What a beautiful thread. Tears in my eyes for you all.
The most glorious county and loyal club fanbase. Fact.
The most glorious county and loyal club fanbase. Fact.
[Albion] A thread for all the seagulls looking down on us today
- Thread starter upthealbion1970
- Start date
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portlock seagull
Why? Why us?
- Jul 28, 2003
- 17,306
First person I thought about at FT was my nephew. ST holder at Withdean most of the time we were there; then the Amex; and a regular away day tripper. He bled blue and white.
What a day. What an achievement. The history boys!
What a day. What an achievement. The history boys!
Greg Bobkin
Silver Seagull
- May 22, 2012
- 15,014
I've no stories of anyone lost to add, but what a wonderful thread. Thoughts are with all those posters with absent Seagulls today x
What a superb thread.
my old man took me to my first game against spurs in 79/80/81 I can’t remember which year. Although none of my family support Brighton ( mum is a geordie ) I used to badger my dad to take me and since then have followed them everywhere. Was funny though seeing my mum decked out in black and white when we played Newcastle in the east stand next to the away supporters and I was in the north. Thank you dad for taking me.
my old man took me to my first game against spurs in 79/80/81 I can’t remember which year. Although none of my family support Brighton ( mum is a geordie ) I used to badger my dad to take me and since then have followed them everywhere. Was funny though seeing my mum decked out in black and white when we played Newcastle in the east stand next to the away supporters and I was in the north. Thank you dad for taking me.
To my Dad, a huge Albion fan, who took me to The Goldstone for the first time back in 1976. He died in 2007 so never got to see The Amex.
He would of course be absolutely delighted but probably say (about the players): “well none of them are as good as Johnny McNichol!”
He would of course be absolutely delighted but probably say (about the players): “well none of them are as good as Johnny McNichol!”
Jimmy Come Lately
Registered Loser
Great thread. Since the final whistle I've had to stop myself thinking about the European away days my wife would have been planning for us, because it hurts too much. She always loved a city break to somewhere with culture and history or, you know, Aberdeen. RIP Amy.
hart's shirt
Well-known member
Other than liking the comments of others, I don't really tend to post on threads like these, but today's special for so many, so here I am.
My mum passed away last month in the early hours of Good Friday, 7th April. I was due to fly back to Dubai that morning and only discovered that she'd passed around 15 minutes before I was due to head down to Hove station to get the train to Gatwick.
Mum volunteered for 20 years with St John's Ambulance Hove and Hangleton Division. She was always happy to help out whenever sporting events requested medical support, so she'd often be found in the 80s and 90s at the Goldstone as well as the Cricket Ground and Greyhound Stadium. There's every chance that you might've seen her and her colleagues there quietly getting on with helping anyone who needed assistance in the crowd. You might even have been helped by her too. She loved helping out where she could.
Mum wasn't a season ticket holder, but she held the fort in the house for years on Saturday afternoons looking after my brother who had severe special educational needs when I went to the Goldstone with Dad and had ball boy duties with the Junior Seagulls . She even made it to Cardiff for the Playoff Final and enjoyed the atmosphere as much as any of us!
She'd suffered from Parkinson's for the last 16 years which had progressed to Stage 4 by the time I got home in lockdown. I had the distinct privilege of being with her day-in, day-out under the same roof in the last two and a half years of her life, even up until the last night when I said that I'd see her in the morning before I headed off. As it was, she left before I did. We'd often chat about the Albion in recent months, especially this season as we progressed in the league and cup. Even with her medical struggles, she was excited about the future as she'd seen firsthand how much it meant to so many both at the Goldstone and when Dad and I returned home either elated or deflated!
The mum of NSC's former poster and huge England fan @MrBlobby was a good friend to Mum, usually saw her at least once weekly, came to her last birthday party in the garden and helped out at her Thanksgiving Service a few weeks ago.
