Brighton at the Dell

[OldNick]

What year was it when we played Brighton at the Dell, when a well known saints fan was arrested/taken away that the crowd went beserk under the west stand. It was bedlam if i recall correctly.

[eastleighhalo]

Dont know the answer to that one but fondly remember being " in that number" in the park opposite the goldstone ground where bedlam pursued before and after Saints had beat them 2-1 in a FA cup round many many moons ago.

[david in sweden]

What year was it when we played Brighton at the Dell, when a well known saints fan was arrested/taken away that the crowd went beserk under the west stand. It was bedlam if i recall correctly.

 

 

Brighton actually had several seasons in Old Div.1.

1979/80, 80/81, 81/82 and finally relegated in 82/83

 

Saints beat them twice at the Dell, drew once but lost in 82/83.

 

don't know about the fan arrest though.

[OldNick]

Dont know the answer to that one but fondly remember being " in that number" in the park opposite the goldstone ground where bedlam pursued before and after Saints had beat them 2-1 in a FA cup round many many moons ago.

that was the match when one of the lads travelling with us climbed up the floodlight tower to watch the game....young and stupid and all that.

[Lets B Avenue]

Was it the opening game in August 77 promotion year. 1-1 draw. Who was the "fan"?

[OldNick]

Was it the opening game in August 77 promotion year. 1-1 draw. Who was the "fan"?

I cant recall the score, just remember the fans really going off on 1. I cant put up the name of the fan, in case it was mistaken identity , DS were the initials of the fan I was thinking of.

He wouldn't know me from Adam though.

[Lets B Avenue]

that was the match when one of the lads travelling with us climbed up the floodlight tower to watch the game....young and stupid and all that.

 

That, I think, was earlier. Brighton came up the season after us and we went there in Sep 79 and a few went up the pylon. After that they had it barbed-wired and you couldn't climb it.

 

In this game, or the season after, does anyone remember the lone Saints fan in a sheepskin coat, turning up in the home end just after half time, starting a ruck and no Brighton fan going close to him. Eventually the OB got him out, to a huge ovation from us.

[OldNick]

That, I think, was earlier. Brighton came up the season after us and we went there in Sep 79 and a few went up the pylon. After that they had it barbed-wired and you couldn't climb it.

 

In this game, or the season after, does anyone remember the lone Saints fan in a sheepskin coat, turning up in the home end just after half time, starting a ruck and no Brighton fan going close to him. Eventually the OB got him out, to a huge ovation from us.

you are right it would have been 79 as we went up on the train special. The lad in the sheepskin coat was a vivid memory.

[KK the 2nd]

Remember going to the Goldstone Ground over the Xmas hols one year. Great turn out. We won and I think Steve Moran may have got the winner (but all a bit hazy so not sure about the last bit)

[EastleighSoulBoy]

That, I think, was earlier. Brighton came up the season after us and we went there in Sep 79 and a few went up the pylon. After that they had it barbed-wired and you couldn't climb it.

 

In this game, or the season after, does anyone remember the lone Saints fan in a sheepskin coat, turning up in the home end just after half time, starting a ruck and no Brighton fan going close to him. Eventually the OB got him out, to a huge ovation from us.

 

you are right it would have been 79 as we went up on the train special. The lad in the sheepskin coat was a vivid memory.

 

Lips was his nick name. PM me if you want his real name. Bobby Gough, Eastleigh O.B. loved nicking him up the Archers, back in the day when we used to go there to 'serenade' the away support. The incident at the Goldstone was, I think, near Christmas 77 or 78? I haven't got ITN to hand for reference.

 

** Jan 2nd '78

Edited 9 June, 2009 by EastleighSoulBoy

[david in sweden]

Was it the opening game in August 77 promotion year. 1-1 draw. Who was the "fan"?

 

you got that one correct 1-1 at the Dell ...goal scored by Alan Ball.

return game at Goldstone 2/1/78 was also a 1-1. Scorer Steve Williams.

[ART]

Say David C in Sweden, changing the subject on this thread as seems the NORM these daya, how about giving this younger generation some of the attendances at the Dell when Saints were in the old third Division. I think many will be very surprised at how many squeezed in and will let them see that St Mary's could do a lot better.

[Toadhall Saint]

Say David C in Sweden, changing the subject on this thread as seems the NORM these daya, how about giving this younger generation some of the attendances at the Dell when Saints were in the old third Division. I think many will be very surprised at how many squeezed in and will let them see that St Mary's could do a lot better.

 

Good point ART good point.

