What were you doing 15 years ago today?

[Beach Seagull]

For me second only to 06/08/11.

Slightly controversial maybe, but i disagree with the 'if we had lost we would have been finished' stuff i have read on here in the past (not sure if anyone has said that on this particular thread as not read every post).

Yes agree playing Forest Green Rovers on a cold wet Tuesday in Gillingham would not have drawn big crowds and the club would've been even more on its knees than it already was playing in the football league, and that season 97-98 would have been awful. However I believe that once we got back to playing in Brighton we would've ripped through the Conference and drawn just as big a crowds to Withdean as we did back then when we were in old Div 3.

 

[Gwylan]

I was in Wales being a best man at a wedding - walking around with a radio pressed to my ear.

 

[banjo]

Yes, couldn't help myself.

HATED not being there.

I was at Newcastle in 79, Wembley in 83, Cardiff and the opening of the Amex, but I still regret missing Herford.

I wouldn't worry to much, it was only enjoyable after the final whistle.

 

[CheeseRolls]

For me second only to 06/08/11.

Slightly controversial maybe, but i disagree with the 'if we had lost we would have been finished' stuff i have read on here in the past (not sure if anyone has said that on this particular thread as not read every post).

Yes agree playing Forest Green Rovers on a cold wet Tuesday in Gillingham would not have drawn big crowds and the club would've been even more on its knees than it already was playing in the football league, and that season 97-98 would have been awful. However I believe that once we got back to playing in Brighton we would've ripped through the Conference and drawn just as big a crowds to Withdean as we did back then when we were in old Div 3.

Rumour was that the Conference were not going to accept us. They had fallen out with the league over the non-promotion of a club (Stevenage ??) who were late meeting the ground criteria and were opposed to ground sharing. Plus the local Tory Council were in equal parts sniffy and unhelpful. Add to this the perception that Archer seemed determined to tough it out, even after a couple of hundred of us had turned up at his front door and so no, I don't think it was merely a case of Forest Green Rovers on a Tuesday night in Kent.

 

[pasty]

I wouldn't worry to much, it was only enjoyable after the final whistle.

Very much this. Dont think I've ever enjoyed an actual match less.

 

[AnotherArch]

About now, having got home and seen some snippets on SSN, i was starting to realise how close it ahad been when Adrian Foster ran through and away from our defenders only to chip the ball tamely into Orms's hands. Isn't it strange that in our 2 biggest ever matches, someone missing down the other end in the dying minutes decided the outcome? In both cases I did not realise at the time how close we had come to losing/winning - it was only later when the reality sank in.

 

[kevo]

About now?! Got back to London just.

 

[sammy g]

In my early twenties and myself, my brother and two other mates (all ex stringer pupils) jumped on the train at Preston Park and arrived at Hereford about one, to me meet by Herefords finest complete with angry looking Alsations. The match it self, bloody dire as discussed, but that goal celebration along with the final whistle will stay with me forever. The journey home was the longest I can remember, not helped by coming down from far too much amphetamine and a general feeling of emotional and physical exhaustion. Walking back to ground was hairy with angry looking locals positioned on every street corner (at least that's how I remember it)
Aside from birth of children etc I think that day was probably the most amazing I have ever experienced, privileged I was there.

 

[Seagull58]

Celebrating Blair who was going to:

Close the gap between rich and poor
Clean up politics
Save the environment
Be tough on crime, especially on young thugs
Ensure low government spending and borrowing, with tough rules.

None achieved, and quite the opposite on all.

And some of it was bare-faced lies e.g. low government spending and borrowing. Clearly knew from day one that those rules wold apply for as short a period as possoble and then "Broon" would be let loose to sell the family jewels and piss it all up against the wall.

 

[Bodian]

Camping

I left Brighton in early 1997, so the last home game I saw was the 4-4 draw against Orient. Saw them at Chester, which was pretty poor.

With about six weeks to go, I bought tickets from Hereford. When I asked for them, the lady on the phone said 'away end I suppose'. I asked why, and she said that at the time that's all she'd sold. I said I was surprised because 'it might be Hereford's last game in the league'. At the time they were about 5 places and 6 point clear - so she just laughed. Ho ho.

Went down with the wife and camped just south of Hereford the night before. Had a few drinks in town, and being with the missus meant we could go in any pub without aggro.

As for the game, my enduring regret is that I never saw our goal. The layout at Edgar Road was potty in that you had fans almost on the touchline - which mean those of us back in the stand couldn't really see the goal-line, or half way down the net.

But the goal celebrations were something I shall simply never forget. My wife says it's the only time she has seen so many grown men in tears. And what I also remember is that it was/is one of the few times when the whole crowd just got behind the team without any references to Palace or denigrating the other team. I also remember feeling quite sorry for the Hereford fans who weren't allowed on the pitch at the end of the game.

We then camped the night just north of Hereford in the gardens of some run down pile that had a stag weekend party - so I was fine. Trouble was, I'd completely lost my voice from the match, and could hardly speak for days.

So about this time exactly, we'd have been packing up our tent!

Looking forward to next season now - Burnley, Blackpool, and two of Bolton/Blackburn/Wigan - all within easy reach for me.