Paul Whelch RIP

Not Andy Naylor · Apr 6, 2017

Well said all, especially Al and Hamilton. Paul - like Roy and Sarah - leaves a legacy that we enjoy at every home game and it's so sad that they won't be here for the next stage of the journey they helped to start. But at least they saw the stadium built and those of us who knew them during the War Years and thereafter will never forget them and everything they did for us.

The Andy Naylor Fan Club · Apr 6, 2017

RIP Paul. It's because of your ( along with Sarah, Roy and others ) relentless campaigning, hard work and love for our club that we are still in existence today. Whatever happens at the end of this season, it's because of your dedication that we are able to witness the continued highs and ( not so many ) lows of our beloved team. Many thanks for being a big part of our history.

Bigtomfu · Apr 6, 2017

Hamilton said:
Without people like Paul Whelch, and the many others that did so much to raise awareness of what was being done to our club - you know who you are - there would be no Amex; there would be no hope of promotion to the top flight.

Everything we are experiencing now; every emotion, is thanks to people like Paul.

Yes, Dick Knight stepped in and did amazing work with Martin Perry in steering the club through dark years and back to Brighton. Yes Tony Bloom has done amazing things in building the club up and in retaining so much of the culture that is important to Brighton - a true fan. But, without those original campaign heroes, there would be nothing at Falmer but a field with cows grazing in it. We'd be passing the Goldstone retail park each day and banging the steering wheel in anger and with regret. Our youngsters would be wearing Chelsea shirts and never believing that Brighton ever had a team that played at Wembley.

People like Paul Whelch, Sarah Watts, Roy Chuter and others saved this club. They don't need a statue or a plaque or anything like that, but they deserve to live long in our memories.

Excellent post.

I can only hope our current crop of fans have half the gumption people like Paul showed in the face of extreme adversity (god forbid it ever happens again) without whom we wouldn't possible exist.

My respects to Paul's family. I hope the club mark his passing with a minutes silence.

Lady Bracknell · Apr 6, 2017

Paul will be sadly missed. He was a quiet hero who worked tirelessly for the cause and the club that he loved.

kevo · Apr 6, 2017

Some wonderful tributes on here. I knew Paul through Seagulls Over London and his campaigning work during the 'Build a Bonfire years'. He didn't fit your typical description of a football fan (if there is such a thing!) - well-spoken and mild-mannered but with a steely quiet determination to do everything he could to save the club he loved so much. Rest in peace, Paul.

Ernest · Apr 6, 2017

Sad news to hear of Paul's passing especially when the Albion are so close to the Premier League, at least everything he and others no longer with us fought for has ended in the ultimate success with Albion hopefully back in the top flight .

RIP

Lady Bracknell · Apr 6, 2017

A rather poignant picture taken at the launch of 'We Want Falmer' on 15th December 2011. Paul, as always, was never one to be in the front row of a group photograph despite how invaluable he'd been to the Falmer cause.

whitelion · Apr 6, 2017

I didn't know Paul personally but recognise the part he played in the history of the Albion and sorry to hear he lost his fight RIP

http://mobile.seagulls.co.uk//news/article/2016-17/paul-whelch-brighton-hove-albion-3661098.aspx

One of the club's great supporters has passed away.

All at Brighton & Hove Albion are saddened to learn of the death of supporter and Seagulls Over London founder and chairman Paul Whelch at the age of 57 - and the thoughts of everyone at the club are with Paul's partner Erika and his many friends at this time.

Paul was instrumental in the fight to save the club during the 1990s, initially as a writer for the fanzine Gulls Eye and member of BISA (Brighton Independent Supporters Association); and in 1994, he founded Seagulls Over London, for Albion fans living and working in the capital.

In the latter part of that decade he became a crucial part of the Save the Albion campaign, and it was together with Evening Argus reporter Paul Bracchi and fellow accountant Paul Samrah, the three Pauls discovered that the Archer-Stanley-Bellotti regime had removed the 'no-profit' clause from the club's articles of association and alerted the Football Association.

Once Albion's immediate future had been saved, as Dick Knight became chairman, Paul was an active member of the Bring Home the Albion campaign, with the aim of getting the club back from Gillingham and playing home games at Withdean Stadium - where Paul also managed the fan-led 'litter-picking' team, dubbed the Wombles of Withdean, who cleared up after each home match, as part of the planning agreement with Brighton & Hove City Council.

Having achieved the goal of bringing Albion back to the city, fans' attentions turned to a more permanent solution and Paul was a member of the supporter-led Falmer For All team, tasked with convincing the rest of the city to vote "YES, YES" at a 1999 referendum to decide whether Falmer was the best site for a stadium.

Paul Whelch played in an integral role in the Falmer For All team

After a landslide success, the team then turned to supporting Martin Perry's project team in securing planning permission for the American Express Community Stadium - permission eventually came in 2005, and of course the stadium was built and opened for business six years later.

Last year, Seagulls Over London celebrated their 21st anniversary, following the Birmingham City home match at the Amex, with Paul and the members converging on the club's museum and then celebrating with a banquet in the 1901 Club - no doubt in Paul's case, washed down with several pints of Harveys!

Like so many, Paul was one of the true heroes of the club's darkest days of the 1990s, a constant voice, speaking up for the club. An Albion stalwart, and one who will be sorely missed.

