Earning your Stripes

[spanish flair]

Took a good kicking from Sunderland fans as I walked alone across the Newcastle car park, after the game that won us promotion to Div 1

 

[Peter Grummit]

Also, Grimsby away in 1983, lost 5-0 in the pouring rain and missed train connections meant I had to walk home an hour from Coventry station to Warwick Uni.

PG

 

[Gary Hart's Stalker]

Driving all the way to Halifax on a very wet Tuesday night. (Fixture had already been re-arranged from a previous Saturday.) We listened to the radio for pitch inspection updates all the way up; all were reported as 'game on'. Parked up to find all our fans walking away from the ground. Game had been called off.

 

[Braggfan]

This. Had one for both seasons. It was also a period when we endured Gislason and Mahoney-Johnson, two of the worst footballers I've seen play for the Albion. The day we lost 4-0 to a poor Darlo was probably the lowest of my Albion supporting life

The thing about Gillingham was if you had a season ticket, you got free travel up there. So it was actually a pretty cheap day out, it was just the time it took to get there that was a pain. After a while though, you saw the same faces on the buses up and it became a bit of a laugh on the bus. For all the awful football, there were some good things. Gary Hart's arrival for one, Richie Barker, and super Rod Thomas. Rod Thomas and Jeff Minton played brilliantly in that second season under Horton, and we had a decent little spell at that time. Of course then Horton left and dropped like a stone again. But still if you made the best of it, it wasn't all doom and gloom.

 

[Phat Baz 68]

Stood in the East for years at the Goldstone got soaked hundreds of times
Went to Carlisle mid winter in freezing rain about 22 of us and slept on a bench in Carlisle in a bus shelter
Went to both cup finals and quede for friggging hours for the replay ones.
Was at Hereford
Went to all matches in the 82/83 cup run home and away
Play off final v Notts County and Bristol City
Matches at Priestshit
Matches at Withdean
Countless marches and demos
First ever match at Amex Sussex Senior Cup final
Season ticket holder whole of Amex time
Etc etc etc

 

[grummitts gloves]

Bolton away in the FA Cup, think it was 1992. Woke up on the Saturday morning, wife asks if I'm going to football? Told her it was away at Bolton, she said go if you want, I don't think she realised actually how far Bolton is from Burgess Hill, so off I went in the car on my own and we lost. What a miserable day out that was! Home to Walsall in the Auto windscreen thingy in the early 90's on the most bitterly cold Tuesday night I ever experienced at the Goldstone. We were winning, but just couldn't wait to go home. Just for a laugh, I said to my mate, 'Come on Walsall' who promptly equalised and confined us to another half an hour of exposure. He wasn't happy.

 

[LlcoolJ]

The day we lost 4-0 to a poor Darlo was probably the lowest of my Albion supporting life

I got the train down from Sheffield with my Darlo supporting mate for that game. We also met up with some of his other Darlo friends in London on the way. Got talking to Attila in a boozer in Gillingham (after marvelling at what a shithole the town was) who cheerily opined that however bad we were at least Marco Gabbiadini wouldn't do anything today as he was shit. When Gabbiadini completed his hat-trick I could see my mate running up and down the away terrace celebrating.......

It was actually a hilarious and excellent day out apart from the football and I have massive respect for those of you who endured that crap for so long.

 

[pasty]

December 1990

Bloody freezing. 500 mile round trip. Plastic pitch. Ex-player hatrick. Oldham 6 - 1 Brighton. Car break down on way home.

 

[CHAPPERS]

The thing about Gillingham was if you had a season ticket, you got free travel up there. So it was actually a pretty cheap day out, it was just the time it took to get there that was a pain. After a while though, you saw the same faces on the buses up and it became a bit of a laugh on the bus. For all the awful football, there were some good things. Gary Hart's arrival for one, Richie Barker, and super Rod Thomas. Rod Thomas and Jeff Minton played brilliantly in that second season under Horton, and we had a decent little spell at that time. Of course then Horton left and dropped like a stone again. But still if you made the best of it, it wasn't all doom and gloom.

Dip in form coincided with Minton getting injured away at Port Vale if memory serves. Then Horton signed him FOR Port Vale? Is that right or am I going mad.

 

[Gary Hart's Stalker]

Losing away at Huddersfield 7-1, having only just made kick off due to M1 roadworks causing traffic jams. Those M1 roadworks were then road closures on the way home, so didn't get back until 4am.

 

[Braggfan]

Dip in form coincided with Minton getting injured away at Port Vale if memory serves. Then Horton signed him FOR Port Vale? Is that right or am I going mad.

Rod Thomas broke his foot which definitely coincided with a blip in form, I’m not sure whether Minton was out as well. But Horton did then swan off to Port Vale and nicked Minton on a free that summer. However, we then got Micky Adams and the rest is history.
I remember going to Chester away for the fans united day, and being gutted to discover that Thomas was out injured, as it hadn't been reported before we got there.

