Withdean Capacity

[The Large One]

Some some interesting replies on here.

Is it true that the Withdean database had over 30,000 fans on it, and that 17 games were sold out (home stands) during the final season?

Weren't we sold out of season tickets too? Something like 4,000.

Almost certainly, mostly as a result of the play-off final.

 

[BN9 BHA]

Some photos of that day showing the crowd and notably the stand at the east end where the changing rooms were which was eventually taken down to accommodate the family stand etc.

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Unless I have misunderstood your post, this isn't correct about the old stand and changing rooms at Withdean.
The old stand wasn't taken down to accommodate the family stand, i am sure that old stand had been demolished a few years before Albion played at Withdean, the old stand was also in a different position to the family stand.

 

[whitelion]

Unless I have misunderstood your post, this isn't correct about the old stand and changing rooms at Withdean.
The old stand wasn't taken down to accommodate the family stand, i am sure that old stand had been demolished a few years before Albion played at Withdean, the old stand was also in a different position to the family stand.

You are possibly correct. It was at the east end maybe not exactly where the family stand was but I changed in there many times when with Brighton B52s.

 

[BeHereNow]

Almost certainly, mostly as a result of the play-off final.

Good point. Do you think that the majority of the fans that went to Cardiff didn't go to Withdean then?

 

[The Large One]

Good point. Do you think that the majority of the fans that went to Cardiff didn't go to Withdean then?

I don't think the majority.

I'm going to take a wild, stab-in-the-dark estimate that we had about 8,000 STH at Withdean, whether for one season, for all 12 (well, clearly not all 12), or for any number in between. I'd also guess that for things like cup matches or one-off matches (Manchester City, Southampton, Swindon Town p/o), we had a fair few more rock up. Then we'd have had those who came along towards the end of each promotion season to revel in the glory. Or even just simple, occasional one-off.

I'd guess - with no hard and fast evidence - that 35-40% of those who went to Cardiff never went to Withdean.

 

[Hiney]

Yes, it was definitely selling out for the first few seasons. Though attendances really did start to drop the year we got relegated from the Championship 2005/2006 (i think). I remember Harty's phone in used to be dominated by the bums on seats epidemic. Mid-week, our crowds really dropped. I think we started getting crowds as low as around 3,000 during those miserable seasons in league 1 when players like Bas Savage were crowd favourites.

Amazing how things have changed.

Withdean average attendances:

99/00 5,733
00/01 6.585
01/02 6,598
02/03 6,651
03/04 6,248
04/05 6,430
05/06 6,802
06/07 6,048
07/08 5,937
08/09 6,092
09/10 6,467
10/11 7,352

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

On A sunny day there was no where like it.

On a horrible rainy Tuesday, there was nowhere like it.

My personal highlight was aged about 16 and a classic Hinshelwood clearance (not at his own goal) came towards me in the South. I was the end seat so I had time to stand up, step onto the stairs and head the ball back onto the athletics track.

I'm still waiting to repeat this from Row L of WSU

 

[Puppet Master]

Some some interesting replies on here.

Is it true that the Withdean database had over 30,000 fans on it, and that 17 games were sold out (home stands) during the final season?

Weren't we sold out of season tickets too? Something like 4,000.

Kind of poo-poo's all this crap we get from Palace fans about no one ever went there and just rocked up for the Amex.

Also, why do some people still call it THE Withdean? It bugs the hell out of me.

 

[The Large One]

On A sunny day there was no where like it.

On a horrible rainy Tuesday, there was nowhere like it.

My personal highlight was aged about 16 and a classic Hinshelwood clearance (not at his own goal) came towards me in the South. I was the end seat so I had time to stand up, step onto the stairs and head the ball back onto the athletics track.

I'm still waiting to repeat this from Row L of WSU

Did anyone ever clear the ball into the trees?

I know I always looked out to see if the windows of the Sportsman were ever going to get broken - to my mind, they never did.

 

[Munkfish]

Wilkins was the cheap option that confounded all the critics and expectations. Unfortunately, he was a great coach but a personality that made him terrible at playing politics so despite taking a bunch of kids and getting them to 7th, he fell out with the wrong people and this cost him his job. I took my eldest to his first game, Brighton v Blackpool in 2006 just after Wilkins had taken over. 5 youth team players and another was on the bench. We may have been a rubbish team in a ramshackle stadium in the third tier but I had so much pride in that team and that my boys' first heroes were all local lads.

We played at Shrewsbury in the JPT semi-final in December 2008 and we ended the game with 8 ex-youth team players on the pitch. How many of the 92 league teams can ever boast that, let alone lay claim to it in the last 10 years? That's an incredible achievement. His legacy continues still...he was the manager that brought Glenn Murray to Brighton. I bloody love Wendy Wilkins.

