[Albion] Who on here has switched allegiance from another League club to the Albion?

[Icy Gull]

I am sure I am not alone here!

I never even registered that Brighton had a league club until I moved into the area in the mid seventies. I had been a read it in the Sunday papers Spurs fan from about age 10. I started going to watch the Albion after a few months with some mates I’d met since arriving in Brighton and it wasn’t until we played Spurs at the Goldstone a few years later in the old Division 2 that I accepted that the Albion were no longer my “other” team.

Don’t bother posting on this thread if you have only ever supported the Albion, there is a poll option for you though to gauge what percentage of us are imposters or glory hunters

 

[seagullwedgee]

Yep. I used to like Stoke City, when they signed Shilton back in 1974. I was 11, I never went to see them. Then, later that year, I discovered I could get a 1 hour bus journey to Brighton and watch real live footie at the Goldstone. And that was that, almost 49 years ago.

 

[A1X]

Hi, I’d like to join your confessional.

Growing up in mid-Sussex in the late 1990s during the wilderness years I ended up following Man Utd (mostly because all the dickheads at school supported Liverpool and I hated them, and still explains why I hate Liverpool so much now) and the fact they were on the telly more than anyone else. Fell out of that as school wore on and became more of a general football fan without a specific team during uni days, just as I came out the Amex was opening. Blagged a ticket there the first season and was hooked, been coming ever since.

*Awaits smug JCL jibes*

 

[swindonseagull]

BHA have always been my first and only team..

I watch Swindon occasionally but I certainly don’t support them.

 

[Frankie]

Yes,my whole family lived in North London and up until 2015 I casually followed Spurs,then I met and married a Brighton supporter I now actually go to the games and love the club,it has a certain feel to it that's hard to pinpoint but I enjoy everything Brighton and Hove Albion now from the first team to watching the ladies games now and then.

 

[Ooh it’s a corner]

At primary school in B Hill everyone that I can recall supported a ‘big’ team - mine was Spurs, largely due to the mercurial Jimmy Greaves - however soon after that my Dad began taking me to the Goldstone for occasional games and by the late 60s/early 70s the tide had turned(just as for Greavsie). From then on only one team mattered

 

[Dick Swiveller]

I vaguely remember singing "2-4-6-8, who do we appreciate? Liverpool." as a response to my Utd supporting mate when I was 7 or 8 but I had no real knowledge of football (other than Liverpool being the best) until my first trip to the Goldstone in 1979. So no, not really.

 

[timbha]

It’s a good question that’s made me think. In my early years, ie 1960s it was common for kids to support a Div 1 team and their local team. In Brighton’s case the two teams never crossed paths. I loved watching Best, Charlton, Law etc so Man U were my team. As a consequence you built an automatic dislike of City, Liverpool and Leeds.

I suppose I grew out of this infatuation in the 70’s and my undivided loyalty to the Albion grew. Thank God!

 

[Icy Gull]

Spurs seem to have lost quite a few fans to the Albion

I wonder if anyone is going to out themselves as ex Palace

 

[carlzeiss]

Started of " supporting " Chelsea due to the 1970 FA cap final . First game seen live on TV . At my school it was them or Leeds .
Changed after watching the 1973 Cup tie at the Goldstone with my Dad .

 

[Bozza]

Nothing to add as an Albion since day 1 kinda guy, but I just wanted to stop by and thank for you the extra traffic this thread will bring NSC from Palace supporters.

 

[timbha]

Nothing to add as an Albion since day 1 kinda guy, but I just wanted to stop by and thank for you the extra traffic this thread will bring NSC from Palace supporters.

What? As in “I used to support Palace then ……”

 

[5Ways Gull]

I'm ashamed to admit I had a brief(ish) dalliance with Leeds as a youngster. My excuse is a member of my maternal grandfather's family, so a distant cousin, played for them in the 65 Cup final v Liverpool. He went to the game with my Nan and brought lots of Leeds related souvenirs back. They were obviously quite big in the late 60s but once my dad started taking me to the Goldstone my allegiance started to switch, and I finally moved fully away from the dark side following the Boxing day '71 Bournemouth game!