 

[Paul Reids Sock]

A couple for me - when I realised I was a proper supporter despite not going to a game until I was 13


Sheffield Wednesday away on a Monday night and on Sky
Any game in the South Stand at Withdean during winter (a particularly soaking day against Millwall springs to mind. I think we won 1-0 with Gary Hart scoring on his 300th appearance. Still have the signed programme somewhere)
Reading 5-1 Brighton
Cardiff away when we lost 2-0 and had two shots in the whole game (or it at least felt like it) Was Mark McGhees final game
Sheffield Utd away when we lost 3-1 - I was up stupidly early to get a bus to town (Bromley) train to Victoria, National Express to Sheffield all with man flu. We were crap and got turned over. I managed to get back 5 minutes after last orders
QPR away on New Years day - one of the worst 0-0s I have ever seen, a missed open goal and the players looked as if they were as hungover as the crowd

 

[Seagull kimchi]

Newcastle away as a 16 yo. Spent a forune on the train and 8 cans of super. Too fuzzled to hear the announcement at King Cross that the game was probably postponed. Got bladdered on the way and noticed it was 2;30 at Durham so jumped off and grabbed a taxi to St J park to be told as we arrived the game was cancelled hours ago by a grinning driver.

Hit the pub next to the ground and bantered aggressively untill I sparked a bifta - got bundled out the pub and escorted through the town center 'for my own protection' by the Bill and told to board the first train out of town or be arrested. To be honest I got away with acting like a complete twunt and amazingly survived in colours screaming Albion songs all over the Toon.

Was horribly sick somewhere near Doncaster.

 

[beorhthelm]

no ticket for the league 2 final promotion game, so attempted to ascend the trees. this did not work well, ended up watching most the game, along with a good couple dozen others from the road up in the corner, could see surprising amount of the game. then the gates opened with about 5 minutes to go and we all went in and onto the track in front of the South Stand and on the pitch at the end

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

Bolton away in the FA Cup, think it was 1992. Woke up on the Saturday morning, wife asks if I'm going to football? Told her it was away at Bolton, she said go if you want, I don't think she realised actually how far Bolton is from Burgess Hill, so off I went in the car on my own and we lost.

I went to that, and we either went in front or drew level at one point Raphael Meade scored and the usual he'e on speed song came out...

Think we lost 2-1

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

One of the worst as a result & knowing we really are in a dire state was the 4-0 thrashing at Northampton, extremely angry at the team considering the support we took on September 28th 1996.

The only saving grace was I had three of Frankie Dettori's horses in a lucky 15 they day he did the magnificent Seven...

 

[1234andcounting]

One of the worst as a result & knowing we really are in a dire state was the 4-0 thrashing at Northampton, extremely angry at the team considering the support we took on September 28th 1996.

The only saving grace was I had three of Frankie Dettori's horses in a lucky 15 they day he did the magnificent Seven...

3-0 I think. And that was one of Ashley Neal's superb performances in the stripes. We observed a certain D. Belotti making his way to his car and decided we would tail him home. Unfortunately, the old bill were aware too and proceeded to block us in with a car and a van.

As to the theme of the thread, almost any LDV or equivalent match but one stands out for me - a last minute rush to see us thrashed 5-1 at home by Notts County, although I confess I didn't stay to the end.

 

[Gwylan]

I went to that, and we either went in front or drew level at one point Raphael Meade scored and the usual he'e on speed song came out...

Think we lost 2-1

We did. Paul McCarthy gave away a soft penalty about eight minutes from the end. What I remember most is that the bloke who was driving got so pissed afterwards that he didn't sober up to drive until late on the Sunday.

It was also the last match that I discussed with my dad: he was taken ill a few days later and died shortly after that

Probably my least happy memory following the Albion but not because of the football

 

[wardy wonder land]

Wednesday 10th March 1993 - Drove down from Poly in Nottingham with another massive BHAFC fan, we had an HMRC tax winding up order and it could have been Brighton’s last match

Cajoled a West Brom Fan on my course to come as well, Albion won 3-1, night out in the Glouster, Beeney sold to Leeds for the tax bill

Driving back-up north, on the Thursday – looking at the program, next game was Stockport away, decided to take the M40 & M6 to Manchester and not the M1 to Nottingham (despite the protests of the WBA fan in the back)

Paid for his entrance on the Saturday, told him to just shout “Albion” 0-0 draw,

Arrived back home in Nottingham on the Sunday 14th Match after leaving on the 10th

 

[BlockDpete]

Been to Rochdale and Preston, both on a Tuesday night, though that was more of an extended trip oop North.

Rochdale was a draw (Richard Carpenter free kick screamer). Preston we lost, by I'm not sure how many goals.

I remember the Millwall AWS game at Priestfield.

I did Walsall away the recent year when it got called off due to a frozen pitch, on Saturday morning. Was already at Euston when they gave the news out (at the station). Got the train upto Brum, and had a day sampling the local boozers, which wasn't bad.
Match was re arranged for a Tuesday night. Decided to go, and even booked a hotel room. Game was a complete car crash, I think we may have been 3-0 down at HT.

Talking of Walsall, how can you call yourself an Albion fan, if you weren't at the infamous 0-1 to 8 men at Withdean............