FA Cup: Lifelong Brighton fans reunite for nostalgic photo from 1983

Mark Robinson and his friends were captured walking up Dyke Road, Brighton, ahead of Albion’s quarter final victory against Norwich at the old Goldstone ground in Hove back in 1983.

That run saw the Seagulls eventually lose to Manchester United in the replay of the final. They were also relegated from the First Division under manager Jimmy Melia.

As Albion look to overcome the Red Devils tomorrow in the semi-final, the die-hard Seagulls fans and childhood friends decided to recreate the picture, with the help of The Argus.

From left, Martyn, Robbo, Sav, George, Gianna, Nelly, David, Pither and Rusty behind him on far right (Image: Mark Robinson)

This time round, Albion sit much prettier in the Premier League on the cusp of European football next season.

Mark, 61, from Brighton, who organised the picture, said: “The idea came about because someone had put the photo on Facebook and there were so many comments. One guy said ‘why don’t you recreate it?’.

“I thought that it was a brilliant idea so I started getting in touch with all the boys, we’re all still really good friends. It all came together.

From left, Batts, Robbo, George, Sav behind, Liv, Nelly, Rusty and Pither (Image: The Argus)

“I said I wanted to do it before the semi-final. The previous picture was in the quarter-final against Norwich. It is a slightly different case but I just thought it would be really great to get everyone together and reproduce it.

“All those times that we travelled together, in those days the football wasn’t that good, we seemed to gel and formed really strong bonds. Football does that, you create friendships for ever.

“We were mostly in our teens, around 18 to 19. I was 21. We all have families now. We plan to recreate it every five years now, we won’t wait 40 years again.

“We all met at football at the Goldstone all those years ago.”

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The friends met in the Goldstone’s North East stand as teens in around 1977/78 and kept going to games together from that moment.

A couple of them have moved to other parts of the country so could not come for the picture. Instead they used other friends and family for the reunion, including one of their daughters Liv.

They all went to the final at the old Wembley stadium in May 1983 where nearly 100,000 people attended.

Albion equalised to make it 2-2 with defender Gary Stevens scoring just before the end of the match.

Gary Stevens waves at fans at Wembley in 1983

The game went to extra time but finished level which meant there was a replay five days later.

United trounced Albion 4-0 in the replay, scoring three goals in the first half on May 26, 1983.

Mark said: “Our favourite player was Steve Foster but he was banned from the final. Michael Robinson was another player, Jimmy Case, Gary Stevens had a good game against United.

“The replay was awful, the first final we nearly won in the last minute. We all remember ‘Smith must score’.”

Albion play United tomorrow at 4.30pm.