[Lets B Avenue]

Lips was his nick name. PM me if you want his real name. Bobby Gough, Eastleigh O.B. loved nicking him up the Archers, back in the day when we used to go there to 'serenade' the away support. The incident at the Goldstone was, I think, near Christmas 77 or 78? I haven't got ITN to hand for reference.

 

** Jan 2nd '78

 

PC Goff (sp?) had his photo in the echo the other week in one of those "Where are they now" for rugby. He was a thug for Eastleigh RFC so I was told. Always very polite when he ever tried to nick me.

[Lets B Avenue]

Nickh, back to the original post. Who was the famous fan? Does he post on here?

[paris]

I was there and remember the incident well talk about balls,a big space cleared around him the Saints nutter had arrived ....

[paris]

Lips..

Nickh, back to the original post. Who was the famous fan? Does he post on here?

[Lets B Avenue]

Lips..

 

Not that one. Nickh originally referred to a Dell match, not the away game I recalled.

[manji]

What year was it when we played Brighton at the Dell, when a well known saints fan was arrested/taken away that the crowd went beserk under the west stand. It was bedlam if i recall correctly.

I remember that game. A vicious atmosphere all round.Both sets of fans used to really hate each other back then.

I also remember going to see Sham 69 in Brighton around that time and hooking up with the "Croydon Skins" (who were all Palace fans and followed Sham around the country) and having a run in with Brighton.

Happy Days.

[doggface]

PC Goff (sp?) had his photo in the echo the other week in one of those "Where are they now" for rugby. He was a thug for Eastleigh RFC so I was told. Always very polite when he ever tried to nick me.

 

Hoolie

[EastleighSoulBoy]

PC Goff (sp?) had his photo in the echo the other week in one of those "Where are they now" for rugby. He was a thug for Eastleigh RFC so I was told. Always very polite when he ever tried to nick me.

 

I saw Bob at Eastleigh Market last Saturday. He's walking with quite a limp now, has had lots of back problems from rugby (and launching himself from crush barriers, through the crowd, to grab some unsuspecting chorister in the Archers). He's still a wide fella though!

[StuRomseySaint]

Just you wait till Griffo sees this thread.

[Griffo]

I'm not ****ing having any of this.

[ericofarabia]

That, I think, was earlier. Brighton came up the season after us and we went there in Sep 79 and a few went up the pylon. After that they had it barbed-wired and you couldn't climb it.

 

In this game, or the season after, does anyone remember the lone Saints fan in a sheepskin coat, turning up in the home end just after half time, starting a ruck and no Brighton fan going close to him. Eventually the OB got him out, to a huge ovation from us.

 

Maybe this has happened on more than one occassion or my beer fuddled memory is playing tricks on me, but wasn't it before the game started, and I think 2 of the faces from The Warrens made it over the tall fence and made the Brighton fans do their impersonation of The Italian Army and hit runaway mode pronto

 

Can't remember if it was the 77 or 79 game although I'm tending for the 79 game. Went up on the footie special train and was hammered before we even left Eastleigh. Was certainly a great day out and to cap it all was the great celebrations in the Saints section when the police rounded up the 2 Saints fans and escorted them back into the Saints section :smt046

 

Of course I'm not condoning FV in anyway, it was just part and parcel of the way things were back in those dark sinister days

 

Can't remember much happening at The Dell when Brighton came to town, except us missing out on the chance of going top of Div 1 if we'd have won but lost 0-2

[EastleighSoulBoy]

Maybe this has happened on more than one occassion or my beer fuddled memory is playing tricks on me, but wasn't it before the game started, and I think 2 of the faces from The Warrens made it over the tall fence and made the Brighton fans do their impersonation of The Italian Army and hit runaway mode pronto

 

Can't remember if it was the 77 or 79 game although I'm tending for the 79 game. Went up on the footie special train and was hammered before we even left Eastleigh. Was certainly a great day out and to cap it all was the great celebrations in the Saints section when the police rounded up the 2 Saints fans and escorted them back into the Saints section :smt046

 

Of course I'm not condoning FV in anyway, it was just part and parcel of the way things were back in those dark sinister days

 

Can't remember much happening at The Dell when Brighton came to town, except us missing out on the chance of going top of Div 1 if we'd have won but lost 0-2

 

Anyone remember the scaffold pole? (short type, called a puttlog in the old days? cross piece, used for tying the scaffold into the brickwork and supporting the boards). That's why the Brighton disappeared!

