Ten members of the Albion 1983 FA Cup final squad came together on Friday at a lavish reunion dinner to mark the 40th anniversary of the club’s only appearance so far in the Wembley showpiece.
The years fell away as the players enjoyed their get-together and shared their reminiscences with hundreds of fans in the Gap Solutions Lounge at the Amex.
Skipper Steve Foster and final scorers Gordon Smith and Gary Stevens were joined by Graham Moseley, Chris Ramsey, Graham Pearce, Steve Gatting, Neil Smillie, Gary Howlett and Kieran O’Regan. Images of the late, great Michael Robinson and Tony Grealish were cheered, while footage of manager Jimmy Melia and inspirational midfielder Jimmy Case appeared on big screens.
Most of the former stars looked fit and trim enough to have stepped out on the Amex turf, while more than one fan asked Chris Ramsey if he had brought his boots and was available to solve the 2023 team’s potential right-back problem against Southampton two days later.
It was hard to believe that over 40 years had passed since the players had set out on that 83 cup campaign with a 1-1 home draw against Newcastle, winning the replay 1-0. “We got absolutely battered at St James’ Park, but Peter Ward scored us a goal, they had a goal disallowed, they had penalty appeals turned down and we won 1-0,” Stevens said.
“Absolutely everything went our way, but you need a bit of good fortune and it rumbled on. Mike Bailey had started the season as manager but the club decided to dispose of him and Jimmy Melia stepped in. He couldn’t keep us up, but he got us to Wembley and played a big part in that. He was great character and changed the atmosphere around the club.”
The result that made everyone start to believe was the 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Anfield in the fifth round. Moseley said: “I didn’t play at Liverpool, Perry Digweed played and played a vital part, as he always did. I’d injured a finger in shooting practice and I always tell people I cried off because I expected us to get hammered. But we started to believe.”
“It was a fantastic run and the atmosphere among the fans was amazing, because we were struggling at the time to avoid relegation,” Smith said. “The Cup was keeping everyone going because the club had never even got to the quarter-finals before. We had about a month of non-stop celebration just for getting to the final. I had been at Rangers before and reaching a cup final created no reaction there, because we were used to it.”
The semi-final against Sheffield Wednesday was won by goals from Case and Robinson as well as two fine late saves from Moseley. “I’d played for Derby County and we’d got to a semi-final and lost, so I was determined to do all I possibly could to make sure I didn’t lose what could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity again,” the goalkeeper said. “I wanted to be in an FA Cup final. I wanted boys who had watched it on TV to go out to the park afterwards and pretend to be me.”
The team made the short hop to the final by air. “Travelling to Wembley by helicopter wasn’t my cup of tea,” Gatting admitted. “We took off from Brighton, landed at Wembley Park School, and then had to get a coach to the ground anyway so I don’t think it saved too much time. But we were sponsored by British Caledonian Airways so that was how it was.”
The players were dressed in eye-catching outfits as they inspected the pitch. Well, most of them. “The white jackets and white shoes?” Smith said. “None of us wanted to wear them. Jimmy Melia didn’t wear them. We asked why not and he said ‘I’m wearing my lucky suit. I’ve been wearing this all though the cup run.’ We said ‘Don’t you think we’ve got lucky suits as well?’ Jimmy Case actually went out to shop and bought himself another suit, so he didn’t wear them either.”
When the match kicked off, Smith’s header put Albion ahead. “We had sold Andy Ritchie and Peter Ward was recalled from loan by Nottingham Forest so the decision was made to move me from midfield to playing alongside Michael Robinson. To get the opening goal that day was a thrill, Neil Smillie passed to Gary Howlett and he put over a perfect cross. And when we were walking off at half time, I looked up at the scoreboard and it read ‘Brighton 1 Manchester United 0’ and on the second line, ‘Smith’. I thought: ‘I’ll remember this’.”
United hit back to lead 2-1 after a challenge by Norman Whiteside put right back Chris Ramsey out of the game, which many saw as the turning point of the final. “Of course, egotistically I would agree!” Ramsey said. “The challenge was a bit vigorous. I think he thought I was going to go in and he went in over the top of me, and I suffered an injury that forced me to go off. I was only 21 at the time and there was an experienced team opposing us but for me it was something I will always remember, the occasion, the build-up and how the fans were around the place.”
But Albion levelled late on through Stevens to force extra time. “I hadn’t scored all season,” he said. “Tony Grealish told me that when he received the corner from Jimmy Case, he decided not to shoot and pick me out instead. Well as far as I’m concerned he scuffed his shot! I was running in for the rebound, got a good first touch and as long as I hit it with power and on target I was going to score.”
Late in extra time, Robinson set up Smith but, as history records, Gary Bailey spread himself and blocked the shot. “I think I should have scored, I really do,” Smith said. “I have never changed my opinion on that. I thought he was going to come towards me so I hit the ball hard and low, which is something I never normally did, to make it hard for him to get down quickly enough, but for some reason he decided to dive. He actually dived the wrong way, but the ball stuck in his legs. I’ve never got over it in terms of believing that I could have done better and should have done better.”
The reaction of fans present on the night made it clear that they did not blame him for anything and there was at least one cry of ‘We love you Gordon’. And, as Stevens said: “We were pretty pleased afterwards with the way things had gone. We had gone toe-to-toe with United, who were third in the league, and we believed we still had a chance of winning. We had the replay to come and I think we were on reasonably good appearance money, so it was double bubble!”
The replay was hardly mentioned on an evening that was all about bringing back the good memories of that Cup run for players and fans alike. The feelgood factor rose even higher as a raffle and auction helped to boost the night’s takings in aid of Albion In the Community to £15,000.
Smith spoke for many when he said: “My greatest career memories are of playing for Brighton. It changed my life and it is great to see all the guys again. It is a great club, and I’m so happy that things are going well. I just want to wish the club all the best for the future.”