[Albion] What is the most bizarre/memorable Albion game(s) you have attended ?

[TWOCHOICEStom]

Just seeing so many people at once have an epiphany at Charlton away under Gus was very bizarre.

All of the protest games at the Goldstone. Whistles blowing, pitch invasions, flares, walkouts, broken goalposts, Fans United. Football doesn't get much more weird than those days does it?

3 own goals at Anfield. Pretty bizarre.

That wanker Keane away at Grimsby running behind the goal shouting "going down" to us after he scored his pen. No idea why he did that. Bizarre.

"O'Grady scores, we're on the pitch" away Brentford (O'Grady scored in the 93rd minute).

Memorable for me, that away win at Palace in 2005 and I got hit on the head by a Panda Pop bottle away at Aldershot... true story.

 

[Fat Boy Fat]

What Albion game sticks in your mind and why ? It doesn't have to be what happens on field that makes it special.

I am always drawn back to Albion vs Walsall at the Goldstone on a Tuesday evening in 1976. I can't recall seeing another result like it when both teams came off level 0-0 at half time and the Albion ran out 7-0 victors. That's a goal about every 6 minutes. It was crazy stuff.

To add to the mayhem and mystery the seven second half goals were all scored by just 2 players - Ian Mellor 3 and Peter Ward 4. (kicking towards the South stand I think)

Plus the match was watched by just 14,000 yet 4 days earlier over 27,000 had piled in to watch the 1-1 draw with Palace.

Like you, this will probably be the game I would always be drawn to. Standing at the back of the East Terrace watching the second half unfold, with Mellor and Ward at their devastating best - happy days.

 

[Jesus Gul]

also Northampton away in the FA Cup in the late 80s

the away terrace was a sea of celery

 

[papajaff]

2 games stand out for me for different reasons. Cloughie's first home game and it was covered by MOTD. Looking it up in Tim and Roger's excellent book, it was York at home, 3rd Nov, 1973.
I was 12 and me and my mate Jim stayed behind to listen to the post-match interview. As soon as this was finished, Cloughie herded the 20 or so of us who had waited for ages in to the corner of the North West stand and gave this fabulous speech about what he had planned for the Albion. I was spellbound. The rest we all know about. But what a memory.

The 2nd game was Halifax at home in February 1976. Alan Ball Snr was the Halifax manager and my Dad wanted to see if he could meet up with his old army buddy. Now my old man was one for stretching the truth and I went along with him not expecting much. He never went to Albion games, ex Gunner you see in the army so was an Arsenal fan.
For some reason he knew what time the train carrying the Halifax players arrived in to Hove. When it did he approached them and asked where Alan was. Turned out he was driving himself and two of the players ended up in the back of Dad's car, one I seem to remember being Ray McHale. Drove them round to the Goldstone and dropped them off.
So we waited outside the West Stand and eventually Mr Ball senior turns up and my Dad calls out to him. They embrace like old mates do. "Bloody hell, he does know him" I think.
So we are guests of honour in the West Stand and after the game Mr Ball offers me a trial at Halifax that summer. "If you're half as good as your Dad, you'll make it". "He's better that I was".
Mr Ball was sacked at the end of that season so the trial never happened. Big regret for me.
Can remember all the Albion players tucking in to pints in the players lounge and Sully smoking like a chimney.

Glad to have got all this down in writing at long last. Superb memories.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

A few others that I remember well..

Cheltenham away when the burger van caught fire.

Orient away we won 2-1 (Zamora, Brooker) and we marched down the High Street to the station. That was fun.

The 3-3 at Birmingham in 1995 was pulsating and one of the best matches of that era, as was the league Cup win at Leicester.

 

[pearl]

Me and my mate went to Galway Races instead.

I was with two friends, we stayed at a B&B in Galway. The food was amazing, that and the Guinness I put on a lot of weight those few days.

 

[mrthewebs]

The 4-4 against Orient back in 96 i think it was at the goldstone. just a bit of everything even a fan ran on the pitch to slide tackle ray wilkins

 

[Dancin Ninja BHA]

Was that the game where we were shoe horned into one end of the main stand as they had grossly under estimated how many would travel from Brighton?

YES IT WAS

For a 'little' club, we always had/have tremendous away support to these far-flung Northern outposts!

Shoe-horned is a great way to describe what happened that night. Still odd to think we played that match on a Friday night, at a time when the only team that played ever on a Friday night was Tranmere, so as not to clash with Liverpool and Everton. Guess there was a big rugby league match the next day.

As an aside, keep reading posts and saying to myself "I went to that one!"

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Memorable - Southampton away in the cup can’t recall the year (around 2005 onwards) think we won 3-1

Bizarre - My first trip to Cambridge away, getting in for £1 but having to walk through a field of cows to get in


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[Paulie Gualtieri]

4-4 against Orient stands out for me. I was 14, in the North stand with my pals.

Was that when Ray Wilkins (RIP) got kicked in the Bollocks?


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[Paulie Gualtieri]

YES IT WAS

For a 'little' club, we always had/have tremendous away support to these far-flung Northern outposts!

Shoe-horned is a great way to describe what happened that night. Still odd to think we played that match on a Friday night, at a time when the only team that played ever on a Friday night was Tranmere, so as not to clash with Liverpool and Everton. Guess there was a big rugby league match the next day.

As an aside, keep reading posts and saying to myself "I went to that one!"

