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English Championship & Football League Thread

lloydy136

By lloydy136
in World Football

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Smoggy

Smoggy

Posted
Posted (edited)

There appears to be a general lack of knowledge regarding the background to Brighton. Yes, crowds increased dramatically when they moved into the new Amex stadium at Falmer. However, from 1997 to 1999 we played in Gillingham (110km's away from Brighton) before returning to an athletics stadium in the city that initially had a capacity of 7,000 which gradually over subsequent years was increased to just under 9,000. It was widely regarded as the worst place to watch football in the country. It was meant to be a temporary home for 3-4 years while the stadium at Falmer was built. That process actually took 12 years. Ouch.

 

So effectively we had no home from 1997 to 2011 (14 years). I was a season ticket holder at the athletics stadium. Only about 1,000 seats were covered. We were issued with a rain poncho with our season ticket. The seats in the stadium were removed each June & July and used in the Open golf championship...the ground was that temporary. Brighton's catchment area as a city is in the top 15 in the country with 1.6m people in Sussex. Historical crowds at the old (shabby) Goldstone ground were generally very good until in the mid-90's new owners came onboard who were not fans of the club but could see the potential value of the ground as a retail park.

 

Those people sold the ground and sold out the club and so began a 15 year struggle for a new home. As a consequence of that struggle, crap football, no stadium we lost a generation of supporters who naturally should be Brighton fans. In 1997 we were 25 minutes away from dropping out of the football league.....& we had no ground. 

 

I'm proud that we have climbed back. We have the 2nd highest crowds in the championship and have been in the top 3-4 since the stadium was opened. We would have achieved much larger crowds in the earlier years but the crap athletics stadium capacity just didn't allow it. A few pictures of our 3 homes are linked if anyone is interested.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldstone_Ground

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Withdean_Stadium

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falmer_Stadium

 

What that photo of the Goldstone doesn't show is that a stand running down the whole side of the ground was just terracing with no roof lol I don't think any other ground in the top divisions had that. I recall standing in a pen on that side of the ground, with the rain POURING down and getting beaten lol

 

Must have been this game 

 

28 Feb 1990 Brighton and Hove Albion v Middlesbrough L 1-0 League Division Two

 

Attendance just over 5,000 lol

Edited by WSWBoro
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IronHaggis

IronHaggis

Posted
Posted (edited)

The Football Leagues top 15 players from each division.

 


Sky Bet Championship 

1. Andre Gray (Burnley) 
2. Ross McCormack (Fulham) 
3. Alan Judge (Brentford) 
4. Joey Barton (Burnley) 
5. Fernando Forestieri (Sheffield Wednesday) 
6. Dale Stephens (Brighton & Hove Albion) 
7. Daniel Ayala (Middlesbrough) 
8. Michael Dawson (Hull City) 
9. Grant Leadbitter (Middlesbrough) 
10. George Friend (Middlesbrough) 
11. Andy Robertson (Hull City) 
12. Adam Clayton (Middlesbrough) 
13. Sam Clucas (Hull City) 
14. Lewis Dunk (Brighton & Hove Albion) 
15. Michael Keane (Burnley) 

Sky Bet League 1 

1. Bradley Dack (Gillingham) 
2. Romaine Sawyers (Walsall) 
3. Nicky Ajose (Swindon Town) 
4. Will Grigg (Wigan Athletic) 
5. Lee Gregory (Millwall) 
6. Tom Bradshaw (Walsall) 
7. Yanic Wildschut (Wigan Athletic) 
8. David Perkins (Wigan Athletic) 
9. Sam Winnall (Barnsley) 
10. Max Power (Wigan Athletic) 
11. John Mousinho (Burton Albion) 
12. Sam Morsy (Wigan Athletic) 
13. Craig Morgan (Wigan Athletic) 
14. John McLaughlin (Burton Albion) 
15. John Fleck (Coventry City) 

Sky Bet League 2 

1. Kemar Roofe (Oxford United) 
2. Ricky Holmes (Northampton Town) 
3. Matty Taylor (Bristol Rovers) 
4. Matt Crooks (Accrington Stanley) 
5. Jay Simpson (Leyton Orient) 
6. Graham Carey (Plymouth Argyle) 
7. Liam Sercombe (Oxford United) 
8. Billy Kee (Accrington Stanley) 
9. John-Joe O'Toole (Northampton Town) 
10. Josh Windass (Accrington Stanley) 
11. Tom Lockyer (Bristol Rovers) 
12. John Lundstram (Oxford United) 
13. Marc Richards (Northampton Town) 
14. Adam Webster (Portsmouth) 
15. Kyle Bennett (Portsmouth) 

Edited by IronHaggis
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Smoggy

Smoggy

Posted
Posted (edited)

******* **** **** **** ****....

 

Go on. All have a ******* good laugh at a club that will no doubt finish with a record 3rd place points haul for a second season running. We will be told that in a 'normal season the points would have been enough for auto'.

 

******* play offs. Why cant i support a club that does things the ******* easy way.

 

Another season in the championship.... sigh.