Dad collected Mum's ashes on Tuesday lunchtime before I finally flew back on Tuesday night. We'll sprinkle them in due course once I'm back in the UK next month. A big thank you here to @Lenny Rider - I can unreservedly recommend the balance of professionalism and personal touch that Dad and I experienced from him and his company, especially in the first few hours on Good Friday.
So just as the club served us with a magical moment today, it's a good time to remember those who serve and give up so much for us. As well as honouring them in death, let's do what we can to appreciate them whilst they're still with us too.
Thanks Mum. You were the best.
x
My mum passed away last month in the early hours of Good Friday, 7th April. I was due to fly back to Dubai that morning and only discovered that she'd passed around 15 minutes before I was due to head down to Hove station to get the train to Gatwick.
Mum volunteered for 20 years with St John's Ambulance Hove and Hangleton Division. She was always happy to help out whenever sporting events requested medical support, so she'd often be found in the 80s and 90s at the Goldstone as well as the Cricket Ground and Greyhound Stadium. There's every chance that you might've seen her and her colleagues there quietly getting on with helping anyone who needed assistance in the crowd. You might even have been helped by her too. She loved helping out where she could.
Mum wasn't a season ticket holder, but she held the fort in the house for years on Saturday afternoons looking after my brother who had severe special educational needs when I went to the Goldstone with Dad and had ball boy duties with the Junior Seagulls . She even made it to Cardiff for the Playoff Final and enjoyed the atmosphere as much as any of us!
She'd suffered from Parkinson's for the last 16 years which had progressed to Stage 4 by the time I got home in lockdown. I had the distinct privilege of being with her day-in, day-out under the same roof in the last two and a half years of her life, even up until the last night when I said that I'd see her in the morning before I headed off. As it was, she left before I did. We'd often chat about the Albion in recent months, especially this season as we progressed in the league and cup. Even with her medical struggles, she was excited about the future as she'd seen firsthand how much it meant to so many both at the Goldstone and when Dad and I returned home either elated or deflated!
The mum of NSC's former poster and huge England fan @MrBlobby was a good friend to Mum, usually saw her at least once weekly, came to her last birthday party in the garden and helped out at her Thanksgiving Service a few weeks ago.
Dad collected Mum's ashes on Tuesday lunchtime before I finally flew back on Tuesday night. We'll sprinkle them in due course once I'm back in the UK next month. A big thank you here to @Lenny Rider - I can unreservedly recommend the balance of professionalism and personal touch that Dad and I experienced from him and his company, especially in the first few hours on Good Friday.
So just as the club served us with a magical moment today, it's a good time to remember those who serve and give up so much for us. As well as honouring them in death, let's do what we can to appreciate them whilst they're still with us too.
Thanks Mum. You were the best.
x
Si Gull
Way Down South
My maternal granddad worked at the Argus and was a Goldstone chicken run regular but sadly died before I was old enough to accompany him more than a couple of times. We lived away from the area but my paternal nan lived in Lewes and took over the chaperoning duties whenever we visited.
Many times in the past I've cursed them both for fostering my love for the Albion but recent years I've been more thankful, no more so than today.
Many times in the past I've cursed them both for fostering my love for the Albion but recent years I've been more thankful, no more so than today.
Cotton Socks
Skint Supporter
- Feb 20, 2017
- 1,769
Lovely thread... bloody onions. 
Whitechapel
Famous Last Words
My dad is from Hounslow, my mum grew up in Sussex. When I; their oldest son, was born, a war raged between them on who I’d support.
My mum struck first blood, taking me to a game at The Goldstone when I was days old. Paul Dickov scored for us as we drew with Orient. The game was in the 93/94 season. I was born in March 94. My dad retaliated with VCR tapes of Chelsea and the war raged on.
I was still a kid when we returned to Brighton at the Withdean. My mum and her dad had seats in the middle of block E. Halfway line, and a few rows up. The perfect seats if you ignored the lack of roof. My aunt had seats a few rows in front. When my aunt didn’t go I did, a Brighton fan before I could even comprehend what being a fan was.
