On this day in 1997, Brighton & Hove Albion played their last match at their beloved home ground.
From Total Football magazine – Click the image for a close up. Were you there?
Brighton fans mass in front of the main stand on April 26 after The Seagulls’ last-ever match at the Goldstone Ground – sold from under their get for £7.4 million by ousted chairman Bill Archer. Albion sign off in a fitting way, grinding out a 1-0 victory over Doncaster courtesy of Stuart Storer’s second half strike. The result keeps alive their hopes of League survival, and brings the curtain down on one of the most heartfelt series of demonstrations in the name of a football club even seen.
Another memorable photo from the day came via a banner held by two Doncaster players before the match:
As I write this, Doncaster’s players of 2014 are doing Brighton fans another good deed by beating Reading 1-0 at half-time to help the Seagulls’ play-off bid. Hopefully, they can complete the job. [update: no, they couldn’t]
Finally, if you want to relive it, here’s the highlights from the pulsating match from 1997:
Doncaster from Goldstone Rapper on Vimeo.
The Goldstone Wrap 