I will be running the inaugural Brighton Marathon on 18th April 2010 in support of REMF
Here’s the best part, I will be running the marathon dressed in a Gorilla costume/Brighton & Hove Albion shirt combo… all 26 miles of it. Here’s the link to my justgiving REMF page:
http://www.justgiving.com/Stephen-Kirkwood
I’ve already in the first 24 hours raised the princely sum of £46
Not expecting much from this one, Rovers are flying high at the minute and we’re leaking goals again. A draw will be a fantastic result. Glenn Murray returns from injury to earn a place on the bench today.
As expected, lots of Rovers’ chances on our goal in the first 20 minutes, Elphick and Kuipers doing most of the desperate defending. Now Player has crashed on me again. Adam Virgo has been sent off – fuck knows what for as I can’t get a thing on Player. Half-time 0-0. Don’t expect that result at full-time. Bollocks. Jake Wright is on for Dickinson after the sending off, to shore up what’s going to be a very hammered defence second half.
Looks like I’ve lost coverage for this game completely, fucking Afghan server!!! So, I’ll not be scoring this game unless it comes back online soon. I now have the shameful experience of watching the text updates on the BBC website, and that is shite too. I can’t wait to come home next month and go to the game itself. Being a long distance cyber-fan is fucking useless.
I don’t need commentary to know the Seagulls have a discipline problem this season – too many red and yellow cards for stupid shite.
Erm second half, James Tunnicliffe (central defender) has just scored!!! 1-0 to the Albion, WTF? Leave it – Rovers have equalised, all hands to the pump, we went up to 11th in the table then back into the relegation zone in two goals. Crazy football. Hanging on, I’m flitting between Yahoo, the Beeb and North Stand Chat trying to follow this one, come on lads two minutes to go. Rovers hit the woodwork twice.
We hung on, Jesus that was close, rode our luck for a jammy point. Maybe it was better I didn’t get this game on Player, would’ve given me a heart attack. Tunnicliffe gets Man of the Match for his goal and what the NSC has been saying. Phew!
The Hovian’s Albion Man of the Match : James Tunnicliffe
Albion Team (goalscorers in bold):
(4-4-2) Kuipers; Virgo, Elphick, Tunnicliffe, El-Abd; Bennett, Crofts, Dicker, Davies (Cox 75); Forster (Hart 80), Dickinson (Wright 44)
Subs: G Smith, Cox, Hart, Thornhill, Livermore, Wright, Murray
26 Sep 2009 17:07 UK
| Position | Team | P | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full League One table | ||||
| 1 | Leeds United | 9 | 13 | 25 |
| 2 | Charlton | 9 | 13 | 23 |
| 3 | Bristol Rovers | 9 | 7 | 19 |
| 4 | MK Dons | 9 | 3 | 17 |
| 5 | Colchester | 9 | 8 | 15 |
| 6 | Huddersfield | 9 | 7 | 15 |
| 7 | Swindon | 9 | -2 | 14 |
| 8 | Oldham | 9 | -2 | 12 |
| 9 | Gillingham | 9 | 3 | 11 |
| 10 | Southend | 9 | 2 | 11 |
| 11 | Hartlepool | 9 | 0 | 11 |
| 12 | Millwall | 9 | -1 | 10 |
| 13 | Stockport | 9 | -2 | 10 |
| 14 | Norwich | 9 | -3 | 10 |
| 15 | Brentford | 9 | -3 | 10 |
| 16 | Walsall | 9 | -4 | 10 |
| 17 | Yeovil | 9 | -1 | 9 |
| 18 | Carlisle | 9 | -3 | 9 |
| 19 | Leyton Orient | 9 | -4 | 9 |
| 20 | Exeter | 9 | -4 | 9 |
| 21 | Brighton | 9 | -7 | 9 |
| 22 | Wycombe | 9 | -6 | 6 |
| 23 | Tranmere | 9 | -13 | 4 |
| 24 | Southampton | 9 | -1 | -1 |
Now, this is a football blog, and a football blog specifically about a team called Brighton and Hove Albion. That much is blatantly obvious. But for me football is more than merely watching 22 blokes dressed in polyester kick a piece of lightweight leather around a dilapidated athletics stadium in BN1.
