And if you thought Gully’s Girls were Albion’s first cheerleaders, this might cause you to do a double-take.
The Albion team come out of the tunnel in their last match of the 1970s, at home to Manchester City, to an enthusiastic welcome from this troupe.
Brian Horton looks as pleased as punch. It seemed to do the trick. Albion triumphed 4-1.
This is from an edition of ‘Roy of the Rovers’ magazine. A spot of foul play by Nobby, I suspect:
From the Brighton v Bristol City programme of April 1980:
Last Wednesday we held a very successful buffet lunch for the firms that have helped the club during the year with sponsorship and advertising.
With us for the first time were our new sponsors British Caledonian and we have reproduced here a novel action picture that shows Brian Horton and Mark Lawrenson in the new Albion kit that will be worn next August.
The Caledonian hostess seemed to enjoy the action in front of the North Stand and we hope that supporters will equally enjoy seeing the team play in its new strip next August.
It was certainly a radical change. Nothing quite screams top flight Albion football as that all-blue Adidas kit with the British Caledonian sponsor, making Brighton the first side in the south to be involved in shirt advertising. The Brighton v Nottingham Forest programme from March 1980 says that:
the colour change was decided upon after consultation with the players and they were virtually unanimous about the new strip. To many the stripes associate the club with the Third Division days and we are determined to be a First Division club in every way.
The Albion vs Forest matchday programme also includes this image:
Here you can see Albion chairman Mike Bamber shaking hands with Adam Thomson, the Chairman of British Caledonian Airways, as a helicopter waits to whisk Mr Thomson back to Gatwick. Yes, the 1980s had certainly arrived!
Taken from the Official Handbook 1977/78:
It’s bad pun-a-go-go in this advert for Tony Back and Ric Carr’s Music Centre on 156 Lewes Road, Brighton. It describes Tony, Brian and Ric as ‘the most organised team in Division One’ while introducing ‘the Elka X705 Potable anyone can play!’
Towards the bottom of the advert is a football pitch with the names of various instruments in an experimental 2-3-2-3 formation.
Horton must have been short of a few bob the week he agreed to put his name to this. Turn your nose up at the increasing commercialisation of the game… or join yours truly in a celebration of the cheese factor of this marvellous advertisement for both music and sport!
The Goldstone Wrap 