WSF. The Origins Of Casuals In Brighton.

[scooter1]

hopefully not the last instalment mate ?

It sounds like a fitting end

 

[Insel affe]

Top work, Completely enthralling

and thank you

 

[wellquickwoody]

May 1983

I once thought, as we all do, I would be young forever. I was in my prime and when I looked around me, everyone else was too.

But the illusion of invincibility evaporated one afternoon in May 1983, a home game against Manchester City.

Near the Station the Queens Head was heaving with away fans. I was with maybe thirty boys en route to the game. A few scuffles then a huge brawl began. I heard breaking glass.

For a split second in my periphery a strange blur. It was a pint glass flying through the air. I ducked instinctively but to no avail.

I remember turning away after the impact and the crimson flow splashing all over the pavement. “f***” someone said. “f***ing Hell”.

I took sixteen stitches in the face, but notwithstanding the needlework, I was still back on parade the following weekend. I went up to Club Maximus in Leicester Square, a great night.

Remember that game well. Bantered with the 'Cool Cats' or 'Maine Line Motorway Service Crew' through the fence on the East Terrace through most of the game. BIG scary black lads as I remember. At the bottom of Goldstone Lane after the game my brand new acid yellow Pringle gave us away as we turned the corner and the six of us were run ragged by about thirty of these guys. Trying to get some distance between us and them was made pretty tough by having to run against the oncoming crowds coming out of the ground. We finally lost them up by the Hove Park Tavern after having taken an occasional wallop.

Memories......

With hindsight it may have been a year or two later.

 

[Brownstuff]

Mr Kays!!

Remember sitting down with my Coke and a straw, aged about 9.

The flashing tiles were calling but I didn't know how to dance! Happy days.

This is a great thread.

Good work Cavern.

Too young to remember the early eighties but have had some great trips following the Albion.

14 of us piled in the back of a windowless, and seatless, transit to go to the relegation game at Ipswich in 1992.

A light fitting got smashed in that station pub and a collection went round to replace it. It raised about £200! One of our number invaded the pitch when Meade scored and got arrested and after the game someone asked where he was. He got nicked too!

We waited ages for the two get released. When it came to court, they lost the paperwork and they got let off!

I was in that station pub at Ipswich
Remember the collection glass going round (think pub window got smashed too)
I also remember the pub staff not being able to handle the rowdy fans
A few people started pouring pints for themselves as the pub was understaffed, it got a bit out of control and the young pub staff shit themselves and f***ed off out the back and then there was a free for all
I dont remember what happened afters as had to then get to ground which was jampacked and got into the game late

 

[dennis]

The department store was after the game in 85, the snowy pitch game.
We went on a little stroll around the town post match & somebody spotted their mob legging into said dept store. Mayhem ensued inside.

My main memory of that day was a gobby fat twat in a pink jumper over to our left giving it large all game.
It kicked off big time outside after the game & I last saw the "one fatty pinky, there's only one fatty pinky" being stretchered into an ambulance.
Then we went walkabout.

I remember going to the game covered in spots suffering with chicken pox.
If “ one fat pinky” is the bloke I’m thinking about, he was actually run over by a builders van, he was crossing the road giving it the big one and succumbed to a large pick up truck.

I was in the shop but don’t really know how or why. I got out through the back door and a big black guy pulled a knife out .
There was then a loud noise and I felt like one of the soldiers in Zulu hearing the masses of Zulus coming towards them.
When they came round the corner there wasn’t that many of them it was the fact that were coming through a tunnel made it sound like there were hundreds of them. Anyway they came round the corner saw how many of us there were and they ran straight back the other way.
A couple of coppers came round the corner to confront us and everybody just pointed at the black guy and said he’s got a knife. The two coppers decided to search the bloke and we all legged it back into the precinct to join up with the others.

