REMF - The Perfect Match

Albion Supporters 1, Palace Supporters 0
Friday 19th April
The Dripping Pan, Lewes

Wow! Over £4,200 raised at the Robert Eaton Memorial Fund (REMF) football match between Albion supporters and Palace supporters at Lewes last night. A brilliant effort. 

The memorial fund was set up in memory of Albion fan Robert Eaton who sadly lost his life in the terrorist attack on the twin towers in New York in 2001. This annual match between Seagulls and Eagles fans has helped raise funds for REMF and also highlights the goodwill and friendship that can be achieved by football fans of opposing clubs joining together in a common cause. Visit the REMF website here. 

Personal highlight of the evening for me? Well, I finally got to meet the legend that is Peter Ward. Grateful thanks go to the players that took part and the people behind the scenes at REMF that organise this annual event. Extra special thanks also to the fans of Crystal Palace and the gorgeous Crystals (yes, I'm a fan) for making the journey down and coming along in the true spirit of football to support such a worthy cause. So nice to see players and supporters of both clubs sitting next to each other, exchanging banter and having a really good time, without any sign of trouble. Genuine fans showing that football really can bring people closer together.

As the evening wore on it got pretty cold at the Dripping Pan (what a great name for a football ground) but the Crystals, who danced without music because the PA temporarily packed up, and a bloody great big fluffy mascot bird thing called Pete the Eagle, kept us entertained during the half time break. 

For those of you interested the Albion supporters won a close game 1-0. But perhaps on this one occasion in a match between Albion & Palace it wasn't the result that really mattered, it was the money raised for REMF that was more important. There's a nice review of the match from a Palace perspective here.

Oh, and did I mention that I finally got to meet the legend that is Peter Ward...and no 8 is Peter Ward, and no 9 is Peter Ward, and no 10 is....

Celebrations after last year's REMF match

Read All About It

Emeli Sandé In Concert
Brighton Dome
Friday 5th April 2013

Emeli Sandé was simply brilliant at a sold out Dome tonight. What a powerful voice and such great songs. Performing mostly material from her debut album 'Our Version Of Events' I particularly liked 'Clown' and 'Read All About It'. Highlight of the show for me though was her achingly sad and emotional version of 'Suitcase' which was re-worked simply with just her voice and a bass guitar, a very moving and touching rendition. Every song she sang was a winner and I thought she looked a little bit more comfortable sitting at her piano rather than on her feet with her sometimes slightly awkward stage presence but this lady put her heart, body and soul into every word she sang, she meant every line of every song. Wonderful to see and hear. Emeli Sandé is a really talented vocalist and songwriter and I for one can't wait to hear her next album. This was the best female vocal performance I've seen in years.

The support act, Jacob Banks, was also very good. He's not a name that I was familiar with until tonight but this talented 21 year old soul singer from Birmingham proved himself to be an excellent vocalist with a real rich soulful voice and although relatively new to the music scene it may well be worth exploring his music further. A pleasant and welcome surprise. www.jacobbanks.co.uk  

Also a special mention here for the fabulous Brighton Dome, without doubt this has to be one of the best concert halls outside of London. The drinks might be a bit pricey but it's a classy venue for a classy act. A great night out.

Emeli's debut album Our Version Of Events

The Promised Land?

Gus Poyet, praying for promotion with Brighton or pastures new?

The Albion rumour mill swung into overdrive last week with news that Gus Poyet had apparently been given permission to speak to Reading about their vacant managerial position. Twitter and other social media networks were awash with gossip that Gus was on the verge of leaving promotion chasing Brighton to join the relegation threatened Premiership outfit.  Both clubs remained tight lipped but there seemed very little doubt that Reading had made an approach to Poyet who could potentially have been the second Albion manager to leave and go to Reading following Steve Coppell’s departure in 2003.

It seemed that Poyet may well have been interested enough to see what was on offer at Reading and rumour has it that his advisors were at an advanced stage in negotiating a possible move. After giving his position further consideration however, the Brighton manager then decided, for the time being at least, his immediate future lies with the Seagulls rather than the Royals. Brighton fans breathed a huge sigh of relief and Reading moved quickly to appoint former Saints manager Nigel Adkins on Tuesday.

It is inevitable that Gus will eventually leave Albion at some point but a move to Reading now would have been at best a sideways move. However, he must have been tempted by the potential £30 million umbrella payment that Reading would benefit from should they, as seems likely, get relegated from the Premiership. That financial windfall could allow any potential new manager to build a team and buy their way back to the Premiership with a huge transfer kitty that very few Championship clubs could match.

The most worrying thing about all of this speculation for Albion fans was the timing. At the business end of the season with a play off place beckoning and with the final crucial seven games approaching is not a good time for any football club to be changing its manager. The prospect of Poyet leaving before he had achieved his goal of promotion to the Premiership with Brighton may well have been a factor in him deciding to stay. The other major concern fans had was if Poyet did leave would he then come back in the close season in an attempt to sign several out of contract key Albion players. All rather alarming to fans and unsettling for players, especially the Spanish contingent. 

