[Albion] BHA supporter club?

[TottonSeagull]

Well, when I get a mention from a moderator - what can I do but to check it. I know the moderator type of person very well...

I dont want to discuss me (except for in particular topics where its relevant) but I have to defend myself here since you are painting a picture that is simply not true.

These are my passions: writing, football, building communities/cultures.

I dont follow Potter because I'm that horny about short passing between defenders, I follow him because his again and again repeated words about connecting a club and a city. Thats what drives me to follow him and hope for his success at achieving this.

I come from a very, very poor family and I'm reluctant to talk about it too much, but this time... its needed if you are to understand me.

My mother and I were homeless when I was aged 6-7. It was going to hell, the usual story millions and millions of kids go through - drunk father, uneducated mother.

When I was 7 she finally, with some help from her friends, got a permanent place to live. It was a extremely leftish and hippie neighboorhod called Djingis Khan. Everyone cared about eachother. We had block parties, all the kids were running around barefoot, all the grownups drinking coffee and whatnot day and night. It was magic. Mother was saved from a very deep depression, and I dont even want to know what I was saved from.

Later on, gentrification happened. When I was 20 it had all gone a bit bourgoeis and not at all the same feeling. It hurt me. I moved to the socialist student nation in Lund, Smålands, where once again I had a fantastic community feeling for five or six years. It was great, we did things together! Demonstrations, party, art... I loved it. We had all kinds of issues but no one was depressed or lonely.

Same thing happened there, a bit of gentrification. Out with the hippie communists and in with the more harsh feminists. Everything died.

I ran a website about my home city for a lot of years (mittlund.wordpress.com), I have been starting culture festivals, I have worked long and hard to recruit kids to the youth sports at home. Giving back to things that save my life.

Now I witness a world where mental illness, loneliness and stigmas are crushing people. I hate it. I hate the sanitased globalisation. I hate the Orwellian development. I hate that (mainly) the kids and teens of today dont have the same analogue, warm and free communities that I grew up in and that gave me so much.

When I want a supporter club in Brighton, I think of young adults having a beer and making creative stuff in some basement. Producing banners together, singing together, ****ing eachother. I dont think about your "attention", I just want help to make strong communities and firmly believe that supporter club etc strengthen the relation between the object of passion and the people passionate about it. I want people to connect, meet friends and to feel that they have meaningful lives. And "Crystal Palace have a supporter club so we cant have it" is not going to change my views.

You are completely clueless and prejudical about why I do the things I do. I dont email Paul Barber or suggest a supporters club because I want attention from some stranger I've never met. I do things because I have strong feelings about improving certain aspects of society. The reason I post stuff here is because the things I wish for are impossible to achieve on your own.

What a ****in sap!

 

[sparkie]

I admit that the second part was a bit condescending, just a poor expression of frustration:

EVERY week there is one or multiple threads about English supporter culture with most saying "it could be better".

I think "okay, and whats the reason a lot of English fans feel this way? What are the solutions?"

I point to the fact that a lot of countries with generally more lively support got strong supporter club working hard for great atmosphere etc, and suggest that perhaps trying to initiate a really strong supporter club would be a great idea.

The response? - Like I started a thread about selling drugs to four year olds. My idea was to start a discussion that could possibly lead somewhere great.

But by all means, just keep whining every ****ing week instead of even considering possible solutions. I'm not trying to force you - if you dont want a big fat, well organized supporter club, its fine. It was just an idea. Calm the **** down and return to your high horses and admire your flawless, unimprovable situation.

Good post. Unfortunately some on NSC will jump on you whatever you say.

 

[big nuts]

What a ****in sap!

Better than being a complete **** though.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Well, when I get a mention from a moderator - what can I do but to check it. I know the moderator type of person very well...

I dont want to discuss me (except for in particular topics where its relevant) but I have to defend myself here since you are painting a picture that is simply not true.

These are my passions: writing, football, building communities/cultures.

I dont follow Potter because I'm that horny about short passing between defenders, I follow him because his again and again repeated words about connecting a club and a city. Thats what drives me to follow him and hope for his success at achieving this.

I come from a very, very poor family and I'm reluctant to talk about it too much, but this time... its needed if you are to understand me.

