My 50th Year as a fan

[dougdeep]

37 Years today since my first game, suddenly I feel so much younger

You don't look it.

 

[Saltydog]

Indeed. Plus there is the whole question of what is your 'local' team? Should people in North Sussex now support Crawley? Should people from Lewes, Eastbourne, Bognor, Worthing, etc support their local teams as opposed to the 'big' team? You'll end up like 'TheMajor' who has said that in his ideal world the only people allowed in the Amex would be those born in Brighton and Hove as everybody else should be supporting their local (by birth) team.

In the same vein, what happens when you move away should you new support your new "local"?

 

[SIMMO SAYS]

This is my 50th year as an Albion fan, and never once have i wavered. Not for me the pathetic trend of "supporting" a side you have absolutely no regional or emotional affiliation to, apart from some kind of playground arrogance that they just happen to be European Champions or whatever. Have been a fan from a cup final to near extinction and if the Amex closed tomorrow and we returned to Withdean, i would still support them....Ok I may not be able to support them in person now that the modern game has priced out its diehard fans, but they still run blue and white through my veins...come on you Seagullsssssss

I am not worthy my first match 1970 so only 43years---I salute you------ignore the old granny

 

[Brovion]

In the same vein, what happens when you move away should you new support your new "local"?

That's precisely what I did! Born in Purley! C'mon, no one really wanted to condemn me to a life of supporting Palace did they?

 

[Titus]

49 years for me. How time flies.

 

[Saltydog]

That's precisely what I did! Born in Purley! C'mon, no one really wanted to condemn me to a life of supporting Palace did they?

Using the same president then i must sadly resign my account and support...........nah.

I think I will just do my own thing.......just too much blue in my veins......

 

[cunningplan]

Top man
I can claim 48 years, have the same feeling towards the club as you....
..... and like you I am also a fan of Dylan

 

[The Birdman]

49 years for me and I am going to the U21 game on monday .I missed the one when Wardy played in at the Goldstone I was on Holiday, hoped he would play for Ron Greenwood team against Luxembourg only made the squad. 30 brighton Fans still had a great time starting with the last night at the Belgium beer festival followed by 3 nights in Luxembourg . 7000 England Fans out of 11.000 crowd. Thanks Highway keeping those tooled up West Ham fans off our coach at scratchwood service Station on the way to Chesterfield a hero. d

 

[TheMajor]

Indeed. Plus there is the whole question of what is your 'local' team? Should people in North Sussex now support Crawley? Should people from Lewes, Eastbourne, Bognor, Worthing, etc support their local teams as opposed to the 'big' team? You'll end up like 'TheMajor' who has said that in his ideal world the only people allowed in the Amex would be those born in Brighton and Hove as everybody else should be supporting their local (by birth) team.

I think I said I would prefer to see the Amex filled up with local Sussex fans. I am not a great fan of Newcastle United but I would say in their favour that I have never meet a Geordie who doesn't support them. Unfortunately still too many Men Of Sussex "support" Man U, Arsenal, Spurs etc rather than go up the Amex.

Well done highway but I would say that a Season ticket is great value and you should get one.

 

[Mileoakman]

Just reading through this reminded me that my first match watching the Albion was exactly 60 years ago today. I'm sure my dad took me to see us play Swindon at the Goldstone on the 23rd March 1953! (I was only 8 and can't remember much except we lost). No I don't want a medal but its a bit scary to think that I have been watching them for more than 50% of their existence.

However I know there are quite a few that have been watching even longer.

 

[Gregory2Smith1]

I don't take people seriously if they were brought up in and around Brighton,but support another team

sure have a lazy eye on another team,I do with Glasgow Rangers

but last sunday said it all about being a Brighton fan,it matters

Highway61

 

[colonies man]

This is my 50th year as an Albion fan, and never once have i wavered. Not for me the pathetic trend of "supporting" a side you have absolutely no regional or emotional affiliation to, apart from some kind of playground arrogance that they just happen to be European Champions or whatever. Have been a fan from a cup final to near extinction and if the Amex closed tomorrow and we returned to Withdean, i would still support them....Ok I may not be able to support them in person now that the modern game has priced out its diehard fans, but they still run blue and white through my veins...come on you Seagullsssssss

Me to

 

[perseus]

I don't take people seriously if they were brought up in and around Brighton,but support another team

sure have a lazy eye on another team,I do with Glasgow Rangers

but last sunday said it all about being a Brighton fan,it matters

Highway61

50 years ago when I watched my first match we got relegated to Division 3, Next season they got relegated to Division 4. And Albion did not go straight back up. But then we signed Bobby Smith I. I still remember where I was standing when I heard the news. I didn't quite believe it.

 

[Brovion]

I think I said I would prefer to see the Amex filled up with local Sussex fans. I am not a great fan of Newcastle United but I would say in their favour that I have never meet a Geordie who doesn't support them. Unfortunately still too many Men Of Sussex "support" Man U, Arsenal, Spurs etc rather than go up the Amex.

Well done highway but I would say that a Season ticket is great value and you should get one.

You said people should support their local club. That did open a whole debate as to what constitutes a 'local' club and if you move areas can you change clubs? If people in places like Lewes and Eastbourne can support Brighton as it's their local league team, then do they have to switch to their home town if they become a league team (like Crawley)? Unlike Newcastle Brighton were a shit team playing lower-league shit football in shit stadiums for far too long, so it's no surprise that people in Sussex supported a nearby big team (Chelsea Arsenal etc) in order to watch decent football in decent stadiums. It's exactly the same principle as people turning their backs on other lower-standard Sussex teams to support Brighton.

 

[BobbySmith]

50 for me as we'll this year, god I have seem some crap!, but also made some great friends, saved me from
Shopping on sat afternoon and think never seen less than 20 games a season. Lets hope my son can hit well over 50 as well

 

[life on mars 73]

I've always been suspicious of people who adopt a glamour team from another part of the country. Reminds me of that comical scene in Fever Pitch when the 13 year old Nick Hornby dresses up in all his Arsenal gear to go and watch the Gunners at nearby Reading (he came from Maidenhead...) and puts on a ridiculous London accent.

I knew a bloke at school who adopted Man Utd, and he used to put on a fake Manc accent, but only when he talked about football.

There's a good opportunity for some interesting psychological research here.

 

[megcat]

46 years for me. Was an 11 year old TV Man Utd fan living in Eastbourne when my future brother in law, looking to get me on side invited me to watch Brighton v Bristol Rovers at the Goldstone. 3 - 2 win, Charlie Livesey scoring the winner and I was hooked, professional football I could watch live! Best life sentence anyone could dish out!

Yes I remember Charlie Livesey my dad took me to see Albion v Chelsea in 1967ish. We had to queue for hours to get a ticket at the reserve match the week before but my dad did let me watch the reserve game and Charlie was playing. I have been going ever since but my dad never has. Never mind

 

[wehatepalace]

33 years for me, a whippersnapper by comparison !

 

[the wanderbus]

You don't look it.

The people I sat near at Withdean made me age quicker.

 

[The Modfather]

Congratulations Highway 61, a fantastic achievement. A mere 37 years for me.