When we were in the old 1st Division

[Uncle Spielberg]

In our 3rd season in the top flight ater 21 ganes we were the most difficult club to beat in the division

After 21 games our league record was

Won 9
Drawn 8
Lost 4

We tailed off and ended up

Won 13
Drawn 13
Lost 16

 

[Cadiz Seagull]

We always seemed to beat Wolves in those days. Heady times, but bloody boring football most of the time! Although, to be realistic, probably the only way we could have survived for as long as we did.

 

[pishhead]

How did you check this?

An oldish book that was published back in 93 I think called "seagulls the story of Brighton and Hove Albion" published by goldstone books"
It has the position after every league game.

 

[macky]

6th and everyone calling for the managers head
if i remmeber right
because we we playing defensive football
some things never change

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Bailey was sacked in our 4th season at the top after 16 games with 5 wins 2 draws and 9defeats due to boring negative football. If he had not been sacked we would almost certainly have not got relegated and equally almost certainly not made the fa cup final.

 

[1234andcounting]

The following Saturday we played at Forest and lost 2-1, but I seem to remember that their goals came in the final 10. If we had held on we would have gone up a place or two I think.

 

[1234andcounting]

After the Wolves game, that is. Not after we sacked Bailey. Under Bailey the football, usually, was dire and we had got dumped out of the two cups by lower league teams the season before - 4-1 at Barnsley and 3-0 at home to Oxford.

 

[Scoffers]

and what were our Goldstone attendances in those heady days?

 

[El Presidente]

Just checked and it is 5th on the 22/9/81 after a 1 nil win away to Wolves.

Correct, there were about 150 in the away end on a Tuesday night, Andy Ritchie scored a screamer from 25 yards. It was VERY scary leaving the ground as the locals were not very pleased.

 

[Icy Gull]

I thought we were 6th at one stage in 81/82 after about 5 games and had a midweek away game against Forest or Villa when, if we'd won, we'd have been in the top 3, we lost and never reached those heady heights again. Is there anywhere I can find the 81/82 results?

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

That press clipping gave me a little flashback to the days when that was virtually all the info we'd get between matches. I used to paw over the tables and knew all the stats - now we get instant answers from the manager himself 24/7. Incredible change over such a few years.

 

[Jimbo26]

Just checked and it is 5th on the 22/9/81 after a 1 nil win away to Wolves.

Is the correct answer

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

Just out of interest, does anyone know where I can access editions of the Argus from the 1970s and 1980s? Brighton Reference Library maybe?

I'd love to read the daily news and gossip from the golden era...

 

[Notters]

We played on 26th and 27th December

 

[dougdeep]

and what were our Goldstone attendances in those heady days?

27,000 against Spurs. 12,000 against Leeds.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

After the Wolves game, that is. Not after we sacked Bailey. Under Bailey the football, usually, was dire and we had got dumped out of the two cups by lower league teams the season before - 4-1 at Barnsley and 3-0 at home to Oxford.

Baileys record for us in the top flight speaks for itself. We were 13th and then out of the relegation zone when Bember sacked him. Bamber was a flair Man and Bailey did not fit in with that ideal.

 

[wolfie]

Just checked and it is 5th on the 22/9/81 after a 1 nil win away to Wolves.

Correct - and I was there to witness it. 22.09.1981 (goal by Andy Ritchie)

 

[GT49er]

Is it only Brighton that could sack a manager for getting good results, but playing boring 1-0 to the Albion football? I admit, I wasn't a great Mike Bailey fan at the time - but in retrospect, how wrong was I?