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[Football] Alex Revell



blue-shifted

Banned
Feb 20, 2004
7,645
a galaxy far far away
What a strikeforce for League One Murray and Forster was. That win took us top of the League. Lovely old job.

View attachment 120238

Great forward line for the division, but some proper dross in behind it. Livermore Hawkins, Thompson, Richards. How were we top?
 




stewart12

Well-known member
Jan 16, 2019
1,614
It helped that it was a friday night, before everyone else played. :thumbsup: We'd drawn with Bristol Rovers (so 0-0 it was almost -1 to both rubbish teams) on my 21st the weekend before, then went to Southend and played brilliantly. Back to back clean sheets with Colin Hawkins at the back was sensational and we actually saw some quality from David Livermore on the left wing. Adam Virgo carrying on as a box to box midfielder alongside the marmiteman, Thomson. I never rated him, but so many did.

easy to forget how good Hawkins was when he first arrived. VERY rapidly declined though

Thomson was an ok League One midfielder. Definitely a downgrade on Hammond but wasn't a poor player, just a bit 'meh'
 


stewart12

Well-known member
Jan 16, 2019
1,614
Great forward line for the division, but some proper dross in behind it. Livermore Hawkins, Thompson, Richards. How were we top?

I think the names you've listed (apart from Richards who was a decent left back) were part of the reason as to why we quite quickly plummeted down the table

Feel like we didn't get a huge amount of game time out of the Forster/Murray combo that year either although I may be re-writing history there
 


blue-shifted

Banned
Feb 20, 2004
7,645
a galaxy far far away
easy to forget how good Hawkins was when he first arrived. VERY rapidly declined though

Thomson was an ok League One midfielder. Definitely a downgrade on Hammond but wasn't a poor player, just a bit 'meh'

So easy to forget, approx. 6000 withdean sth's all did it!
 


stewart12

Well-known member
Jan 16, 2019
1,614
when I say that Hawkins was good- it's more in relation to how poor he quite quickly became

he was never like Cannavaro or anything
 




Icy Gull

Back on the rollercoaster
Jul 5, 2003
72,015
And we moan about current players not being up to it :lolol:

Brighton and Hove Entitled
 


stewart12

Well-known member
Jan 16, 2019
1,614
my final straw that season was in the cup replay at Hartlepool (after The Hawk's bullet header own goal had gifted Hartlepool a draw in the home game)

I lived in Newcastle at the time so begrudgingly made the trip down the coast, probably knowing that we'd be shit

Went 1-0 with Forster, but then threw it away and lost 2-1. It was dross

No trains out of Hartlepool after 9pm so had to bunk a lift off someone to Darlington to get a train back home. Took me absolutely ages

A season that will live long in the memory for all the wrong reasons- probably one of the more memorable Withdean seasons
 


Ninja Elephant

Doctor Elephant
Feb 16, 2009
18,855
The difference between the fit and confident Colin Hawkins and then the catastrophic confidenceless mess he became was incredible. We'll generally remember him as being something of a caricature but there was a player in there, once.

Murray spent a lot of the season injured - remember him getting bawled out by Tommy Fraser for not chasing back against Leeds in the build up to their third goal? He missed all of the run in under Russell Slade which was a massive loss for us.
 






hans kraay fan club

The voice of reason.
Helpful Moderator
Mar 16, 2005
61,473
Chandlers Ford
The difference between the fit and confident Colin Hawkins and then the catastrophic confidenceless mess he became was incredible. We'll generally remember him as being something of a caricature but there was a player in there, once.

Murray spent a lot of the season injured - remember him getting bawled out by Tommy Fraser for not chasing back against Leeds in the build up to their third goal? He missed all of the run in under Russell Slade which was a massive loss for us.

Second goal (it was 2-0). Murray was never catching young Fabian Delph, even if he hadn't been struggling (with an diagnosed hernia, as it turned out).

Looking at the respective midfields, it a wonder we only lost by two! http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_2/7816001.stm

Fraser / Virgo / Birchall / McLeod v Bradley Johnson / Jonathon Douglas / Andy Hughes / Fabian Delph (plus Jonny Howson off the bench)
 


Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo

Waxing chumps like candles since ‘75
Oct 4, 2003
11,149
Feel like we didn't get a huge amount of game time out of the Forster/Murray combo that year either although I may be re-writing history there

Murray and Forster missed a majority of the run in. Murray only played 23 games that season, his last game was the 28th March against Tranmere. Forster played in 30 games that season, he played on 21st March and was out until he came back to score the only goal of the game as a sub in the final game of the season against Stockport.

We were massively reliant on Lloyd Owusu for the last few months of the season, his record of 7 goals in 14 games saved us from the drop no doubt about it. Gary Hart hardly played that season and came back for the run in and struck up a real understanding with Owusu, although Harty didn't score that season his industry up front helped too.
 




