Still can't get my head round all this!

[Arkwright]

Funny when the fixtures came out I looked and thought where are the points coming from. The Championship is full of big named clubs with fantastic history, quality players and modern stadia.

To think of the Albion's last decade or so. No money, little income and yet the success the club had with back to back Champions / promotions, what an achievement it was to even stay in the Championship for one season on a shoe string.

I remember going to three successive away games in the days of Ashley Neal and we didn't even have a shot.

At the Withdean my season ticket was Row A and yet the roof only covered from Row B going back, the dry side my arse.

The last season and the past month in close season has been amazing, Falmer is no longer a dream but reality, signing players for BIG money and talk of more to come, I really can't get my head round all this.

Massive credit to the board in the Withdean days who laid the foundations for today and what looks a rosey future. One thing I think is we shouldn't forget our recent past and those who put where we are today. I really must stop thinking about the dark days and wake up to the reality that the Albion are on the verge of something very special. Aren't you glad you "Kept the Faith", I am!

 

[tobemeister6]

Couldn't agree more, I still have to pinch myself everytime I see the stadium, or hear about the signings we're making now, or the training ground or anything albion related, fantastic time to be an albion fan, but as you say lets not forget what we have been through to get here!!

 

[Triggaaar]

For most of my life as an albion fan we've been shit, with no hope of ever doing anything, and I've grown used to it. I'm not sure I'd enjoy supporting a successful team, I might start supporting Palace.

 

[Deleted member 18477]

For most of my life as an albion fan we've been shit, with no hope of ever doing anything, and I've grown used to it. I'm not sure I'd enjoy supporting a successful team, I might start supporting Palace.

haha, know the feeling. It almost became acceptable to lose and play shit football. It was the 'Norm' if you like. I now feel out my comfort zone a bit. Im scared of failure all of a sudden, suppose to being use to it. Oh Tony, what have you done...

 

[The Buttery Biscuit Base]

The days of me justifying why i support BHA to some f*ucking so called premier league tosspot fan look to be ending!

Forgive me for being so corny but the last few days have been well a dream, I feel I'm going to be pinching myself for a looooooooong time.

 

[SirElliotBennett]

The days of me justifying why i support BHA to some f*ucking so called premier league tosspot fan look to be ending!

Probably because they have decided to buy a season ticket.

 

[Kazenga <3]

Probably because they have decided to buy a season ticket.

That was you a couple of seasons ago though!

 

[Arkwright]

Probably because they have decided to buy a season ticket.

Without the newbees maybe we wouldn't be able to splash such vast amounts of cash and see the Albion further grow.

In the dark days we played in front of 2 / 3 thousand at Gillingham now ever week is going to be a sell out. Bring on more newbees and further increase the clubs capacity and spending power.

Strange you can't forget the past and yet greed wants you to push on, let's hope it's not "Boom - Bust".

 

[bhaexpress]

We are in an era than may BHA fans have never seen. Those of us who were able to remember our four years in the top flight have a flavour but there is no way you could compare The Goldstone to the Amex. The Amex makes the Goldstone look like Selhurst Park.

Enjoy the ride.

 

[Norman Potting]

haha, know the feeling. It almost became acceptable to lose and play shit football. It was the 'Norm' if you like. I now feel out my comfort zone a bit. Im scared of failure all of a sudden, suppose to being use to it. Oh Tony, what have you done...

Very true, scared but in a nice sort of way if that makes sense. All hail to Tony, and Dick Knight for allowing survival for it to happen.

 

[Triggaaar]

Bring on more newbees and further increase the clubs capacity and spending power.

Quite right, the more the merier.

The Amex makes the Goldstone look like Selhurst Park.

Steady on. It may not have been a good stadium, but you didn't have to get home and burn your clothers.

 

[xenophon]

The most important factor is Gus Poyet, it will be a sad, depressing day when one of the big boys comes in for him and he leaves, what he's done for this club already is beyond praise

 

[Simster]

The most important factor is Gus Poyet, it will be a sad, depressing day when one of the big boys comes in for him and he leaves, what he's done for this club already is beyond praise

Sad but not depressing. When he leaves, we could well be a Premier League club. And when clubs become successful, their personnel become in demand - it's the way of the world. The good news is that we'll be able to cherry pick another quality manager from further down the league or internally, and it wouldn't surprise me if Poyet helps create the shortlist before he leaves.

 

[xenophon]

I'd take Tanno

 

[Arkwright]

The most important factor is Gus Poyet, it will be a sad, depressing day when one of the big boys comes in for him and he leaves, what he's done for this club already is beyond praise

While Gus is an important part the foundations of our future where laid by Dick Knight and Martin Perry, without there spade work Gus would never have come to the Albion.
Managers and players come and go but folk like Dick Knight, Fat Boy and the fans are in for the long haul.
Yep, enjoy the ride.

 

[CliveWalkerWingWizard]

I'd take Tanno

Could be the correct answer if/when Gus leaves

 

[NMH]

It's just perspective.

Whatever one you have, someone else has another, and either can change according to results.

We lose the opening match, and there will be idiots with no sporting perspective moaning that we wasted money, Gus is league 1, we might lose the stadium, wasted money on ticket, threatening refund requests for Season tix, and all that sort of crap.

We win, and the effect might be like when we opened our season with Martin Hinshelwood - going to run the division, ambitions achieved, we are settled in, Gus is top manager and we're going to lose him to the Uruguay National Team or Chelsea etc.

Somewhere in the threads of this tapestry lies the facts - that we HAVE climbed to a new height, we DO sit on an elevated platform of comfort and solidarity for a future, and the wonderful sport of football gives nobody any divine right to win anything without putting in the work.

If people want to remember all the times when The Albion have came seen and conquered higher-league sides, with bigtime stars.
If they want to realize we came within a toenail of winning the FA Cup, and that we'd taken points off all the big sides in the couple of seasons we were up there with them - they might adjust.
If they want to look back just a couple of seasons, to when a much weaker Albion squad took on Man City, and that they rested Robinho to protect him from stooping too low in dribbling around a bunch of cloggers - and got beat out of the cup for their temerity (oh, watching Mark Hughes and his lot, in the stylish club coach rolling into of our meagre tennis-court parking lot, the humility as they rumbled out and northward!)

The coffee will be exuding aromas at The Amex, waking many up to take a whiff. Just 'get in there'!

 

[Danny-Boy]

Just a salutary word of warning, a new ground and ambitious owners does not automatically guarantee success, though in this case with the supporter base behind Albion it should do.

Southampton thought St Mary's would guarantee a future at the top level, yet fell to the third tier, whilst Oxford United and later poor Chester....well.


Not that I'm comparing Tony Bloom to Robert Maxwell, mind.

 

[SirElliotBennett]

That was you a couple of seasons ago though!

Wasn't a couple of years ago though, was it.

 

[Kazenga <3]

Wasn't a couple of years ago though, was it.

wha?