Feeling a warm glow in good times

[RowleyBirkinQ.C(deceased)]

It's quarter to 1 on a Saturday night and watching leagues 1 and 2 on the football league show. I know it's a well worn topic on here about how far we've come, but after watching our game on sky tonight, with out multimillion pound squad playing in a multimillion pound new stadium and now watching potless stuggling clubs play in tiny run down grounds it strikes home how times have changed. I've spent most of my Adult life traipsing up and down the country watching Albion at places like bury Walsall and Rochdale, and mostly losing.,Then when I moved away to Essex and got a wife and family I used to stay up past 1a.m on Monday nights to watch the football league goals and watch us lose AGAIN at chesterfield and Exeter.
This is basically a love letter to the team I love and am so proud of were we are and were we came from, especially as my son has turned 5 and is taking a real interest in the Albion at a time when things are so good and potentially are heading toward prem league. hopefully my son will be watching us play Chelsea, Man U, Arsenal ect for many years to come and I'll enjoy too, but as bad as things have been in the past and the amount of piss taking and abuse I've received being a Brighton fan, I wouldn't trade a single game or a single day.
No need to comment or reply, it's just me venting my pride and love for the boys in the old Brighton blue.

 

[slartibartfast]

I took my son to his first game at Withdean, in 2002, v Burnley. The weather was shit, the side were well beaten, 2-0 down in the 89th minute, and I looked down at the little 7 year old next to me and thought... "Please let something good happen to make him not hate football forever" ..

And suddenly, Sidwell scored TWICE in two minutes to rescue a point! And we literally BOUNCED home. He is now 18 and a season ticket holder himself. This is only half in answer to your post... I hope your son enjoys the Albion just as much.

And yes - those of us who were at the Goldstone to watch the Sudbury Town debacle, the defeats in small ramshackle grounds, the joy at beating the likes of Mansfield Town, Macclesfield etc....

Weve come a long long way together .....

- - - Updated - - -

I took my son to his first game at Withdean, in 2002, v Burnley. The weather was shit, the side were well beaten, 2-0 down in the 89th minute, and I looked down at the little 7 year old next to me and thought... "Please let something good happen to make him not hate football forever" ..

And suddenly, Sidwell scored TWICE in two minutes to rescue a point! And we literally BOUNCED home. He is now 18 and a season ticket holder himself. This is only half in answer to your post... I hope your son enjoys the Albion just as much.

And yes - those of us who were at the Goldstone to watch the Sudbury Town debacle, the defeats in small ramshackle grounds, the joy at beating the likes of Mansfield Town, Macclesfield etc....

Weve come a long long way together .....

- - - Updated - - -

I took my son to his first game at Withdean, in 2002, v Burnley. The weather was shit, the side were well beaten, 2-0 down in the 89th minute, and I looked down at the little 7 year old next to me and thought... "Please let something good happen to make him not hate football forever" ..

And suddenly, Sidwell scored TWICE in two minutes to rescue a point! And we literally BOUNCED home. He is now 18 and a season ticket holder himself. This is only half in answer to your post... I hope your son enjoys the Albion just as much.

And yes - those of us who were at the Goldstone to watch the Sudbury Town debacle, the defeats in small ramshackle grounds, the joy at beating the likes of Mansfield Town, Macclesfield etc....

Weve come a long long way together .....

- - - Updated - - -

Dont know what happened there - I appear to have hiccups!

 

[RowleyBirkinQ.C(deceased)]

Hiccups or not it was a lovely post and I hope my son is just as interested in the Albion at 18 as yours is now

 

[RupertsFlan]

Every time I go to the Amex I think back to one very specific day - not a great day in our history but one that makes me shiver and feel the same warm feeling that Rowley mentions on here.

Fireworks night - at Priestfield - at home to Barnet. Lost 1-0. In front 987 fans.

My god that day seems a long long way away.

To build a future one must remember and learn from the past.

I think we are getting there and it feels quite extraordinary.