[Albion] Your worse awayday with the Albion..

[Kalimantan Gull]

Oh this is such an easy question for me. Walsall away in 2009. I have a good indonesian friend who had just moved to the UK and settled in Walsall with his wife.

When in Borneo I always banged on about the Albion and promised to take him to a Brighton game one day. Perfect opportunity.

Russell Slade had just taken over from Micky but the squad was still full of all his random loanees. We conceded after 15 minutes and went 3-0 down within the first half. We were awful. It was a cold night, a tiny crowd, virtually zero atmosphere especially from us unsurprisingly, and we basically sat in shivering silence for the whole game. Miserable evening.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I don't think anyone who was at the Palace 5-0 disaster could possibly ever have any other game as their worst?

Horrendous. But I'm glad I went, it created long lasting and passionate memories. My emotions went all over the place that day. No, I'm saving the worst for my entry above, a game I wished I hadn't gone to and at which my adrenaline levels must have barely registered.

At Palace I sang and shouted, sank into the depths of football misery, got angry, embarrassed and finally stormed out on 75 minutes not wanting to take it any longer. At Walsall we sat cold and bored for 90 minutes then had a quiet pint after.

 

[Whitley Bayster]

Oldham away FA Cup 1990 round 4 or 5 I can't remember which. Bleak mid winter day plastic pitch. It rained, rained more, monsooned and started snowing as we stood on an open ended terrace with the wind howling in around us. We lost 2-1 in an incipid dull game where the ball spend the entire match swirling around in the wind or bouncing out of play on the crappy plastic surface. I cannpot remember ever getting more wet and cold in my entire life. Miserable place and a crap day out

 

[edna krabappel]

Palace 5-0 obviously. If I were to pick out another one I'd go for a midweek trip to Hillsborough when after a hard fought 88 minutes in the freezing cold Leon Best popped up to score their winner. Roadworks on all the motorways home, including the scenic route through Sussex meant we did not get home until about 3.30/4am. That was pretty sh*t.

I missed the goal as I'd nipped to the ladies. Heard loud cheering and concluded that the volume was either because (1) it was the much closer away fans cheering or (2) Wednesday had scored.

Obviously it wasn't the former. Imagine letting that waster score against you.

 

[edna krabappel]

Interesting thread this. Yes, the 5-0 at Palace was a shocking day once the match kicked off, but I suppose at least there was an atmosphere and a whole lot of passion around.

I've been to games over the years when we've been so utterly abysmal, in front of 3,000 people at some horrific decaying hovels that it's just soul destroying. I guess we forget those as there were so many. Carlisle, Gillingham, Swindon, Southend spring to mind. It's those games where you find yourself struggling to give a shit. I was at Huddersfield when we lost 7-1 and it could have been fifteen. Even that wasn't as bad as some of those bottom tier games, as by the end, we just had to laugh.

Shout out for the 4-2 defeat at Fratton Park the year Redknapp took Pompey up. Absolute troglodytes on three sides of the ground and Matthew Taylor deliberately got Graham Barrett sent off. Though given his subsequent performances for us, that was probably a blessing in disguise. Fratton Park a massive dump, and takes ages to get out while they set all the mutants free.

Maybe Cardiff away the season (I think) we went up under Hughton, just for the result and the weather: I was at the back of the stand and I still got soaked to the bone thanks to the gale force winds blowing the rain straight at us. Something our team also struggled with in the first half, being 4-0 down.

Still no Southend though, is it?

 

[Iggle Piggle]

Probably not quite the worst, but I remember going to Lincoln away in the FA Cup. It was freezing, we were awful, lost 3-1 (?) and just remember thinking why did we bother going. Palace 5-0 was horrible but at least I cared, but this game at Lincoln just left me feeling completely disinterested.

I remember that game albeit I think it was 2003. Kuipers gave away a free kick by taking the ball outside the area with his hands whilst taking a goal kick. Never seen that in kids football let alone the professional game.

The game was awful, the weather was cold and Chris Mcphee was playing. Say no more.

 

[Mancgull]

3-0 defeat away, midweek, at Rochdale in the first half of the 96/97 season before Steve Gritt took over. Ashley Neale at the heart of our defence. Slow and useless. It could have been 5 or 6. Really thought we were doomed at this point. Perhaps the lowest point in our history?

 

[osgood]

My first away game with the Albion, Pompey outside the fratton pub seemed to be surprised that Brighton ran so easy. Sat in the pompey seats courtesy of comp tickets from a Portsmouth player.

Was my first away too , knew id missed something out , i was just 13 , not really viable to have a ruck , many others had a real shite awayday too, mustve been entirely different (in a nice way) watching from the VIP stand ?

 

[Durlston]

I was there, the wind was ridiculous.

Simon Fox played... yep, Simon Fox.

Ormerod was in goal, his kicking was always atrocious BUT on that day it defied all logic not to mention the laws of physics.

St. David's Day and our away form looked like we were certain to go down by then. I do remember Darlington being a really pleasant town although the ground, Feethams, was an absolute dump. Eventually it was condemned.

Hull away a fortnight later was even colder it felt. Grim times. On and off the pitch.

 

[pasty]

Definitely the 6-1 at Oldham. Freezing bloody cold, ex-player hatrick, worst meat and potato pie EVER, and just for good measure the car broke down on the way home.