My dad rallied, and rallied hard. He took me to Chelsea games, he offered me a season ticket. I even remember a VIP experience and being bought a shirt at one point. Chelsea beat Everton 2-1. Hassielbank scored twice, supported by Gudjohnson, Zola, Poyet, Babayaro etc. How could that compare to Zamora, Watson & Co?
I stuck firm with Brighton. Why? Largely because I loved my granddad and I loved spending time with him* A Sussex lad through and through. His first job was cycling up and down the hills of Brighton selling herbs to butchers. He’d then cycle to see who would become my nan in Sompting. He lived in West Sussex until he passed.
He was the most negative Brighton fan you’d ever meet, still calculating if we were safe when we were top of the league in March. He’d sit there kicking every ball and bemoaning every misplaced pass. I’m forever grateful he got to see Falmer, even if he didn’t see the Premier League.
He loved his whiskey, I remember one Christmas as a teenager asking if he wanted ice with his drink and him tutting and asking why he’d want his drink mixed. I tell that fact so people appreciate how funny it was to watch him try and stomach a coke at Portsmouth in the 03/04 season.
Today was my first home game since Potters first home game. My mum doesn’t go anymore, she lives in Kent. My granddad passed away when we were in the championship. Trapped in hospital with dementia he woke up to three nurses speaking Thai. Thinking he was kidnapped he managed to nearly break one of their arms. An absolute warrior to his last breath. I couldn’t not go, for him if not for myself.
So Europe is dedicated to my granddad mainly. But not just him, all of them. My granddad, John Knight; who’d have been calculating how many points we need to stay up until a couple of weeks ago, my mum Angela Knight/Corr who took me to my first away game at 6 (Orient 2-0, Zamora backheel assist) but didn’t take me to winning the league v Chestefield because some Brighton fans had never seen us lift anything and they deserved it more than me in my first season. I hope someone on here recognises the names because they deserve their small place in Albion folklore. My uncle Richard too who passed when I was too young to remember; but who my mum speaks so fondly about. Hitchhiking to Newcastle is one story which sticks in my head. To Dave Prese(sp?), a family friend who sadly passed away at the end of the Withdean area. Sarah Watts. Everyone really.
We’ve achieved the impossible and as I sit here drinking and realising how bad tomorrow will be I couldn’t be more proud of this stupid, infuriating, brilliant club. I f*cking love you Brighton. Not even for a millisecond do I regret choosing this club over Chelsea. Champions League? Who cares? Nothing can come close to this club. Nothing.
*Hotdog and chips really helped too tbh.
My mum struck first blood, taking me to a game at The Goldstone when I was days old. Paul Dickov scored for us as we drew with Orient. The game was in the 93/94 season. I was born in March 94. My dad retaliated with VCR tapes of Chelsea and the war raged on.
I was still a kid when we returned to Brighton at the Withdean. My mum and her dad had seats in the middle of block E. Halfway line, and a few rows up. The perfect seats if you ignored the lack of roof. My aunt had seats a few rows in front. When my aunt didn’t go I did, a Brighton fan before I could even comprehend what being a fan was.
My dad rallied, and rallied hard. He took me to Chelsea games, he offered me a season ticket. I even remember a VIP experience and being bought a shirt at one point. Chelsea beat Everton 2-1. Hassielbank scored twice, supported by Gudjohnson, Zola, Poyet, Babayaro etc. How could that compare to Zamora, Watson & Co?
I stuck firm with Brighton. Why? Largely because I loved my granddad and I loved spending time with him* A Sussex lad through and through. His first job was cycling up and down the hills of Brighton selling herbs to butchers. He’d then cycle to see who would become my nan in Sompting. He lived in West Sussex until he passed.
