Brighton Decision Challenged

[tompo]

[Rocky]

Gutted.

[Dollymarie]

Oh god please no. After all the fighting they did

[Guest Ronmeister]

:laugh:

:laugh:

How stupid is this getting

[southy354]

[Rich-TWSC-]

I feel for Brighton if this is the case. What happens on the field, happens on the field... I have no beef with the supporters and how they are feel sorry for them in regards of being messed around.

I for one hope they win the Battle of Falmer.

[Coin-op]

Although I really hate the team Brighton, I really feel for their fans down here. The Withdean is awful, absolutly awful. If Bristol City had to go through what Brighton has had to go through then most of our fans would have given up. Fair play to all those loyal Brighton fans who watch their team at the Withdean mostly in the pouring rain every week and good luck to them with the new ground. Now just don't go scoring against my beloved City in any more play offs!

[Guest Cadburyheath Red]

Although I really hate the team Brighton, I really feel for their fans down here. The Withdean is awful, absolutly awful. If Bristol City had to go through what Brighton has had to go through then most of our fans would have given up. Fair play to all those loyal Brighton fans who watch their team at the Withdean mostly in the pouring rain every week and good luck to them with the new ground. Now just don't go scoring against my beloved City in any more play offs!

Nice to see you hold youre fellow city fans in such high esteem!

Give up! I wouldnt have done & I'm sure I speak for every other City fan!

[Guest taipan]

Well in fairness no one forced them to settle on a site that was not suitable or approved for development.

[Coin-op]

But they were forced out of their previous ground by a chairman who thought it wise to sell the ground!!!!!!!!!

I am sorry if I have offended a few fans by saying they would give up but it is a very dire situation.

[Guest The Codfather 0312]

It is a sad thing to happen really but i will never forget the playoff final and the hurt we all suffered and all the gloating there fans did after the game so this is a matter of what comes around goes around. They will be in League one next season so why they would want a new stadium is beyond me.

[Leon Knight]

Well in fairness no one forced them to settle on a site that was not suitable or approved for development.

[grifty]

tbf i don't like brighton or their fans...so I'm kinda pleased this ahsnt gone through...but i wont lose sleep if it does...they can have a new stadium when/if we're above them

[The Man In Black]

It is a sad thing to happen really but i will never forget the playoff final and the hurt we all suffered and all the gloating there fans did after the game so this is a matter of what comes around goes around.

And we wouldn't have done the same? Besides, I remember many of their fans not saying a word as well left the ground.

They will be in League one next season so why they would want a new stadium is beyond me.

Uh..... because their stadium is nowhere near Brighton maybe? Imagine having to catch more than your three buses to Ashton Gate whenever you decided to pay a visit.

I have no gripes against Brighton. They beat us. Get over it.

Best of luck in finding a new home that's closer to home.

[Guest The Codfather 0312]

And we wouldn't have done the same? Besides, I remember many of their fans not saying a word as well left the ground.

Uh..... because their stadium is nowhere near Brighton maybe? Imagine having to catch more than your three buses to Ashton Gate whenever you decided to pay a visit.

I have no gripes against Brighton. They beat us. Get over it.

Best of luck in finding a new home that's closer to home.

Sorry but the last time I heard Brighton were playing at the Withdean which is in Brighton.

You may not of experienced the Brighton fans gloating but I did and that nasty feeling I had will always stick with me.

[WTFiGO!?!]

I don't really wish this sort of thing on anyone as it is a crime against football but I don't like Brighton very much so hey ho. I've found the place real kind of seedy/pikey with lots of people just looking to screw you over.

I would also like to think that City fans would never allow the board to rape our club like what you here about at clubs like Carlisle, Darlington, Wimbledon FC (R I P) etc and evil scum like Charles Koppell and Michael Knighton would be booted the **** out of town.

[annanimo]

I don't really wish this sort of thing on anyone as it is a crime against football but I don't like Brighton very much so hey ho. I've found the place real kind of seedy/pikey with lots of people just looking to screw you over.