Ninja Elephant

Doctor Elephant
Feb 16, 2009
18,855
Second goal (it was 2-0). Murray was never catching young Fabian Delph, even if he hadn't been struggling (with an diagnosed hernia, as it turned out).

Looking at the respective midfields, it a wonder we only lost by two! http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_2/7816001.stm

Fraser / Virgo / Birchall / McLeod v Bradley Johnson / Jonathon Douglas / Andy Hughes / Fabian Delph (plus Jonny Howson off the bench)

I remember it as the third, right at the end. I'm happy to be corrected though. Murray was obviously injured, he was in absolutely no condition at all to be on the pitch. He didn't crumble emotionally in the same way that The Hawk did, but it was a massive black mark against him for a long period of time.

It wasn't unreasonable to lose that game under any circumstances at all - we were nowhere at that time. Impressive that we were able to get Kevin McLeod on the pitch.
 


hans kraay fan club

The voice of reason.
Helpful Moderator
Mar 16, 2005
61,473
Chandlers Ford
Murray and Forster missed a majority of the run in. Murray only played 23 games that season, his last game was the 28th March against Tranmere. Forster played in 30 games that season, he played on 21st March and was out until he came back to score the only goal of the game as a sub in the final game of the season against Stockport.

We were massively reliant on Lloyd Owusu for the last few months of the season, his record of 7 goals in 14 games saved us from the drop no doubt about it. Gary Hart hardly played that season and came back for the run in and struck up a real understanding with Owusu, although Harty didn't score that season his industry up front helped too.

A little contribution from Calvin Andrew, too (nice of Palace to help rescue us), including the late winner in the rearranged game at Bristol Rovers. In 35+ years, that match remains an absolute highlight of my Albion-supporting life.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_2/8001993.stm

I note from the report that a young Kevin Friend was the ref - he was probably shit.
 


albionalex

Well-known member
Feb 26, 2009
4,543
Toronto




Farehamseagull

Solly March Fan Club
Nov 22, 2007
14,087
Sarisbury Green, Southampton
I will always think fondly of Revell after that Bournemouth game, even all these years on and considering the level we’re now playing at, that remains one of my all time favourite games.

Always remember someone on here describing him as that guy who works at a gym and spends too much time working out on the equipment. That made me laugh.
 


Those middle years of the Withdean era were well..., I’m sure some games fell into the 4-5,000 attendance level. Withdean started great, stayed good for a fair while and ended wonderfully. The bit in between that was no doubt a by product of the struggle in the board was baaaad
 


Farehamseagull

Solly March Fan Club
Nov 22, 2007
14,087
Sarisbury Green, Southampton
Those middle years of the Withdean era were well..., I’m sure some games fell into the 4-5,000 attendance level. Withdean started great, stayed good for a fair while and ended wonderfully. The bit in between that was no doubt a by product of the struggle in the board was baaaad

I know what you’re saying and yet there were still some really memorable bits in the middle. Like Revell’s hat trick, Bas Savage, Owusu and Gary Hart, Nicky Forster, the Northwich game, Man City. Wasn’t all bad.
 


Mellotron

I've asked for soup
Jul 2, 2008
31,880
Brighton
Murray and Forster missed a majority of the run in. Murray only played 23 games that season, his last game was the 28th March against Tranmere. Forster played in 30 games that season, he played on 21st March and was out until he came back to score the only goal of the game as a sub in the final game of the season against Stockport.

We were massively reliant on Lloyd Owusu for the last few months of the season, his record of 7 goals in 14 games saved us from the drop no doubt about it. Gary Hart hardly played that season and came back for the run in and struck up a real understanding with Owusu, although Harty didn't score that season his industry up front helped too.

The season of 1,000 loanees as well. Remember looking at the team sheet wondering who about 3-4 players were at points.

We definitely didn't get to see enough of a really great Murray/Forster partnership.

That Southend away and a couple of Wycombe aways they were superb together - back when I was actually able to go to away games...

Wycombe 4 - 4 Brighton
Wycombe 4 4 Brighton.jpg

Wycombe 2 - 5 Brighton

Murray and Forster were unstoppable this game.

wycombe 2 5 brighton.jpg
 
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Horton's halftime iceberg

Blooming Marvellous
Jan 9, 2005
16,485
Brighton
A little contribution from Calvin Andrew, too (nice of Palace to help rescue us), including the late winner in the rearranged game at Bristol Rovers. In 35+ years, that match remains an absolute highlight of my Albion-supporting life.

That is the most sick from nerves I have ever been at a game for some reason. Whenever I feel stressed at a game or in life I always say to myself, its not as bad as being 0-1 at Bristol Rovers away.

Gary Hart was amazing in the second half. It took me hours to recover.
 


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