Your Albion story... when did it start?

[Kikikaikai]

For me it was actually in the 2011/2012 season. Having recently relocated to Brighton due to work, some friends took me to watch Brighton vs Newcastle in the FA Cup. It was rather awkward viewing as i was in the West Stand Upper amongst quite a lot of vocal Brighton fans, then when Newcastle went 1-0 due to a Williamson own goal it got just that little bit more awkward. For a Newcastle fan trying to blend in it was not easy!
Season 2012/2013 came and i was persuaded to get a Brighton Season ticket with a group of 3 friends from work. We started life in the West Upper but have now moved to the North West Corner with our ranks swelling to 14, all in one row and all singing our hearts out at each game.
I am still a Newcastle fan but also now a Brighton fan too, as you have a fantastic set up off the pitch, incredible fan base, a ground which rivals the best in Europe and a World Class training facility.

 

[topbanana36]

Brighton v Man Ure in 1979 as an 8 year old with my dad stood in the North west corner. Dull game, one shot Ashley Grimes and a booking of Micky **** Thomas. Still I was bitten by the Albion, my dad has not been to a game since. Continued to attend with a big chap called George, season ticket holder in the south west corner until I was old enough to go alone and then I graduated to the North Stand. Great times!!!!

 

[topbanana36]

Jan 30th 1988 vs Arsenal Fa Cup at the Goldstone.
Lost 2-1 but saw a cracker from Nelson.

Lively game that one.

 

[loco61]

we moved down to Hove at the beginning of the seventies
and i think it was v Rochdale in May 1972
my Dad took us and we stood under the floodlight on the NW Terrace
which remained our spot for a while before moving into the North Stand,
it became a very regular event
he would have loved today as he was an Arsenal fan before we moved to Hove
he never got to see The Amex
but his name too is on one of the stones behind the West Stand
thanks Dad !

 

[DurringtonGull]

Boxing day 1976 v Pompey away, lost 1-0 Nobby Horton missed a pen.

 

[The Birdman]

My uncle not only started me on Brighton But he took me to see Sussex c.c around 1966 when they beat the mighty W I under Gary Sobers.

 

[Deleted User X18H]

From the start of my e-book

"The opening day of the season can be entirely forgettable but an eventful one sticks in your mind more than most of the rest of the season. I remember four of them clear as a bell, two for the wrong reasons entirely. The first was 1979. Brighton had been promoted to the First Division, the top league the season before. I was just discovering supporting them. I hadn’t yet been to a game but I wanted to very badly. The previous May my dad and I (even though he hated football) had gone to the end of our road where the open top bus parade for the promoted team was passing down Sackville Road. Soon it came past. When I was a kid I loved buses. I could name every route and most of the number plates, but it wasn’t the bus that impressed me. On top of it were the players, Ward, Horton, Lawrenson, men who were already on the way to legendary status in the club. They didn’t impress me much either. What impressed me were the fans, led, I assume, by The Bosun Boys, running ahead of and behind the bus and chanting in unison. That’s who I wanted to be. That’s what I wanted to do.
Our first game in the top flight was against Arsenal. At the same time I was in my mum and dad’s blue Ford Cortina heading up to Lincolnshire to spend a couple of weeks with my Gran and Granddad. Just before Peterborough the Cortina’s pistons went in a shower of smoke from the engine and we had to pull in. My uncle arrived from Grantham to give us a tow. While he towed he had the car radio on and Brighton were on it. Goals were raining thick and fast but, unfortunately they were all for Arsenal. They won 4-0 and I had to listen to the whole thing whilst similarly worrying (I was a worrisome eight year old, The Boy gets it from me) if the car was about to set on fire and how we’d get home. That was my first ever game on the radio."


Two years after that my dad found friends that would take me (Joan and Fraser, one of whom was his guitar pupil, if you're still around and you read this you are my first Albion heroes) and the rest was history. Like the OP I booed my eyes out over the Cup Final replay. Was going by myself in the North from 1985 and first season of aways was 87-88.

The bus didn't go along Sackville Road fact . It's route from Newtown Road was - Goldstone Lane - Old Shoreham Road - Drive - Eaton Road - Denmark Villas - Goldstone Villas- Blatchington Road - George Street - Chrurch Road - Hove Street - Kingway u turn at Palace Pier back up West Street the Western Road and Church Road back to Hove Town Hall.

You're welcome .

 

[Fungus]

Today's the 46th anniversary of my first Goldstone game - beat Crewe 3-1, but it was a LONG time before we beat them again. Guess we didn't do the fourth round in those days!

Hooked from the beginning.

 

[grubbyhands]

Not sure of exact first game but do remember vividly Albion 2 Bristol Rovers 8 in,I think, 1973. 1-5 at half time I seem to recall.Probably first went the season before aged !4.

 

[Dumseagull]

way back in the year 2000 ish, i was invited to go for an away day up to Huddersfield. I can remember asking what i should do if they score, and what i should be singing! i'd never even seen a whole 90 minutes of football before that day.... it soon came to me the train was cancelled on the way home and we had to get a coach home, we didn't get back to Brighton till the next morning, but i still loved it

 

[Wilka]

25 Feb 1995 Huddersfield at home. 0-0. As a kid I had never got the football bug but my Uncle was over from America and was going with my Dad who was an Albion fan (I always used to take the piss when we listened to the football results in the car and Brighton had lost) so I tagged along. After that I kept on bugging him to take me again. Managed to drag my best mate along and changed him from a Man U fans over the glory year of 1996. Highlights including Sudbury at home in the cup. Without my Dad who passed away last year I would never have got into football or the Albion and [MENTION=17377]leigull[/MENTION] might still be a plastic United fan!

 

[BobbySmith]

Brighton V Wisbesh FA Cup 1965 ?, 10-1 hooked, the following week think 9-0 V Southend, who has could I support after such a good start.

 

[Guerrero]

At home to Bury sometime n the late 60's.
Played for Brighton Boys in the early 70's.
Played for the Youth and Reserves in the late 70's.
A shyte attitude and lots of injuries put paid to that.
Followed not fanatically,but genuinely ever since.
So around 45 years I suppose.