Category Archives: Media Coverage

Mar 25 2013
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Around The Goldstone, Media Coverage, Seagulls Shop

Carol Manns – ‘Seagulls’ (1979) – a video!

Thanks to North Stand Chat user Fork Me, last week I got hold of a digital copy of this rarely heard song about Brighton & Hove Albion from the late 1970s.

I decided to make a video to it and you can see it here

As well as watching the video, you can have a sing-a-long. Lyrics are here:

I live near a football ground, Albion is her name.
I tell you it’s almost hell when they play a game.
Saturdays are all the same, football fans about
And when you pass them in the street
This is what they shout:

Chorus:
Seagulls, Seagulls.
They’ll play on and on.
Seagulls, Seagulls.
Forever playing strong.
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la
We are the Brigh’on North Stand!

Other teams’ supporters may as well go home
While in the North Stand, our boys sing: “You’ll never walk alone”
And you could be in Timbuktu and still know when they score.
Cos it’s enough to deafen you
When you hear that roar:

Chorus

And now they’ve finally made it, we’re in Division 1
Brighton and Hove Albion have only just begun.
So when somebody asks you, “What team do you support?” (Seagulls!)
Stand up proud and sing out loud
And shout this in retort!

Chorus

Lovely how she drops the ‘t’ from Brighton in her pronunciation in the chorus, for that authentic local dialect.

There has already been a thread on NSC about the song here. Feedback about this video can be viewed here Feel free to add your own!

Comments so far have included:

“Brilliant, thanks for sharing. Great to see the old footage and the Goldstone. Horrible to see the fences that we used to stand behind. It’s so good that those days have gone. Catchy little tune.” – Thisistips

“Fabulous” – Jackcgull, Eye On The Seagull

“Absolutely fantastic” – kevo

“Love it” – D’Angelo Saxon

“Fantastic! Brought lots of happy memories of a great time in the club’s history. All the players look so young! Nice to have a reminder of what a great finisher Peter Ward was and to see the skill of Sayer out wide again. It’s amazing now to think we were made to watch from behind those fences. I well remember how they obscured the view” – ChilternGull

“That thing in the middle of Churchill Square was a eaterie I believe. And sorry the song is pants” – Beach Hut

Does anyone know any more about this singer? Google draws a blank in the matter. Can’t even find a photo!

And did anyone buy the single at the time?

carolmanns1a

Here’s where you can download the audio file of ‘Seagulls‘ (AAC format). It will play on digital music players such as iPods and iPhones.

The B-Side is called ‘You, Me & The Boogie’ and isn’t Albion-related.

Mar 23 2013
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Media Coverage

Teddy Maybank thinks ‘Brighton will be among the best’

teddymaybank

From a piece in Shoot! Magazine:

Teddy Maybank, Brighton’s expensive signing, is at last accepted by the Goldstone Ground fans.

Maybank, who cost Brighton £238,000 from Fulham, found luck wasn’t on his side when he arrived on the South Coast. Last season’s goalscoring hero Peter Ward was in the middle of a long goal famine, something the fans had never seen before from the striker. So when costly Maybank arrived, everyone looked to him to start hitting the score-sheet regularly.

Maybank scored a few early goals. But he was honest enough to admit: “I wasn’t playing well. I knew that.

My early form was a disappointment to the fans. They expected me to come in and start scoring regularly and doing incredible things. It’s always hard when you change clubs and you need a while to settle in. I have to adjust to my new team mates but they’ve had to change and adapt to playing with me.”

Maybank, despite his initial problems, is in no doubt he has made the right decision. “I believe in a couple of seasons, Brighton will be one of the best sides in the country. The whole club wants to go places and I’m convinced we’ll do just that.”

it is worth noting that after his signing in November 1977, Maybank hit ten League goals in the promotion campaign of 1978/79, same as Peter Ward. This included a Boxing Day hat-trick against Cardiff in 1978. He also notched up the club’s first two goals in top flight football, at Villa Park and Maine Road in August 1979. However, he never fully won over his detractors, returning to Fulham in December, having fallen out with Alan Mullery, for £150,000.

Maybank later appeared as a contestant on Blind Date and The Weakest Link.

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Mar 22 2013
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Media Coverage

Eyes Off Nelson

garrynelson

A lovely piece in Shoot! Magazine as Brighton mounted a late promotion bid in 1988. Says Nelson:

“I want to play in the First Division. After all, it’s the only division I haven’t played in. But to suggest I will leave Brighton to do it is pie-in-the-sky. I’m very happy at Brighton, and I’m delighted at the way things have progressed since I’ve joined.

“I was originally bought to play wide on the left, not down the middle. The manager was trying to buy another striker to partner Kevin Bremner, and when he couldn’t find anyone he decided to push me inside.”

Nelson eventually hit 32 goals during the campaign, an outstanding personal achievement although four short of Peter Ward’s club record of 36 in 1976/77. Nevertheless, it certainly helped the promotion push that ended in success on the last day of the season.

