Lights, camera and action

So it’s been a week since the start of the new season which began with a euphoric opening against Doncaster and followed up with a less convincing win against a resolute Gills in the Carling Cup – but hey a win is a win and we’re through to the next round. My first experience came under the floodlights last Tuesday. Walking up to the stadium was a surreal moment as I looked around at an ultra-modern concourse and ground. The buzz outside of the ground seemed so different from the Withdean, with queues for Dick’s Bar and people milling about. It really seemed like a place where people are visiting for an experience and to watch a match.

The North Stand area an hour before kick-off was filling up quite rapidly, but I still got a pie and a pint within a couple of minutes which seemed reasonable value by modern prices. The old photos and Attila’s poem Goldstone Ghost made you want to spend some time looking around rather than just head straight for the seating area. The sight of Harvey’s being poured also gave the new stadium a feeling of local heritage.

Walking into the stand itself was a momentous occasion as I looked around at the towering West Stand and behind me at the vast screen at the back of the North Stand. The pitch looked a lush green and the slanting design of the stadium gave the AMEX a unique style. This was a real sensory experience, soon to be followed by the colourful chanting by the North Stand faithful. As the floodlights came on there was a real sense of theatre at the AMEX and Ashley Barnes certainly didn’t fluff his lines as he executed a fine penalty.

The game itself was not a classic by any means, as the Gills came with a game plan for the Albion. However, another victory at the AMEX, round two of the cup and around 16000 fans leaving their first floodlit game happy is what counted in the end.