I would also like to think that City fans would never allow the board to rape our club like what you here about at clubs like Carlisle, Darlington, Wimbledon FC (R I P) etc and evil scum like Charles Koppell and Michael Knighton would be booted the **** out of town.

It's not a question of whether City fans would allow it.

Fans of York City, Carlisle, Wimbledon, Clydebank, Morton and in the distant past Third Lanark and Bradford PA have all protested when the actions of certain board members threatened their respective clubs.

I was in Brighton the year they lost the Goldstone and almost were relegated to the Conference. Now I'm no fan of Brighton, never will be, but it's a bit narrow-minded to say that because we're Bristol City fans we shouldn't care less whether the club down the road dies. Their supporters wanted a team to support, and in 1997 that seemed very unlikely. They launched campaigns then to save the ground, which failed. Since then, they've been campaigning for the right to build a new ground which, after several years, appeared to have been successful.

As for Knighton et al, do you really think our fans could boot them out of town? If Man United fans can't do it to the Glazers, what chance would we have? And I think you're underestimating the fans of Carlisle and Wimbledon, who did protest vociferously. Michael Knighton wouldn't have been seen alive on the streets of Carlisle. There were huge protests. But it is hard to displace these people, as York City found out. They did manage to get rid of John Craig but only after he'd managed to sign the ground over to himself.

Meadowbank Thistle in the late 80s were on the brink of promotion to the Scottish prem, attracting reasonably healthy gates. A new chairman comes in, decides he wants to move to Livingston - fans protest, they get banned from the ground. So they stand outside the ground and protest instead. Said chairman gets the police to move them on. Eventually there are no fans left to protest. What annoys me is the double standards - everybody hates MK Dons because of what the board did to Wimbledon but no-one cares very much about Livingston.

In a sense we have been lucky at Bristol City. We haven't had a nutcase like Michael Knighton at the helm. But we should have a little empathy for clubs not so fortunate. Brighton fans didn't ask to be evicted from the Goldstone and play at an inadequate and inaccessible "stadium" out of town. They only want a ground to call their own.

[WTFiGO!?!]

I used to go up for 'Fans United' days at Sh**ehurst as I'm very good mates with an AFCW nut.

I don't know what to say really, I just can't stand the thought of us being so helpless if god forbid it happened to us.

Luckily we're not as vulnerable as the teams mentioned - and like I've previously mentioned I don't wish this on anyone

It's not a question of whether City fans would allow it.

What annoys me is the double standards - everybody hates MK Dons because of what the board did to Wimbledon but no-one cares very much about Livingston.

My knowledge of Scottish domestic football is limited

[annanimo]

I used to go up for 'Fans United' days at Sh**ehurst as I'm very good mates with an AFCW nut.

I don't know what to say really, I just can't stand the thought of us being so helpless if god forbid it happened to us.

Luckily we're not as vulnerable as the teams mentioned - and like I've previously mentioned I don't wish this on anyone

My knowledge of Scottish domestic football is limited

I know exactly what you're saying and as fans we like to think we could make sure this wouldn't happen to us. We see the Knightons at Carlisle and think that, well, this could never happen here. But I'm sure that Carlisle fans in the 70s were thinking the same when people mentioned Bradford Park Avenue, or Accrington Stanley. The latter's demise being the direct result of animosity between the board and the fans.

You're right, Bristol City are not currently as vulnerable as the likes of York City, Carlisle or Darlington (George Reynolds actually had the courtesy to move on after alienating most of the club's support). But Man United? Even Leeds before Ridsdale? If SL sells out, how do we make sure we get a chairman you will act in the interests of the club and its supporters? There really is no way we can influence this.

Would any real football fan wish any other team (even the Gas) to go the same way as Aldershot, Newport County, Bradford PA or Third Lanark? I for one wouldn't want to see Brighton continue to struggle without a ground, just because of an obtuse local council and a bunch of nimbys.