Albion 1 – 0 Brentford

It’s an old football cliche that says if you want silverware in your trophy cabinet at the end of the season, then you have to win games even when you play badly. Well for 60 minutes tonight we were pretty gash, for sure. This game was headed for a draw – or worse – until, out of nothing, that man LuaLua saved Albion’s blushes.

Thing is, when you try to play nice one touch football, it only works when you pass to another player in your team. Time and again the tippy tappy stuff was going straight to Brentford players, and we were making a very ordinary team look half decent.

But, our patience paid off, and we should have won by three or four goals after the spell of pressure we put the away team under for the last half hour. LuaLua was ok until the final third, then his touch and shooting (up until he actually scored) was comical at times. Barnes harried well, laying it off nicely to the attacking midfield, but should have scored two again. Elphick had a few dodgy moments, he was carried by the man of the match (by more than a country mile) – Adam El-Abd. Bomber did the simple thing well all night, he was unflappable, and on this performance is the best defensive asset we have at the club right now. Good effort.

We are three points clear now, the expectation grows with each passing game. Great isn’t it?

The Hovian’s Team performance :  6 out 10

The Hovian’s Man of the Match :  Adam El-Abd

Npower League One table

Tuesday, 28 September 2010 21:52 UK

Position	Team	P	GD	PTS
Full Npower League One table
1	Brighton	9	7	20
2	Bournemouth	9	13	17
3	Carlisle	9	8	16
4	Rochdale	9	7	16
5	Peterborough	9	6	16
6	Colchester	9	4	15
7	Charlton	9	2	15
8	Huddersfield	9	2	14
9	Oldham	9	1	13
10	Notts County	9	-1	13
11	Exeter	9	-2	13
12	MK Dons	9	-2	13
13	Swindon	9	0	12
14	Plymouth	9	-3	12
15	Bristol R	9	-3	12
16	Sheff Wed	9	4	11
17	Southampton	9	-1	9
18	Tranmere	9	-6	9
19	Hartlepool	9	-8	9
20	Leyton Orient	9	-3	8
21	Yeovil	9	-8	8
22	Walsall	9	-4	7
23	Dag & Red	9	-7	7
24	Brentford	9	-6	6

Albion 2 – 1 Oldham

Top of the league. I’m nursing the kind of hangover that can only come from the words “Let’s celebrate” being spoken at full-time, it’s a 10 on the Richter Scale of sore heads. But it was worth it, and then some.

A sunny but chilly Withdean was the setting for, if not a great performance, a great result. Oldham came and made a game of it for the most part, but we dominated them later on, and took the win well, courtesy of his first goal in the stripes for Fran Sandaza. Scoring as we did with virtually the last kick in injury-time tells me this team is building up a head of steam, and Withdean is becoming the Fortress of the promotion seasons, winning is a hard habit to break. Ominous? It’s still too early to say, but we’re well on our way.

In the pub after everyone was buoyant, there’s a real buzz around the fanbase, they’re singing and dancing on the tables etc. As for my man of the match, it was a team performance where no-one really stuck out, but Ashley Barnes kept his head down after missing two sitters, and worked hard for his goal, so I’ll pin it on him. The Albion’s momentum should carry over to Tuesday night at home to Nicky Forster’s Brentford, then up to basement boys Tranmere on Saturday – where at this point I’m attending.

The Hovian’s Team performance :  7 out 10

The Hovian’s Man of the Match :  Ashley Barnes

Attendance : 7148 (152 Oldham)

Npower League One table snapshot

As it stood on 25 Sep 2010 23:59 UK

Position	Team	P	GD	PTS
1	Brighton	8	6	17
2	Peterborough	8	7	16
3	Bournemouth	8	10	14
4	Huddersfield	8	5	14
5	Colchester	8	4	14
6	Rochdale	8	4	13
7	Carlisle	8	4	13
8	Exeter	8	1	13
9	MK Dons	8	-1	13
10	Oldham	8	1	12
11	Charlton	8	1	12
12	Swindon	8	1	12
13	Bristol R	8	-2	12
14	Sheff Wed	8	4	10
15	Notts County	8	-2	10
16	Hartlepool	8	-4	9
17	Plymouth	8	-4	9
18	Southampton	8	-1	8
19	Leyton Orient	8	-3	7
20	Yeovil	8	-8	7
21	Walsall	8	-4	6
22	Brentford	8	-5	6
23	Dag & Red	8	-7	6
24	Tranmere	8	-7	6

Just in case you missed it….

