[Football] What's the most excited you've been for a football match in the 21st century?

[Justice]

Maybe an off-beat one, but the second leg playoff against Wednesday, May 2016 - at home.
Coming into the game 0-2 down after the first leg, but real belief and an incredible start to the game.

Despite the result and the horrendous luck over those playoff games, that game was up there for me in terms of sheer excitement.

Great game until Stockdale watched the ball go into the net. I was right behind the goal and even I could have caught that.
Going back to the question one night at the Palace, day of work drinking all day probably the last time all the old lot got together on mass.
Great day had by all.

 

[Simster]

Can't split these:
Donny at home for the Amex opening
Play off final in Cardiff
Roma away

Closely followed by these in no particular order:
Man Utd FA Cup semi
Man City FA Cup semi
Wigan at home for the promotion game
Palace away in 2002 - the 5-0 game. *shudder*
AEK at home


It's nearly all so recent, which goes to show how spoilt we've been since the Amex was built and Uncle Tony took charge.

 

[Mackenzie]

The Amex opening league march against Doncaster. Such a lovely feeling around the town, random folk asking me and my (then infant) son if we were going to the game (we were both wearing the stripes). It reminded me of old Brighton when strangers would happily talk to one another.

The game was pretty good too, and I managed to see myself and the boy celebrating Buckley's winner in the highlights.

 

[LadySeagull]

A 3 way tumue:

Amex first game v Doncaster

Marseille away

Roma away

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

You’ll be watching our under 18s and possibly a rotation of the ones that lost 2-1 to Basingstoke today.

Unexcited?

Am aware

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

It’s good fun, but it’s no Burgess Hill.

Toothless simpletons, beamish, horses running through council estates

 

[jcdenton08]

Toothless simpletons, beamish, horses running through council estates

Can I come live from the Blarney Stone? I’m trying to get an angle on this…

 

[Flounce]

Mansfield for the first League game at Withdean was pretty special for me and up there for pre game excitement after what we’d been through. Didn’t disappoint with a 6-0 win either

MOST exciting, can’t decide though, too many to choose from. This club’s fixtures have excited me on too many occasions

 

[boik]

Me too. Despite trailing from the first leg I was convinced we'd do it. The atmosphere on the journey was amazing and then inside the ground was off the scale. Plus we played devastating football for 40 minutes. Their goal still makes me spit.

Maybe an off-beat one, but the second leg playoff against Wednesday, May 2016 - at home.
Coming into the game 0-2 down after the first leg, but real belief and an incredible start to the game.

Despite the result and the horrendous luck over those playoff games, that game was up there for me in terms of sheer excitement

 

[Bald Head]

Yes but it wasn't the 21st century.

I know but it was the most exciting game i attended,and the wife says that i am living in the last century.

 

[BrightonCottager]

Europa League Final in 2010.

 

[Anger]

Brighton v Walsall, September 2008 at Withdean.

We lost 0-1 to their 9 man team.

 

[amexer]

Sorry to say although keen for England to win tonight win or lose it will not compare to the pleasure or disapointment I get at all Albion games

 

[Mustafa II]

Sorry to say although keen for England to win tonight win or lose it will not compare to the pleasure or disapointment I get at all Albion games

It's strange isn't it. No one on this thread so far has suggested an England match as their most excitable, despite two finals in the last few years, including one tonight.

I swear it wasn't always like this, I remember the whole country getting England fever during the 90s. Had we got to the Euro '96 or World Cup '98 final for example, that would have been bloody exciting at the time.

Maybe we don't have the same affinity with the players like we used to, or maybe the decades of disappointment has killed any potential joy we have for national team... or maybe it's just that international football doesn't have the same excitement that it used to, and it's all about club football these days. Who knows.

I'm looking forward to the game tonight - I'll imagine nearer kick off time I'll be buzzing about it a bit. But I'm no more excited than I would be if there were a bog standard Albion Premier League match coming up, probably even less so.

 

[kevo]

It's strange isn't it. No one on this thread so far has suggested an England match as their most excitable, despite two finals in the last few years, including one tonight.

I swear it wasn't always like this, I remember the whole country getting England fever during the 90s. Had we got to the Euro '96 or World Cup '98 final for example, that would have been bloody exciting at the time.

Maybe we don't have the same affinity with the players like we used to, or maybe the decades of disappointment has killed any potential joy we have for national team... or maybe it's just that international football doesn't have the same excitement that it used to, and it's all about club football these days. Who knows.

I'm looking forward to the game tonight - I'll imagine nearer kick off time I'll be buzzing about it a bit. But I'm no more excited than I would be if there were a bog standard Albion Premier League match coming up, probably even less so.

Yes, if you'd included the 20th century I'd certainly have the 1990 WC semi-final in there (perhaps even my No 1). And maybe the 2020 final, but not tonight though. Maybe that's because I'm in the middle of a particularly torturous house move and my work has also been absolutely insane, so just haven't really been able to pay much attention to this competition so much. Also, the way we've played in most of the games has not exactly made me feel enthusiastic about following this particular England team. I'm sure I'll be excited come 8pm but feel a bit flat about it so far.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Not that it counts, but I haven't been excited by an England football match since 14 June 1970.

Although I was distraught on 21 May 1983.

I don't get excited by Brighton games - just "tense".

 

[papachris]

Thinking back, it was probably the playoff final in 2004 v Bristol City for me.

30,000 Albion fans in one place was something I'd never experienced before... and it absolutely met my expectations and then some.

Remember being absolutely buzzing traveling up. Even though we were underdogs, I had a feeling we were gonna beat all odds and make it, just as we did time and time again while at Withdean.

Lots of excitement before the match and it absolutely delivered. Great day.

Agree, it was a great day myself and my son will remember forever

 

[Vicar!]

Bristol City play off final
Palace home semi final
Marseilles away for our first game in Europe.

 

[Midget]

Play-off final in 2004. My first really BIG event as an Albion fan so the excitement built for ages - queuing for tickets, a big group of us all going up together, the buzz on the mad train ride up there, being best mates with total strangers for the day, Brighton playing in a national stadium, seeing more Albion fans in one place than I ever had before, blue & white all over the place, inflatable seagulls and beach balls, everything riding on one game. Proper excitement throughout, just bouncing. Moreso coming from a baseline of home games at Withdean.

Marseille away comes a close second for similar reasons, another first, Brighton in Europe ffs! Watching the draw to see who we'd get, waiting for the fixtures, speed-booking flights, getting tickets, staying in a city I'd never been to. Comes second because I'm older and more boring now so a bit more sensible (although still got rather drunk), not everyone came out there, and it wasn't an all-or-nothing game - but my god I was fizzing when I got into that stadium.

First game at the Amex is third. So excited for the ground and what it meant, the uncertainty over the planning, the excitement when it was agreed, seeing the plans, the long build up watching it take shape, the excitement of going up there to pick Our New Seats. But with nothing really riding on the football itself it was mostly excitement about the ground and the experience - amazing as it was to see Brighton playing in a brand new proper stadium, the football almost didn't matter.

England? Couldn't come anywhere near.