 

And if we dont go ip this time we are truly ****ed. No way can we maintain this push financially. We dont have the benefits of parachute payments like those recently relegated.

Edited by WSWBoro
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MartinTyler

MartinTyler

Posted
Posted

That last day Boro vs Brighton match looks incredible. Looks like it will be a playoff before the playoffs

 

They say that the Championship play-off final is for the biggest financial 'prize' in World football. Could this game be the 'regular season' equivalent?

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wswclaret

wswclaret

Posted
Posted

I wish. I would have been but I'm moving this weekend.

 

 

Not over for you yet boro. Beat Brighton at home and you're up regardless of what Brighton do on Monday.

Yeah. But i suspect Brighton will come just needing a point and will park the bus.

 

Anyway, **** this, better things to be thinking about.

 

You on your way to Adelaide?

If Derby do that then I'll be ecstatic. Up the clarets.

 

Maybe we could do Boro an away favour at Brighton like Victory did for us here against the Roar. We need the form heading into the play offs so it's not beyond possible.

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Smoggy

Smoggy

Posted
Posted (edited)

Come on Hilliangull, lets build this up for Saturday, biggest game in the UK this weekend and one of the biggest games going anywhere when you think of what is at stake financially, it is basically a play off final before the play offs even start, At least one of us will get two bites at it, although neither of us want to have another go of course!

 

You nervous, confident?

 

I am worried for a repeat of May 1988 when in exactly the same circumstances we blew it at home to Leicester City. BUT we went on to win the play offs that year and were promoted anyway. Hopefully that bodes well for both of us.

 

Great time for kick off as well 9:30pm Saturday evening  :good:

Edited by WSWBoro
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Hilliangull

Hilliangull

Posted
Posted

Come on Hilliangull, lets build this up for Saturday, biggest game in the UK this weekend and one of the biggest games going anywhere when you think of what is at stake financially, it is basically a play off final before the play offs even start, At least one of us will get two bites at it, although neither of us want to have another go of course!

 

You nervous, confident?

 

I am worried for a repeat of May 1988 when in exactly the same circumstances we blew it at home to Leicester City. BUT we went on to win the play offs that year and were promoted anyway. Hopefully that bodes well for both of us.

 

Great time for kick off as well 9:30pm Saturday evening  :good:

 

Well one of us is going to be feeling pretty crappy about things come Sunday with 2 back to back 'Grand Final' defeats on the cards. Home advantage is significant I think and throw the draw in for Boro and you guys are clearly favourites. Interestingly though the last time we got promoted to the top flight in 1979 it was in the north east when we had to go to Newcastle and win. We did win 3-1 that day and so who knows...

 

I think Dunk being missing will be significant. He was quite rightly sent off for 2 yellows on Saturday and so no complaints there. Gordon Greer will come in and although not match fit he has the advantage of knowing Jordan Rhodes quite well from the Scotland set up. Let's see if that's enough to dampen that particular threat.

 

There is plenty of excitement in Sussex about the game but there is also a feeling that if we don't make it Saturday we shall have had a great season anyway. Of course we shall also have the lottery of the playoffs and I certainly hope that whichever team falls short on Saturday makes it up via that road. The gap this year between the top 3 and the rest is actually pretty significant with I think 85-86 points the 10 year average of 2nd place in championship and automatic promotion. As such it's going to be tough on whichever team doesn't make it.

 

The Seagulls downunder fan group (about 300 members) are having various meet ups across the country to watch the game with 50-100 expected together in Sydney. The venue is still being locked in at this point but that should make for a nail biting and hopefully boisterous evening....! Somewhat ominously the last time we got together was for our home game against Boro this season and the spirits were soon dampened then by a rampant Boro. Hopefully that won't be occurring Saturday...!!

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Hilliangull

Hilliangull

Posted
Posted

19 years ago yesterday was the most important goal ever scored by BHA. Less than 30 mins from going out of the football league....& with no home ground. Losing would have meant oblivion. Saturday is a walk in the park when compared to that situation and most BHA fans will acknowledge that.

 

I can't tell you how many times I have watched that goal and the goosebumps still happen every time...!

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy7vKjEQK48

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Smoggy

Smoggy

Posted
Posted

19 years ago yesterday was the most important goal ever scored by BHA. Less than 30 mins from going out of the football league....& with no home ground. Losing would have meant oblivion. Saturday is a walk in the park when compared to that situation and most BHA fans will acknowledge that.

I can't tell you how many times I have watched that goal and the goosebumps still happen every time...!

Yeah. Boro went through similar times in 1986.

 

Liquidated in the courts and Ayresome Park in the hands of the receivers. Boro ceased to exist for a time. Saved and reformed as Middlesbrough FC 1986 at the 11th hour by a consortium lead by a young and relatively unkown business man called Steve Gibson.

 

We had to ground share with Hartlepool United and for a time Darlington were above us in the table.

 

A team of local youth players all under 25 under the guideance of Bruce Rioch stormed the 3rd dividion and then the next season went up again to the then top division.

 

Compared to what happened in the courts in 1986 this weekend is nothing as whatever happens we will still have a club, something that was close to not being the case.

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