It’s a grainy recorded-off-the-mobile-from-the-telly video, but it still shows a bit of the special talent that is the Albion talisman, Kazenga LuaLua. His goal and celebration happen so fast that even the TV cameraman struggles to keep up with it.

And here’s one LuaLua made earlier in his short career, to give you a better idea of what this kid can do

Plymouth 0 – 2 Albion

Npower League One table

Tuesday, 21 September 2010 21:42 UK

Position	Team	P	GD	PTS
Full Npower League One table
1	Huddersfield	7	6	14
2	Brighton	7	5	14
3	Peterborough	7	6	13
4	Carlisle	7	6	13
5	MK Dons	7	0	13
6	Rochdale	7	4	12
7	Oldham	7	2	12
8	Bournemouth	7	8	11
9	Colchester	7	2	11
10	Charlton	7	1	11
11	Sheff Wed	7	5	10
12	Notts County	7	-1	10
13	Exeter	7	-1	10
14	Swindon	7	0	9
15	Bristol R	7	-3	9
16	Plymouth	7	-4	8
17	Yeovil	7	-6	7
18	Walsall	7	-3	6
19	Brentford	7	-4	6
20	Hartlepool	7	-5	6
21	Tranmere	7	-5	6
22	Southampton	7	-2	5
23	Dag & Red	7	-7	5
24	Leyton Orient	7	-4	4

I’m putting tonight’s League One table at the top of this post. Looks good, doesn’t it? I missed most of this game on the radio, blame work and other stuff. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there in the flesh, but a goal apiece for Tommy Elphick and Ash Barnes makes for the handsome looking table, so those who did make the long trek west will have enjoyed the effort.

Only problem now is other teams are well aware of us – we are contenders this year, make no mistake. Anyone for first game at Falmer being in the Championship?

Carlisle 0 – 0 Albion

With finishing night shift this morning, and being back in work at 7am tomorrow, the monster trek up to Carlisle was never a viable proposition for me this Saturday (or am I just a bad fan?). Instead I made do with a nice hike along the South Downs Way from Eastbourne to Beachy Head and back (via the pub for grub and ale). I listened to the game on my mobile’s FM radio – it sounded shit – and took in the beautiful Sussex coastline.

Sounds like we held on in a crap game for a hard-earned point, Ankergren and Elphick were pick of the bunch, and I got my face sunburned for probably the last time this year. Oh, and I can’t make the Plymouth game on Tuesday night either – extremely bad fan. Here’s a few pics from today anyway.

Npower League One table

Saturday, 18 September 2010 17:07 UK

Position	Team	P	GD	PTS
Full Npower League One table
1	Huddersfield	7	6	14
2	Peterborough	7	6	13
3	Carlisle	7	6	13
4	MK Dons	7	0	13
5	Rochdale	7	4	12
6	Oldham	7	2	12
7	Bournemouth	7	8	11
8	Brighton	6	3	11
9	Colchester	7	2	11
10	Charlton	7	1	11
11	Sheff Wed	7	5	10
12	Notts County	7	-1	10
13	Swindon	7	0	9
14	Exeter	6	-1	9
15	Bristol R	7	-3	9
16	Plymouth	6	-2	8
17	Yeovil	7	-6	7
18	Walsall	7	-3	6
19	Brentford	7	-4	6
20	Hartlepool	7	-5	6
21	Tranmere	7	-5	6
22	Southampton	7	-2	5
23	Leyton Orient	7	-4	4
24	Dag & Red	6	-7	4

TSLR 22

The latest edition of your friendly neighbourhood TSLR is on the newstands fact fans (no it’s not, but it is for sale at a League One ground near you). S and S have obviously had a win on the nags, as TSLR 22 is printed on shiny new professional paper – great to keep the Withdean rain off, not so good as emergency bog roll, unless you want paper cuts on your bangle.

