Withdean Capacity

[Munkfish]

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.

I was too, its why I remember it so clearly, a loud of my mates who didnt normally come, got cheap tickets and we made a day of it for a friends birthday, was a brilliant day.

 

[Monkey Man]

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.

I remember being quite satisfied with the way things were going in those days. In fact if the big plan had been to upgrade Withdean, and stick with a policy of having faith in local talent and taking our chances in the lower leagues, I would have been reasonably happy. Of course I'm delighted with how things actually panned out, but that way of running a football club is not to be despised.

 

[Puppet Master]

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.

Away ends very rarely sold out too. The same teams now tend to fill the Amex. But of course, we're the plastics...

 

[Munkfish]

I remember being quite satisfied with the way things were going in those days. In fact if the big plan had been to upgrade Withdean, and stick with a policy of having faith in local talent and taking our chances in the lower leagues, I would have been reasonably happy. Of course I'm delighted with how things actually panned out, but that way of running a football club is not to be despised.

Agreed, I grew up watching the Albion at Withdean and Brighton being in the Noddy leagues was all I new, I didnt care one bit, I loved supporting the Albion and going to crap away games with my mates, All the success and fancy stadiums is brilliant, but I will always have fond memories of Withdean and the lower leagues with Brighton. I still keenly follow what goes on in League 1 and 2 now.

 

[Hiney]

What are our averages this decade so far?

11/12 20,055
12/13 26,236
13/14 27,283
14/15 25,658
15/16 25,583
16/17 27,995

Quite a difference!

 

[Munkfish]

11/12 20,055
12/13 26,236
13/14 27,283
14/15 25,658
15/16 25,583
16/17 27,995

Quite a difference!

That is literally insane!

 

[Hiney]

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

Lowest League gates at Withdean

99/00 5,049 v Rochdale (Friday night in December)
00/01 5,804 v Torquay
01/02 6,117 v Cardiff City (Thursday night)
02/03 6,111 v Wimbledon (Tuesday night)
03/04 5,642 v Wrexham
04/05 5,996 v Preston North End
05/06 5,859 v Stoke City - what a surprise
06/07 5,146 v Blackpool (Sunday - was this on TV?)
07/08 4,395 v Cheltenham Town (Tuesday night)
08/09 5,035 v Southend United (Tuesday night)
09/10 4,711 v Huddersfield Town (Tuesday night)
10/11 6,602 v Rochdale (First game of the season, before everyone realised we were ****ing brilliant)

 

[hoveboyslim]

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.

Didn't Micky Adams always used to call it The Withdean, or have I dreamt that?

 

[BeHereNow]

Away ends very rarely sold out too. The same teams now tend to fill the Amex. But of course, we're the plastics...

In the final season, the average amount of away fans who came to Withdean was something like 333. Only 4 teams took over 800. Bournemouth brought 478 for a Saturday kick off

 

[Simster]

Lowest League gates at Withdean

99/00 5,049 v Rochdale (Friday night in December)

Groan. That was in the first season - the beginning of that season tickets were like rocking horse shit. Allegedly 25,000 applications were made for the 6,000 tickets against Mansfield. We RUINED Mansfield 6-0 in glorious sunshine, then went to Orient and beat them 2-0 in front of a travelling army of 3,500. [MENTION=3887]Uncle Spielberg[/MENTION] infamously came on here to proclaim he couldn't see us losing a game that season.

Three months later, and results had turned. We were back to being a shite hoofing outfit scraping draws and losing at various small outfits. Then that evening, a Friday night fixture in the pissing rain just before Christmas. Rochdale, the rubbish visitors. Surely we'd start winning again and kick start our promotion campain? No, we fcked up a 3-1 lead and lost 4-3. Empty seats everywhere and thoughts beginning to turn to exactly where we had been on the pitch in the previous 3 years. Absolute gash.

 

[Brok]

11/12 20,055
12/13 26,236
13/14 27,283
14/15 25,658
15/16 25,583
16/17 27,995

Quite a difference!

Which, after filling in the corners, gives a very healthy average of 26,551
Not bad for a Championship team with a capacity of 30,000

Well done everyone!

 

[Mr Banana]

Torquay, lowest attendance of 00/01, had it all
6-2
Zamora hat-trick
Two goals from Jones, who went back to the Grand with Helen Chamberlain after
OGH goal
Neville Southall as guest of honour

 

[BeHereNow]

Which, after filling in the corners, gives a very healthy average of 26,551
Not bad for a Championship team with a capacity of 30,000

Well done everyone!

Away end was not filled for most of the games either.

 

[Hiney]

Lowest gates in all competitions:

1,740 17 Oct 06 Football League Trophy (FLT) R1 v Boston United
1,995 9 Oct 07 FLT R2 v Barnet
2,157 7 Oct 08 FLT R2 v Leyton Orient
2,234 12 Nov 08 FLT SQF v Swindon Town
2,364 5 Dec 00 FLT R1 v Cardiff City
2,407 7 Dec 99 FLT R1V Millwall
2,490 14 Nov 07 FLT SQF v Cheltenham Town
2,533 23 Aug 06 League Cup R1 v Boston United
2,545 8 Nov 08 FAC R1 v Hartlepool United

 

[Brok]

Away end was not filled for most of the games either.

True.
But to get back on topic,, the Withdean away stand experience must have been just about the worst in the league, surely?

 

[Hiney]

EIGHT hat-tricks:

Freeman v Mansfield Town 99/00
Zamora v Torquay 00/01
Zamora v Macclesfield Town 00/01
Zamora v Cambridge United 01/02
Robinson v Northwich Victoria 06/07
Revell v Bournemouth 07/08
Murray v Cheltenham Town 08/09
Murray v Orient 10/11

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

True.
But to get back on topic,, the Withdean away stand experience must have been just about the worst in the league, surely?

yep, surely. Miles from the pitch, completely exposed to the elements, miles from the home fans which killed any atmosphere, basic facilities.

I also remember VERY few teams filling their away allocation at Withdean, and as a previous poster stated- a lot of those now pack the larger away end at the Amex. It was only really the handful of 'larger' Championship sides (Leeds, Forest, Wednesday, Southampton etc) who even came close. Even some of the smaller London sides struggled

 

[Hiney]

Most appearances:

Hart 184
Mayo 150
Kuipers 141
El-Abd 137
Carpenter 136
Oatway 121
Cullip 118
Watson 109
Butters 106

 

[Brok]

yep, surely. Miles from the pitch, completely exposed to the elements, miles from the home fans which killed any atmosphere, basic facilities.

I also remember VERY few teams filling their away allocation at Withdean, and as a previous poster stated- a lot of those now pack the larger away end at the Amex. It was only really the handful of 'larger' Championship sides (Leeds, Forest, Wednesday, Southampton etc) who even came close. Even some of the smaller London sides struggled

Wasn't much better for us though...