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How Danny Baker saved Brighton & Hove Albion  - The inside story of Fans United



Seagull

Seagull

Yes I eat anything
Feb 28, 2009
778
On the wing
Great article thank you. Can't believe it's 20 years, brings a tear to the eye. I had random friends ringing up customer care at Focus DIY to lodge complaints vs Archer at the time.
There was a banner that read "Real Madrid Want Archer Out" and that bloke getting everyone singing, was he a Chelsea fan on someone's shoulders? Those 5 goals kept us up.
Build a Bonfire ... put Belotti on the top ... put Bill Archer in the middle etc
 




B

Brovion

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 6, 2003
19,374
Wozza said:
So there wasn't an Eintracht fan? And the Real Madrid fans were fake... man, I need to re-write my intro. ;-)
Click to expand...

Naa. Not sure if you're a fan of The Simpsons but there's an episode where Lisa is about to expose the town's much-loved and respected founder, Jebidiah Springfield, as a fraud. She ultimately doesn't as she realises that although what everybody believes about him is a myth, the myth itself 'has value'.

So yeah, there was an Eintracht Frankurt fan there and a couple of Real Madrid fans. Brilliant.
 






Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle
NSC Patron
Oct 8, 2003
50,138
Faversham
Finchley Seagull said:
A fantastic read. That whole season is a bit of a blur in a lot of ways (especially the last half hour at Hereford, which has to be the longest of my life). Given the situation he joined in, it cannot be over estimated what an amazing job Steve Gritt did in keeping us.

If people ask why we need to support teams like Charlton and Plymouth when they are having issues, this thread should be forwarded to them. So many fans of clubs in the UK (and all over the world) came together that day to support Albion. We owe it to them to support them if they are in their hour of need.
Click to expand...

Corrected for you . . .
 






Eeyore

Eeyore

Colonel Hee-Haw of Queen's Park
NSC Patron
Apr 5, 2014
23,586
Splendid read.
 


Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle
NSC Patron
Oct 8, 2003
50,138
Faversham
attila said:
Great piece. Well done EVERYONE.
Gonna raise a glass to the memory of my old mate Roy tonight.
I always knew we'd get there in the end :)

'The battle's only just begun, but we have won the war.
Our club, though torn asunder, will survive.
And I salute each one of you who stood up and said NO!
And fought to keep the Albion alive.
And one day, when our new home's built, and we are storming back
A bunch of happy fans without a care
We'll look back on our darkest hour and raise our glasses high
and say with satisfaction: we were there.'
Click to expand...

That takes me back to the Scars and stripes end of season dinner, and a room full of seasoned lags blubbing. How long ago was that [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION]?

Hope all's well John! Love the autobiog :wave:
 






LlcoolJ

LlcoolJ

Mama said knock you out.
Oct 14, 2009
12,982
Sheffield
Bloody hell. Been a pretty emotional day for me for other reasons but that's nearly tipped me over the edge again.

Superb.
 


Paul Reids Sock

Paul Reids Sock

Well-known member
Nov 3, 2004
4,458
Paul Reids boot
Wozza said:
https://medium.com/@warrenchrismas/...-brighton-hove-albion-11c1be4aaacb#.t637t5cfp

It's still work in progress really but as it's the anniversary and all that... enjoy!
Click to expand...

I have just spent an hour after working sitting and reading through that, enlarging images to read them properly and take it all in. That is an absolutely spectacular piece of work documenting the most important time in our history. I was 9 at the time and in South London so didn't get down to games until Withdean but have always loved to read as much as I can about what people like you did to save the club I now love and have the pleasure of taking my son to.

Thank you to everyone that fought for the club in any way shape or form. It is quite simply breath taking what has been achieved. I like to think I did my bit at Withdean as a 14/15-twenty odd year old with change in buckets, buying the we want Falmer single, post cards etc. but lets be honest - that was a small battle at the end of a superbly fought war.
 




veuve

veuve

Well-known member
Jun 27, 2015
600
Not sure Baker saved the Albion,think there are a lot more people that played a bigger role but very gratefull for his support.
 


J

Jeep

Active member
Aug 1, 2003
614
I vividly remember Baker going crazy on air about an enormous pack of documents. Now how can I find an audio from just over 20 years ago?
Erm, I can't.
 


Wozza

Wozza

Shite Supporter
Jul 6, 2003
23,629
Online
veuve said:
Not sure Baker saved the Albion,think there are a lot more people that played a bigger role but very gratefull for his support.
Click to expand...

There were many saviours.
 




Saladpack Seagull

Saladpack Seagull

Just Shut Up and Paddle
Oct 19, 2014
1,908
Halfway Up Virginia Is Where I Wanna Be.
Wozza said:
There were many saviours.
Click to expand...

Indeed there were, some of whom are no longer with us. Thanks to the efforts of the fans against the Board and even those in authority in the game, we now have a thriving and successful Club. Those of us who were there at the time MUST encourage those who were not to study this chapter of our history. My daughter and step-sons have grown up with it and have a sense of pride in what was achieved, and a belief that it IS possible fight against the odds and WIN!
 




indy3050

indy3050

Well-known member
Jun 22, 2011
1,305
Walked into work today to find a 27 year old Gooner having downed tools just to read this very article (I had read it earlier) and he had no idea about the whole situation. I took great pride in explaining what went on during those years and how the fans went above and beyond to get our message out. It really was something else and credit to those who fought the hardest!
 


LlcoolJ

LlcoolJ

Mama said knock you out.
Oct 14, 2009
12,982
Sheffield
Saladpack Seagull said:
Indeed there were, some of whom are no longer with us. Thanks to the efforts of the fans against the Board and even those in authority in the game, we now have a thriving and successful Club. Those of us who were there at the time MUST encourage those who were not to study this chapter of our history. My daughter and step-sons have grown up with it and have a sense of pride in what was achieved, and a belief that it IS possible fight against the odds and WIN!
Click to expand...
Likewise, my son who is ten (and has therefore only been old enough to see us go from strength to strength) is well versed in the reasons why supporting this great club in these good times is such a special thing. He understands.
 




kevo

kevo

Well-known member
Mar 8, 2008
9,103
Excellent piece. Sounds strange, but this was probably one of the first real social media campaigns. Proud to have played a very small part in it!
 


portlock seagull

portlock seagull

Why? Why us?
Jul 28, 2003
17,081
I reckon that season has knocked a fair amount off my life total. Not the just the football, but the protests marches demos and the sheer physical and emotional investment made...it was exhausting!! Explaining continually to anyone who would listen that an enormous social injustice was happening and they had to get involved and this was how to. And then the fight to Bring Home the Albion...my god, how we ploughed the troughs of crushing despair in the mid to late 90s. I felt utterly utterly dejected at times like we were never going to wake up from the longest nightmare imaginable. And then on matchdays you'd see thousands of others weren't going to take it lying down either, that we could do something together. Just muck in. The supporter leaders of that era should be cast in bronze on the walk up from the station at the Amex. Proper heroes. The Few, just without the spitfires! ;)
 


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