No, football is a way of life, everyday things branch off of it, merge into it, influence and get influenced by it. Football is culture, and it has its own unique culture (and subculture) which occupies a large part of the British psyche.
One of those things is fashion – working class fashion, to be more precise. Young (and not so young) men are the main dwellers of planet football, and young working class men on the whole like to look good, at the football or down the pub and club. Gone are the days of the bovver-booted “Christmas tree” fans, with buttons, bobble-hats, scarves and replica shirts. This look has long been eschewed by “dressers”, “casuals”, “scallies” and “perry boys”.
Today there is a bit of a revival going on among older casuals, and young lads coming through influenced by good and not so good British films about hooligans, firms, and the whole casual phenomena. The thing is, the stuff – the clothes – look good. Above is an advert for Brighton’s very own Jump the Gun clothing emporium. Other great sites are 80s casual classics, and Stuarts of London.
If you’re still a replica shirt wearing fan that’s fine, you’ll always add colour to any game; but I personally have a weak spot for cool, smart, well-turned out casual wear, and going to the match is just another place where it’s good to step out done up to the nines.
By the way this post isn’t about hooligans and fighting, I mean would you like to go to an away match and have some fuckwit slash your £125 cream Baracuta G9 jacket? Fuck that.
Just sit back and enjoy, it’s things like this that make football what it is. Brilliant
The Shrimpers at home today. I’m on a job tonight, so I’ll get the first 40 minutes of this game on Seagulls Player, then I’m out working and I’ll be lucky to get the scores coming through when the BBC World Service picks up the football second halves from Radio 5 Live.
I’m predicting 1-1 from this one, just because we’re even stevens with Saarfend in the league, and it’s not often the Seagulls win three on the bounce!
Seven minutes, goal for Southend, defence nowhere to be seen, headed in. Oh dear. Wait out – N-I-C-K-Y…..F-O-R-S-T-E-RRRRRR, six goals in five games. Route one ball, Fozzy gets on the end of it, slots it. 1 -1. Fuck it, on 26 minutes Saaaaaafend get a corner, long one, and a tap in at the far post. It’s one of those games. I’ve got to knock off now and go to work – I’ll take 2-2 at the end of this one. Laters.
So, I wait for a mention of the Albion all the second half, whilst listening to Arsenal stuffing Wigan, and we finally get a mention on 90 minutes + 2, a late, late goal from the Shrimpers nicks all three points. Bastards. We’re back hovering near the relegation places. Fozzy banged in our second goal, so I guess he’ll have to get my Man of the (half) Match again.
The Hovian’s Albion Man of the Match: Nicky Forster
Albion Team (goalscorers in bold):
(4-4-2) Kuipers; Virgo, Elphick, Tunnicliffe, El-Abd; Bennett, Crofts, Dicker, A Davies; Dickinson, Forster (2)
Subs: Pelling, Cox, McLeod, C Davies, Hart, Wright, Navarro, Thornhill
Saturday, 19 September 2009 17:07 UK
| Position | Team | P | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full League One table | ||||
| 1 | Leeds United | 8 | 12 | 22 |
| 2 | Charlton | 8 | 12 | 20 |
| 3 | Bristol Rovers | 8 | 7 | 18 |
| 4 | MK Dons | 8 | 4 | 17 |
| 5 | Colchester | 8 | 8 | 14 |
| 6 | Huddersfield | 8 | 7 | 14 |
| 7 | Swindon | 8 | -2 | 13 |
| 8 | Southend | 8 | 3 | 11 |
| 9 | Gillingham | 8 | 3 | 10 |
| 10 | Millwall | 8 | 0 | 10 |
| 11 | Brentford | 8 | -1 | 10 |
| 12 | Walsall | 8 | -1 | 10 |
| 13 | Stockport | 8 | -2 | 9 |
| 14 | Norwich | 8 | -3 | 9 |
| 15 | Exeter | 8 | -3 | 9 |
| 16 | Oldham | 8 | -3 | 9 |
| 17 | Carlisle | 8 | -3 | 8 |
| 18 | Hartlepool | 8 | -3 | 8 |
| 19 | Brighton | 8 | -7 | 8 |
| 20 | Yeovil | 8 | -3 | 6 |
| 21 | Leyton Orient | 8 | -5 | 6 |
| 22 | Wycombe | 8 | -6 | 5 |
| 23 | Tranmere | 8 | -13 | 3 |
| 24 | Southampton | 8 | -1 | -2 |
I’ve received a linkback from the excellent Countdown to Falmer website, where BHAFC fans can upload their own pictures of the ongoing building work at the Club’s new home. So, I’m giving the site a bigger plug by dedicating a post to them here at The Hovian.
