An amazing recreation of the Withdean Stadium
The new Albion Museum is well worth a visit, with a number of exhibits that will excite fans of all ages.*
The museum will be open to the public very soon but is already part of the Albion stadium tour, and curator and club historian, Tim Carder, reveals a number of highlights that will ‘wow’ visitors.
In an in-depth interview in last Saturday’s Seagull, the club’s matchday programme, he said, “At the moment we have some real gems for the shirt aficionados, with more to come. There are a couple of impressive trophies that supporters will never have seen too – I could go on for ages!*
“One of my favourites is the headboard from the Seagulls Express train that took me and hundreds of others to away games in the late 1970s. Probably the biggest ‘wow factor‘ though belongs to the supremely detailed scale models by the multi-talented Alan Budgen – although I do claim credit for the floodlights!
“Youngsters will certainly like the Goldstone turnstile with its evocative ‘clickety-clack’, and admire the models. Older fans will recall many of the exhibits fondly – and there are seats to rest any weary legs! I hope fans of all ages and experience will enjoy having a go on our Albion Quiz machine.
“The aim was to educate, inform and entertain. Younger fans may not realise the depths to which this club sank less than two decades ago. It’s a story that needs telling and must never be forgotten. It’s a story that inspires.”
Club ambassador and former manager Alan Mullery was at the official opening of the museum and it inevitably brought back some happy memories.
“The Albion Museum is beautifully presented and a fantastic source of information,” he said in his column in Saturday’s programme.*
“It brought back some wonderful memories for me, particularly the section on our promotion to the First Division and subsequent journey back from Newcastle United. That particular train journey home seemed to take forever and you can imagine the state we were in when we got back to Brighton.
“In fact, there are things I read in the museum about that trip home that I couldn’t remember – and there’s a reason for that… alcohol!”
Read the full interview with Tim and the latest column from Mullers in the Birmingham City edition of Seagull, which is still available in the club store, priced £3.50
Original article