[Albion] Your football ancestry

[nelson1973]

Born in Portslade and went to my first game at 3 years old in 1976. Dad was also a massive albion fan

 

[HangletonGull]

Born in shoreham 1st game I ever went to was an Albion game , my grandad had a season ticket in the west stand my brother is brighton my cousins are brighton and I’m brighton, my partner has been a brighton supporter all her life now my 2 daughters go as well

 

[Zeberdi]

1967 onwards living in and supporting Brighton with a Dad who was a STH - we moved to Brighton in 1967 from London where Dad was a Chelsea supporter and used to take me to Stamford Bridge occasionally until we moved to Brighton.

57 years a Brighton fan - never supported anyone else.

(Geezus - that’s over half a century supporting one football team!)

 

[wunt be druv]

I was born and bred in Worthing, my Dad and brother, being Southerners, naturally supported Man.Utd. but I was rescued at a young age by my uncle who gave me a Brighton and Hove Albion "the dolphins" badge, I was fascinated each time we drove past the Goldstone ground and eventually pester power won over and I went to a Brighton game ( V's Swindon Town) in the early 70's and for my sins have been hooked ever since, used to love going to the matches with my mates, I would catch the train at Goring-by-Sea with my mate, meet two more at Durrington and another at West Worthing and there was always another 20 or so supporters getting on at Worthing and this would continue all the way to Hove with more and more filling the train before everyone spilling out and walking up to the ground, always stopping at the sweetshop north of the railway line to stock up with supplies to last the match, I can still remember the smell of a mixture of cigarette smoke and fried onions as we arrived at the ground and bagged our spot behind the goal in the south stand and spend many happy times calling the opposition goalkeeper a wanker and telling him to f*** off, as we got older we emigrated to the hallowed ground of the north stand, happy days!

 

[Arkwright]

Never lived in Sussex, born in Caterham. Dad was an Exeter fan and Mum regularly went to Charlton in the fifties.
Until 1977 QPR was my team, then a school mate moved from Lewes to Caterham, my first Albion game was Spurs away nil,nil draw.
Over a thousand games and over hundred away grounds later I think I just about qualify as a fan.
Still sit next to the same person who introduced me all those year's ago, he's got a lot to answer for.

 

[Lurker]

I'll whisper it quietly, but I was born in the front bedroom of a council house in ... Croydon.

Fortunately my father had the good sense to get himself a job at a factory in Shoreham and we moved to Brighton when I was only 3 years old, so therefore before any lasting damage was done, and I continued to live in the area until my late 20's/early 30's.

Nobody to thank (or blame) for introducing me to the beautiful game.
Out of my immediate family of 11 people (4 x Grandparents, 2 x parents, 4 x siblings plus me), 10 had absolutely no interest in football whatsoever, and yet I am, and always have been, absolutely fanatical about it.
Go figure?

Attended my first match at the Goldstone when I was 10 years old, and I'm still a STH more than 60 years later.
No other team has ever entered into my thoughts, I am .. and always will be .. a strict one club man.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Born in Kent, but Dad grew up in Hove: he started going to the Goldstone as a boy from (I think) the late 1950s onwards. Took me to my first game in 1986 after unsuccessfully attempting to interest my brother, and I was hooked from day 1. We followed the team to Gillingham, Withdean and now here we are at the Amex.

Thank you, Dad, for the greatest gift of my life

 

[Mexican Seagull]

Born at Brighton General and grew up in Hollingbury bordering on Patcham, my Grandad (fathers side) was a season ticket holder in the old West Stand for over 50 years but he only ever took me once and that was to a reserve game. My dad hated football (his dad seemingly could get violent at home if the Albion lost....). Fortunately my uncle took me when I as 10 to see Albion vs Liverpool and was hooked from then on, my uncles tasty hot chocolate from his thermo flask also helped on a cold afternoon on the East terrace.

Have followed the Albion ever since, but mostly from some other country - even if it currently means some very odd viewing hours, i.e. breakfast kickoffs.

 

[dazzer6666]

Followed Liverpool as a kid, never went to a game though (lived in Devon, moved here in 1991). Started actively going to games when junior got interested around 20 years ago, firstly at Burgess Hill and then occasional Albion games which became more regular as we got sucked in……….ST since 2013. Confirmed JCL/gloryhunter/plastic I guess.