He was the most negative Brighton fan you’d ever meet, still calculating if we were safe when we were top of the league in March. He’d sit there kicking every ball and bemoaning every misplaced pass. I’m forever grateful he got to see Falmer, even if he didn’t see the Premier League.
He loved his whiskey, I remember one Christmas as a teenager asking if he wanted ice with his drink and him tutting and asking why he’d want his drink mixed. I tell that fact so people appreciate how funny it was to watch him try and stomach a coke at Portsmouth in the 03/04 season.
Today was my first home game since Potters first home game. My mum doesn’t go anymore, she lives in Kent. My granddad passed away when we were in the championship. Trapped in hospital with dementia he woke up to three nurses speaking Thai. Thinking he was kidnapped he managed to nearly break one of their arms. An absolute warrior to his last breath. I couldn’t not go, for him if not for myself.
So Europe is dedicated to my granddad mainly. But not just him, all of them. My granddad, John Knight; who’d have been calculating how many points we need to stay up until a couple of weeks ago, my mum Angela Knight/Corr who took me to my first away game at 6 (Orient 2-0, Zamora backheel assist) but didn’t take me to winning the league v Chestefield because some Brighton fans had never seen us lift anything and they deserved it more than me in my first season. I hope someone on here recognises the names because they deserve their small place in Albion folklore. My uncle Richard too who passed when I was too young to remember; but who my mum speaks so fondly about. Hitchhiking to Newcastle is one story which sticks in my head. To Dave Prese(sp?), a family friend who sadly passed away at the end of the Withdean area. Sarah Watts. Everyone really.
We’ve achieved the impossible and as I sit here drinking and realising how bad tomorrow will be I couldn’t be more proud of this stupid, infuriating, brilliant club. I f*cking love you Brighton. Not even for a millisecond do I regret choosing this club over Chelsea. Champions League? Who cares? Nothing can come close to this club. Nothing.
*Hotdog and chips really helped too tbh.
Last edited:
Peacehaven Wild Kids
Well-known member
Ken Valder is in my thoughts as is my brother in law Colin Ball who passed in the last year, he took me to my first match in 1978 despite my objections as I had no interest whatsoever. (We won 5-1 and the rest is history)
- Nov 11, 2009
- 11,395
And to think we made it without Matt Derbyshire or Jazz Richards!
He was brilliant
Whitechapel
Famous Last Words
Thank you. I’m glad I didn’t word it terribly. In this state that’s quite the achievement!
I text my mum earlier and said about how my granddad would struggle to understand just how good we are now. She summed it up perfectly by saying he’d be listing off all the teams who have qualified for Europe and struggled the next season.
. A perfect encapsulation of a brilliant man. In fact I’m going to send my mum this post I think. I don’t tell her enough how much I appreciate her and the love for Brighton she installed in me. A truly incredible woman who I love dearly.
Morvangull
Well-known member
Such a good thread and i'm struggling to see the keyboard as I type this. i'm thinking of my dad who took me to my first Brighton match in 1958 and also my good friend Ray that was a big fan and we attended matches together in the 'chicken run'. Great memories and I know this historic day would have been one they treasured.
BadFish
Huge Member
- Oct 19, 2003
- 17,158
We should retire the left back position in his honour.
Nobby
Well-known member
- Sep 29, 2007
- 2,625
What a wonderful, inspiring and emotional thread this is 
For all Seagulls where ever you may be
None of em would ever believe it.
Goldstone Ground November 66
Walking up those steps at the back of the South stand into the light for the first time
Being completely in awe of everything, sights sounds smells - taking it all in.
Shuffling along the row, through the smoke, to sit next to my Nan and Grandad, season ticket holders from the 50’s. They always went on about Dave Mansell and Frankie Howard and Denis Foreman, names that meant nothing - but do now.
Sat behind my uncles on them little wooden benches as Brian Powney and John Napier and Norman Gall and all defended a corner.
