[Albion] NSC history

Justice said:

TB didn’t invest £350m to flop at this level Instead of thinking this is as good at it gets look to the future and what the club could achieve

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Prem football aside, the ROI (well Tonys money) for the city of Brighton and Hove as a whole must be significant. Hotels, bars, transport... Then there AITC, jobs. Wonder how you ( [MENTION=31]El Presidente[/MENTION] ?) would measure that stuff?

simster said:

do you remember the days on here when people used to wax lyrical about the handful of absolutely huge goldstone crowds? The 33,000 v rochdale, the 31,000 against blackpool in 1978, the queues for the league cup game against derby, the 28,800 v norwich, 26,467 against arsenal and the 25,800 against southampton?

People used to chunter away about these occasions fairly regularly barely a decade ago (and some of us have been on here since the 1990s).

I think we forget, it's absolutely amazing isn't it? Our announced crowds in the premier league just don't dip below 29,500, ever. Hell, our amex gates in the championship were always well above average.

Sometimes i think we all take these halcyon days for granted a bit. I don't just mean feeling annoyed that march didn't put away a presentable chance to beat a club with regular champions league aspirations, or squabbling over whether or not our fifteen million pound striker is pony or not, but fact that we are all supporting a pretty big club these days.

This isn't posted for any reason except that i just thought i'd get this off my chest as i'm a little annoyed that after following this club for decades through some times when we've had some utterly gash sides, my albion mojo is somewhat missing. [emoji38]ol:

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glory hunters and jcl , don't you just love them COME BACK IF WE EVER GET RELEGATED
regards
DR

edna krabappel said:

Hmmm. I think it depends on the game. It's probably something to do with the fact that, at any given time in the previous 116 seasons leading up to 2017, we'd turn up to games feeling like we had an even chance of winning them, even in seasons where we were struggling. I guess the nature of the PL is that there are certain teams against whom, unless the fates combine in some truly unlikely fashion, you're going into the game knowing you'll lose. It's just a question of by how many.

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I couldn't agree less. We've beaten Arsenal the last 3 times we've played them at home in the League, and with wins against them and twice against ManU in 2018, there's no game I don't go along to at least hoping for a point or 3.

The atmosphere has struggled, in my view, for the reason that many fans have become complacent since we've got the 'established PL side' tag, and seem quicker to moan at individual players than to give wholehearted support to the team. It can be good of course - Andone's goal against palace raised a roar equal to any I've ever heard at the Amex - but the general trend seems to be towards complacency and apparent dissatisfaction despite the best efforts of a fantastic squad, almost certainly our best ever. It was similar under Mike Bailey in the early eighties and we know how that ended. Be careful what you moan about Albion fans.

PG

Sitting down innit. Can't 'av a decent ruck when you're lounging in comfy chairs, and suppin' prawn sarnies. Even wifart a flask.

Blue3 said:

And we collectively rubbish players who are footballing gods compared to some players we have watched in the not to distant past who themselves we're lorded as demigods playing in front of 7,000 fans leaves me wondering who from our past would be good enough to be in our squad let alone starting eleven

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I came away from yesterday's match thinking "blimey, we've got some good players," and this in every position.

Apart from the catalogue of comedy defending at around 7 minutes, we made one of the top sides in the country look ordinary, scored a cracking goal, although that in turn was helped by sloppy defending, and came away thinking we should have won! I'm really enjoying where we are at the moment, while still lookjng forward more than anythjng else to being mathematically safe.

The Argus player ratings today gave every one at least 7, and Locadia9

Peter Grummit said:

I couldn't agree less. We've beaten Arsenal the last 3 times we've played them at home in the League, and with wins against them and twice against ManU in 2018, there's no game I don't go along to at least hoping for a point or 3.

The atmosphere has struggled, in my view, for the reason that many fans have become complacent since we've got the 'established PL side' tag, and seem quicker to moan at individual players than to give wholehearted support to the team. It can be good of course - Andone's goal against palace raised a roar equal to any I've ever heard at the Amex - but the general trend seems to be towards complacency and apparent dissatisfaction despite the best efforts of a fantastic squad, almost certainly our best ever. It was similar under Mike Bailey in the early eighties and we know how that ended. Be careful what you moan about Albion fans.

PG

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The only Amex design negative is a lack of a larger Kop, which might’ve generated a more fervent home end. At present it’s a relatively small end stand, with no heart.

wolfie said:

Having been in a fair few of those old crowds, I can tell you that you really knew you were in them, unlike today when we're fairly well thinned out whatever the gate. As an example (not a Goldstone crowd) I remember a fifth round cup tie at Peterborough in the 80s when I started out a few steps back behind the goal and ended up near the back corner of the stand as a result of "crowd movement"

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My feet never touched the ground throughout the entire match.
Wherever the crowd went, we went with them.

Simster said:

Firstly, neither of my sons nor my daughter are remotely interested

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S'life. And it can change.

My mojo has changed. These days I just want to enjoy the games I go to without thinking it's actually that important. It's more enjoyable without the worry.

wolfie said:

Having been in a fair few of those old crowds, I can tell you that you really knew you were in them, unlike today when we're fairly well thinned out whatever the gate. As an example (not a Goldstone crowd) I remember a fifth round cup tie at Peterborough in the 80s when I started out a few steps back behind the goal and ended up near the back corner of the stand as a result of "crowd movement"

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Peterborough away in 1985/6 was the only time I've genuinely felt scared because of the crush at a football match. In hindsight, shocking they squashed nearly 6,000 behind that goal in a stand that by the 90s had a certificate for less than 1,800 standing spectators!

