Up the Albion!
Mark Brailsford looks at an old rivalry
The Johnny Come Lately’s as new fans of The Albion are sometimes known, may have cause to wonder what all the fuss is about when it comes to the Crystal Palace rivalry. The recent generation of fans, understandably, have no real memory of why Albion Vs Palace games still stir the ire of older supporters.
Geographically, the two clubs are not exactly near neighbours, but the antipathy runs deep. For many Albion fans their seminal experience of supporting The Albion came in the ’70s with a series of matches that rival many of the more famous classics, such as the Manchester derby or the Merseyside and North London battles.
The old rivalry
Suffice to say, Albion Vs Palace matches in the ’70s were incredible occasions. The managers at the time helped to stir things up, former Spurs teammates, Alan Mullery and Terry Venables, rarely had a nice word to say about each other. The 1976/77 season was particularly memorable, both clubs were pursuing promotion from the old Division Three in a thrilling campaign where the clubs were to meet five times. The two clubs played each other in the league home and away and three times in an infamous FA Cup tie that went to two replays. The crowds at The Goldstone for those matches were edging 30,000. To a young boy of 10 years old with his dad and brother, stood on a stool on the East terrace, it felt like millions. The noise was incredible and the tackles were, shall we say of the more agricultural nature and in the midst of it all, there was Peter Ward dancing around the brutal Palace defence, scaring the living daylights out them.
If those games were played now the match would have been abandoned due to half the players being sent off. The ugliness of ‘70s hooliganism had come to the fore as well, coupled with lack of segregation in the crowd, this potent mix made for a visceral experience, part terrifying, part thrilling. My dad, thankfully, had an inkling that the atmosphere might be a bit “tasty” to use the parlance of the day.
Never forget
When Hove Station became a battleground, our east terrace stool, which my Dad made for my brother and me to stand on, became a handy shelter when the train light bulbs started being hurled across the platforms. The intensity of the match, the ebb and flow of a fantastic game and the determination of the teams to win, etched themselves on the memory to the point where thereafter, any match involving Palace was easily the most important game of the season.
After the 1-1 draw in the FA Cup first round at The Goldstone in 1976/77, the replay at Selhurst Park also ended in an acrimonious draw. So onto Stanford Bridge for the “neutral” second replay. Neutral venue but hardly a neutral referee by most Albion accounts. The retaken and ultimately saved penalty by Nobby Horton condemning Albion to bitter defeat. Then there was 1978/79 when Palace pipped Albion to the title by a point, Henry Houghton breaking dear old Gerry Ryan’s leg and ending his career, that game with all penalties and of course, Boxing Day. (Cue the song.) There are so many reasons to loath and love the rivalry with Crystal Palace and every team needs an enemy. For Albion fans who have been supporting the club through thick and thin for many years, they are the real deal as villains in chief with fans to match. So if anyone tries to tell you that it’s time to leave this rivalry behind, just retell the stories of the ‘70s and ‘80s and remind them to never forget.
The Albion Fan Mosaic is dedicated to all those who fought to make the stadium a reality, and remembers those who will never see it. Designed and compiled by lifelong Brighton fans Warren Dudley and Tim Herbert