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Mar 19 2013
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Media Coverage

The Anglo-Scots: Gordon Smith

gordonsmith2a

The above feature came in Programme Plus, a magazine insert that several clubs carried in their matchday programme in the early 1980s. While Brighton did not include it in its programme, there were occasional pieces that related to the club. Here’s an interview with Gordon Smith, including a wonderful photo of the match against Wolves on the opening day of the 1980/81 season. Just look at the faces of the crowd!

In the feature, Smith is in diplomatic mood:

I felt settled at Ibrox and when they told me they had accepted Brighton’s offer my first reaction was one of bitter disappointment, he said. “But I decided to travel down and see what Brighton had to offer. Now I should really thank Rangers for letting me go because I might never have had the opportunity to play in the English First Division!

“What I want most of all is to help Brighton to become even more successful. A lot has been achieved in a short space of time and there’s an exciting atmosphere around the place, a sort of feeling that there are good times ahead.”

It’s the kind of respectful attitude that meant Smith is not hated by Albion fans despite not sticking the famous chance away two seasons later.

gordonsmith2b

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Mar 17 2013
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Media Coverage

DC comic covers Brighton v Palace rivalry

Click the link above to read the full blog entry by Walt Jabsco from Not Worth That.

An incredible find. Details about the comic were originally posted on North Stand Chat by RowleyBirkinQ.C(deceased). He gave his synopsis as:

“It’s about 3 arsenal fans can’t go to see the gooners as they haven’t got a game so they decide to join up with palace fans to kick the shit out of the evil Brighton. At the end of the game the 3 arsenal decide to run over to Brighton fans to kick off but the palace boys “whimp out” and lone arsenal boys get their heads kicked in by Brighton hoolies. One of the hoolies is Hellblazer in a blue and White scarf who stabs one of the gooners to death and drags him to hell. All quite philosophical and heartwarming really.”

You can also buy the digital edition of Hellblazer #101 at http://www.comixology.com/Hellblazer-101/digital-comic/ICO001909

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Mar 16 2013
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Media Coverage

Backpass Magazine: Steve Foster interview

backpass1

Backpass Magazine is a fantastic read for anyone who loves football culture of yesteryear. Priced £3,95, the magazine has been going since the summer of 2008. The current issue, issue 27, with cover star Liverpool’s Roger Hunt, features the Steve Foster photo above in the glorious Highbury sunshine in April 1983. It also includes a two page interview with Fozzie. He says:

I started there under Alan Mullery. He was followed by Mike Bailey, a lovely man and manager who was sacked for not smiling enough! Jimmy Melia took over and that’s when everything started to take off, especially with the FA Cup run.

There is a mistake in the interview as Foster appears to suggest that Albion finished 13th under Mullery in 1982 before becoming defensive under Bailey. That high finish was, of course, under Bailey. However, this does not take away from the fact the interview is an enjoyable read with Foster characteristically forthright in his views about managers and players.

Anyway, I won’t spill the beans as this magazine is in some newsagents despite problems with the barcode restricting supply.

Brighton have been very well served by the magazine over its 27 issues:

    Issue 1 has a short article on Bristol Rovers’ Bannister and Warboys, the nemesis of Brighton in 1973 in the 8-2 defeat
    Issue 2 has a short article on how Brighton got the Seagulls nickname, and a summary of the 1982/83 season with a review of the FA Cup Final. Also mentions the club ‘unveiled plans for a new £7 milion stadium to be opened in 1985. They are still waiting!’
    Issue 4 has memories of Norman Gall and a feature on the Leatherhead Lip giantkillings
    Issue 5 has an interview with Jim Walker
    Issue 7 has an interview with Mel Hopkins although there is no Albion references other than a photo of Hopkins
    Issue 10 has reviews of the Peter Ward and Martin Chivers biographies, an interview with Peter Ward, and Mike Tiddy obituary
    Issue 13 has an interview with Jimmy Melia, a feature on the famous ‘penalties’ match with Crystal Palace in 1988/89, and a Bobby Smith obituary
    Issue 14 has an Alan Davies retrospective with comment by Gary Stevens. Also, a Mel Hopkins obituary
    Issue 15 has interviews with Ian Goodwin and Gerry Ryan
    Issue 16 has an interview with ex-Albion coach Ray Crawford
    Issue 17 has a flashback to the epic cup tie between Brighton and Walsall in 1969/70
    Issue 18 has a Ken Beamish interview and Goldstone retrospective
    Issue 19 has a Bernie Gallagher obituary
    Issue 24 has a retrospective of Southern TV’s football coverage and the Preston days of Alex Dawson – only a very brief Albion mention in each plus a photo of Dawson in a Brighton shirt
    Issue 25 has a feature on Brighton & Hove Albion kits and an Ernie Machin obituary
    Issue 26 has an interview with Brian Horton
    Issue 27 has an interview with Steve Foster
    Issue 28 has a short article on Spencer Vignes’ ‘A Few Good Men’ book
    Issue 29 has a synopsis of the John Shepherd book, an article on the 2-8 defeat to Bristol Rovers, and obituaries of Tony Grealish and Freddie Jones

Some back issues are still available. Get them from their website before they go! Digital back issues will be available soon.