 

[hampshirebrightonboy]

Brentford evening game in about 2001. We were top so went there very confident. However we were absolutely terrible with Mayo getting the runaround from their winger (Hunt?). Lost 4-0 but certainly the earliest I have ever left a match circa 70 mins.
I have tried to forget about that so details may not be accurate

Horrible game. 4-0 at the end but think it was 3-0 after about 10 minutes. I don't leave early often but think I left around that time too.
It was my eldest son's first game - not a great introduction.

 

[hampshirebrightonboy]

Went to West Brom away in about 88/89. Can't remember too much about the game but at the time the Police were trying to clamp down on fans chanting with swear words. Basically by just randomly grabbing fans and ejecting them while everyone would chant 'What the ****ing hell's he done' in hushed tones.

Anyway I was living in Birmingham at the time and I recognised one of the policeman at the game from the pub I used to go to in Harborne (area of Birmingham). He moved in and grabbed a fan who looked about 15 and threw him out. Next time I saw him down the pub I told everyone what he had done. He was so embarrassed

 

[Mackenzie]

Went to West Brom away in about 88/89. Can't remember too much about the game but at the time the Police were trying to clamp down on fans chanting with swear words. Basically by just randomly grabbing fans and ejecting them while everyone would chant 'What the ****ing hell's he done' in hushed tones.

Anyway I was living in Birmingham at the time and I recognised one of the policeman at the game from the pub I used to go to in Harborne (area of Birmingham). He moved in and grabbed a fan who looked about 15 and threw him out. Next time I saw him down the pub I told everyone what he had done. He was so embarrassed

I was at that game, it rained, we lost 1-0, England lost to Wales in the 5 nations and we got coins thrown at us by WBA fans as the train pulled in to Rolf Street.

Happy days.

 

[METALMICKY]

Running late and thrashing it up to Halifax in the driving rain, surprised at being able to park so close to the ground, only to be told the match had been cancelled. I think the replay was also cancelled but didn't bother with that one.

Yes, really recall that one. Four of us packed into a mates car and with accommodation booked. Further north we went the wetter it seemed but we weren't too worried at that point. Finally got there dumped bags and proceeded to the local pub. At about 7pm a mates dad called to tell us that ref had just inspected the pitch and called it off! Gutted to say the least. And whilst we did find a decent curry house the evening got silly when we met some other Albion fans including the well known ' Doc ' who up to that point was famous for not having missed an Albion game for some silly amount of years. It all got a little tetchy when he proceeded to try and explain to us why he thought Dick Knight was no good for the club and why he would not be setting foot in any new stadium.

The other rubbish trip that springs to mind was away to Cambridge in about 1991 I think. Much to most people's dismay they were on a charge with John Beck's infamous hoof ball ploy with Dublin and Taylor up front. The game was utter gash, the ground was awful and it was belting down all game. With only about 2 mins to go Clive ' Flash ' Walker was put through on the keeper and a one nil win beckoned. Sadly he only managed to scuff his shot and it hit the outside of the post. Drenched to the skin ( akin to the infamous Friday night home to Rochdale in the Withdean days) the train home took an eternity.

 

[amexer]

2nd replay against Palace at Stanford Bridge. Got there late and stand to be corrected but think there was 60000 there. Stood at back and didnt see a thing

 

[sant andreu]

Me too, the 5-0, my first trip to Selhurst park.
But also getting knocked out of the cup at Kingstonian. We were shit.

 

[sant andreu]

Me too, I escaped before the lock in...... got lost going back to station, but wouldn’t dare ask anyone for directions.

Been a few bad days where we’ve lost, but one that sticks out.....

I did the supporters coach on my own for a November 2000 crack of dawn, early hours departure, league 2 match at Macclesfield........ sat in the pub around the corner Up there and picked up a copy of the local Macclesfield newspaper, the front page story was something to the effect “upset as kids disco cancelled after DJ falls sick”....... Thinking, is this really the biggest news round here!

Was an absolutely dire game, a total bore fest 0-0 draw and only another 7+ hours journey back arriving in early hours.

Yes, that, the dullest match, place and day, very dreary, I'd forgotten all about it

 

[Winker]

Luton away in the paint pot semi-final - 2009? The coaches had to rendezvous in a motorway services before a police escort rushed us through the shithole of a town to the ground. We had to walk up some steps over someone's back garden to get in the tin shack of the away end. Luton scored after a massive cock-up between Virgo and Kuipers before Forster equalised. David Livermore was then sent off for a 50/50 sliding tackle and the game went to penalties - ending badly.

Luton fans invaded the pitch and gave it large to the away end before another police escort rushed us back to the motorway. Never going back there.

 

[East Staffs Gull]

2nd replay against Palace at Stanford Bridge. Got there late and stand to be corrected but think there was 60000 there. Stood at back and didnt see a thing

I think that it was closer to 14,000. But very packed at the back of the covered Shed.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Rotherham away, losing 1-0, getting home at 3 in the morning because half the motorway was closed for roadworks. I had to sit next to someone I’d never met before, on the coach, who was a boring pain in the backside. They spent the entire trip back talking to someone else who was leaning on my seat back to talk to them.
That was the game where a member of the press could hear Hughton losing his temper with the team.

There was absolutely nothing enjoyable about that journey or game. I hated every minute of it.

Second was the abysmal 3-0 defeat at Millwall under Wilkins on Boxing Day.