My mother and I were homeless when I was aged 6-7. It was going to hell, the usual story millions and millions of kids go through - drunk father, uneducated mother.

When I was 7 she finally, with some help from her friends, got a permanent place to live. It was a extremely leftish and hippie neighboorhod called Djingis Khan. Everyone cared about eachother. We had block parties, all the kids were running around barefoot, all the grownups drinking coffee and whatnot day and night. It was magic. Mother was saved from a very deep depression, and I dont even want to know what I was saved from.

Later on, gentrification happened. When I was 20 it had all gone a bit bourgoeis and not at all the same feeling. It hurt me. I moved to the socialist student nation in Lund, Smålands, where once again I had a fantastic community feeling for five or six years. It was great, we did things together! Demonstrations, party, art... I loved it. We had all kinds of issues but no one was depressed or lonely.

Same thing happened there, a bit of gentrification. Out with the hippie communists and in with the more harsh feminists. Everything died.

I ran a website about my home city for a lot of years (mittlund.wordpress.com), I have been starting culture festivals, I have worked long and hard to recruit kids to the youth sports at home. Giving back to things that save my life.

Now I witness a world where mental illness, loneliness and stigmas are crushing people. I hate it. I hate the sanitased globalisation. I hate the Orwellian development. I hate that (mainly) the kids and teens of today dont have the same analogue, warm and free communities that I grew up in and that gave me so much.

When I want a supporter club in Brighton, I think of young adults having a beer and making creative stuff in some basement. Producing banners together, singing together, ****ing eachother. I dont think about your "attention", I just want help to make strong communities and firmly believe that supporter club etc strengthen the relation between the object of passion and the people passionate about it. I want people to connect, meet friends and to feel that they have meaningful lives. And "Crystal Palace have a supporter club so we cant have it" is not going to change my views.

You are completely clueless and prejudical about why I do the things I do. I dont email Paul Barber or suggest a supporters club because I want attention from some stranger I've never met. I do things because I have strong feelings about improving certain aspects of society. The reason I post stuff here is because the things I wish for are impossible to achieve on your own.

We've all got a background.

OK, this is fundamentally reading between the lines but here is something you need to understand. Brighton is a Socialist/Green outpost in a sea of right wing blue in South East England but Brighton and Hove Albion is not just a Brighton club, it's a county club. There is no other team within 40 miles to any side and a lot of coastal England is very working class, traditional and "not Brighton". And not very ultra.

Most of the trendy / bearded / socialist / make your own vegan cheese types in Brighton didn't start off here. So they are not fans of the club. They are students or DFLs (Down From London). Yes, there is a fanbase from those types but mostly people taking their Brighton born kids.

The ones who make noise? They come from Littlehampton and Hastings (which are approx 60 miles and over 90 minutes driving apart). They come from little council estates in Crawley, Burgess Hill, Mile Oak, Haywards Heath and from the very non-trendy Brighton and Hove areas of Hangleton, Hollingbury, Whitehawk and Moulsecoomb. So think about an ultra get-together or away coach/ You'd have to join up people from every part of East and West Sussex. Instead, people have generally travelled in their local groups and sit/stand in the same groups in the ground.

Now factor in that we were homeless from 1997-2011. How many people were lost to the cause in that time? People who would now be between 23 and 16 - prime "Ultra" age.

Now factor in that we've tried it and the current Ultras, the NSK are actually responsible for the lack of atmosphere. They took themselves off to the only place in the ground that has no acoustics, because the sound bounces straight back off the police box roof into their ears, and they insist on singing their own songs, thus disrupting the flow of the noise from the east of the North Stand to the West Upper.

But most of all, you've suggested we emulate our worst, hated rivals. That's insulting. You don't understand.

I'm sorry to be harsh on you but you need to learn a lot more history if you are to suggest anything, let alone putting yourself up as some kind of leader. We've got plenty of bloggers, writers and media types thanks.

 

[TottonSeagull]

Better than being a complete **** though.

He is an attention seeking clown!

 

[Chicken Run]

Producing banners together, singing together, ****ing eachother.

Quite literally pmsl.

 

[NooBHA]

**** me. I am just waiting for Eamon Andrews to jump out with a Big Red Book. Or Cilla Black to pop her head above a precapice and shout " Surprise Surprise "

 

[Swansman]

We've all got a background.

