Is this the most apathetic start to a season for ages?

[dougdeep]

Let's make some noise tomorrow PLEASE.

 

[Safeway]

Well I WAS excited about this season, before I read the rest of the contributions to this thread. Now I can't wait for the season to end.

Thanks a f***ing BUNCH, guys.

 

[227 BHA]

Everyone loves to moan about the Withdean but the last 4 seasons have been one of the most amazing times in this clubs history and altough it is not perfect I have loved every minute of it. And now we are in the Championship with a realistic chance of going one better than 2 years ago - if I couldn't get excited over a season like this one promises to be I would be questioning whether I was really an Albion fan or not.

Prior to this we had to endure trips to Gillingham for 2 years and everyone seems to forget that the 4 or 5 seasons at the Goldstone before this (with the exception of the last few games) we had some pretty dire times with crowds often below 5/6000 watching some really dross football. I remember often walking back along the Shoreham road questioning whether I would bother coming to the next game after such a crap performance.

All credit to the current set of players - not once in the last 5 years have they ever let the inadequancies of Withdean get to them so nor should the fans.

It just seems that people forget quite what we have achieved since we came to the withdean - right from the very first game winning 6-0 over Mansfield its been a really magical time that I pray will culminate in the building of Falmer.

And if we have half as successful a first 5 years in Falmer then that would be truly amazing.

 

[Yorkie]

I still have a buzz about the season. Like Easy part of the Withdean experience is meeting up with mates for a drink beforehand and after the game.

I have enjoyed some of the smaller stadia (standing on the terraces beating Chesterfield was sweet) but the brilliant places we get to go to this season and having their teams walk out onto the pitch at Withdean (wondering what on earth they have arrived at) will be fantastic.

I just enjoy the whole thing and at least in August it is warm

 

[Dancin Ninja BHA]

Quite agree with everything you've said El P...

I haven't got a season ticket this season for the first time in years, going back to before Gillingham... The reason has nothing to do with the football but it has everything to do with Withdean, i am just sick and tired of it, it bores me to tears now and i just don't enjoy watching football there anymore, i will still go to the odd game starting with Coventry on Saturday but i can't see me going to more than 5 home games this season...

Ditto me

 

[Dover]

I had to get a Provident loan to get my season ticket. It's not quite selling my soul, but not far off.

I cannot wait for tommrow. It's not just the game, there's meeting my mates, who is sitting nex to me and Krispies this year, sighing as the bolt of lightening hit them between the eyes when we start.

Take Saturday for instance. I came in a lttle late from work, to find us at one all, and was jumping aound the front room. Then got on the live chat. Fantastic.

It may well be a different season for me, as my best mate is now a father, but I still have a hankering for a certain Mr. Shankly.

"Football is life, the rest is just detail," even id I have missquoted the great man.

 

[227 BHA]

I had to get a Provident loan to get my season ticket. It's not quite selling my soul, but not far off.

Provident have disgracefully high interest rates for loans (never used them but I work for one of their rivals). So the amount you must be paying for your season ticket must be sickening for you

But well done mate - you're what I call a true Albion fan. Shame some of the others who've commented on this thread don't show the same commitment to the club as you.

 

[Dancin Ninja BHA]

But well done mate - you're what I call a true Albion fan. Shame some of the others who've commented on this thread don't show the same commitment to the club as you.

I shouldn't bite, but I will

20plus years a supporter, 65plus away grounds visited watching Brighton (I've done the Hull's, the Hartlepool's, the Scunthorpe's on a midweek night, blah, blah, blah), had a season ticket at Withdean since inception, so don't try and be a smart-arse and question the "commitment" of fans such as me and Trigger who have said on this thread that the Withdean experience is no longer to our liking and we will watch the Albion away this season and look forward to renewing our season tickets when we are playing in a proper stadium, not a joke venue

 

[Icy Gull]

I had far more trouble getting motivated for last season. Even when we were top of the table by 4 points I didn't feel much enthusiasm. We were lucky in quite a few of the early games and the quality of football, including the Albion's was rubbish. The only high spots in the early part of the season were QPR home and Rushden away.

This season is much more exciting, we have new and useful looking players and the shit atmosphere at Withdean is not gonna put me off.

I would suggest that Trigger and Dancing Ninja's lack of enthusiasm has more to do with last season than this

 

[skintboy]

I am looking forward to season as much as ever and I like it`s been said above,although we are expected to struggle,nothing beats see-ing the lads back in action,looking forward to each game week in,week out instead of just having to read all the dross about mega million transfers in the papers and the crap of the pathetic England manager,the real footy is the likes of the albion,Leeds,Leicester,etc etc,clubs who through troubled times can keep us fans looking forward to better times!!!

 

[¤DãŃn¥ §êãGüLL¤]

I can't stand Withdean. Wouldn't mind it as much if people actually made the effort to sing though.