There’s new writers on board, it’s thicker in content, and it’s STILL only £1 an issue. I have included my input here, to whet your appetite. If you missed the fanzine dealers outside Withers on Saturday they will be about at Albion’s away games, or for sale online at the TSLR blog.

Seriously though, please support the boys who put together BHAFC’s one and only fanzine, they (and us contributors), make no money producing it – it’s a labour of love – the more you support it, the better it will most certainly get.

Now that the glorious summer has ended in rain-sodden ignominy, just as the last Withdean season gets underway, it’s time to rearrange the old wardrobe. The shorts, trainers, and polo shirts have had a summer’s length of wear and tear, not least scuffing the cobbled streets of Albufeira in July. But, never fear, the true dresser welcomes the return of the dark, damp days, not just for long hauls on the rattler up to northern wastelands like Oldham, no friends, the man who spends time putting a matchday outfit together especially welcomes the Return of the Mac.

The pride of any dresser is his coat, it is his shell against the world – not just from the elements – it is his main piece of clothing, his personal branding. You can spend all you want on good shoes, jeans and the rest, but to top it off with some misshapen sack from Top Man is strictly not done, not if you want to stand out from the herd.

I’ve been checking out the Autumn/Winter 2010 collections of all the quality clothing brands, looking to add to my wardrobe before the really crap weather descends. Some are good, some ok, some shite, a discerning eye must be used before making an expensive purchase, because there’s so much out there that is wrong, and it’s cheek by jowl with the good stuff.

The look for me this winter is, as always, idiosyncratic, some vintage, some completely new, and the odd bit not usually associated with ‘casual’. I’m calling it ‘Mountaineering Paninaro’, as both these looks are spot on in the cold months, even though the closest I’ll get to climbing mountains this winter will be hiking up Tongdean Lane on matchday. Moncler are the best bet for urban hill climbers, I also recommend Fracap Japanese mountaineering boots, and dark jeans from Edwin or Nudie.

The Italian Paninari – young stylish hedonists who hung around the Hamburger joints of Milan in the 1980s in their Moncler and Armani – have always been a source of inspiration for me, no other group of people have looked so good since. Keeping with the Italian theme, I’m going to mention two (related) brands that will be decking me out this season. Stone Island are much faked, much reviled, and much boycotted by true dressers, but I still like some of their stuff, and I’ve bought and loved some recently. MA Strum is the squeaky new brand formed from the archives of the late great Stone Island/CP Company designer Massimo Osti, put together by his son and American designer Donrad Duncan. This label could be massive, have a look before everyone is wearing it.

So this season let your inner rock climber out, and remember, whatever you wear this winter, wear it well. Ciao.

Ten labels to look out for this winter (in no particular order)

1. MA. Strum
2. Stone Island
3. Fracap mountaineering boots
4. Clarks
5. Edwin selvedge jeans
6. Moncler
7. Blue Harbour (M&S)
8. Penfield
9. Norse Projects
10. Redwing Shoes 

Ten labels you shouldn’t be caught dead in (ever)

1. Gio-Goi
2. G-star raw
3. Superdry
4. American Apparel
5. Replica football shirt
6. Burberry
7. Snide Stone Island/CP Company
8. GAP
9. George at ASDA
10. Vans

Albion 2 – 0 MK Dons

Ignore the dull photos in this post, this was a bright, entertaining game (I was experimenting tweeting and taking photos with my new HTC phone, it’s awesome BTW). The incessant drizzle in BN1 couldn’t distract from the sunny mood among everyone associated with BHAFC this afternoon.

If you’re an Albion fan reading this, you’ll hardly need telling who the star of the show was. Kazenga LuaLua is simply a higher class of footballer than most of his team mates and definitely superior to the poor opposing right backs that have to face him in this division. Even on a greasy pitch, even when he seemingly loses control, he still takes on and beats people with ease, his initial burst of speed devastates his markers.