It really is a fascinating spectacle watching a modern football stadium being built before your very eyes online, and in such a beautiful area as the Falmer site. Other useful websites to get Seagull football nerds all a-slobber are the Countdown to Falmer web clock, and the club’s own Falmer Timelapse site on Lobstervision, where you can log in everyday and watch as the camera records the building progress and uploads it to the interweb every 15 minutes.
A poster on North Stand Chat named Everest has even spliced together the timelapse thingy into a series of excellent little YouTube movies, accompanied by suitably stirring music. Everest’s YouTube channel is here, subscribe now and one day he’ll have the whole Falmer construction from the first diggers moving in to the painting of the white lines on the new stadium pitch. Here’s his best effort linked above, good effort fella!!
Long away day for the Seagulls, I’m predicting a low score draw, hoping for a win by a single goal. Dean Cox is out of the squad, making way for Kevin Mcleod to regain a place on the bench.
Three minutes gone……FORSTER SCORES!!!! That’s his fourth in four (I think?). The old boy is in scorching form. What a start. Forster brought down in penalty area on 22 minutes, nothing given – Russell Slade is raging, bit of argy-bargy between the benches. Good game this. Half-time, best players so far (in order) are Adam El-Abd, Fozzy, Dicker, Dickinson, Arron Davies. Not too much to be alarmed about, Carlisle are a bit toothless. Another goal second half should put this one away.
Bit of early pressure from the home side in this second half, not surprising as they probably thought they had a safe home banker today. The announcer has just given the attendance at 5368 souls, 350-400 of those are travelling Seagulls, good effort! Adam El-Abd is playing really well, which is great news as he gets so much stick from our fans.
FORSTERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2-0, LOVING IT!!!! Dickinson laid it on beautifully for the old boy and he slots it in. These two are beginning to look like some partnership. Gary Hart was warming up to replace Fozzy as well, and now is back in his tracky and back on the bench. I’m sure he’s not that bothered. Dicker shoots, it’s saved and Forster puts it in – offside, and Fozzy’s been booked for throwing the ball away. Piss off ref.
Hart on for Dicko on 75 mins. Forster looking for his hat-trick. I would love to give El-Abd my man of the match, but there’s no denying who’s pipped him (just) for me, it’s that man Nicky Forster. A fantastic result that fires us right up the table. And, erm, Crystal Palace 0 – 4 Scunthorpe is always good for a laugh too.
The Hovian’s Albion Team Performance : 9 out of 10
The Hovian’s Albion Man of the Match : Nicky Forster
Albion Team (goalscorers in bold):
(4-4-2) Kuipers; Virgo, Elphick, Tunnicliffe, El-Abd; Bennett (McLeod), Crofts, Dicker, A Davies; Dickinson (Hart 75), Forster (2)
Subs: G Smith, McLeod, Livermore, C Davies, Hart, Wright, Navarro, Thornhill
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Hove Born & Bred, a poster on NSC, who also writes the Put Those Floodlights Out! blog on the Argus website, found this little gem on YouTube and I thought I’d put it up here for those readers (2 out of my total of 4) who don’t frequent the mad, mad, world that is Brighton & Hove Albion’s main fan forum.
What’s interesting about this video is the difference in style, Big Flash Ron – a walking, talking football stereotype much ridiculed since by many good Brit comedians down the years – Mediterranean tan, Pringle golf jumper, flair hair, dodgy Irish joke. Then there’s Jimmy Melia, the softly spoken little scouser, in his trackie and pale bald head. As HB&B mentions on NSC, David Colemanballs can’t even bring himself to say the words “Brighton” “Brighton & Hove Albion” or any combination of the above.
