[Albion] Nov 1965: Brighton 10-1 Wisbech Town... Brighton 9-1 Southend...

[HankSkorpio]

Brighton v Wisbech - my first ever Brighton match. I remember standing down the front of the East Terrace with my mate.

 

[BobbySmith]

Sadly there for both, think the next game was 0-0, so confused was I with football, still can't understand why we don't score 9 or 10 each week?

 

[Cadiz Seagull]

I saw both games. We were shit hot in 1965, we'd signed Bobby Smith who a few months before was England captain playing at Wembley.

From memory we'd won promotion a couple of weeks before Easter, won the league three or four games before the end of the season. Umbeaten at home all season.

Then we lost the first game of next season at home. same old same old.

 

[dougdeep]

We won the title with our last game of the season against Darlington. The fans were nervy but not the players as we outclassed them and won 3-1. Over 31,000 there if I remember rightly and the players threw their shirts from the West Stand. It was the first time that I had walked on the hallowed turf.

 

[Daffy Duck]

We won the title with our last game of the season against Darlington. The fans were nervy but not the players as we outclassed them and won 3-1. Over 31,000 there if I remember rightly and the players threw their shirts from the West Stand. It was the first time that I had walked on the hallowed turf.

Me and my Dad ran on to the pitch and he sat me on his shoulders so that I got a great view of that. One of those Albion times I'll never forget.

 

[wolfie]

I saw both games. We were shit hot in 1965, we'd signed Bobby Smith who a few months before was England captain playing at Wembley.

From memory we'd won promotion a couple of weeks before Easter, won the league three or four games before the end of the season. Umbeaten at home all season.

Then we lost the first game of next season at home. same old same old.

A few corrections here.

1. Bobby Smith never captained England and we signed him in 1964. I remember being in a queue outside North Road Baths when somebody gave us the news - which was pretty sensational at that time

2. We didn't win promotion until the final game of the 64-65 season v Darlington at the Goldstone (att. 31,000+) We were however unbeaten at home and scored 102 goals in the league.

3. We lost the first 3 games of the 65-66 season and Bobby Smith was gone very early on - he scored just a single goal that season.

 

[Gregory2Smith1]

didn't Livesey do time for burglary

 

[Bill Cassidy's tie up]

I was on the ground staff in 67 as a 16 year old working with Frankie Howard and Charlie Livesey was still there. He and a few others used to spend all free time between Mum and Dads café opposite and the Stadium pub along Old Shoreham Road. On one match day I had to be at the ground at midday as usual and at 1-30 Archie Macauley was spitting feathers as a few players still hadn't reported for duty. He shouted at Joe Wilson to drive to the pub to try and find them. Frankie then grabbed me and stuck me in his car and we sped along to the Stadium pub. I ran in and found said players. The scenario. As Joe Wilson came in the front door I was holding the gents loo window open and a certain Livesey, Collins and Cassidy were climbing out. Into Franks car and off to the match. I had to walk back. Nothing more said about it. Happy teenage years with great memories.

A great story and most players were like that then, was it Dave Turner who used to walk on the pitch with a fag alight.

 

[Cadiz Seagull]

A few corrections here.

1. Bobby Smith never captained England and we signed him in 1964. I remember being in a queue outside North Road Baths when somebody gave us the news - which was pretty sensational at that time

2. We didn't win promotion until the final game of the 64-65 season v Darlington at the Goldstone (att. 31,000+) We were however unbeaten at home and scored 102 goals in the league.

3. We lost the first 3 games of the 65-66 season and Bobby Smith was gone very early on - he scored just a single goal that season.

just show you how memory plays tricks!

Yes, Smith wasn't England captain, that was a mistake. I should have said England centre forward. It wasn't so much what he actually did on the pitch for us, he wasn't that successful - he did better at the racetrack and in the casinos. But his arrival energised the team and the club and the fans. It was the first time ever that Brighton were more than just any old side. Signing Smith was a coup for us.

I may be thinking of another season. I'm sure we were unbeaten at home one season around then and won promotion and the league with games to spare, and were getting big attendances on the way. But i can't be arsed to check exactly what season it was. Never mind, don't let facts spoil great memories.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

Here's Bobby Smith's (probably ghostwritten) article for Charles Buchan's Football Monthly
http://thegoldstonewrap.com/2013/07/17/bobby-smith-ill-prove-spurs-wrong/

which gives a good flavour of the contrast between playing for Spurs and England, and then signing for Brighton.

 

[Gregory2Smith1]

snippets of info here


http://www.northstandchat.com/showthread.php?271514-Wisbech-amp-Southend-1965

 

[dejavuatbtn]

Yep, went to both and still have programmes. After the 64/65 season I didn't think anything could be better but these two victories probably made us look better than we were.
A poster above says that Bobby Smith wasn't successful. Well he scored something like 20 goals in the full season he was with us. These were in the days when stats weren't kept, but the way he took defenders and goalies out of the game I'm sure he must have made a good proportion of the other 80 odd goals we scored in the 64/65 season. It really was massive at the time. Smith was a legend at both Chelsea and Tottenham in the 50s and early 60s. Just look at his record on Wiki. For us kids to have the albion getting hold of him was just unbelievable. It was just so sad he quickly turned into a lardarse and was off to Hastings.

 

[Harry H]

Things change.Smith got fat.Powney...........

 

[Freddie Goodwin.]

This was the season before I started watching and, those 3 scores apart, it seems that is was a pretty poor season.

I did see Charlie Livesey in a few games. Sadly he died about a year or two back.

 

[BensGrandad]

I remember both matches and in the Wisbech team was a very well known player Jesse Pye at the end of a long and illustrious career. I also remember it as I was newly married and suggested to my wife that if Brighton scored so did I, she agreed and currently owes me about 3.

 

[Seagull on the wing]

A few corrections here.

1. Bobby Smith never captained England and we signed him in 1964. I remember being in a queue outside North Road Baths when somebody gave us the news - which was pretty sensational at that time

2. We didn't win promotion until the final game of the 64-65 season v Darlington at the Goldstone (att. 31,000+) We were however unbeaten at home and scored 102 goals in the league.

3. We lost the first 3 games of the 65-66 season and Bobby Smith was gone very early on - he scored just a single goal that season.

Correct Wolfie..I was 26 then and had a navy mate who was Exeter City fan...he cringed very much when we got those scores...maybe one day they'll return,till then...C'mon you SEAGULLS..

 

[Seagull on the wing]

didn't Livesey do time for burglary

No,Charlie Livesey was a very gifted player and fast for a big man. The man who got done for burglary was Bill Cassidy,who sadly died a few years later.