 

[Marshy]

A lot of it is probably to do with Euro 2004 also, we havent had a break fromm football, and after the dissapointment of England, most people can see more dissapointment in the coming season.

I think a lot of people will feel different when we register our first win.....hopefully tongiht.

 

[Trigger]

As i stated in my post, the fact i have not renewed and am not likely to go to many home matches is WITHDEAN, nothing to do with the football, team, management, board, club finances but WITHDEAN... I have had a season ticket every season since Gillingham and never missed a game at the Goldstone since the early 90s, i just don't enjoy watching football there anymore and would much rather spend my money on something i enjoy like more away games... Does that make me and dancin ninja less of a fan than any of you lot? I just wonder how many of you lot got off your f***ing arses and went to Hartlepool on a Tuesday night a few years back?... I could say i'm more a fan than you because i've done that but i'm not going to coz i'm not a child... Why pay for something you don't enjoy?... I will happily get another season ticket once we are playing at Falmer so can i be a proper fan again then? Can i? Can i?...

 

[227 BHA]

I shouldn't bite, but I will

20plus years a supporter, 65plus away grounds visited watching Brighton (I've done the Hull's, the Hartlepool's, the Scunthorpe's on a midweek night, blah, blah, blah), had a season ticket at Withdean since inception, so don't try and be a smart-arse and question the "commitment" of fans such as me and Trigger who have said on this thread that the Withdean experience is no longer to our liking and we will watch the Albion away this season and look forward to renewing our season tickets when we are playing in a proper stadium, not a joke venue

I wasn't intending to have a go at individuals so apologies -

It's just that the Withdean is all that we have got and I feel that if people try being more positive about the place it would be better all round - until we get the go-ahead for a new stadium its all we've got (and may be for quite a while yet!).
Personally I would always support the club wherever their home is. Whether we were top of the premiership in a 70,000 stadium or playing conference football in a ramshackle tempory home!
I applauded the guy who took out a loan just to cover the cost of the season ticket and I'm sure he would rather be watching at Falmer but Withdean is all that we have at the moment.

Empty seats at the withdean is going to give the nimbys ammunition in their efforts to fight the falmer application so we should be encouraging fans to support their club at home. For f***s sake we're playing in the Championship this year - every match should be sold out with people desperate to watch their team.

 

[superwife]

I can't believe some of you guys, I don't post very often, can't always get to a computer, I have not been so excited about a season in I don't know how long. We have not stopped partying and celebrating since Cardiff. I was awake at 6am on Saturday, full of excitement and anticipation at the start of the new season. Superphil and myself have planned all the games we can go to, organised family visits and trips to friends who live around the Country to co-incide with the likes of Leicester and Coventry. At least being back in this division we get to visit some great grounds. I don't care where we end up position wise, although I am very optimistic about this season, I just love being a Brighton fan and always will be. So apathetic people get off your butts and get excited - or else.

 

[Bozza]

2002-03: 2 season tickets
2003-04: 1 season ticket
2004-05: 0 season tickets

Like Trigger et al, Withdean has simply worn me down. Coupled with the fact that a 'home' game involves something like a 360 mile round trip this season it was time to say 'enough is enough'.

I enjoy pre-game beers with mates, I look forward to the post-match, win or lose, piss up. And I'll still have some of those. And I'll still co-ordinate my trips back to Sussex with home games and I'll try and get tickets for those games - either from the club, from NSC or from mates. But if I miss out on the odd game, I'm not going to be that upset about it. Not unless it turns out to be an 11 (eleven) goal thriller, anyway.

I'll get to most/all away games and know that the match-day experience there will be far superior to that at Withdean. It's sad, but it's true.

 

[Bozza]

Oh - and I was and am very excited about this season - hence my 'magic in the air' posting early on Saturday morning...

 

[Mr Popkins]

I went to go to my local apathy society annual meeting the other day but it was cancelled as nobody could be bothered to turn up!

 

[227 BHA]

don't try and be a smart-arse and question the "commitment" of fans such as me and Trigger

Just wanted to state again that I did not question the commitment of yourselves - if you read my posts you will see that I am just trying to be positve and was applauding a guy who has gone to extremes (taking out a provident loan to pay for an already expensive season ticket) just so he can watch the team.

I would never judge another fan but did question why individuals should feel apathetic over a season like this.

Infact, it was Trigger who jumped out of the pram and threw insults like - "f***ing Idiots". but if my post was badly worded then apologies again but as I'm sure you know sometimes posts can come across in not quite the way you meant them to.

Its a shame that at the start of what will hopefully be an incredible season there has been so many negative comments on NSC - the amount of fuss over the new shirts last week was beyond belief and now this, it just seems a shame.

 

[Trigger]

Infact, it was Trigger who jumped out of the pram and threw insults like - "f***ing Idiots". but if my post was badly worded then apologies again but as I'm sure you know sometimes posts can come across in not quite the way you meant them to.

Since removed, i see where you are coming from now, apologies...