Remember something similar at QPR away on a Sunday I think. They only opened the lower tier and it was POTG. A few broke in which forced them to open the upper tier


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[Harry Wilson's tackle]

The 4-4 against Orient back in 96 i think it was at the goldstone. just a bit of everything even a fan ran on the pitch to slide tackle ray wilkins

As noted previously on several occasions, that was my old school pal, who we affectionately called 'wreck' in the 70s, who I last met at Royal Sussex County when we were both doing hospital visits. A good pal of mine at one time, but lacking a bit in the restraint and judgement departments. If you're reading, mate, all the best to you - I'm also a dickead, just differently so

 

[zefarelly]

A few others that I remember well..

Cheltenham away when the burger van caught fire.

Orient away we won 2-1 (Zamora, Brooker) and we marched down the High Street to the station. That was fun.
r.

Oh yes, my little brother had just started Uni @ Chelt . . . . We drove down, took him to the football, then a night out . . . Over riding memory being 'shall we get a burger. . . . Yes . . . Oooh, flames . . . but not that well done thanks.

It was A better display than on the pitch.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

2 games stand out for me for different reasons. Cloughie's first home game and it was covered by MOTD. Looking it up in Tim and Roger's excellent book, it was York at home, 3rd Nov, 1973.
I was 12 and me and my mate Jim stayed behind to listen to the post-match interview. As soon as this was finished, Cloughie herded the 20 or so of us who had waited for ages in to the corner of the North West stand and gave this fabulous speech about what he had planned for the Albion. I was spellbound. The rest we all know about. But what a memory.

The 2nd game was Halifax at home in February 1976. Alan Ball Snr was the Halifax manager and my Dad wanted to see if he could meet up with his old army buddy. Now my old man was one for stretching the truth and I went along with him not expecting much. He never went to Albion games, ex Gunner you see in the army so was an Arsenal fan.
For some reason he knew what time the train carrying the Halifax players arrived in to Hove. When it did he approached them and asked where Alan was. Turned out he was driving himself and two of the players ended up in the back of Dad's car, one I seem to remember being Ray McHale. Drove them round to the Goldstone and dropped them off.
So we waited outside the West Stand and eventually Mr Ball senior turns up and my Dad calls out to him. They embrace like old mates do. "Bloody hell, he does know him" I think.
So we are guests of honour in the West Stand and after the game Mr Ball offers me a trial at Halifax that summer. "If you're half as good as your Dad, you'll make it". "He's better that I was".
Mr Ball was sacked at the end of that season so the trial never happened. Big regret for me.
Can remember all the Albion players tucking in to pints in the players lounge and Sully smoking like a chimney.

Glad to have got all this down in writing at long last. Superb memories.

Thanks for sharing. Brilliant stuff. All the best

ps I though when I started reading you might be about to recount the Hull City away game again, till I remembered it was my delicious pleasure as you were the source of the entertainment on the night.

 

[Bodian]

The 4-4 against Orient back in 96 i think it was at the goldstone. just a bit of everything even a fan ran on the pitch to slide tackle ray wilkins

Last game I saw at the Goldstone, as we moved north in spring 1997 and I only went to away games for the rest of the year. What a game to go out on!

 

[Gabbafella]

George Parris scoring against Bristol Rovers will always stick in my mind. He was waiting behind the goal, keeper threw the ball on the deck and up popped George to nick it off him and slot it home.
The other game was Burnley at home, two players sent off in quick succession and a goal down. The animosity from our lot towards the ref was unreal, I genuinely thought it was all going to kick off, everyone was in a foul mood. Then came the second half and what seemed liked 45mins of singing the Great escape, bouncing around, having the best fun. One of the greatest atmospheres I've experienced at a game and one that showed just how together our fans are when things look bleak.

 

[Grombleton]

The other game was Burnley at home, two players sent off in quick succession and a goal down. The animosity from our lot towards the ref was unreal, I genuinely thought it was all going to kick off, everyone was in a foul mood. Then came the second half and what seemed liked 45mins of singing the Great escape, bouncing around, having the best fun. One of the greatest atmospheres I've experienced at a game and one that showed just how together our fans are when things look bleak.

That's my vote. Bloody cold day and I thought after we lost Vincelot 'Shit, this is gonna be a tough one'. Then we lost Barnes and I thought 'well **** me this is bizarre'.
But the crowd was one of the best i've experienced at the Amex and I still can't believe we were a CMS shot away from actually taking something from that game.

 

[portlock seagull]

Feb 1993 ZDS cup QF ?

I seem to recall Ian Wright came off the bench to score twice in extra time

Correct. Snow piled up and Stephen Rooke shouting “oi, Palace, get off the pitch” on the tannoy after they invaded the SE corner when celebrating. Legend!

 

[Official Old Man]

Having been to many of the games mentioned here from '77 onwards, one stands out in more recent times.
Charlton A and time to repay a debt. 1000's of balloons sneaked past security and thrown on to the pitch and non stop "we're Brighton & Hove Albion, we never forget".

 

[Sirnormangall]

Not sure where to start, but here goes:
* Bobby Smith’s first home appearance
* every match that clinched promotion
* the evening mid week matches in the 70s when Ken Beamish seemed to always score in the 89th minute
* the 7 goals scored at home v Charlton and Walsall
* FA cup run and the 2 cup finals
* the Goldstone protest matches
* last match at Goldstone
* first match at Amex
* numerous drunken away matches including Hull mid week when we won with 2 sendings off, Wardy’s debut at Hereford, every victory at Selhurst,
* the matches when my boys were mascots

The list of matches that I’d rather forget would be just as long!