NOSTALGIA

Back in time with these Brighton v Portsmouth pictures

Steve Foster makes the front cover and gets involved as Portsmouth play Albion <i>(Image: Evening Argus)</i>
Steve Foster makes the front cover and gets involved as Portsmouth play Albion (Image: Evening Argus)
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Steve Foster was one of Albion’s finest, best-admired and most recognisable centre-backs.

One day we will no doubt do a nostalgia column dedicated entirely to the man who led the Seagulls in the top flight.

But, before he donned the headband and the stripes, he was a young striker at Portsmouth.

And he came up against his future club as they headed for Third Division promotion in the 1976-77 season.

(Image: None)

When Albion went to Fratton Park at Christmas, Foster was on the front of the programme.

And he can be seen here during what looks like a stoppage in play to clear a pitch invader.

(Image: Evening Argus)

Steve Piper appears to be seeing the funny side while Pompey No.8 Dave Kemp looks like he might want to intervene.

Albion missed out that day as Kemp scored the only goal before more than 32,000 fans  but they won the return fixture 4-0.

We are looking at matches with Portsmouth in today’s nostalgia column.

So let’s focus on another man who played for both clubs.

(Image: Evening Argus) In contrast to Foster, Alan Biley was more of a hit at Pompey than with the Seagulls.

He moved from Fratton to the Goldstone towards the end of the 1984-85 season with both clubs competing for promotion from the Second Division.

We see him here tussling with Chris Hutchings in a 1-1 draw on Boxing Day earlier that season.

Adidas and Le Coq Sportif kits give a very mid-1980s look and both men have hair styles of the time.

Biley was known for his combination of a Denis Law or Rod Stewart haircut and the way he clutched his cuffs as he ran in homage to the Scottish striker.

He is even doing it with his left hand here as Hutchings sends him tumbling.

(Image: Evening Argus)

Popular midfielder Danny Wilson put the Seagulls ahead at Fratton Park in the previous season with a well-taken penalty.

But the floodgates opened after the break as the hosts scored five goals in 13 minutes with Biley and future England internationals Mark Hateley and Neil Webb among the scorers.

As Wilson prepares to beat goalkeeper Alan Knight, we see Gary Stanley, Richard Money, Terry Connor, Steve Gatting, Webb and Ian Muir (who had won the penalty) in varying degrees of readiness to follow in for any rebound.

(Image: Evening Argus)

We also have a picture of Webb and Neil Smillie battling it out in the same game with the unusual (and, it was later found, structurally unsafe) two-tiered Fratton End terrace in the background.

You cant see them here but the action was also being watched by a sodden Albion following on open terracing behind the photographer.

(Image: Evening Argus)

Back at the Goldstone, here is a good old tussle at a 1980s set-piece.

Gary O’Reilly gets involved for the Seagulls along with the aforementioned Knight while Billy Gilbert and Noel Blake await developments.

We can see fans seated in the South Stand behind the goal.

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