[Albion] Your Three Favourite Albion Seasons

[drew]

76/77
77/78
78/79

Magic days.

Can't argue with that as it also coincided with my first full seasons of going to the Goldstone. (One game in 73 and then a further three in the 75/76 season)

 

[GT49er]

In ascending order:

2001/2; (with acknowledgement to the previous season when we got out mojo back, and Bobby Z) - the season we achieved successive promotions and championships - something very few teams have ever achieved.

1979/80; (again with acknowledgement to the previous season when we won promotion) - but it has to be 79/80. To be able, for the first time ever, to be able to switch on Sports Report and hear James Alexander Gordon's first word after 'Football League, Division One' was sometimes 'Brighton......' Sheer bliss!

1971/2; Pat Sawards wonderful side (and they were wonderful). My last year at Uni, and I knew I had enough in the locker to breeze trough my finals and hitch hiking was easy. That was the season I saw more Albion matches then any other - in those days, hitching back to Liverpool overnight after an evening match at the Goldstone was a doddle; I could even get back in time for lectures (if I'd still bothered going to them).....the 35000 near record crowd against Ted McDougall and Bournemouth, the Villa match with the brave (unexpected and almost unimaginable) change in central defence and that Willie Irvine goal (assist by John Templeman), the come-back with three goals in the last ten minutes against Torquay, and the 1-1 draw with Rochdale........oh, what matches! And I even had a pretty hot girl-friend waiting for me in Liverpool back then!

 

[Pavilionaire]

For me personally 1982/83 was a special season because it was my first and because of the Cup run all the way to the Final. Beating Man Utd with a goal from Peter Ward was my first match that season - I was 14.

Ten kids huddled round one transistor radio in the playground listening to the cup semi final draw praying we'd get Sheff Wed and avoid Arsenal and Man Utd, then going crazy when our prayers were answered, then immediately dreaming of Wembley. The sheer power of Jimmy Case's free kick and the huge convoy of buses up to London from Sussex. Magical.

 

[Nobby]

1978/79, 2010/11, 2016/17.

I love a good Moriarty, me.

Yep these were the best.
With 78/79 top. Just because it went to the wire whilst pretty early on in 10/11 and 16/17 we believed that we would achieve.

But also honourable mentions to 1971/72, 2001/02, and the ultimately gut wrenching but mostly wonderful 1977/78 and 2015/16.

I think that the ingredients for enjoyment during a football season are drama, excitement, superiority, quality, nervousness and goals with a sprinkling of despair on top.

In that respect 77/78 and 15/16 had it all. Amazement that little old Albion were going toe to toe with the big money favourites, daring to dream, but then suffering a cruel last minute failure.

Phew, brings it all back.

What a wonderful club to support

 

[Exile]

For me personally 1982/83 was a special season because it was my first and because of the Cup run all the way to the Final. Beating Man Utd with a goal from Peter Ward was my first match that season - I was 14.

Ten kids huddled round one transistor radio in the playground listening to the cup semi final draw praying we'd get Sheff Wed and avoid Arsenal and Man Utd, then going crazy when our prayers were answered, then immediately dreaming of Wembley. The sheer power of Jimmy Case's free kick and the huge convoy of buses up to London from Sussex. Magical.

You may enjoy this 'Match Report' (if you missed it):

https://nortr3nixy.nimpr.uk/content.php?730-Albion-2-2-Manchester-United-21-05-1983

All pretence of schooling is basically abandoned at this stage. Every lesson just excited babble. Are you going? Of course I’m bloody going. How are you getting there? Who are you going with? Do you know anyone with a spare? Not just in schools either – Brighton is now FA Cup Town. Every shop window displaying their (previously well hidden) love of the Albion. The Argus covers nothing else. There’s features on the news – not just the local gubbins – the actual proper news. Interviews on the pier, with various players, and with manager Jimmy Melia. Jimmy has a pair of white shoes – that alone the basis of half a dozen FA Cup stories. Balding little gnome Jimmy has a ‘glamour girl’, in Val Lloyd, on his arm – half a dozen more. The squad are flying to Wembley in a bloody helicopter, courtesy of shirt sponsors British Caledonian – more glamour. The Albion squad get involved in the ‘grand’ tradition of the FA Cup final single – “The Boys in the old Brighton blue” appear on Top of the Pops, no less. Amazing times.

And so to now – here we all are, up with the lark, my brothers and I bundled into the brown (why Dad? just why?) Ford Sierra, for the journey to actual bloody Wem-ber-ley. Climbing Snakey Hill there’s a car in front of us, with blue and white scarves trailing from both rear windows. We’re having some of that – windows down, scarves out, windows up. Onto the A23, there’s another car, more scarves. Then another, and another. And a coach, and a bus, and what seems like a hundred more buses – all full of blue and white, flags and scarves trailing from every window. There’s flags and good luck banners strung from the bridges over the road, as the glorious cavalcade flows by. And we’re part of it – smiles and waves, and car horns blaring – and it’s bloody brilliant.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

1977/78
1978/79
2016/17

 

[getreal1]

Yes 76/77. Everything about it.