Why would Gus want to leave? Albion is a club going places in a fantastic stadium with a new training facility coming on stream next summer. He has fans who adore his style of football as well as players who want to play for him, a board who support him and an English chairman who won’t sack him if he has a bad run of results. Sadly, it could all be down to money. Gus is ambitious and wants a playing budget that will enable him and the club to gain the success they desire. The Holy Grail of the Premiership seems to be the Promised Land but it can break and bury a club as much as it can lead to riches, fans of League One Portsmouth FC will tell you that. 

Probation Officers Face Social Media Gag As Outsourcing Row Rumbles On

As reported in The Guardian on Thursday 21st March 2013: 
"Justice secretary tells staff they risk disciplinary action if they publicly 'undermine' plan to outsource their work with offenders".

To read the full article in The Guardian please click here.

Thank you and well done to The Guardian for highlighting this issue and bringing it to the public's attention. It's astonishing. Are we living in a police state or a democracy? Chris Grayling and Michael Gove should be ashamed of their bully boy tactics. Are people not allowed to voice an opinion or express a view on government policies now? Whatever happened to freedom of speech and what exactly are government ministers afraid of? Threatening to suspend or even sack staff for daring to question the path the government are going down is not the answer and it renders all talk of a 'consultation process' utterly meaningless. 

Putting a gag on Probation Officers opinions of government plans to effectively privatise 70% of the probation service is no way to have an open and honest debate on the subject. Is it? Probation Officers know what they're talking about, they know the service and are properly trained in dealing with offenders in an effective way. Government ministers would be well advised to listen carefully to what they have to say before rushing into making decisions about reforming the Probation Service. 

From my own personal viewpoint, and I stress that it is just my own viewpoint (if I'm allowed to have an opinion that is), it could look as if these reforms are being introduced primarily as a cost saving measure with management of offenders being left in the hands of well meaning but ultimately unskilled and untrained people rather than trained professionals as it is at present. I see no obvious benefits to either society or offenders. Payment by results is it? Well, just remember one thing: You get what you pay for and there will be no going back once you reduce the size of the Probation Service as drastically as is being proposed. If re-offending increases and the public are put at risk as a direct result of these proposed changes to the Probation Service then someone in government will be answerable, no one else. Sadly it may be too late as the government seem to have already made their minds up that this is the path they wish to run down, irrespective of what comes out of any consultation process.

Is privatisation the answer? I seem to remember that privatising security at the 2012 London Olympics wasn't too successful so maybe there's a lesson to be learned there. 

Rant over.

The Perfect Sunday

Albion 3, Crystal Palace 0
Amex Stadium
Sunday 17th March 2013

Spanish Dave

Oh my, what a fantastic match and the perfect result for Albion fans. The Amex experience started off well enough with a delicious breakfast pie and pint of Harvey's but little did I know that things were just about to get a whole lot better.

There was a record 28,499 attendance at the Amex for this eagerly awaited derby clash against arch rivals Palace. The atmosphere inside the stadium was electric and the noise when Leonardo Ulloa scored Albion's opener in the 43rd minute almost had the roof off. A second superb, stunning goal scored direct from a free kick by David Lopez (known as Spanish Dave to you and me) right on half time was enough to send 26,000 Albion fans into raptures and broke Palace hearts. The third goal scored again by centre forward Ulloa just after the break in the 49th minute was the icing on the cake and the game was won.

The Amex is made for days like this and the long 25 year wait for a home win against Crystal Palace was over. It's difficult to pick a man of the match as the entire team worked hard and showed a real desire to win this one for the fans. Ulloa won the man of the match award from the match sponsors but Kazenga Lua Lua and Wayne Bridge (who had Zaha in his pocket all afternoon) were particularly outstanding.

This was a very good day to be an Albion fan. The play off's are still a realistic possibility after this result and key games coming up against Forest and Leicester could prove crucial to Albion's promotion ambitions.

The Late, Late Show

Albion 1, Bolton Wanderers 1
The Amex Stadium
Saturday 24th November

Last Saturday Bolton Wanderers were the visitors to Brighton’s Amex stadium. In appalling weather it was a game that Albion dominated from start to almost finish, however a late 95th minute equaliser proved to be a cruel ending to a match that the home team had plenty of chances to kill off early on.  Yet again a penalty opportunity was squandered when Ashley Barnes failed to convert in the 14th minute and then missed what looked like an easy chance to make amends on the rebound. In the first half Orlandi in midfield for Albion was inspiring and the industrious Liam Bridcut sitting in his usual role in front of the back four was winning every tackle. Bolton’s goal certainly led a charmed life as Albion hit the woodwork three times and the ex Premiership side hardly had a chance worth mentioning.

Somehow the teams went in level at half time but Albion’s early second half pressure paid off when full back and man of the match Bruno Salter scored an unstoppable cracker from 35 yards out.  It was no less than the home side deserved and they continued to press and came close to increasing their score on several occasions. Those misses were to prove costly when the referee gave five minutes added time and Bolton took full advantage with literally the very last kick of the match as David Ngog scored that late, late equaliser in front of their jubilant fans. It was a result that a poor Bolton side did not deserve and for the third game running Albion had conceded a last minute goal. Sometimes football just isn’t fair but Albion really do need to learn how to close a game out and they must make the most of every goal scoring opportunity, including any penalty decisions that come their way.

