown on TV.He cheered "watch! that's my team! only to see them conceed NINE

 

[Orwell]

Place of birth.

My old man always taught me that you don't choose your football team, your football team chooses you.

 

[Gritt23]

They were my local team. Simples.

A 30 min walk along the Old Shoreham Road to get to the game, how could I resist? Family and friends, were all fans, but I will never know how much of it was influenced by the success of the club at the time. I was aged 7 when I first became aware of football teams, and Brighton were heading towards promotion. My brother and sister were both getting very excited by the promotion run, and I remember us all watching highlights of a game one Sunday afternoon on The Big Match. My siblings were arguing with dad about being allowed to go to the Newcastle game (and they did), and from that game onwards all the excitement was around "Division One - Here We Come!"

I got a wallchart by my bed for that first season in the top flight. It was up by my bed, and I completed it religiously after every game, and how I would dearly LOVE to still have that wallchart now. Late October 1979 (26th, 28th?) I got taken to my first game, as a treat for my 8th birthday. Brighton 2 Norwich 4, and I was completely hooked. The atmosphere, the excitement, the noise, the smell, the double sending off for fighting (Andy Rollings and Justin Fashanu), just EVERYTHING about the experience. I loved it, and have NEVER looked back.

So, while I am a lifer, and I put it down to the fact that Brighton were my local side, it's impossible for me to judge how much of my choosing Brighton came out of the excitement that generated throughout the summer of '79. We've probably never had a summer of excitement and anticipation since .... until now. I was a JCL once upon a time, and to a greater or lesser extent, we all were, so can we please get over this negativity towards anyone who has got caught up in the excitement and joined our merry band. Anyone who has chosen to support the same club as me, is fine by me.

Come one, come all ..... except Lee Hughes, Dennis Wise, Joey Barton, Marlon King, *whitters on for a while until everyone stops listening*

 

[westy]

My old man, his old man, me and my bro all Albion. There wasnt really an option! Btw, good thread, how has this not been done before?!

 

[colinz]

The closest & easiest to get to (by train) football league team to where I was raised. Father took me to my first game in the 70/71 season.

Then started to attend Albion matches on a more regular basis with friends, during the 71/72 promotion season.

 

[Igor Gurinovich?]

My dad took me to me to Albion vs Shrewsbury at the Goldstone in 1989. Bang, hooked..

 

[drew]

Well for me, it was a bit of a tortuous journey with several near misses along the way. Was born in SW19 and had we stayed there I may well have eventually moved to MK or possibly have followed the new mob in Kingston!!! However, to the south we headed when I was just 5 and yet to have an interest in the beautiful game. In 1970 the rest of my family, all being born in London, were supporting Chelsea so I opted for Leeds. Followed them for about 3 years as an armchair fan and then in 1973, my sister had started to support Liverpool so, as they were playing Leicester in a cup semi, I followed the Foxes. Time of Wallington, Whitworth, Weller and Worthington. At about that time I started playing at school and for an U12 team, St Francis. The club had a trip to the Goldstone and that was my first ever game, 0-0 against Colchester during Cloughie's tenure. We had a behind the scenes tour and even got to sit out in the dugout. A couple of years later, I had a brief flirtation with Manure. Then, one saturday, my best friend asked if I wanted to go to the Albion with him and his parents. Not sure how much of a best friend I was because I didn't even know he went on Saturdays however, off we went to see the Albion thrash Halifax 1-0. Was 14 at the time and went a few more times to the end of the season. Following season, my own dad decided he wanted to go and both my brother and sister got hooked. It was the start of the Mullery era so there was no way you couldn't get hooked. My dad stopped going after a couple of years and my brother around 1984 (got involved with a women and allowed it to distract him). My sister kept going up until the end of the Goldstone. I however, soldiered on through the dark years and since 1976 have never missed more than about 2 or 3 home games a season. Have seen the play at over 70 other grounds. However, both my brother (and his son) and my sister have ST at Falmer and will become regulars again.

 

[Nickols4]

My dad and Robert Codner. Who by the way, look nothing alike.

 

[northstandsteve]

Place of birth.

My old man always taught me that you don't choose your football team, your football team chooses you.

Likewise, my dad took on the chicken run in 1964-65, and then was allowed to stand in the North from 1970. Used to have a 2nd club i liked but this disappeared in 1975.

 

[Gwylan]

I got taken to my first game, as a treat for my 8th birthday. Brighton 2 Norwich 4, and I was completely hooked. The atmosphere, the excitement, the noise, the smell, the double sending off for fighting (Andy Rollings and Justin Fashanu), just EVERYTHING about the experience. I loved it, and have NEVER looked back.

That's a cracking game to have as your first game - Kevin Reeves scored twice for them IIRC - one of the best three Albion defeats I've seen. What an introduction to the Albion.

 

[Ian Bairds Fist]

I actually used to hate football - my older brother used to play U16 county football and I remember spending far more time playing around in woods nearby than having any interest in him kicking a ball around. Then, at the age of 9, I took an interest in Italia '90 - I even remember printing out a huge SHILTON SAVES THE DAY banner on A4 pieces of paper for the semi-final. On the back of this, I started supporting Spurs because of the Lineker/Gascoigne combination - whilst my family are all Man City fans having grown up in Cheshire (I'm the only one of the family born in Sussex).

Anyway, despite supporting Spurs, my Dad took me along to an Albion game - in the South Stand - in 90/91. I can still picture walking into the back of the stand and seeing the brilliantly green grass of the Goldstone. I was hooked. The season then culminated in the Play-Off Final at Wembley when Tommy Johnson, the ginger prick, broke my heart. I was soon taking my place in the North Stand at £5.50 a ticket, and I've been Albion ever since.

In bold - this.

 

[lucky007]

i moved to Brighton when i was 13 and went to Hove Park upper which was just around the corner from the Goldstone. Everyone from school went to home games so i just tagged along, was hooked straight away.

I also have memories of some of us walking into the Goldstone on school lunch break to sit in the North stand and eat lunch!!!

 

[Dave the OAP]

funny thing was, I always had a soft spot for Chelsea and when my Dad sent my brother and I to the Goldstone I actually wanted to go and watch Chelsea, but they wouldnt let us go on the train ( I was only 15 and my brother 12).

Sometimes I wish things had turned out different, but there are the occasional good times like last season and of course Falmer.

 

[whitelion]

Brighton born and grew up in West Hove - no contest.