My dad smiling at me as I just sat there, mesmerised.
Remembering all of them today - especially my Dad.
He was always nervous about our progress - too soon he’d say. Too soon for division 2, better to stay down for a year. Much too soon for Division 1 son, we will be straight back down. Better to consolidate for a couple of years.
And today he’d be saying, much too soon for European football - it will risk our status in the first division. Better to try and consolidate for another year.
Amazing memories - but now it’s just me - our kids are interested (slightly), but have other priorities and that’s always been fine by me.
Memories that only I have - same for all of you too I expect.
Hold onto them
What a bloody club eh?
Thank you Brighton and Hove Albion
And thanks Bozza and NSC - never stop
For all Seagulls where ever you may be
None of em would ever believe it.
Goldstone Ground November 66
Walking up those steps at the back of the South stand into the light for the first time
Being completely in awe of everything, sights sounds smells - taking it all in.
Shuffling along the row, through the smoke, to sit next to my Nan and Grandad, season ticket holders from the 50’s. They always went on about Dave Mansell and Frankie Howard and Denis Foreman, names that meant nothing - but do now.
Sat behind my uncles on them little wooden benches as Brian Powney and John Napier and Norman Gall and all defended a corner.
My dad smiling at me as I just sat there, mesmerised.
Remembering all of them today - especially my Dad.
He was always nervous about our progress - too soon he’d say. Too soon for division 2, better to stay down for a year. Much too soon for Division 1 son, we will be straight back down. Better to consolidate for a couple of years.
And today he’d be saying, much too soon for European football - it will risk our status in the first division. Better to try and consolidate for another year.
Amazing memories - but now it’s just me - our kids are interested (slightly), but have other priorities and that’s always been fine by me.
Memories that only I have - same for all of you too I expect.
Hold onto them
What a bloody club eh?
Thank you Brighton and Hove Albion
And thanks Bozza and NSC - never stop
Green Cross Code Man
Wunt be druv
My best friend at school, Broderick. Met him at Seaford Head in what's now Y7 in 1978. I was delighted to find he was a fellow Albion fan & soon discovered that what he didn't know about the Albion was not worth knowing. We grew up together waiting for each weekend with anticipation and visited loads of grounds along the way. The most memorable one for me was the snowy farce at Peterborough, Brod was recovering at the age of 19 from cancer and had his wig kicked off by 2 idiot Brighton fans who were picking a fight together. He went on to sometimes write articles in Gulls Eye, always spreading his wisdom on tactics and team selection wisely.
Brod was involved in the campaigning and marches for Falmer. But he never lived to see the dream and died before it was built from a massive heart attack at a fellow fans house in Uckfield. There isn't a match that goes by when I don't think of him and imagine him at the Amex with us all, how he would have loved what we have achieved, it's beyond our wildest dreams. Last night I raised a glass of the bubbly stuff for dear Brod. I am choking up now writing this even though he passed away a long time ago. I like this thread, it keeps the precious memories of all our loved ones who shared our great passion for our wonderful football team alive in our and our fellow supporters thoughts.
Brod was involved in the campaigning and marches for Falmer. But he never lived to see the dream and died before it was built from a massive heart attack at a fellow fans house in Uckfield. There isn't a match that goes by when I don't think of him and imagine him at the Amex with us all, how he would have loved what we have achieved, it's beyond our wildest dreams. Last night I raised a glass of the bubbly stuff for dear Brod. I am choking up now writing this even though he passed away a long time ago. I like this thread, it keeps the precious memories of all our loved ones who shared our great passion for our wonderful football team alive in our and our fellow supporters thoughts.
Brilliant thread. 
@catfish thanks mate, for taking me to my first game. Will always remember that day and all the other games we shared: Bristol Rovers in the snow, Cambridge Utd when Crumps punched the ball in and of course Hereford, scarves flying out the car windows. Every game now, I try and envisage what you'd be saying. Never forgotten.