OK, this is fundamentally reading between the lines but here is something you need to understand. Brighton is a Socialist/Green outpost in a sea of right wing blue in South East England but Brighton and Hove Albion is not just a Brighton club, it's a county club. There is no other team within 40 miles to any side and a lot of coastal England is very working class, traditional and "not Brighton". And not very ultra.

Most of the trendy / bearded / socialist / make your own vegan cheese types in Brighton didn't start off here. So they are not fans of the club. They are students or DFLs (Down From London). Yes, there is a fanbase from those types but mostly people taking their Brighton born kids.

The ones who make noise? They come from Littlehampton and Hastings (which are approx 60 miles and over 90 minutes driving apart). They come from little council estates in Crawley, Burgess Hill, Mile Oak, Haywards Heath and from the very non-trendy Brighton and Hove areas of Hangleton, Hollingbury, Whitehawk and Moulsecoomb. So think about an ultra get-together or away coach/ You'd have to join up people from every part of East and West Sussex. Instead, people have generally travelled in their local groups and sit/stand in the same groups in the ground.

Now factor in that we were homeless from 1997-2011. How many people were lost to the cause in that time? People who would now be between 23 and 16 - prime "Ultra" age.

Now factor in that we've tried it and the current Ultras, the NSK are actually responsible for the lack of atmosphere. They took themselves off to the only place in the ground that has no acoustics, because the sound bounces straight back off the police box roof into their ears, and they insist on singing their own songs, thus disrupting the flow of the noise from the east of the North Stand to the West Upper.

But most of all, you've suggested we emulate our worst, hated rivals. That's insulting. You don't understand.

I'm sorry to be harsh on you but you need to learn a lot more history if you are to suggest anything, let alone putting yourself up as some kind of leader. We've got plenty of bloggers, writers and media types thanks.

Great post, gave me a lot of great insight generally not easily obtained since a lot of this is probably obvious if you are from/living in the area.

It seems there is some huge challenges indeed. If the club is going to develop/keep its fan culture, it seems to me that a) connecting these groups with different attitudes/backgrounds/belongings and find common ground and b) make people who move to Brighton engaged in the club.

Sorry about repeating the supporter club-hedonism but I think it would be a good way in creating connection or at least non-"competitiveness" between different fractions of supporters and end up in some "we like banners and singing, maybe a pierce of confetti, but we dont like smoke bombs" middleground". You dont want to be like Crystal Palace but - genuine question - do you really think a supporter club of Brighton fans would be like a supporter club of CP fans?

It also creates a forum where new Brightoners can get connected to the club. Isnt there some science that says "you can get emotionally connected to what you hear, more connected to what you see and most to what you do"? Imagine being new in town, a huge football fan and having somewhere to go and obviously be a part of it rather than "just" watching it. And the fact that you meet people: when I go to study in Brighton this fall I will probably feel pretty ****ing weird and lonely at the AMEX, but if I had meet some people before or in between the first few games, it would be much easier.

Even if most of you are from or living in the surroundings rather than in the city itself, most likely there are a few thousand bored bearded or non-bearded teens and young adults who need Brighton but are yet to find out. Attempting to convert them into fanatics would, from what I've heard (and please give me more cause I suck info like Potter suck teeth) be positive in the long run. People are generally shit at making their new homes homes, they need to be shown or dragged into the beauty of a club (and city).

I could imagine some unspoken of fears about how "new" people could change things in a negative manner but if done correctly and sensibly you should be able to attract the right kind of people and indoctrinate them (us) to certain extent. Could probably be great funfor you bit older generations with some fresh blood.

I do eventually become some type of administrator or initiator of some type of initiative like this. If I move to study in Brighton (very likely) I hope to engage myself in the club and in the city as I've done any time Ive moved. Why: its good and its fun. I'm a writer/blogger, all of that shit you have enough of, but Im also type of guy who wont stop banging the council door until they give me a basement to arrange banner workshops in.

You need to help me though if its gonna be any good, I dont want to be some leader - just arranger - and I hope it could be a pretty flat organisation. And if anything dominated by long time, engaged fans.

