Hotchilidog
Well-known member
- Jan 24, 2009
- 8,739
Some of those people who have moved from elsewhere actually support Brighton too.
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Brighton have a bigger identity than London clubs
- Thread starter Working class pride
- Start date
Some of those people who have moved from elsewhere actually support Brighton too.
Monkey Man
Your support is not that great
Well, quite possibly, but I would suggest not in quite the same way as the natives with long family traditions. Nothing against new fans - I positively welcome them - but we all know Man U/Chelsea/Arsenal fans who support Brighton as a second club. Not sure that contributes to the "identity" that WCP is talking about.
The Large One
Who's Next?
1.6m, actually.
One person in seven in England lives in London.
A increasingly migrant population from without and within renders any hard and fast facts of a 'traditional' territory of a given football club dubious. Of course, locals may well support any given club, but there are other reasons for doing so too. That's as valid in London as it is in anywhere else in England.
Hotchilidog
Well-known member
- Jan 24, 2009
- 8,739
For a lot of the new Amex fans I suspect you are correct. Speaking for myself I now think of myself as a Brightonian rather than Londoner. I started at withdean in 2000 and since then the club has taken me over, my old allegiances definitely play second fiddle to the Albion now. I think the main reason for that were the struggles to get Falmer built and supporting the Albion required a little more than just turning up on saturday to watch the team, for me that is what set the Albion apart. I'd like to think that if they can stick it out a large number of the 'newer' fans will also crossover in similar fashion.
Psychobilly freakout
HellBilly
Sorry but what an incredibly pompous thing to say, London clubs in general have just as of an identity and affiliation with the local population and to be honest in some cases much greater over a longer period of time. Yes since the late 90s we have come together and fought our corner at every turn to keep the club alive and that took all of the community in Brighton & Hove even beyond to do so. However to think we are unique and other fans do not have a close bond with the community locally is well just arrogant even in the provincial areas such as Watford (which is not actually London anyway).
Sometimes I wonder about people, yes we have a great club and fans that have gone through hell and high water for it....
But there are people in Brighton and the rest of Sussex that don't give a flying **** about The Albion.
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Are you serious ??
Monkey Man
Your support is not that great
Yes, very fair points. The great thing about the Amex is that the parents who grew up supporting other teams and have got the Albion bug since moving to the area (or because they finally have a decent stadium in which to watch their local club) are bringing along kids for whom Brighton is their main team.
In the wilderness years, older fans kept the faith but for a lot of kids BHA was desperately uncool and a bit of a joke. Great to see how that's changed.
I think you'll find that's Tottenham talk.
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I brought up my two kids as Chelsea fans , we're in our second season of being season ticket holders now , the elder one has switched allegiance and now counts himself as a Brighton fan first, the younger one still counts himself as Chelsea first.
clapham_gull
Legacy Fan
- Aug 20, 2003
- 25,469
Ha ha
So it's down to immigration then.. Ha ha
How does that work for Spurs, Arsenal and Chelsea then ?
Chelsea had always drawn predominantly from the Wandsworth and still does. Not the odd chappy walking up the Kings Road.
The ten mile argument by another poster was hilarious. That's a huge catchment area in London terms.
You could live in Croydon and still within 10 miles of Stamford Bridge.
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Its rubbish whatever it is , Islington is about as solidly arsenal as an area can be.
I used to live in Finsbury Park, pretty solid Arsenal territory as well - amazing how many more came out of the woodwork when they won the double.
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it certainly is to some extent, you can walk around peckham and deptford and find Africans who've never even heard of Millwall , which wouldn't have been the case 40 years ago , same sort of thing in green street , full of Bangladeshis who couldn't care less about west ham.
Raleigh Chopper
New member
Because I live in Plymouth is see it every day and work in peoples houses so I know I am not far wrong about Argyle.
When I visit Brighton I sense an apathy about the club but that is only the centre and seafront. But I did always feel that the area around the Goldstone was always behind the club. But as for the other areas of Brighton and Hove today you guys who live there will have to tell me.
Regarding London, I used to go to Highbury often and the surrounding area always gave you a massive buzz that they were behind Arsenal. U suspect the same of the area around Brentford, Orient, Millwall and QPR.
I think Fulham may be the same and Spurs too.
I think the exception is Chelsea, I doubt that because of their location very few who live around Stamford Bridge give a toss. I know that Chelsea have huge support in Kent, Surrey and Berkshire (not sure about Sussex) also places like Ealing, Greenford and Ruislip.
So you cant class London clubs in London as a city but I think most London clubs have a backing of people that dont go but only local to the ground.
When I visit Brighton I sense an apathy about the club but that is only the centre and seafront. But I did always feel that the area around the Goldstone was always behind the club. But as for the other areas of Brighton and Hove today you guys who live there will have to tell me.
Regarding London, I used to go to Highbury often and the surrounding area always gave you a massive buzz that they were behind Arsenal. U suspect the same of the area around Brentford, Orient, Millwall and QPR.
I think Fulham may be the same and Spurs too.
I think the exception is Chelsea, I doubt that because of their location very few who live around Stamford Bridge give a toss. I know that Chelsea have huge support in Kent, Surrey and Berkshire (not sure about Sussex) also places like Ealing, Greenford and Ruislip.
So you cant class London clubs in London as a city but I think most London clubs have a backing of people that dont go but only local to the ground.
Raleigh Chopper
New member
I forgot about West Ham and you have a point but West Ham is an institution if you live in East London and out to Essex. They might not go to the Boleyn but thousands are behind the 'ammers.
Mackenzie
Old Brightonian
After the Spurs game at the Amex (the official opening) I caught the bus back to Queens Park, walked down Egremont Place, Upper Rock Gardens and St. James' Street and took my son on the Palace Pier.....we both had our Brighton shirts on....we must have been stopped about ten times by people asking how the Albion had got on that day.
There is definitely a lot of affection for the club in the town, especially that day at least.
Raleigh Chopper
New member
Fair enough I do not go to Brighton enough to make a definate comment.
But Brighton has changed with the amount of people moving in but there must still be many who are born and bred there, never been but care about the club.
Mackenzie
Old Brightonian
I agree, the people have changed a lot (especially since the start of the decade). That was a special day as well so I guess more people were aware of what was happening.
It was brilliant though, almost a throwback to how things used to be when people would actually talk to each other...(rather than shuffle along avoiding eye contact!)
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They also have huge support just across the river in battersea and Wandsworth , also tooting streatham clapham Stockwell etc
Brownstuff
Well-known member
I would hazard a guess that all London clubs have a bigger identity than Brighton does so not really sure what this is all about