This all happened long before I was a fan of the Albion, but it’s an interesting window on a time when this little club almost toppled the biggest name in world football. It really is a little gem, real life David and Goliath stuff.
Top footballing action from last year's Johnstone's Paint Trophy Final
When the Seagulls slipped quietly out of the Carling Cup there wasn’t so much as a whimper from this website. But alas, all is not finished on the Mickey Mouse Cup front just yet. For now we have the mother of all Walt Disney productions – the unfathomably pointless Johnstone’s Paint Trophy. This is the annual reminder for those clubs dwelling in the lower two Football Leagues of just how shit they really are. I mean I’ve never even seen a tin of Johnstone’s fucking Paint, nor would I spread it on the walls of my home if I did, but it’s upon us again and I’ll be following the Seagulls until we get knocked out (hopefully in our first game).
Our opponents on this night of footballing masterclass will be the equally uninterested Leyton Orient. The tie will take place at Brisbane Road on Tuesday 6th October, and yes I’ll be listening in to every kick and throw-in.
Simple enough today – home win. Nothing else will do. I won’t be scoring this match as I’ve had a very busy day at work and it’s still ongoing, but I’ll have Seagulls Player on in the background (it’s not working yet again and the match has kicked off.) Good sign today is it looks like Gary Dicker has finally earned a starting slot in midfield, that’s great news for him and us. 1-0 will do today, I don’t care how good or sloppy we are.
Half-time and 0-0, sounds like a god awful game, ah well – back to work. Peter Taylor knows how to grind out a result, and Wycombe have obviously come for the draw. Tommy Elphick on for the second half, Whing has retired injured.
ZZZZzzzzzzzzzz…………
NICKY FORSTER SCORES!!!!! 75 minutes. Fozzy goes off on 80 minutes and Gary Hart returns to first-team action, love to see him grab a late goal. That’s it! We won, at last, three points safe. Not a classic by any means but 1-0 is enough to get our season started at last. I’m going to give my Man of the Match to Nicky Forster anyway, he’s on fire at the minute. Chuffed to bits.
The Hovian’s Albion Man of the Match : Nicky Forster
Albion Team (goalscorers in bold):
(4-4-2) Kuipers; Whing (Elphick 45), Virgo, Tunnicliffe, El-Abd; Bennett, Crofts, Dicker, A Davies (Cox 60); Forster (Hart 80), Dickinson
Subs: G Smith, Hart, C Davies, Elphick, Cox, Navarro, Thornhill
Saturday, 5 September 2009 17:05 UK
| Position | Team | P | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full League One table | ||||
| 1 | Charlton | 6 | 12 | 18 |
| 2 | Leeds United | 6 | 9 | 18 |
| 3 | Huddersfield | 6 | 9 | 13 |
| 4 | Bristol Rovers | 6 | 4 | 12 |
| 5 | MK Dons | 6 | 2 | 11 |
| 6 | Swindon | 6 | -2 | 11 |
| 7 | Colchester | 6 | 6 | 10 |
| 8 | Brentford | 6 | 1 | 9 |
| 9 | Carlisle | 6 | 1 | 8 |
| 10 | Norwich | 6 | -2 | 8 |
| 11 | Gillingham | 6 | 4 | 7 |
| 12 | Southend | 6 | 2 | 7 |
| 13 | Millwall | 6 | 0 | 7 |
| 14 | Hartlepool | 6 | -1 | 7 |
| 15 | Walsall | 6 | -2 | 6 |
| 16 | Oldham | 6 | -4 | 6 |
| 17 | Yeovil | 6 | -1 | 5 |
| 18 | Stockport | 6 | -3 | 5 |
| 19 | Leyton Orient | 6 | -4 | 5 |
| 20 | Exeter | 6 | -4 | 5 |
| 21 | Brighton | 6 | -8 | 5 |
| 22 | Wycombe | 6 | -5 | 4 |
| 23 | Tranmere | 6 | -11 | 3 |
| 24 | Southampton | 6 | -3 | -6 |
The Hovian 