[david in sweden]

Say David C in Sweden, changing the subject on this thread as seems the NORM these daya, how about giving this younger generation some of the attendances at the Dell when Saints were in the old third Division. I think many will be very surprised at how many squeezed in and will let them see that St Mary's could do a lot better.

 

 

OK ART, here goes.

(MY generation isn't totally dependent on computers and I still have some dusty old books on the shelf.)

Saints were relegated to Div.3 South season 52/53 and remained there until promotion on 1959/60. The average gates in those season (with only two exceptions) was between 14712 -14882. (the lowest was around 7500.)

 

As it was a regional league, " local games " were v. BRIGHTON, Swindon, Bris.City, Bournemouth, Torquay and Plymouth and attracted 19000-22000 gates. Promotion 1959/60 we had av. 18060 . We topped the table in Feb.1960 and stayed there. After that nearly every game was over 20,000 and 25042 v. Reading.

 

Things looked up in Divison 2 (which is when my school mates and I started attending regularly) with one exception between 1961-1966 the av.gates were 17122-18920. Promotion to Division 1 (as Prem.was called then) brought av.gates to 25526 the first season, and despite fighting relegation most seasons now averaged 21129 and 24665 (upto relegation 1974).

 

the OLD Dell gate record from April 1949, v. WBA 30,586 was finally broken in October 1969 when the official ground record was 31,044. A match I saw over the bobbing heads of many others v. Man.Utd and we lost 0-3.

 

OTHER FACTORS; post war : football and cinema were the main entertainments so more people attended games (much more variation today). Video/DVD, cable tv games, other newer sports etc) AND there was always the " suggestion " that some " creative accounting " lay behind the gate numbers / receipts in those days ..when people paid at the turnstiles. It's possible that the gate figures may have been " somewhat higher " in reality.

However, given all that there are trends, a good fan base always turns out to most games no matter which division we're in.

 

FORECAST ...?

My guess is that the first games we'll see 18-20000 gates and depending on results, we'll average 14-15000 as long as we play well. I don't say anything about league position before Christmas as we start with -10 points.

If we get good wins we'll be mid table by New Year and a winning trend could see us in line for a play-off place in April. 2010

(selected local games; may bring in 20,000 + gates)

Edited 12 June, 2009 by david in sweden

[ART]

OK ART, here goes.

(MY generation isn't totally dependent on computers and I still have some dusty old books on the shelf.)

Saints were relegated to Div.3 South season 52/53 and remained there until promotion on 1959/60. The average gates in those season (with only two exceptions) was between 14712 -14882. (the lowest was around 7500.)

 

As it was a regional league, " local games " were v. BRIGHTON, Swindon, Bris.City, Bournemouth, Torquay and Plymouth and attracted 19000-22000 gates. Promotion 1959/60 we had av. 18060 . We topped the table in Feb.1960 and stayed there. After that nearly every game was over 20,000 and 25042 v. Reading.

 

Things looked up in Divison 2 (which is when my school mates and I started attending regularly) with one exception between 1961-1966 the av.gates were 17122-18920. Promotion to Division 1 (as Prem.was called then) brought av.gates to 25526 the first season, and despite fighting relegation most seasons now averaged 21129 and 24665 (upto relegation 1974).

 

the OLD Dell gate record from April 1949, v. WBA 30,586 was finally broken in October 1969 when the official ground record was 31,044. A match I saw over the bobbing heads of many others v. Man.Utd and we lost 0-3.

 

OTHER FACTORS; post war : football and cinema were the main entertainments so more people attended games (much more variation today). Video/DVD, cable tv games, other newer sports etc) AND there was always the " suggestion " that some " creative accounting " lay behind the gate numbers / receipts in those days ..when people paid at the turnstiles. It's possible that the gate figures may have been " somewhat higher " in reality.

However, given all that there are trends, a good fan base always turns out to most games no matter which division we're in.

 

FORECAST ...?

My guess is that the first games we'll see 18-20000 gates and depending on results, we'll average 14-15000 as long as we play well. I don't say anything about league position before Christmas as we start with -10 points.

If we get good wins we'll be mid table by New Year and a winning trend could see us in line for a play-off place in April. 2010

(selected local games; may bring in 20,000 + gates)

 

Many many thanks David, you've not let me down. I had wondered whether you might have missed my suggestion but as always you read thoroughly the threads on which you post. This is a superb report and deserves to be part of it's own thread in order that everyone can get to read the statistics. I am unable to start threads being just a rank and file registered only member. Perhaps you could repost this report with a suitable title again. It makes fantastic reading and something very much above the NORM.( )