by ozzygull »
15 Jan 2024 15:08
Dirk Gently ozzygull ....
As my username suggests I am a Brighton fan. I happen to live in Reading. In 1996 after hearing that our ground was to be sold (asset stripping) leaving us with nowhere to play,
(Edited for brevity)
Hi Ozzygull - don't worry, I know all about your struggles (and was personally involved in quite a few of them - happy to discuss in more detail by PM).
Ultimately, though, your move to Falmer was made possible by a political decision, when Prescott overrode the objections of Falmer Council and granted planning permission. That was a political solution, reached after long, drawn out and targeted political campaigning (e.g. the "postcards to Prescott" campaign, IIRC).
Political capital was gained by Brighton campaigners acting in responsible, creative and constructive ways, which is the only way to positively influence politicians and football administrators. They tend to respond badly to what they see as "mobs" getting matches abandoned.
In the same way, the only two ways out of this are Dai doing the right thing and selling (which I think is made less likely by giving him global bad publicity. The Chinese way is to shut up shop and not co-operate when you're facing criticism) or to reach a political solution, which, like yours, will be a long, drawn-out thing to achieve.
Our problems started when Bill Archer and Greg Stanley, who owned Focus DIY, bought the club in 1993, for £56.25 saying they were going to pay of our debts, but their real intentions was always to sell the Goldstone for a profit. The protests to get rid of them were not pleasant, we targeted their DIY shops, telling people to boycott them, trpis to Archer's house in Mellor and multiple pitch invasions. They didn't care, they sold the club after they sold the Goldstone. I am not sure people understand why if we lost to Hereford it would have been the end of Brighton and Hove Albion as lots of other clubs have dropped out the league and returned. It is because the National League at the time did not allow ground sharing, with no ground it meant oblivion.
Once the club was taken over by Dick Knight and we managed to get back to Brighton in a stadium, all be it a temproary one (12 years) We knew the protests for planning permission for our new stadium needed to be differnt, Inventive, good humoured and prolonged.
Dick knight and Marin Perry did a fantasic job keeping the club afloat while all this was going on. The one thing that has continued since Tony Bloom took over is the communication with the fans. We don't know the exact details but we do know how our club is run and it's policies. It is why you don't hear Brighton fans complaining when we sell our best players, we understand why and have 100% trust in the chairman.
Unfortunatly the chap that owns Reading is even harder to get at then Archer and Stanley. I think it may take government intervention If he continues to be stubborn, this is why fans from other clubs are needed and as many big profile names you can get to be involved, not just Reading fans. This govemnet does Sweet FA unless they feel it can affect their public image.