The Norwitch Victoria game where we won 8 or 9 nil, was very similar. I think it was 8 or 9 if you included Kerry Mayo.

 

[Munkfish]

Withdean average attendances:

99/00 5,733
00/01 6.585
01/02 6,598
02/03 6,651
03/04 6,248
04/05 6,430
05/06 6,802
06/07 6,048
07/08 5,937
08/09 6,092
09/10 6,467
10/11 7,352

What are our averages this decade so far?

 

[Murray 17]

Fans in the South Stand stomping their feet to make the sound of an express train for some reason (?!).

I think it was because a train track ran behind that stand. Remember some train drivers would sound their whistles on the way past.

 

[BeHereNow]

I don't think the majority.

I'm going to take a wild, stab-in-the-dark estimate that we had about 8,000 STH at Withdean, whether for one season, for all 12 (well, clearly not all 12), or for any number in between. I'd also guess that for things like cup matches or one-off matches (Manchester City, Southampton, Swindon Town p/o), we had a fair few more rock up. Then we'd have had those who came along towards the end of each promotion season to revel in the glory. Or even just simple, occasional one-off.

I'd guess - with no hard and fast evidence - that 35-40% of those who went to Cardiff never went to Withdean.

Yes, I suppose we could speculate on the numbers, but we'll never know.

Didn't we sell out of season tickets in the last season? I think it was about 4,000.

 

[BeHereNow]

Kind of poo-poo's all this crap we get from Palace fans about no one ever went there and just rocked up for the Amex.

Also, why do some people still call it THE Withdean? It bugs the hell out of me.

I have no idea, think it's mostly Palace fans. Annoys me too.

During the final season I remember a lot of sell outs, can't remember the actual amount, but looking at the attendances the home stands were about 92% full over the season. These were the days when 'bums on seats" (not that we ever used them) were recorded, so if a season ticket holder couldn't make the game, their ticket didn't go into the attendance.

Also, our away following was higher than most in League 1, which was indicative of a wider fanbase than our home crowds suggested.

 

[Megazone]

Withdean average attendances:

99/00 5,733
00/01 6.585
01/02 6,598
02/03 6,651
03/04 6,248
04/05 6,430
05/06 6,802
06/07 6,048
07/08 5,937
08/09 6,092
09/10 6,467
10/11 7,352

It would be interesting to see what the lowest gates in each of those seasons were (not including the JPT cup)

 

[BeHereNow]

The Norwitch Victoria game where we won 8 or 9 nil, was very similar. I think it was 8 or 9 if you included Kerry Mayo.

That was my first game at Withdean. Think we were two nil up at half time, at which point me and my dad were chucked out because he was too pissed. Got back to my dad's and couldn't believe how many we scored.

 

[BeHereNow]

I think it was because a train track ran behind that stand. Remember some train drivers would sound their whistles on the way past.

Train went behind the East Stand.

 

[Munkfish]

That was my first game at Withdean. Think we were two nil up at half time, at which point me and my dad were chucked out because he was too pissed. Got back to my dad's and couldn't believe how many we scored.

Kuipers, Adam Hinshelwood, Lynch, Butters, Mayo, Fraser (Frutos 66), Hammond, El-Abd, Cox, Revell (Gatting 71), Robinson (Rents 83).
Subs Not Used: Sullivan, Santos.

Goals: Cox 8, Robinson 18, 55, Revell 64, Robinson 78, Gatting 82, Rents 89, Cox 90.

10 Local Lads played that day, with 8 starting.

 

[Buzzer]

Kuipers, Adam Hinshelwood, Lynch, Butters, Mayo, Fraser (Frutos 66), Hammond, El-Abd, Cox, Revell (Gatting 71), Robinson (Rents 83).
Subs Not Used: Sullivan, Santos.

Goals: Cox 8, Robinson 18, 55, Revell 64, Robinson 78, Gatting 82, Rents 89, Cox 90.

10 Local Lads played that day, with 8 starting.

Cheers for that. It out-trumps my JPT game and then some. I was actually at the Northwich Vic game too, a wet Saturday afternoon in the Family Stand with my eldest next to the away fans and one fat f*cker in particular who thought it hilarious to come out with all the usual homophobic abuse until my son stood on his seat and shouted back. There's no coming back from being told by a 9 year-old that you're too ugly to be gay.

 

[BeHereNow]

Kuipers, Adam Hinshelwood, Lynch, Butters, Mayo, Fraser (Frutos 66), Hammond, El-Abd, Cox, Revell (Gatting 71), Robinson (Rents 83).
Subs Not Used: Sullivan, Santos.

Goals: Cox 8, Robinson 18, 55, Revell 64, Robinson 78, Gatting 82, Rents 89, Cox 90.

10 Local Lads played that day, with 8 starting.

Great information. Wish we had more locals playing for us now, makes it that little bit more special.