[Albion] 26 years ago today - Albion 4, Leyton Orient 4

[kevo]

Truly the match that had everything - Eight goals, red card, late penalty, Ray Wilkins kicking a pitch invader who was trying to attack their players, Scott McGleish being a wa*ker...

We were bottom of the league, fighting for our lives. The atmosphere at the Goldstone in the second half of that season was absolutely electric.

 

[Superphil]

What a day that was, some of those games were dreadful but the way we got behind the team, the way the players dug in, blimey it was exhausting and exhilarating. Wouldn’t want to go back, but those days are a lot of the reason I keep coming back now.

 

[kevo]

What a day that was, some of those games were dreadful but the way we got behind the team, the way the players dug in, blimey it was exhausting and exhilarating. Wouldn’t want to go back, but those days are a lot of the reason I keep coming back now.

I didn't realise we were actually two up after 7 mins (great goal) and they scored their 4th straight from the kick off after we'd equalised at 3-3! It was a roller-coaster, for sure. All the games around that time were unbelievably intense for the fans.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

What a day that was, some of those games were dreadful but the way we got behind the team, the way the players dug in, blimey it was exhausting and exhilarating. Wouldn’t want to go back, but those days are a lot of the reason I keep coming back now.

Amazing days for sure. It was around that time when l deliberately broke the law for the one and only time, engaging in a sit down protest on the Old Shoreham Road.

Mind you as soon as the first burly policeman came within sight, l was up and off. What a wuss.

 

[Monkey Man]

Everything looks so grotty and grubby when you look back at videos of the 1990s. The Goldstone was a wreck. The football was horrible a lot of the time. I just assumed at the time that it would always be like that.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

One of my all time favourite games. What more could you ask for(apart from maybe an injury time Albion winner)?

2 up, then 3-2 down, equalise to make it 3-3 and then concede straight form the kick off to go 4-3 down leading to a couple of fans attacking the orient players(including Ray Wilkins being tipped on his arse), a red card and a late, late penalty to make it 4-4. A full(or as full as it was allowed to get) house, electric atmosphere and a post match protest.

They don't make football games like that anymore.

 

[Weststander]

I blooming missed the 5-0 revenge of NYD 2011 at Withdean and I live just a 5 minute walk away.

I didn't realise that it was non-3pm KO

 

[southstandandy]

I was there - that was certainly a day to remember. Wasn't that when there were skirmishes with fans and the O's players?

 

[Weststander]

Everything looks so grotty and grubby when you look back at videos of the 1990s. The Goldstone was a wreck. The football was horrible a lot of the time. I just assumed at the time that it would always be like that.

Pitches were crap, a rain swept Chicken Run, violent players ending the careers of others, open air urinals and boiled burgers sold from open air stalls. Seems primeval now.

 

[Austrian Gull]

Thanks for the link. Can still remember quite a lot of what happened - possibly Paul MacDonald's finest game for the Seagulls. Griffiths, MacGleish

Stood on the North West terrace with my since departed Dad - remember how disapproving he was of the pitch invader!

 

[Lenny Rider]

Whatever happened to Neil The Mad Butcher?

Never forget Jeff Wood telling us all at the Gulls Eye dinner that year that as he was getting carted away he was closely followed by his girlfriend who took the time and trouble for an impromptu apology to Gritty and Jeff as she went past the dugout.

 

[jimhigham]

One of my favourite "I was there" moments. I was exhausted for a full week after that match.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

One of the most exhilarating games i have been too, I absolutely hated Orient at the time and for a long time after to be honest.

 

[Mr Bridger]

South stand that day for some reason. Usually went in the north.
Blows my mind when I look at these games now, how shit we were and just look at us now.
Hope this is not all a dream.

 

[Jack Straw]

Great times in a really weird way. The Bellotti exclusion zone either side of the tunnel!

 

[Monkey Man]

South stand that day for some reason. Usually went in the north.
Blows my mind when I look at these games now, how shit we were and just look at us now.
Hope this is not all a dream.

I hope so too. It does seem quite far-fetched what's happening now.

Does anyone remember, in the very early days of the internet, if you searched for "Brighton and Hove Albion" on your faithful Lycos or Ask Jeeves search engine, a story used appear high in the rankings, from someone's home-spun website, telling the tale of a future Brighton playing in an amazing stadium and winning the European Cup? It ended with the line "well, I can dream, can't I?" or something similar. I wonder if that person is still around and posts on NSC.

 

[Worried Man Blues]

Quality of that film is just like my memory, only missed one home that season, so I must have been there! Wasn't their manager being a complete arse as well? Turner / Taylor ?

 

[kevo]

I remember there was quite a bit of rivalry with the O's following this match (the Scott McGleish thing went on for years). Some of it was stirred up by their super fan and stadium announcer Andrew Buenocore. At a return fixture at Brisbane Road, just before kick off he played 'YMCA' and dedicated it to 'all the Brighton fans in the stadium'.

 

[Gabbafella]

I had supported the Albion for about 5 years by then but I remember talking my dad into coming along to that game, it really did have everything.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

Quality of that film is just like my memory, only missed one home that season, so I must have been there! Wasn't their manager being a complete arse as well? Turner / Taylor ?

Their Chairman Barry Hearn wanted us docked points, basically he was trying to get us kicked out of the league considering how far adrift we were then. He was all over the news and even on that late night league show, that had Bill Kenwright at the time, who was on our side and dismissed Barry Hearns rantings.