MK Dons started strongly, and for the first twenty minutes a superannuated Didi Hamann was orchestrating a highly dangerous team display from them. Albion gradually edged back in, and when the ball went out to LuaLua, everyone was up out of their seats in Block H expecting the sublime, and he delivered nearly every time. When he scored a wonder goal in the second half, LuaLua finally got to perform his double back flick celebration, but then went on to enjoy his first competitive goal with a youthful exhuberance that lasted a further minute. It was a joy to witness. I might sound like I’m getting carried away, so what? anything is possible with LuaLua on the pitch, if and when Newcastle come back for him in January Gus Poyet needs to hide him in a box under Palace Pier.

Albion’s second was a cheeky lob from LuaLua, that was going in even as Glenn Murray helped it on its way with a glancing header. We’re now 7th in the league, and if we were to win our game in hand we’d be top of the pile. Enjoy it, it’s a great feeling.

The Hovian’s Team performance :  8 out 10

The Hovian’s Man of the Match :  Kazenga LuaLua

Attendance : 6683 (274 Franchise lovers)

Npower League One table

Saturday, 11 September 2010 18:15 UK

Position	Team	P	GD	PTS
Full Npower League One table
1	Peterborough	6	6	12
2	Carlisle	6	6	12
3	Bournemouth	6	9	11
4	Huddersfield	6	4	11
5	Rochdale	6	4	11
6	Sheff Wed	6	6	10
7	Brighton	5	3	10
8	Colchester	6	2	10
9	Charlton	6	1	10
10	Oldham	6	1	9
11	MK Dons	5	-2	9
12	Exeter	5	-1	8
13	Notts County	6	-2	7
14	Yeovil	6	-4	7
15	Swindon	6	-1	6
16	Walsall	6	-2	6
17	Bristol R	6	-6	6
18	Plymouth	5	-3	5
19	Brentford	6	-4	5
20	Hartlepool	6	-5	5
21	Tranmere	6	-5	5
22	Southampton	5	0	4
23	Leyton Orient	6	-3	4
24	Dag & Red	5	-4	4

Chrimbo with Paul Heaton and the Nutty Boys

I’m a child of the 80s, and two of my favourite things from that glorious decade are playing in Brighton together this december. Madness need no introduction, I’ve been a Nutty Boy fan ever since Suggs and co bopped their crew cuts to ‘The Prince’ on TOTP back in 1979 (see above).

Paul Heaton, the Stone Island loving frontman of the incomparable Housemartins, is on stage with them, he also has a new album out on 13th September. With two of my favourite musical acts under one roof together, the 13th December 2010 is going to be a night to remember.

A casual buy no. 25

 

I bought these boots back in April, and have yet to wear them in the summer months. Fracap are handmade in Italy, and until recently solely for the Japanese market. They are remarkably light, and unlike most hiking boots don’t need breaking in. I’ll not be hiking much in them though, they’re far too smart for that.

Albion 0 – 2 Leyton Orient

Tonights match sponsors

I only went along tonight because this Paint Pot nonsense was just £10 a ticket, and I was mildly intrigued to see Russell Slade, Dean Cox, and Alex Revell back in Brighton. Of course, like most people I’d guess, I fully expected Cox at least to score against us, and the little man didn’t disappoint.

We were poor tonight. We started well, but Cox’s wildly deflected goal was the undoing of us. Gus poyet put out more or less his strongest team, Liam Bridcutt debuted and was sloppy, giving the ball away endlessly. We finished the game at a canter, but were out of it even before they scored a second soft goal from a set piece. Murray missed another penalty, finally killing the game off.

Man of the match? Only Tommy Elphick didn’t embarrass himself out there, so he wins it. It was only the Johnstone’s Tin Pot, no great loss. Now the focus is very much on the league, but if we can’t beat a team like Orient with our best assets playing then our season won’t be as rewarding as I first thought. Time will tell.

The Hovian’s Team performance :  4 out 10

The Hovian’s Man of the Match :  Tommy Elphick