 

[Taybha]

To prove your worthy you must first kidnap Pilots wife.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Sometimes I forget you are all 60+ and done with anarchy.

To raise a new generation of loud and fanatical fans I think the slightly criminal Ultras thing is the way to go though. The alternative is probably some kind of choir which would be pretty uncool and not very menacing.

Your idea sounds very corporate and about as far away from anarchy as it is possible to get.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

It seems there is some huge challenges indeed. If the club is going to develop/keep its fan culture.

What the what....

Did I miss something, since when has our fan culture been under threat....
Is this what being a Premier league team means, attracting herberts from all over the world, who want to change our identity without knowing feck all about us....

I dont want to be some leader - just arranger.

Same friggin thing.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Great post, gave me a lot of great insight generally not easily obtained since a lot of this is probably obvious if you are from/living in the area.

It seems there is some huge challenges indeed. If the club is going to develop/keep its fan culture, it seems to me that a) connecting these groups with different attitudes/backgrounds/belongings and find common ground and b) make people who move to Brighton engaged in the club.

Sorry about repeating the supporter club-hedonism but I think it would be a good way in creating connection or at least non-"competitiveness" between different fractions of supporters and end up in some "we like banners and singing, maybe a pierce of confetti, but we dont like smoke bombs" middleground". You dont want to be like Crystal Palace but - genuine question - do you really think a supporter club of Brighton fans would be like a supporter club of CP fans?

It also creates a forum where new Brightoners can get connected to the club. Isnt there some science that says "you can get emotionally connected to what you hear, more connected to what you see and most to what you do"? Imagine being new in town, a huge football fan and having somewhere to go and obviously be a part of it rather than "just" watching it. And the fact that you meet people: when I go to study in Brighton this fall I will probably feel pretty ****ing weird and lonely at the AMEX, but if I had meet some people before or in between the first few games, it would be much easier.

Even if most of you are from or living in the surroundings rather than in the city itself, most likely there are a few thousand bored bearded or non-bearded teens and young adults who need Brighton but are yet to find out. Attempting to convert them into fanatics would, from what I've heard (and please give me more cause I suck info like Potter suck teeth) be positive in the long run. People are generally shit at making their new homes homes, they need to be shown or dragged into the beauty of a club (and city).

I could imagine some unspoken of fears about how "new" people could change things in a negative manner but if done correctly and sensibly you should be able to attract the right kind of people and indoctrinate them (us) to certain extent. Could probably be great funfor you bit older generations with some fresh blood.

I do eventually become some type of administrator or initiator of some type of initiative like this. If I move to study in Brighton (very likely) I hope to engage myself in the club and in the city as I've done any time Ive moved. Why: its good and its fun. I'm a writer/blogger, all of that shit you have enough of, but Im also type of guy who wont stop banging the council door until they give me a basement to arrange banner workshops in.

You need to help me though if its gonna be any good, I dont want to be some leader - just arranger - and I hope it could be a pretty flat organisation. And if anything dominated by long time, engaged fans.

Maybe you should stop trying to fix something you don’t really understand. You need to join in with the club as it is not the other way around.

 

[BN41Albion]

Great post, gave me a lot of great insight generally not easily obtained since a lot of this is probably obvious if you are from/living in the area.

It seems there is some huge challenges indeed. If the club is going to develop/keep its fan culture, it seems to me that a) connecting these groups with different attitudes/backgrounds/belongings and find common ground and b) make people who move to Brighton engaged in the club.

Sorry about repeating the supporter club-hedonism but I think it would be a good way in creating connection or at least non-"competitiveness" between different fractions of supporters and end up in some "we like banners and singing, maybe a pierce of confetti, but we dont like smoke bombs" middleground". You dont want to be like Crystal Palace but - genuine question - do you really think a supporter club of Brighton fans would be like a supporter club of CP fans?

It also creates a forum where new Brightoners can get connected to the club. Isnt there some science that says "you can get emotionally connected to what you hear, more connected to what you see and most to what you do"? Imagine being new in town, a huge football fan and having somewhere to go and obviously be a part of it rather than "just" watching it. And the fact that you meet people: when I go to study in Brighton this fall I will probably feel pretty ****ing weird and lonely at the AMEX, but if I had meet some people before or in between the first few games, it would be much easier.

