AS a postscript to last week's column about parental behaviour on the touchline at youth football, I was somewhat disappointed to read reports of the Thomas A'Becket Middle School athletics team being booed on winning the annual inter schools competition.
From the outset I will express an interest as both my children went through both the first and middle schools at the Becket and were very happy.
The school has an extensive catchment area and is one of the biggest in the town, so with that amount
of children they will always have an advantage when it comes to sporting activities.
Couple that with the fact that in my time as a parent at the school, the extra-curricular activities on offer, both sporting and other, were superb.
But it's a fallacy if people say that the boos are born out of Becket winning every time. That is clearly not true. Yes, they have had an exceptional record in the athletics events, but even with my own son I can recall him playing in four football finals, under the expert coaching of Graham Hill, and only winning one.
Of course there was disappointment, and on one occasion they were a tad hard- done-by when the ref in a final played an extra five minutes by mistake and they conceded twice in that time. But every time, it was the privilege to represent the school that was the overriding theme.
I don't recall any booing or jeering when they lost from any set of parents, so if some now choose to mark success with a negative response, that saddens me.
- Is the fat lady already at the Pease Pottage services on the M23, clearing her throat, and waiting to thumb a lift to the Withdean, to start her recital as the Albion are relegated to the bottom division?Cause for concern?
Well actually yes. Ever the eternal optimist, even I'm worried now, but not just about what's happening on the pitch. It's equally worrying off of it.
The Albion returned to Brighton to play at Withdean in August, 1999, so a decade on, they not only might themselves be back in the basement division, but there are events elsewhere casting a shadow over the club's future.
In 1999, Southampton were an established Premiership team who, having punched well above their weight at The Dell for many years, were looking forward to realising their long-term ambitions in a state-of-the-art stadium.
They got the stadium, but the dream has well and truly turned into a nightmare. What does the future hold for the Saints? Or Pompey for that matter?
Basically, it's not just about 22 players, two goals and a ball. From the day the Albion left the Goldstone, some 12 years ago, professional football in this country has drastically changed.
I'm pretty sure that Falmer will get built . My big worry is that what has happened to Southampton could be mirrored at the Albion. Hopefully, my fears will be unfounded, but even I find myself being more realistic than optimistic.
And finally where do the years go? It's 28 years to the day this Saturday, that Josh Gifford's Aldaniti won the Grand National, prompting Findon to party for days, and on the same afternoon the Albion entertained Arsenal in a Division One fixture at the Goldstone in front of 21,015 spectators.
Even allowing for an estimated 2,500 fans from north London, that's still 18,500 people supporting the Albion.
What a shame that in the three remaining homes games at the Withdean this season, so many fewer will support the Seagulls in their hour, or should it be 90 minutes, of need!
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Email the Herald: steve.bailey@worthingherald.co.uk