The replay eventually happened on a Monday night as it had been postponed several times.
They bought about 2 thousand and tried kicking off as they came out the North east Corner. It was all over very quickly but I remember psycho and his brother chucking bricks at the away coaches and the windows going in and for some bizarre reason the Argus claimed that there were Chelsea hooligans at the game and that they had been responsible for throwing the bricks.

Does anyone remember Palace away one boxing day and a guy outside selling cowboy hats for a pound. One person bought one and then everyone seemed to do the same, looked like a load of hillbillies which enhanced the dungarees look at the time.

 

[brighton bluenose]

not the chelsea artexer

I used to live in the same block of flats - Steve in the basement me and Shaz B in the top flat!

Are you the Fritz that went out with Andrea H/ If so you'll know me well!!

 

[brighton bluenose]

Not strictly west st firm, but does anyone remember a big bloke from whitehawk, really tasty, used to be a skinhead but not around the time of wsh , steve j ? also another very tasty bloke from whitehawk, , used to be a hairdresser believe it or not, but very hard, geoff s ?

Knew Steve very very well in those skinhead days and when I left home moved in at Geoffs mums gaff down Springfield Road and ended up living with Geoff in a gaff in the flats at the back of the 'hawk!

That was ummmm......30 years ago FFS!!!

 

[csider]

Knew Steve very very well in those skinhead days and when I left home moved in at Geoffs mums gaff down Springfield Road and ended up living with Geoff in a gaff in the flats at the back of the 'hawk!

That was ummmm......30 years ago FFS!!!

Showing your age again

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

Peace be with you All.

'Peace'?! An empty word coming from a bunch of thugs and bully boys.

 

[csider]

'Peace'?! An empty word coming from a bunch of thugs and bully boys.

Ohhhh get you sister.

 

[brighton bluenose]

May 1983

I once thought, as we all do, I would be young forever. I was in my prime and when I looked around me, everyone else was too.

But the illusion of invincibility evaporated one afternoon in May 1983, a home game against Manchester City.

Near the Station the Queens Head was heaving with away fans. I was with maybe thirty boys en route to the game. A few scuffles then a huge brawl began. I heard breaking glass.

For a split second in my periphery a strange blur. It was a pint glass flying through the air. I ducked instinctively but to no avail.

I remember turning away after the impact and the crimson flow splashing all over the pavement. “f***” someone said. “f***ing Hell”.

I took sixteen stitches in the face, but notwithstanding the needlework, I was still back on parade the following weekend. I went up to Club Maximus in Leicester Square, a great night.

The resilience of Youth eh.
QUOTE]

Remember that one well - came out the Cranbourne up Queens Road and where it bears left to join Surrey Street on that corner was a boozer - The Feathers - filled with City, as the front lads went past they came out and in the battle that followed it kicked off for 5+ minutes and hands up we were backed off down Queens Road with Nigel G getting a broken arm (from memory)!!

 

[thecavern]

May 1983

I once thought, as we all do, I would be young forever. I was in my prime and when I looked around me, everyone else was too.

But the illusion of invincibility evaporated one afternoon in May 1983, a home game against Manchester City.

Near the Station the Queens Head was heaving with away fans. I was with maybe thirty boys en route to the game. A few scuffles then a huge brawl began. I heard breaking glass.

For a split second in my periphery a strange blur. It was a pint glass flying through the air. I ducked instinctively but to no avail.

I remember turning away after the impact and the crimson flow splashing all over the pavement. “f***” someone said. “f***ing Hell”.

I took sixteen stitches in the face, but notwithstanding the needlework, I was still back on parade the following weekend. I went up to Club Maximus in Leicester Square, a great night.

The resilience of Youth eh.
QUOTE]

Remember that one well - came out the Cranbourne up Queens Road and where it bears left to join Surrey Street on that corner was a boozer - The Feathers - filled with City, as the front lads went past they came out and in the battle that followed it kicked off for 5+ minutes and hands up we were backed off down Queens Road with Nigel G getting a broken arm (from memory)!!

Hey Brighton Bluenose, It was the Feathers! Not the Queens head. Thats where I took the glass. Another memory put back in the right box.