 

[Nigella's Cream Pie]

76/77 - promotion from div 3, highlight beating York 7-2 (rare appearance on Match of the Day)

78/79 - promotion from div 2, highlight clinching promotion at Newcastle:

79/80 - 1st season in div 1, highlight ending Clough and Taylor's European champions Forest's run of 51 league games unbeaten at home (Gerry Ryan's goal on Match of the Day lifted us off bottom of the table)

 

[el punal]

In ascending order:

2001/2; (with acknowledgement to the previous season when we got out mojo back, and Bobby Z) - the season we achieved successive promotions and championships - something very few teams have ever achieved.

1979/80; (again with acknowledgement to the previous season when we won promotion) - but it has to be 79/80. To be able, for the first time ever, to be able to switch on Sports Report and hear James Alexander Gordon's first word after 'Football League, Division One' was sometimes 'Brighton......' Sheer bliss!

1971/2; Pat Sawards wonderful side (and they were wonderful). My last year at Uni, and I knew I had enough in the locker to breeze trough my finals and hitch hiking was easy. That was the season I saw more Albion matches then any other - in those days, hitching back to Liverpool overnight after an evening match at the Goldstone was a doddle; I could even get back in time for lectures (if I'd still bothered going to them).....the 35000 near record crowd against Ted McDougall and Bournemouth, the Villa match with the brave (unexpected and almost unimaginable) change in central defence and that Willie Irvine goal (assist by John Templeman), the come-back with three goals in the last ten minutes against Torquay, and the 1-1 draw with Rochdale........oh, what matches! And I even had a pretty hot girl-friend waiting for me in Liverpool back then!

Although not in my top 3 favourite seasons 1971/2 was very close. I was at those matches you mentioned, apart from the Villa game as I had to work - boo! One of my first away trips was to watch the Albion at Bradford City. Me and my pal caught the supporters club coach from St.Peter’s Church and had the most boring journey there and back. We were the youngest on board, as soon as we got to Bradford we made up for it and were knocking back copious pints of the local ale! Although we lost 2-1 so did all our promotion rivals - in fact that was our last defeat of the season.

After that Pat Saward dropped John Napier and brought in Ian Goodwin at centreback and we never looked back. A couple of other snippets - we had the best away record in the division with 12 wins and only 5 defeats. That tremendous comeback against Torquay was on Good Friday, and (one for the quizzers), must have been the Albion’s earliest ever kick off at 11.30 or even 11.00.

A really great and unexpected season.

 

[Peter Grummit]

Have agonised over this and ended up where most of you are.

3. 2016/17 Promotion to the promised land, Brighton are back where we once never dared-dream.

2. 1978/79 Unbelievable momentum to the season. 1 loss in the last 16. Top scorers (72 goals, 21 more than the scum). 16W; 3Dr; 2Defeats. First season I went away with my mates, age 15. Giving League Champs Forest a fright. HUGE away support in the run in (Luton - Maybank running length of pitch to celebrate with us a la Murray at Brum; Orient where we had half the 11,500 crowd). And of course Newcastle.

1. 1976/77. My abiding memory is going to every home game knowing we would win. Not quite but 19W out of 23 with just the shock loss v Wrexham. Mellor and Ward, record 36 goals for the latter, top scorer in all 4 divisions. The League cup run, Binney destroying top flight Ipswich, the NOISE of 33,500 when League champs Derby came down and Ward scored after 37 seconds! 7-2 York; 7-0 Walsall. The Challis debacle. Massive fans running round the aisles of the chicken run (unsegregated) desperately trying to spy the pitch over 10k Albion fans heads in the game when we clinched promotion. Thumping Pompey 4-0. Finishing above the scum. Was truly the season that had everything, led by my all time favourite player, 45 games 9 goals from Nobby Horton.

PG

 

[zefarelly]

Hard to disagree with that.

96/97 - To survive the way we did and Fans United will live long in the memory.

2000/01 - To be back playing in Brighton and to win the league. I felt proud to be a BHA fan again.

16/17 - To finally make it to the promised land and playing some great football along the way.

 

[Simster]

To rank them would be hard, but my top three, without a doubt:

1987/88 Fired to promotion from the third tier, by the goals of the brilliant Garry Nelson. I was 17 years old and allowed to get to away games under my own steam. Brilliant memories. Newport Pagnall services on the way home from Chester away, all crowded round a radio, to hear the other result, that meant it was all still in our hands. The joy of confirming promotion at home to Bristol Rovers - all the players up in the West Stand directors box - Adrian Owers in just his pants. A guy in a full gorilla suit celebrating with them, who was a kid from our school who was banned at the time! Absolute scenes.

2010/11 "were ****ing brilliant" etc. And we were. Charlton and Peterborough away ("three nil, in your cup final...") The best football we'd ever seen the Albion play, sprinkled with new exotic heroes on board the Gus Bus. The nine straight wins in Magic March, Beating moneybags Saints to the title, and the whole Adkins nonsense. Brilliant

2016/17 Promotion to the PL after a few years of knocking on the door. Boro passing us on the way. Lots and lots of goals. The incredible Sheffield Wednesday game. Fulham and QPR away. On the pitch after Wigan, with Bloom stood arms out with a massive grin on his face. Sweet Caroline. The concourse after, as some random Derby player scored the goal that brought absolute confirmation. The seafront parade. Amazing stuff.

This.

 

[CliveWalkerWingWizard]

For me best was 15/16 -only because we had 16/17, great going to away games with my teenage son. Loved the 84/85 and 85/86 seasons. Going to football with mates, great players Saunders, gotsmanov, Penney, Wilson. And missed out on division 1 by one win in 84/84.