I kept finding space on that terrace.

Sure I was sharing that space with a lit flare but hey beggars can't be choosers

Simster said:

Peterborough away in 1985/6 was the only time I've genuinely felt scared because of the crush at a football match. In hindsight, shocking they squashed nearly 6,000 behind that goal in a stand that by the 90s had a certificate for less than 1,800 standing spectators!

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And it was icy Simster.. met my wife just after that game.

Simster said:

Peterborough away in 1985/6 was the only time I've genuinely felt scared because of the crush at a football match. In hindsight, shocking they squashed nearly 6,000 behind that goal in a stand that by the 90s had a certificate for less than 1,800 standing spectators!

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I didn't like it at all, I can remember we squeezed our way to the edge to get a bit of space.

DavidinSouthampton said:

I came away from yesterday's match thinking "blimey, we've got some good players," and this in every position.

Apart from the catalogue of comedy defending at around 7 minutes, we made one of the top sides in the country look ordinary, scored a cracking goal, although that in turn was helped by sloppy defending, and came away thinking we should have won! I'm really enjoying where we are at the moment, while still lookjng forward more than anythjng else to being mathematically safe.

The Argus player ratings today gave every one at least 7, and Locadia9

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I totally agree it's just a pity the players/manager don't always appear to believe it. We started again with the handbrake on, Hughton's interview post match was laughable when he alluded to us not being able to get close to them in the first 20 minutes. No Chris, you didn't want us to. We sat off them never pressing them. Then suddenly we realised they too made errors if pressed and bingo we had a proper game on our hands, one of which we were the better team.

We are fully capable of giving all the teams in this league a proper game home and away, would be nice to see that confidence.

Its part of the human phenotype to never be satisfied. It's what drove us to where we are as a species. Although my first game was in 1969, I was always an irregular attender owing to work (for example, I started an evening/Saturday job when I was 14), living away (uni in London, and later in Canada) and started going every week almost by accident when we were exiled up the road (from me) in Gillingham. My recollections of around 100 games at the Goldstone range from 4 or so Gills fans 'taking' the north during the Pat Seward era, clinging to a fence with no view at all in a crowd of over 30K when we played Bournmouth (I think it was them), and countless quiet evenings in the cold with clouds of pipe tobacco (that smelled of custard - odd that) and wintergreen ointment (smeared by the gallon on Stuart Henderson's thighs). I also remember how shit the ground looked from the East terrace. The toilets in the South West corner were a venue for unwelcome close proximity with other chaps in stinking surroundings more fitting of the slave quarters in a Roman ampitheatre. And the smell of cigarettes. No, the Goldstone was a dump and we had no real history and no real hope while stuck there, FACT undeniable, unless you own a designer pair of rose tinted specs, and have chronic old school-itis tinged with middle aged bitterness, all Meldrew and Alf Garnett.

So the first competitive (cup) game at Priestfield, with everyone confined to the old Rainham end, watching our worst ever side play as the setting sun almost blinded us was the second start for me. I was in my late 30s. This was Brighton and Hove Albion, but not how I had known it. I shed a few tears that evening. I think they were tears of embarrassment.

Not quite sure what happened. Maybe it was the ease of proximity. But I started going to all the 'home' games. As someone who had never said a word at the football (I was far to snobby to join in with chanting) I quickly morphed into a noisy obsessive. I discovered the 'mailing list' and met up with various people at the Cricketers, including our dear leader [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION], and other NSC posters such as [MENTION=944]Inkerman[/MENTION], [MENTION=459]Bwian[/MENTION], [MENTION=3733]papajaff[/MENTION] and others. I started going to away games.....and soon I'd think nothing of bunking off work to do a Tuesday night in Hull . . . .and slowly we started to climb away from the abyss (nonleague), Withdean (a bit of a trek for me but I decided to cement things with a season ticket), promotions....and the 20 year ride that has taken the club to where it is now. What a journe. **** me sideways.

Yes, it is part of the human phenotype to never be satisfied. But you really have to give your head a wobble sometimes. Anyone harking back to the 'fight fight fight for the Albion till we win division 3' days is beyond hope, frankly. If your Albion mojo now isn't what it should be, remind yourself (if you are old enough - but you are because let's face it everyone on NSC is over 50) of where we were. And the fight will never end. Glory, glory, Brighton and Hove Albion. Survival, enquiry, sophistication, as Douglas Adams put it. How can we save the club? Is it POTG? When can we bin Locardia?

The Goldstone was a dump in many places, but it was our dump and it had an atmosphere when it was full (ish) up

If we'd have stayed there and redevelop It would be no bad thing

maffew said:

Prem football aside, the ROI (well Tonys money) for the city of Brighton and Hove as a whole must be significant. Hotels, bars, transport... Then there AITC, jobs. Wonder how you ( [MENTION=31]El Presidente[/MENTION] ?) would measure that stuff?

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I think there could be an economic impact assessment of promotion to the Premier League that will be published soon.

zefarelly said:

The Goldstone was a dump in many places, but it was our dump and it had an atmosphere when it was full (ish) up

If we'd have stayed there and redevelop It would be no bad thing

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And if my mum had had a cock she'd have been my dad.