 

[Marlton & Hove Albion]

Hey Brighton Bluenose, It was the Feathers! Not the Queens head. Thats where I took the glass. Another memory put back in the right box.

I once dated the landladies daughter from the Feathers. They had a big angry alsatian dog who would growl at me when she left the room. I swear it was half human. "You f*** my sister and I'll chew your balls off". She was sweet as, so I often took my life (at least my balls) in my hands.

You have a memory of being hit with a pint pot. I just got back a memory of something far nicer.........

Good how this all works.

 

[The Wookiee]

I was in that station pub at Ipswich
Remember the collection glass going round (think pub window got smashed too)
I also remember the pub staff not being able to handle the rowdy fans
A few people started pouring pints for themselves as the pub was understaffed, it got a bit out of control and the young pub staff shit themselves and f***ed off out the back and then there was a free for all
I dont remember what happened afters as had to then get to ground which was jampacked and got into the game late

Drum and Monkey

Did an Ipswich fan get battered to death that day

 

[thecavern]

I once dated the landladies daughter from the Feathers. They had a big angry alsatian dog who would growl at me when she left the room. I swear it was half human. "You f*** my sister and I'll chew your balls off". She was sweet as, so I often took my life (at least my balls) in my hands.

You have a memory of being hit with a pint pot. I just got back a memory of something far nicer.........

Good how this all works.

 

[hacienda989]

Someone mentioned the Urban Network Firm

Post WSF in the latter part of the 80s (pre-acid house) the main dressers at Brighton games used to stand down in the bottom corner of the North Stand next to the away end and was loosely made up of 'the Army' ('Billy', Stan etc...), the Paddies/'Brighton Excess Firm' (or was it Force?) - tongue in cheek names, if you know the lads who made up their numbers, you know what I mean - and the slightly younger lads who went under the moniker of the Urban Network Firm aka the UNF

 

[8340]

Remember that one well - came out the Cranbourne up Queens Road and where it bears left to join Surrey Street on that corner was a boozer - The Feathers - filled with City, as the front lads went past they came out and in the battle that followed it kicked off for 5+ minutes and hands up we were backed off down Queens Road with Nigel G getting a broken arm (from memory)!![/QUOTE]

blimey dementia kicked in bluenose ? wrong pub & it was steve la who got broken arm

 

[8340]

must of been difficult to see from your usual spot hiding with your big nosed buddy ( of mufc persuasion ) miles from the action

 

[brighton bluenose]

Remember that one well - came out the Cranbourne up Queens Road and where it bears left to join Surrey Street on that corner was a boozer - The Feathers - filled with City, as the front lads went past they came out and in the battle that followed it kicked off for 5+ minutes and hands up we were backed off down Queens Road with Nigel G getting a broken arm (from memory)!!

blimey dementia kicked in bluenose ? wrong pub & it was steve la who got broken arm [/QUOTE]

Mate I am 110% sure it was the feathers without a doubt - though you are probably closer to H to say it wasnt his arm that got broken!

Cant remember Steve La? PM me with name?

 

[hacienda989]

Remember that one well - came out the Cranbourne up Queens Road and where it bears left to join Surrey Street on that corner was a boozer - The Feathers - filled with City, as the front lads went past they came out and in the battle that followed it kicked off for 5+ minutes and hands up we were backed off down Queens Road with Nigel G getting a broken arm (from memory)!!

blimey dementia kicked in bluenose ? wrong pub & it was steve la who got broken arm [/QUOTE]

Don't know how true this is but someone once told me a story about City breaking someone's arm in Queens Road which I assume is the same incident above - the lad in question stood and got leathered and when he was on the floor, the City lads were discussing what to do with him - apparently some wanted to stripe him but someone stopped it happening, saying he was the only one who didn't get off... so they jumped on his arm instead... nice...

Also if I remember correctly - not sure if it was the same day - one of the Paddies got his winnings off a fruity down West Street taxed by some City who left him with a Mayne Line calling card