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Mar 14 2013
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Around The Goldstone, Media Coverage

Club Call from 1972/73

This is taken from Roy of the Rovers magazine:

1972-73

The line-up is this:

Back row: Ian Goodwin, Kit Napier, Stewart Henderson, Alan Dovey, Brian Bromley, Brian Powney, Eddie Spearritt, John Templeman, John Napier;

Middle row: Mike Yaxley (trainer / physio), Bert Murray, Norman Gall, Willie Irvine, Pat Saward (manager), Ken Beamish, Bertie Lutton, Peter O’Sullivan, Ray Crawford (coach);

Front row: Steve Piper, Tommy Armstrong, Alan Boorn, Steve Breach.

For more about these players during this disastrous campaign, please visit my other Albion site Seagulls TV.

The summary in Roy of the Rovers magazine includes these ‘facts’:

Formed: 1900.
Nickname: “Albion” (or Shrimpers).

I’ve seen the club erroneously nicknamed the Shrimps. But this is the first time I’ve seen us down as the Shrimpers which is equally wrong. I suppose it’s preferable, though. Wouldn’t have liked to have been the Shrimps and having to play Southend (the ‘Shrimpers’)!

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Mar 13 2013
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Media Coverage

John Napier poses for the Jimmy Hill Football Weekly

johnnapier

Strappling centre-half John Napier was Brighton’s record £25,000 signing from Bolton in August 1967. A year earlier he made his full debut for Northern Ireland in Belfast, losing 2-0 to West Germany.

Along with Norman Gall, Napier formed the bedrock of Albion’s defence in the late 1960s, winning the club’s first Player of the Season award in 1968/69.

Two years later, he was still turning it on for the Albion. In particular, his performance at Reading in April 1971 warmed the cockles of the heart of Evening Argus’ John Vinicombe, who wrote: “This was a magnificent display by John Napier. He was absolutely commanding and this rated as his best perfomance of the campaign. Nothing beat him and this mastery inspired confidence all around.”

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Mar 11 2013
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Around The Goldstone, Media Coverage

Beamish winds up Lawrenson

Here’s Ken Beamish, bought in March 1972, posing in PE shorts before the ill-starred 1972/73 season.

beamish

The all-action striker was Albion’s top scorer, with ten goals, as the team slid back into the Third Division.

Fast forward eight seasons to 1980/81 and Beamish was back at Tranmere, the club from which Pat Saward had signed him. Rovers were a Fourth Division side by then but they had the matter of a two-legged 2nd Round League Cup tie with Brighton & Hove Albion, now a top flight club.

In Mark Lawrenson’s ‘The Autobiography,’ he takes up the story on page 152:

“You learn, sometimes the hard way, the steps you need to take to protect yourself physically and psychologically. Opponents will always be testing you to see if you can be conned into losing your temper and, with it, your self-control. Ken Beamish certainly caught me out playing for Tranmere. We won the first leg comfortably, but I fell for the five card trick in the return. I can honestly say he tried to tackle me just below the hip and for the next five minutes I just went crazy. Ken, an old pro who had played for a lot of clubs including Brighton, obviously set out to try and unsettle me. If that tackle did not do any lasting damage it certainly wrecked my concentration and I was eventually sent off for a remark to a linesman. I was still fuming as I headed for the tunnel and looking across at Beamish who gave me a sly wink. Sure, the laugh was on me, but it was a lesson I have never forgotten.”

marklawrenson

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Mar 09 2013
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Media Coverage, Photo Opportunities

70-goal tester

70goaltester

At the start of the 1986/87, Ashdown Garage offered the players a new BMW if they could score 70 goals during the course of the campaign. With goalscoring aces Dean Saunders and Terry Connor, backed by World Cup wing wizard Steve Penney and the motivational powers of Alan Mullery, back at the helm, surely this was going to be a possibility?

Unfortunately, cost-cutting at the Goldstone Ground led to many experienced players such as Graham Moseley, Steve Jacobs and Dennis Mortimer leaving before the campaign started, considerably weakening the spine of the side. And equally sadly, it was not an offer of one car each, but one for the team, with the individual driving off with the car being selected by lots if the team was successful.

By January 3rd, the team under Alan Mullery was on a meagre 25 goals following a 2-1 win at Grimsby. Not an amazing season, but acceptable and forgivable given the dire finances of the club. Then, Mullery was harshly sacked even though the side were 15th in the League and comfortably away from the relegation zone.

And you probably know the nightmare under Barry Lloyd that happened next. From early January to the end of the season, Brighton scored a pathetic 13 more goals. Indeed, it took Lloyd over three and a half months to record his first victory as manager, but at least it was a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace. Those three points gained by Brighton in April were enough to deny Palace a play-off place at the end of the season. However, it couldn’t save our campaign. Unsurprisingly, Brighton crashed to the Third Division. This was not how life on the fast lane was meant to be.

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