We are Brighton, we are Brighton, super Brighton from the South” was ringing from the north stand of the Goldstone ground.

My first ever football match – I was ten years old and my father had taken me. It was the 1990-91 season with players such as Johnny Byrne, Mike Small and Dean Wilkins.

It was official, I was hooked. It was an exciting season as we were in the play-off finals at Wembley stadium.

I joined the Junior Seagulls, then run by a Mr Matt Hicks. My bedroom became a shrine to BHAFC, with Albion curtains and bedding and team pictures plastered over my walls.

It was at this time I started playing football myself and joined a local girls’ team. My childhood memories were Saturday morning training, cheering on the Albion in the afternoon and watching Match Of The Day in the evening, wondering if my team would ever reach such heights.

Sundays were match days, a hot bath, roast dinner and homework.

Football became my life and at 15 I volunteered for Albion In The Community during the school holidays and helped coach football. I loved it.

I joined the BHAFC Ladies team and felt a million dollars wearing the strip.

As an Albion fan there have been many ups and downs. We were struggling both on and off the pitch. Financially we were in a lot of trouble and things were not looking good in the league either. My mum, dad and several other fans hired a mini bus and we went up to Hereford for one of the most important games of our lives. It was simple win or draw and we would remain in the football league – or lose and we would become non- league.

It was an emotional roller-coaster of a day. It ended 1-1 – phew we had survived.

I was brought up in Woodingdean and attended Longhill High School. We had to do a work experience placement and, yes you guessed it, I did it at the Albion.

I worked the week at the club shop in a tiny portable cabin at the Goldstone ground. To be honest the days did drag, with an average of eight customers a day.

But I got a free training Sandtex jumper out of it, so I was pleased. Also, a couple of the players would pop by which was amazing and I would get their autographs.

Sadly, the day finally came, our last ever match at the Goldstone.

It was an unbelievable day, lots of press attention, tears and disbelief.

After the game I ran on the pitch and took some turf for the garden. All the fans were hugging and it’s a day I will never forget.

We were homeless, we had no idea what was going to happen next. We ended up for two seasons ground sharing with Gillingham FC in Kent. Mum, Dad and I drove up every other week like it was an away game.

Next stop was Withdean Stadium where I used to compete in athletics competitions for my school and now this was our new ground.

By this time, I was at studying in Chichester to be a PE teacher. As I had links with Albion In The community I volunteered to help with the running of the ball boys/girls on match days, which was fun.

So, would we ever get the new stadium we all dreamed of? That was the big question.

Time seemed to drag at Withdean – in fact our temporary home lasted ten years. Finally, all planning was approved and Falmer Stadium was built.

As season ticket holders we were invited to see the stadium and sit in our seats – wow, it was an amazing experience I had a tear in my eye. We made it.

Gus Poyet was the manager and the football we were playing was outstanding. He had got us up to the championship. We had a premier league stadium – we just needed to be in it.

At this point I was teaching PE at Peacehaven Community School. I then had the opportunity to work with the BHAFC scholars at the club in the educational department for Sue Parris a couple of afternoons a week.

It was fantastic working with the boys, teaching them the Level 3 Btec sport and being in the football environment.

Maybe due to Gus’s influence and a school trip to Barcelona, I became hooked on Spain, everything about it from the football they played to the tapas, culture and language.

I made the big step to teach out there in Seville. Strangely enough the summer I was about to leave the Albion announced they were playing a European team in a pre-friendly match at the Amex and that it was Seville.

I knew then it was meant to be, and fate played a big part. I went to the match and saw my beloved BHA play against what was going to be my new local team.

While I was in Seville Gus Poyet joined Real Betis, the other team in Seville. It was all again very surreal and felt like fate again. I knew Charlie Oatway, who was Gus’s assistant and ex Albion player, so I meet up with him and his partner Jane on several occasions. I also went to Marbella where the Betis team were on a pre-season tour and drank coffee with Gus.

I kept my season ticket at the Albion and flew back every eight weeks to watch the boys play. We were having a great season and were flirting at the top of the league.

Sadly, we just missed out on promotion that season and I came back to England for the 2016-17 season. That was when we got promoted to the premier league with Chris Houghton. It was like they were waiting for my return.

The seafront promotion celebrations were out of this world. The city was packed with 100,000 fans. I met my family at Brighton Station and walked down Queen’s Road to the beach to follow the bus parade. The sun was shining, and the atmosphere was electric. Another amazing Albion memory to be banked.

We are in our third season of the premier league and currently sitting in 15th position on 29 points, two points from relegation.

The league is on hold due to the coronavirus and we are all asked to stay at home. These are worrying times and we all must listen to the Government advice. Usually I would not have time to write such a blog but it’s time like this that we reflect.

Things will get better and we must all stick together as is the Albion team ethos of #togetherness.

I am currently 20 weeks pregnant and due to give birth this August – another Albion fan in the making.

!Thank you for reading and soon enough we will be making many more memories with our beloved BHAFC.