Even if most of you are from or living in the surroundings rather than in the city itself, most likely there are a few thousand bored bearded or non-bearded teens and young adults who need Brighton but are yet to find out. Attempting to convert them into fanatics would, from what I've heard (and please give me more cause I suck info like Potter suck teeth) be positive in the long run. People are generally shit at making their new homes homes, they need to be shown or dragged into the beauty of a club (and city).

I could imagine some unspoken of fears about how "new" people could change things in a negative manner but if done correctly and sensibly you should be able to attract the right kind of people and indoctrinate them (us) to certain extent. Could probably be great funfor you bit older generations with some fresh blood.

I do eventually become some type of administrator or initiator of some type of initiative like this. If I move to study in Brighton (very likely) I hope to engage myself in the club and in the city as I've done any time Ive moved. Why: its good and its fun. I'm a writer/blogger, all of that shit you have enough of, but Im also type of guy who wont stop banging the council door until they give me a basement to arrange banner workshops in.

You need to help me though if its gonna be any good, I dont want to be some leader - just arranger - and I hope it could be a pretty flat organisation. And if anything dominated by long time, engaged fans.

Brightonians

 

[miffy6]

Producing banners together, singing together, ****ing eachother.

 

[GT49er]

What about this?

http://www.bhasc.com/

Does it still exist?

 

[Beach Hut]

Great post, gave me a lot of great insight generally not easily obtained since a lot of this is probably obvious if you are from/living in the area.

It seems there is some huge challenges indeed. If the club is going to develop/keep its fan culture, it seems to me that a) connecting these groups with different attitudes/backgrounds/belongings and find common ground and b) make people who move to Brighton engaged in the club.

Sorry about repeating the supporter club-hedonism but I think it would be a good way in creating connection or at least non-"competitiveness" between different fractions of supporters and end up in some "we like banners and singing, maybe a pierce of confetti, but we dont like smoke bombs" middleground". You dont want to be like Crystal Palace but - genuine question - do you really think a supporter club of Brighton fans would be like a supporter club of CP fans?

It also creates a forum where new Brightoners can get connected to the club. Isnt there some science that says "you can get emotionally connected to what you hear, more connected to what you see and most to what you do"? Imagine being new in town, a huge football fan and having somewhere to go and obviously be a part of it rather than "just" watching it. And the fact that you meet people: when I go to study in Brighton this fall I will probably feel pretty ****ing weird and lonely at the AMEX, but if I had meet some people before or in between the first few games, it would be much easier.

Even if most of you are from or living in the surroundings rather than in the city itself, most likely there are a few thousand bored bearded or non-bearded teens and young adults who need Brighton but are yet to find out. Attempting to convert them into fanatics would, from what I've heard (and please give me more cause I suck info like Potter suck teeth) be positive in the long run. People are generally shit at making their new homes homes, they need to be shown or dragged into the beauty of a club (and city).

I could imagine some unspoken of fears about how "new" people could change things in a negative manner but if done correctly and sensibly you should be able to attract the right kind of people and indoctrinate them (us) to certain extent. Could probably be great funfor you bit older generations with some fresh blood.

I do eventually become some type of administrator or initiator of some type of initiative like this. If I move to study in Brighton (very likely) I hope to engage myself in the club and in the city as I've done any time Ive moved. Why: its good and its fun. I'm a writer/blogger, all of that shit you have enough of, but Im also type of guy who wont stop banging the council door until they give me a basement to arrange banner workshops in.

You need to help me though if its gonna be any good, I dont want to be some leader - just arranger - and I hope it could be a pretty flat organisation. And if anything dominated by long time, engaged fans.

I don't suppose the thought has crossed your mind that a large majority of people at the Amex are prisoners of their own desire and only ever supported one team ?

And I don't suppose you are aware of the massive Season Ticket waiting list, have you joined that yet ?

When you arrive do you expect us all to be ling the streets waving to you as the Messiah has arrive, by the way, a banner may also require a safety certificate

 

[Bry Nylon]

...singing together, ****ing each other.

I might just try the singing, if that's okay with everyone?

 

[father_and_son]

Great post, gave me a lot of great insight generally not easily obtained since a lot of this is probably obvious if you are from/living in the area.

