At care homes and social clubs throughout the county and beyond, sporting memories mornings help to improve the wellbeing of people over 50 through the power of sport, by sharing photographs, articles, memorabilia or talks.
Some participants live with dementia or have memory problems, while others have experienced depression, live alone or are dealing with ongoing health issues. Given the current coronavirus pandemic, such events are obviously on hold, so each Friday at www.brightonandhovealbion.com we’ll be bringing some Albion sporting memories of our own.
We continue with the 1953/54 season, which saw a promotion push for the Division Three (South) title.
Billy Lane’s third season in charge of the Albion was to be the club’s most successful since entering the Football League in 1920.
To bolster the squad, Barnsley centre-half Matt McNeil was signed for a club record £7,000, outside-right Ron Bennett arrived from Crystal Palace, while one of Lane’s most astute signings, left-back Jimmy Langley, headed south from Leeds United.
A 2-1 win at QPR on the opening day – thanks to goals from Harry Gilberg and Bert Adinall – set the tone for the campaign and after five games Albion were the only side in England with a 100 per cent record.
Ipswich Town also enjoyed an impressive start and won 2-1 at the Goldstone in late September, in front of over 23,000 fans, one of only three defeats Albion were to suffer in Hove all season.
Further defeats at Norwich City and Southampton – both by 1-0 scorelines – saw Lane react in the transfer market, signing Albert Munday from Portsmouth in November, and the inside-forward developed a fine understanding with Dennis Gordon down the right wing.
As we turned into the New Year, league leaders Ipswich had stretched their lead over the Albion to eight points but with the Suffolk club involved in an extended FA Cup run, Lane’s men went into overdrive, winning seven consecutive league games to hit top spot. The run included a pulsating 3-2 win at Portman Road in which Albion came from 2-0 down at half-time to win the game through goals from Denis Foreman and a brace from Munday.
The lead was maintained through March and into April, with promotion looking a real possibility, only for the wheels to fall off during the crucial Easter period.
Defeats home and away to lowly Shrewsbury Town sandwiched a narrow 1-0 home win against Swindon Town, but the side further faltered with back-to-back draws against Norwich City and at Crystal Palace.
There remained a mathematical possibility of promotion until the penultimate match of the season against the Glaziers but Ipswich won the title with 64 points – three ahead of the Albion.
It was an exciting race for promotion but most neutral observers agreed that Ipswich were worthy champions and but for their FA Cup run, they may well have settled the issue much earlier.
Did you know?
The home match against QPR on 31st October was postponed to avoid a big rugby match being played at the nearby greyhound stadium. The visiting New Zealand All Blacks opened their tour with a 24-0 win over the Southern Counties, in front of 9,000 spectators.
Star man: Bert Addinall
Bert broke the club’s post-war record with 22 goals in the 1953/54 season, 20 of them coming in the league – some five clear of Jimmy Leadbitter.
The Londoner made his name at QPR where he scored 59 goals in 149 Football League games before moving to Hove in January 1953, aged 31. He arrived with team-mate Harry Gilberg, in exchange for Albion’s Ron Higgins and a four-figure sum, and he scored on his debut in a 2-1 win at Torquay United.
Although his stay in Hove was a short one, Bert netted 33 goals in 66 games prior to a move to Crystal Palace in July 1954. Sadly, his career was cut short by injury and after just a handful of games at Selhurst Park he quit to become a taxi driver while turning out for Kent League side Snowdown Colliery until 1957.
Bert became landlord of the Ferry Inn, Shoreham, for a time before returning to his cab.
* With thanks to club historian Tim Carder and Ian Hine [www.seagullsprogrammes.co.uk] for images.