Goldstone Memories - 1988/89

Spencer Vignes · Feb 13, 2017

Howdy,

Just to let you know that the Ipswich Town edition of Seagull will be focusing on the 1988/89 season when Albion had just won promotion back to what is now the Championship from what was then Division Three.

The league table that season has us finishing a lowly 19th, but that doesn't tell the full story. We started with six straight league defeats and only took eight points from a possible 39 during the opening couple of months, so staying up in itself was something of an achievement. Throw in games such as the 3-1 disposal of Palace on Boxing Day, the crazy 2-1 win over Manchester City on April Fools' Day (anyone out there remember the Keith Cuss 'header-gate' incident?) and - though it didn't happen at the Goldstone - the five penalties match up at Palace and it all amounted to a season I remember with a smile.

Kevin Bremner will also be sharing his recollections in our question and answer section. Feel free to share your own memories of the 1988/89 campaign on here.

Just to recap, to mark the impending 20th anniversary of the Goldstone's demise we are remembering stand-out seasons from our time at the old place in each edition of the programme throughout this season.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the retro pieces in Seagull.

All the best,
Spencer Vignes (Albion fan, sports writer & author)
[MENTION=23620]Spencer[/MENTION]Vignes

AZ Gull · Feb 13, 2017

This was the season when Albion set a record for a transfer fee paid to a non-league club when they signed Nicky Bissett from Barnet for £115,000. Then, a week later, they went and signed Robert Codner from the same club for the same fee!

big nuts · Feb 13, 2017

My first ever Albion game that season a 2-0 win over Oldham Athletic.

May & Gatting with the goals.

Jam The Man · Feb 13, 2017

That was indeed a fun season.
Can still clearly see in my mind's eye Keith Cuss' back heading the ball into the crowd!
A couple of lads in the away end remember it too - the brothers Gallagher.

Lenny Rider · Feb 13, 2017

First edition of Gulls Eye, August 1988, 29 years ago

Hugh Jorgan · Feb 13, 2017

big nuts said:
My first ever Albion game that season a 2-0 win over Oldham Athletic.

May & Gatting with the goals.

Mine was the same season but against Stoke 1-1 draw.

BeHereNow · Feb 14, 2017

Jam The Man said:
That was indeed a fun season.
Can still clearly see in my mind's eye Keith Cuss' back heading the ball into the crowd!
A couple of lads in the away end remember it too - the brothers Gallagher.

Noel and Liam?

Jam The Man · Feb 14, 2017

BeHereNow said:
Noel and Liam?

Indeed!

ROSM · Feb 14, 2017

When we beat ipswich away that season. A 3-2 win. What a great day out.

Remember getting a bit sozzled.

hopkins · Feb 14, 2017

BeHereNow said:
Noel and Liam?

Would have been the older brother and Noel(Paul I think) as they were big city fans. Don't think Liam was that bothered.

Garry Nelson's Left Foot · Feb 14, 2017

My first season. First game was the first home game(I think) of the season against Bradford. I'd wanted to go the previous season but my Dad, mindful of the fact that I was in the early stages of developing a liking for Liverpool thanks to their regular outings on The Big Match, decided that the Third Division was no standard of Football to get me gripped. So I had to wait for us to be promoted before I got to go.

I don't think I've ever been so excited as I was that Saturday morning, the anticipation was even greater than Christmas. My first ever walk across Hove Park homing in on the floodlights of the North Stand. Swerving past the North Stand to go in the East. The walls seeming as tall as castle walls, topped off by that strange spikey plastic stuff and barbed wire. Squeezing through the turnstyle(even as an 8 year old it seemed a tight fit), waiting at the bottom of the steps then climbing them before getting to the top and seeing the huge, green pitch and the four mighty stands surrounding it(I was 8, the pitch was huge and the stands in my minds eye were almost Wembleyesque...).