It seems there is some huge challenges indeed. If the club is going to develop/keep its fan culture, it seems to me that a) connecting these groups with different attitudes/backgrounds/belongings and find common ground and b) make people who move to Brighton engaged in the club.

Sorry about repeating the supporter club-hedonism but I think it would be a good way in creating connection or at least non-"competitiveness" between different fractions of supporters and end up in some "we like banners and singing, maybe a pierce of confetti, but we dont like smoke bombs" middleground". You dont want to be like Crystal Palace but - genuine question - do you really think a supporter club of Brighton fans would be like a supporter club of CP fans?

It also creates a forum where new Brightoners can get connected to the club. Isnt there some science that says "you can get emotionally connected to what you hear, more connected to what you see and most to what you do"? Imagine being new in town, a huge football fan and having somewhere to go and obviously be a part of it rather than "just" watching it. And the fact that you meet people: when I go to study in Brighton this fall I will probably feel pretty ****ing weird and lonely at the AMEX, but if I had meet some people before or in between the first few games, it would be much easier.

Even if most of you are from or living in the surroundings rather than in the city itself, most likely there are a few thousand bored bearded or non-bearded teens and young adults who need Brighton but are yet to find out. Attempting to convert them into fanatics would, from what I've heard (and please give me more cause I suck info like Potter suck teeth) be positive in the long run. People are generally shit at making their new homes homes, they need to be shown or dragged into the beauty of a club (and city).

I could imagine some unspoken of fears about how "new" people could change things in a negative manner but if done correctly and sensibly you should be able to attract the right kind of people and indoctrinate them (us) to certain extent. Could probably be great funfor you bit older generations with some fresh blood.

I do eventually become some type of administrator or initiator of some type of initiative like this. If I move to study in Brighton (very likely) I hope to engage myself in the club and in the city as I've done any time Ive moved. Why: its good and its fun. I'm a writer/blogger, all of that shit you have enough of, but Im also type of guy who wont stop banging the council door until they give me a basement to arrange banner workshops in.

You need to help me though if its gonna be any good, I dont want to be some leader - just arranger - and I hope it could be a pretty flat organisation. And if anything dominated by long time, engaged fans.

We have a saying here in Britain... When you are in a hole, stop digging.

You aren't *from* here, you don't *live* here. You never sat on scaffolding at the Withdean, you have never boycotted a retail park, what do you ACTUALLY know about England, Sussex and Brighton?

You seem to genuinely know NOTHING about the club, the city, the people or English football and English football culture.

If you move to Brighton to study then you will just join 10s of thousands of other transient people who visit Sussex, you won't be special or unique. No one will notice or care.

Learn about who we are. Learn about why this club is special. About why we sing about 'Withdean to Wembley' so passionately. Don't come lecturing and arranging... You won't be welcome.

 

[GT49er]

We have a saying here in Britain... When you are in a hole, stop digging.

You aren't *from* here, you don't *live* here. You never sat on scaffolding at the Withdean, you have never boycotted a retail park, what do you ACTUALLY know about England, Sussex and Brighton?

You seem to genuinely know NOTHING about the club, the city, the people or English football and English football culture.

If you move to Brighton to study then you will just join 10s of thousands of other transient people who visit Sussex, you won't be special or unique. No one will notice or care.

Learn about who we are. Learn about why this club is special. About why we sing about 'Withdean to Wembley' so passionately. Don't come lecturing and arranging... You won't be welcome.

Harsh but fair.

 

[Swansman]

We have a saying here in Britain... When you are in a hole, stop digging.

You aren't *from* here, you don't *live* here. You never sat on scaffolding at the Withdean, you have never boycotted a retail park, what do you ACTUALLY know about England, Sussex and Brighton?

You seem to genuinely know NOTHING about the club, the city, the people or English football and English football culture.

If you move to Brighton to study then you will just join 10s of thousands of other transient people who visit Sussex, you won't be special or unique. No one will notice or care.

Learn about who we are. Learn about why this club is special. About why we sing about 'Withdean to Wembley' so passionately. Don't come lecturing and arranging... You won't be welcome.

Its okay, I'll find people who are less xenophobic and more open to at least good ideas wherever they come from.

Not everyone is like you.