Gilliver's Travels · Apr 6, 2017

Just dug out some old photos. There was Paul, chairing Seagulls over London, alongside an impossibly youthful Dean Hammond. Even more in character was this shot, confirming that Paul could indeed organise the proverbial piss up - in this case leading the SoL flock on an entirely educational tour of the Young's Brewery in Wandsworth. Samples were soon to follow.

Albion Ranger · Apr 6, 2017

Such sad news. I remember Paul well from the dark days and paired up with him to hang 'Yes,Yes' balloons on the lamp posts of Hangleton.
I know he played a huge part in saving the Albion and he deserves to be remembered for that. So unfair that he has been taken before he got to see his beloved team achieve promotion to the top flight.
My condolences to his family and rest in peace, Paul.

BlockDpete · Apr 6, 2017

So sad, I knew Paul from his Seagulls over London days, and would see him in the Evening Star on match days.

RiP Paul

Barry Izbak · Apr 6, 2017

The Albion Roar said:
On the day the Amex Stadium opened, and Radio Reverb allowed us to have the 'Breakfast' slot on the Saturday morning from 8am-10am.

Paul Whelch was our first guest on that day, and he covered the early parts of the 'War Years' story. You can hear his enthusiasm and tenacity coming through that historic morning.

You can listen to Paul on his first appearance on The Albion Roar from that day - 30th July 2011.

http://albionroar.co.uk/media/files/download.php?file=breakfast-show-part1.mp3

Thanks Al. I'm now listening to Part 2 downloaded from the Albion Roar archive http://www.albionroar.co.uk/archive.php

And for those who have read all about Paul's contribution to the war, but may not have been around in 96/97 then listen to this and hear him describe in his own words how he, and others, revealed the truth about the near theft of out football club.

Papak · Apr 6, 2017

I didn't know Paul but was aware of the work done by a mini army of dedicated Brighton fans at and around this time.

It has brought tears to my eyes reading the accounts of others here who did know Paul and who managed put into words the monumental effort and results he achieved for this football club. RIP.

Lush · Apr 6, 2017

What to add? Such sad news. RIP Paul.

clapham_gull · Apr 6, 2017

Havent attended SOL for years but tonight was thinking of the laughs he gave me.

The expression Tommy Fraser gave him (who obviously had the routine well rehearsed) when Paul asked him about his "famous" Uncle was pure theatre.

The other one for me was John Keeley coming up to me (randomly) at London Bridge station asking where the toilets are.

Me "John Keeley, Seagulls Over London.. I'll walk you down to the pub"

Keeley: "Yeah great but can you take me to the toilets first cos I'm dying for a piss"

Quite how Paul got the likes of Bloom, Poyet, Butters up to London is beyond me.

It often got looked on here like a clique. It wasn't. Anyone could turn up and meet the players. I once took a West Ham supporting mate, he was amazed.

Cheers Paul.

Sent from my LG-K520 using Tapatalk

Hastings gull · Apr 6, 2017

Papak said:
I didn't know Paul but was aware of the work done by a mini army of dedicated Brighton fans at and around this time.

It has brought tears to my eyes reading the accounts of others here who did know Paul and who managed put into words the monumental effort and results he achieved for this football club. RIP.

I fully echo your post. I recall his name during those dark days -may he rest in peace. What we now take for granted was due to his and other's work.

PILTDOWN MAN · Apr 6, 2017

Hamilton said:
Without people like Paul Whelch, and the many others that did so much to raise awareness of what was being done to our club - you know who you are - there would be no Amex; there would be no hope of promotion to the top flight.

Everything we are experiencing now; every emotion, is thanks to people like Paul.

Yes, Dick Knight stepped in and did amazing work with Martin Perry in steering the club through dark years and back to Brighton. Yes Tony Bloom has done amazing things in building the club up and in retaining so much of the culture that is important to Brighton - a true fan. But, without those original campaign heroes, there would be nothing at Falmer but a field with cows grazing in it. We'd be passing the Goldstone retail park each day and banging the steering wheel in anger and with regret. Our youngsters would be wearing Chelsea shirts and never believing that Brighton ever had a team that played at Wembley.

People like Paul Whelch, Sarah Watts, Roy Chuter and others saved this club. They don't need a statue or a plaque or anything like that, but they deserve to live long in our memories.

You have put far better something I was attempting to do last evening, top work, class act.

Gwylan · Apr 6, 2017

Hastings gull said:
= What we now take for granted was due to his and other's work.

Reading some of these tributes has reminded me of the closing lines of Middlemarch. "For the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs,"

I'm not sure that Paul's work can be described as hidden but we can certainly be thankful that things are not as ill for us as they might have been.

Cesar Chavez · Apr 7, 2017

The amount of work he got through on behalf of us all and the club was outstanding. Tenacious and committed. Aside from the war years and then Withdean and Falmer campaigns, there were those extras he felt he had to do. Why the litter patrol? Because no one else will likely do it, so I must was his response. He took his SOL duties seriously, I'm sure we got a bit rowdy at times, but he took it in good spirit. I've some photos somewhere of us all on an Albion pub crawl - visit every pub in London called The Albion on a summer Saturday. I vaguely recall Herr Tubthumper attempting to commander the Woolwich ferry, but that is another tale. Rest In Peace Paul, thanks for the memories and all the work to save our club.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Miami Seagull · Apr 7, 2017

Thanks Paul. So sad. RIP

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