 

[JetsetJimbo]

I think I've posted about this before, but I took the nerdiest route possible into this. I only had a light interest in football when I was little, but then when I was 12 or so, I got a pirated copy of Championship Manager for my Amiga. Not knowing much about football, the obvious thing to do was to choose to manage the side from the town I lived in. Obviously choosing Brighton in ChampMan in '92 meant you were in for a tough game, but I loved it.

Suddenly, I had half a clue who the players were that my mates were talking about at school. And the rest is history.

 

[Peteinblack]

Born in Shoreham (hospital), dragged-up in a council house in Lancing. My dad took me to a couple of Albion games when I was a school-boy, and then I started going to games on my own.

Although I moved away from the area in the '80s, I always consider Brighton to be both my home town (I hated Lancing; it was Deadsville to a teenager!), and my football team. Never supported anyone else.

 

[Dancin Ninja BHA]

Born in Essex, moved to Haywards Heath aged 3 and lived there until 20.

Taken to first game around 1982 for a 8/9th birthday treat, and then started watching them religiously with a few friends from Oathall School from 86/87 season.

P.S. Everyone male in my family hates football!! Rugby family is mine

 

[Birdie Boy]

I was born in Brighton and grew up in the Elm Grove area. Mum and dad had no interest in football and nor did my dads family. My mums family, 1 uncle not interested other 2 were and were Manchester united fans and I think my grandad was as well and he was footy mad, always had it on TV whatever the game and always talking about it. I was always Brighton first but obviously had a keen interest in United.
I remember going to the open market butchers on a Saturday as a 6/7 year old and trying to work out how the Peter Ward lookalike used to work in the butchers and play footy for the Albion!
First game s woman my dad met in a pub to me to the Godstone v Middlesborough and Peter ward scored two goals. Next game she took me and left me alone and I made my way back to elm Grove on my own, I was 9 years old. I think my parents must have had words with her as I never went again until I went with mates as a 14 year old.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

My Dad was Charlton, but when he moved to Brighton he went occasionally to the Goldstone. Took me nagging him to take me to the football to properly change his allegiance.

Neither of my kids were born in Brighton nor have ever even spent a single night in the city, but they're Brighton fans, made sure of that

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Followed Liverpool as a kid, never went to a game though (lived in Devon, moved here in 1991).

On the Liverpool forum, this counts as true heritage.

 

[sully]

Born in Buckingham Road maternity hospital.

My dad was a big fan and it apparently cost him his first marriage (came back from an away game to an empty house apart from his dog). My mum told me he was secretary of the supporters club when she met him at the end of the 50s.

Dad took me to my first game at the Goldstone when I was 7, but encouraged me to have a broader interest in the top players. He made sure I saw Bobby Moore play live in his last season at West Ham (my first visit to Selhurst).

An interest in climbing took me away from football for a few years in my early 20s which coincided with the loss of the Goldstone, but I returned during the Gillingham exile.

I’ve only lived outside Sussex for two years of my life and found it difficult not being able to see games regularly, so was happy to move back.

Sadly, neither of my kids got the passion despite coming to games with me for a few years. Withdean didn’t do it for them.

 

[tjg]

Born and bred in Sussex. My dad took me to my first Albion game in 1968. We beat Stockport 3-0.

 

[wapuy]

My love for soccer started thanks to my grandfather. He was an avid fan and every Saturday at our house turned into a small soccer party. I remember how he would sit me down next to him, turn on the match and start talking about each team as if he knew their players personally. We didn't have the opportunity to go to the stadium often, but my grandfather created the atmosphere of a real game, even on the screen.

 

[Skuller]

My second cousin’s wife’s brother’s in law grand-nephew is Jack Hinshelwood (and I was born in Seaford). Will that do?

 

[Questions]

My dad starting taking me in 67/68. He was probably Palace as that is where he was from. He always told me he could get me trials there because he knew Bert Head. All the kids I played with were Brighton so I tagged along at 9 or 10 with them when the old feller didn’t go.
Married into an Albion family as well. When I do go nowadays it’s still with my mate of 58 years or so ago.