THE NIGHT BEFORE LOCKDOWN EVE

Printed in the National League South game v Hungerford Town Tuesday 17^th November 2020  We lost 3-1 

It was the night before Lockdown Eve - the crap sequel where everything that was fun, was grinding to a halt again. There was only one thing to do. Binge-watch live football before the turnstile gates were shut. And at least I could still watch elite teams like Slough on stream.

Monday night and I’m having a quick pint in the Sportsman, a pub overlooking the Withdean Stadium and home to AFC Varndeanians. The pub was originally the clubhouse of the Sussex County Lawn Tennis Association which boasted a centre-court modelled on the one at Wimbledon. It’s also been a zoo, a mortuary during the War and a boxing venue; but is most famous for being the home of Brighton and Hove Albion.

Dubbed the Theatre of Trees, it was known as the worst ground in the English Football League where away fans were so far from the pitch they were 'in a different postcode.' I heard tales of a time when the mist descended and supporters had to listen to the radio to find out what was happening. Where one Brighton supporter, so scarred by the experience, told me he wouldn’t come along tonight even if it was free. But after ground-sharing in Gillingham the place was a life-line for a club in free-fall.

It’s once again an athletics stadium and most of the old Albion chairs have gone to places like Newhaven and Whitehawk leaving just a bank of them running alongside the pub end where you can watch the game. And for Varndeanians, whose origins are from a local school, playing here means they could once again join the County League and senior football.

Tonight was a Sussex Senior Cup tie second round tie, and the ultimate prize of the final was stepping out at Brightons slightly more salubrious surroundings a few miles across the City. While the home side were flying high in Southern Combination Division One their opponents Langney Wanderers – who play at Eastbourne Borough – were near the bottom of the Southern Combination Premier. The home side got off to a flying start but slowly the visitors got back in the game and it became a real slug-fest finishing goalless and onto penalties which the Wanderers deservedly won 4-3.

I decided the following night to become part of the Shoreham Ultras and head to Eastbourne, seeing as that’s where most of the football clubs in Sussex seem to come from. This time my destination was Eastbourne Town, the oldest club in the county and a team Slough used to play regularly in the old Athenian League. This was also a Sussex Senior Cup tie and Shoreham were in the league below taking on arguably one of strongest teams in the league above. There’d been a mix up and the beer was served by a side door rather than the clubhouses which had been deep cleaned ready for the nursery the next day.

The Eastbourne Ultras were on a sponsored silence but the old Eastbourne Borough fans had some great tales to tell of living in Brighton, of people remortgaging their homes so Eastbourne Borough (who were originally Langney Sports) could build their clubhouse. Maybe that’s why I missed the Shoreham sending off with the Musselmen eventually losing 5-1.

The last night before Covid Eve I just had to spend at the Bevy, our community pub that during lock-down has delivered over 6,000 meals on wheels. As the last bell sounded it felt like a subdued Christmas Eve as we bid everyone farewell with a mournful ‘See you in a month – maybe.’ Mind you, my old mate Jonathan wanted one last dance. At 88 and 3 major operations this year, he was entitled to it - before we once again hunkered down in our covid secure bunkers, unless of course, we had to go to work or school.