It was a momentous day for me, even before a ball had been kicked - I met my niece (born the day before) for the first time, this meant my plans for getting there really early were well and truly scuppered.
But that did mean that, by the time I reached the brow of the hill on OSR, there was already a fair crowd of supporters outside the ground. I knew that there'd be a few as I'd already bumped into a whole coachload of Charlton supporters outside a pub, but I wasn't quite prepared for the numbers. I started counting them but gave up in the 40s, it was too much for my head to cope with.
I was in the North Stand, near the Eintracht Frankfurt banner and not too far away from the Chelsea fan leading the singing, halfway up a pillar. The game itself was a bit of a blur, I mainly remember the chanting - particularly the constant "football united will never be defeated" and, for the first time that season, I started to believe that the club had a future.
Walking back to the station, I kept overhearing fans talking about what a brilliant day it had been and about how it was like football in the old days. Stopping for a drink at the Evening Star, I got chatting to another crowd of ubiquitous Charlton fans about their struggles and how it was important that Albion supporters kept fighting.
I've been watching the Albion for 50 years: I've seen us get promoted, I've seen us in the FA Cup final and the play-offs but, if I had to be pressed on my most memorable day as a Brighton supporter, Fans United would be right up there. It was the day when hope came back.
Thank you Richard Vaughan - and all the others who made it happen - we've come a long, long way together.
But that did mean that, by the time I reached the brow of the hill on OSR, there was already a fair crowd of supporters outside the ground. I knew that there'd be a few as I'd already bumped into a whole coachload of Charlton supporters outside a pub, but I wasn't quite prepared for the numbers. I started counting them but gave up in the 40s, it was too much for my head to cope with.
I was in the North Stand, near the Eintracht Frankfurt banner and not too far away from the Chelsea fan leading the singing, halfway up a pillar. The game itself was a bit of a blur, I mainly remember the chanting - particularly the constant "football united will never be defeated" and, for the first time that season, I started to believe that the club had a future.
Walking back to the station, I kept overhearing fans talking about what a brilliant day it had been and about how it was like football in the old days. Stopping for a drink at the Evening Star, I got chatting to another crowd of ubiquitous Charlton fans about their struggles and how it was important that Albion supporters kept fighting.
I've been watching the Albion for 50 years: I've seen us get promoted, I've seen us in the FA Cup final and the play-offs but, if I had to be pressed on my most memorable day as a Brighton supporter, Fans United would be right up there. It was the day when hope came back.
Thank you Richard Vaughan - and all the others who made it happen - we've come a long, long way together.
Still see the remains of one of our archer out posters on the slip road off the a27,always reminds me of the day when i drive past it
