I grew up in Brighton and I was lucky enough to be taken to the Goldstone by my dad, he wasn’t originally from the area and wasn’t really an Albion fan though.
Also, there's a difference between not playing at the top level and the level we were at - about as far from being at the top level as we could've possible got through much of the 90s/2000s! Couldn't have been less attractive for fickle kids if we tried with the level/ground situation.
Blimey, there’s some memories. I remember being taken to the cleaners by your lot when I was keeper for Bridge View. Mind you, everybody took us to the cleaners that season. Durrington put 12 past us.
Yeah, '79 was a good time to be a Brighton fan! Slightly O/T but I'm wondering if the fact that more youngsters were Brighton fans then was because 1979 was the height of what we used to call (rather laughingly seeing where we are now) the 'Glory Years'? The team flying under Mullery: promotion, near miss, then promotion, for the first time, into the top division. Massive crowds at the Goldstone and huge enthusiasm all across Sussex. Suddenly Brighton weren't the crap, struggling 3rd division team they had always seemed to be and it was no longer laughable to be associated with them. (Certainly my conversion to full-time Brighton fan was in the 71/72 promotion season under Pat Saward).
Yeah I suppose it was the times really. We had the 3rd division promotion in the late 80’s but it was light on the ground for success. Funny thing is, loads of us went to the home games and occasional away. Went to reserve games, were ball balls, did the catering but it was always known most people had a second club. Different times.
Back in 83 when I was at Fairlight Primary there were only three of us in the school year who supported Albion. I remember the 3 of us listening to the semi final draw on my small radio, none of the other kids cared less. I hope this has changed now.
That's why it was 'the lost generation'. In my year of 300 I could name two genuinely match-going Albion fans and they were both know for being a bit unusual for it. When all your mates are discussing Arsenal, United and Chelsea you don't want to be left behind. I'm sure Dunk now has 'a soft spot' for Chelsea that only goes as far as looking out for their results. I could name about 100 Brighton fans from the same school year now, that's how much everything has shifted.
you based this view of a profession on a sample of one teenager playing ProEvo... 'king hell. never met a sore loser from another profession? we've seen plenty of poor, detatched player performances to tell us this is not remotely universally accurate.
I went to school in Burgess Hill in the 90’s and would say about a fifth supported Brighton which isn’t a surprise considering football only started in 1992
I can proudly say Fairlight definitely has changed, the headmaster can be seen in the North stand every home game, with his son, when my daughter went (she left two years ago) half the school supported the Albion, the school kit was donated to the school, along with old cones, footballs etc by the club, and players made regular visits to the school, all part of Albion in the community. Although I only moved back to Brighton in 2009 I have witnessed a massive change in the last 9 years it has been steadily growing in that you can witness children and adults proudly walking around in Albion kits, coats and other clothing emblazoned with the Seagull.
To be fair, that other Albion fan was a bit of a legend. There were certainly at least 2 occasions I recall seeing more teachers in the North Stand then fellow kids.