I don't remember too much about the game other than loving it, us losing 3-1 and a certain Garry Nelson scoring a 'Nelse special' (as my Dad called it) into the south stand goal. The only other game I remember from that season was the Man City one with the ball boy heading it into the stand. I'm pretty sure the only time I saw Alan Curbishley miss a penalty was that game..but it got retaken and he promptly scored that one. (I'm not 100% on that recollection though)

Hiney · Feb 14, 2017

Lenny Rider said:
First edition of Gulls Eye, August 1988, 29 years ago

Which gets a mention in the 'Get with the Programme' piece

:thumbsup:

Mackenzie · Feb 14, 2017

The Kelvin Morton game was my first away day, bizarre match to start off with! Travelled up with my school friend, we were both 15 years old. Memories of the day were the warm bright sunshine, Ian Wright slicing a cross into our net for the first goal, the referee being an absolute tosspot and Curbishley showing the palace players how to take a penalty. I've still got the programme somewhere, I think it had a picture of some of the palace players on the steps of a Virgin 747 with a couple of hideous looking stewardesses :lolol:

It wasn't a classic season by any means, certainly didn't have the excitement of the previous one (probably my favourite) but it did herald the beginning of my away trips which I still love to this day.

Jam The Man · Feb 14, 2017

Garry Nelson's Left Foot said:
My first season. First game was the first home game(I think) of the season against Bradford. I'd wanted to go the previous season but my Dad, mindful of the fact that I was in the early stages of developing a liking for Liverpool thanks to their regular outings on The Big Match, decided that the Third Division was no standard of Football to get me gripped. So I had to wait for us to be promoted before I got to go.

I don't think I've ever been so excited as I was that Saturday morning, the anticipation was even greater than Christmas. My first ever walk across Hove Park homing in on the floodlights of the North Stand. Swerving past the North Stand to go in the East. The walls seeming as tall as castle walls, topped off by that strange spikey plastic stuff and barbed wire. Squeezing through the turnstyle(even as an 8 year old it seemed a tight fit), waiting at the bottom of the steps then climbing them before getting to the top and seeing the huge, green pitch and the four mighty stands surrounding it(I was 8, the pitch was huge and the stands in my minds eye were almost Wembleyesque...).

I don't remember too much about the game other than loving it, us losing 3-1 and a certain Garry Nelson scoring a 'Nelse special' (as my Dad called it) into the south stand goal. The only other game I remember from that season was the Man City one with the ball boy heading it into the stand. I'm pretty sure the only time I saw Alan Curbishley miss a penalty was that game..but it got retaken and he promptly scored that one. (I'm not 100% on that recollection though)

Your recollection is correct :thumbsup:

Spencer Vignes · Feb 14, 2017

Great memories. I thought Nelse's goal v Bradford was into the North Stand end, but I might be wrong (funny how the mind plays tricks on you after all these years). I'd certainly never heard the one about the Gallaghers being there for the City match. Does anyone know that for sure?

Johnny's Marr's recent autobiography has some nice stuff in there about him following City during the late seventies, including a right old skirmish up at Ayresome Park. Never had Marr down as a football fan. A good read, for anyone who's into their footie, music, etc.

Saladpack Seagull · Feb 14, 2017

Lenny Rider said:
First edition of Gulls Eye, August 1988, 29 years ago

Wow! Whenever we go approach Hove station on the train I point out to wife and/or daughter the exact spot where I used to buy Gulls Eye! The other day I couldn't believe it's 20 years since Fans United. Now I can't believe that Gulls Eye was 29 years back. Great memories.....how far we've come.....!

Worried Man Blues · Feb 14, 2017

Didn't we end that bad run by beating the Great Leeds team or is that another brain malfunction?

Spencer Vignes · Feb 14, 2017

Not a brain malfunction Worried Man! We did indeed end our losing streak with a first win of the season over Leeds (2-1), although I don't think that was one of their 'great' teams. Pretty sure they clicked the following season under Wilkinson and won promotion then, going on of course to become the last side to win the old Football League title before the advent of the Premier League.

Garry Nelson's Left Foot · Feb 14, 2017

Spencer Vignes said:
Not a brain malfunction Worried Man! We did indeed end our losing streak with a first win of the season over Leeds (2-1), although I don't think that was one of their 'great' teams. Pretty sure they clicked the following season under Wilkinson and won promotion then, going on of course to become the last side to win the old Football League title before the advent of the Premier League.

Did we play Leeds in the FA cup that year too? I seem to remember my brother going with my Dad to a leeds game and us winning and then I went a few weeks later and we lost. Or was that the following season? Or am I conflating two seasons?

AZ Gull · Feb 14, 2017

Garry Nelson's Left Foot said:
Did we play Leeds in the FA cup that year too? I seem to remember my brother going with my Dad to a leeds game and us winning and then I went a few weeks later and we lost. Or was that the following season? Or am I conflating two seasons?

You are correct - we lost to Leeds at home in the FA Cup third round in January.

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