Brighton fans shouldn’t be too disappointed though as Albion completely outplayed and outclassed an ex Premiership side for 94 minutes and even Bolton manager Dougie Freedman conceded that Brighton were fantastic and looked a class act. If Albion keep playing this way and learn how to finish teams off they look like they may do rather well this season. The team are stronger than this time last year and they look much more solid defensively but they do need to convert the opportunities that are presented to them up front.

As I write this, Tuesday night's home game with Bristol City has yet to take place but Albion currently sit just outside the top six with the biggest match of the season coming up this Saturday as Albion take on table topping Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. That game is the one that every Albion fan wants to win and should prove if their team are real contenders or not this campaign.

Tempted By Paul Carrack

Paul Carrack
The Hawth, Crawley
Thursday 22nd November 2012

Wow! Just been to see the fantastic Paul Carrack in concert at The Hawth in Crawley. Very impressive. What a great singer, songwriter and musician this guy is.　

I've seen Paul Carrack in concert quite a few times and he's like a fine wine...he just gets better with age. This guy is so versatile he can sing and play almost anything. He has such a rich, soulful voice and his backing band are top notch musicians themselves. As well as being an artist in his own right he's a highly respected and much sought after session musician as well and has played in bands such as Ace, Roxy Music, Squeeze and Mike & The Mechanics.

The support band, Tinlin, were excellent. This trio comprises of brothers Rolf and Alex Tinlin on acoustic guitars along with Paul Carrack's son Jack on percussion. They performed a really good set with all their own material, the standout song being the delightful Steal from their new CD Shade Of The Shadows.　

Paul Carrack took to the stage at a packed Hawth to a very warm reception. From beginning to end it was a terrific concert performance. It's so hard to pick out my favourite Paul Carrack performance of the night when you have classics such as Tempted, How Long and Over My Shoulder to choose from but the highlights of the set for me were the bluesy belter Better Than Nothing, the achingly beautiful and tender Eyes Of Blue and of course the real crowd pleaser, the touchingly sad and emotional Living Years. The concert ended on a real high with his rendition of the Marvin Gaye classic What's Going On. This is one of my all time favourite songs and Mr Carrack did it justice, a truly great way to end the evening.

A really good night for me as I did a bit of dad dancing in the front row and came away with Paul's set list from the stage, a poster from one of the Hawth walls and a signed copy of his latest CD in my hands. You may not know the name Paul Carrack but you will definitely know the voice. For those of you that want a starting point to investigate Paul Carrack's music then try getting hold of a copy of his latest compilation release, Paul Carrack Collected, this is a bumper 3 CD album packed with all sorts of goodies. Due for release on 26th November it can be bought from his website here. 

If you get the chance then do go to see him in concert, you won't regret it. Paul Carrack is currently touring the UK until March 2013 and more of his concert dates can be found here. Want to know more about this fine musician? Then you can find out more info about him here.

Set list:
Good Feeling
Whatever
Tempted
Long Ago
Satisfy My Soul
Better Than Nothing
Beautiful World
I Can Hear Ray
Make It Right (with support band Tinlin)
From Now On
I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love
If I Should Fall Behind
Eyes Of Blue
The Living Years
When My Little Girl Is Smiling
Time To Move On
How Long

Encore:
Over My Shoulder
What's Going On

Let Them Eat Cake On Coach 1

NWSS Coach 1 Introduce A Grub Stop:

I hear that the North West Sussex Seagulls Coach 1 (aka Andy's coach) had a 'cake stop' on it's way to the Amex last Saturday for the Barnsley match. That will explain why it was so far behind the newly re-branded and super-fast Usain Bolt like Coach 2 in arriving at the Amex coach park. I suspect this cake stop was a bribery campaign to try and attract some of the Coach 2 passengers to move across to Coach 1, this is doomed to failure as the Coach 2 posse are all, like me, slim and elfin like, fit as fiddles and are constantly watching their waistlines. It seems like the extra weight from these cakes only succeeded in slowing down Coach 1's arrival at the Amex. There was however one main benefit of this cake stop as the proceeds all went to a cancer charity which was no bad thing, even if it did make all the passengers on Coach 1 that much fatter.

Now me and my coach buddy Ian help look after the far superior Coach 2 and it's true that we do not have picnic tables like the other much slower coach and we don't take the scenic route over Devils Dyke nor do we have regular cake stops I'm afraid but we were the first coach to park up at the Amex coach park last Saturday. I would like it to be known that from this point on our passengers on Coach 2 are formally invited to bring along prawn sandwiches, cakes and biscuits to share on board with their coach buddies if they so desire. We really don't have time for 'cake stops' on board Mister Speedy.

I look forward to seeing all my NWSS buddies on 14th September for the Friday evening home game against Sheffield Wednesday. Coach 1 is perhaps best advised to start it's journey on Thursday if it intends to do a weekly shop at Tesco's for all it's passengers on the way down to the Amex!