I can only ask your collective forgiveness!

 

[Bozza]

What? As in “I used to support Palace then ……”

I believe it's a commonly-held belief amongst many of a Palace persuasion, that most Albion fans aren't really Albion fans and the Amex is packed with people who support "a big club", and they just go along to the Amex as it's convenient and they get to see their real team once a season.

So, I would expect a thread like this to set off bat signals amongst that group, sending them this way to point and mock.

(Edit: I don't think it's that unusual for youngsters to be seduced by a glory team or a particular big-name player before coming to their senses and getting involved with their local side)

 

[Brovion]

Yup. I've said this before but I was born in the Croydon area and by the time I moved here I was already a Chelsea fan, and also, yes a Palace fan as they were the family team supported by my Dad and Grandad. I used to go to the Goldstone with my new friends but really as a neutral as I much preferred to see 'proper' football at Stamford Bridge or Selhurst Park, not 3rd division rubbish.

However as the years passed I eventually became more and more of a Brighton fan, and the promotion season under Pat Saward in 1972 pretty much made me 100% Albion. Indeed that year (I think) I went to the Chelsea v Stoke League Cup final and I remember seeing all the blue and thinking, "I wish this was Brighton". Still disappointed when Chelsea lost though.

Now of course like all right-thinking people I hate Chelsea with a passion. And back in 'the day' I was as enthusiastic as anybody about the Palace rivalry. Mind you I was never a staunch Palace fan. One of the things that put me off them was we when I used to see them with my Dad and Grandad (in the Bert Head era when they had a pretty good team) my D and G use to moan constantly about how shit they were!

BTW my brother has stayed a loyal Chelsea fan.

 

[The Sock of Poskett]

In my younger days at school, it seemed like you had to support either United or Liverpool, as they were the teams that tended to win things. Having watched the 1968 European Cup Final, I went for United. Until my allegiance was challenged at the age of 12 when my dad took me to the Goldstone. Started to go on my own 2-3 years after and that was that. Love it every time we beat United these days, so hopes are high for some Cup revenge

 

[Icy Gull]

I believe it's a commonly-held belief amongst many of a Palace persuasion, that most Albion fans aren't really Albion fans and the Amex is packed with people who support "a big club", and they just go along to the Amex as it's convenient and they get to see their real team once a season.

So, I would expect a thread like this to set off bat signals amongst that group, sending them this way to point and mock.

(Edit: I don't think it's that unusual for youngsters to be seduced by a glory team or a particular big-name player before coming to their senses and getting involved with their local side)

NOTHING will bring those caravan dwellers back onto NSC at the moment imo. Let them mock from afar

 

[Brovion]

It’s a good question that’s made me think. In my early years, ie 1960s it was common for kids to support a Div 1 team and their local team. In Brighton’s case the two teams never crossed paths. I loved watching Best, Charlton, Law etc so Man U were my team. As a consequence you built an automatic dislike of City, Liverpool and Leeds.

I suppose I grew out of this infatuation in the 70’s and my undivided loyalty to the Albion grew. Thank God!

Yes. People think supporting a 'big' club is some sort of Sky-induced recent phenomena , but it was also the case when I was growing up in the Sixties and Seventies. In Lancing everybody supported Brighton and a big club, there was never any conflict as the paths never crossed, it's a bit like people today saying they support Brighton and say Lewes or Worthing.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Not really, my first experience of football was our promotion to the first division so I guess I was a jcl back in the 70s. I was six. I can remember standing with my family at the bottom of North Street, waiting for the victory bus to arrive, Dame Flora Robson told me to do my shoe laces up.

My dad took me to a game against Liverpool and we were in the South Stand near the away fans, we lost 4-1. It was the only time my Dad and I went to the football together. I had a sentimental attachment to Liverpool for a little while but that gently eroded away some decades ago. UTA.

 

[nicko31]

Albion all the way, bullied and ridiculed by plastics at school for it.