About More Than Ninety Minutes

I began my photographic career in 1993. Prior to the beginning of the club’s 1995/96 season i was asked to produce the action images for the club programme. In July 95′ I approached the club about the idea to produce a behind the scenes photo documentary about the club and David Bellotti said yes.

I began documenting events within the Goldstone Ground, on the training pitch, at home and away games. As the crisis at the club got worse on the pitch the club got relegated. I was eventually banned from entering the ground but still managed to get into every game.

The story that evolved over 2 seasons from 1995 to 1997 was beyond anything Hollywood could have dreamed up. I was lucky enough to fall into a story and document it in a way that had never been done before about a football club.

In 1997 the book More Than Ninety Minutes was published and raised £21,000 for the benefit of the club’s youth development. An exhibition of images was shown in Brighton, Hove, London, Hereford and Carlisle. In 2006 a limited edition set of 500 images each signed by Steve Gritt and Stuart Storer was produced with 100 prints donated to the Brighton & Hove Albion FC Historical Society to help towards raising funds for the new club museum at the American Express Community Stadium at Falmer.. the club’s new home from mid 2012.

I intend to begin the process of digitizing the  whole archive of documentary and action images and producing a series of exhibitions and multimedia presentations. Prints of the archive will be available from early 2011.

If you have anything you would like to share about the club or The Goldstone Ground please contact me at 23fotos@gmail.com

The More Than Ninety Minutes archive contains approx 12,000 documentary and action images from 1995 through to 2004.

The following is a brief summary of the events that unfolded  during the seasons 1995 to the end match of 1997 against Hereford United and ultimate survival both on and off the pitch.

On July the 7th 1995 the Argus ran the headline ‘Seagulls Migrate’ on their front page, reporting on a leaked story that the Goldstone Ground had been sold and the Albion will be ground-sharing with rivals Portsmouth the next season. They also reported that the Board (Archer, Stanley and Bellotti) were planning to build a new ground at Waterhall which would be funded by the profits from a leisure development at Patcham Court Farm. The following day, The Argus revealed that Brighton Council rejected the plans at Patcham Court Farm two weeks previously. Fans were outraged that they were not informed by the Board and that the ‘no-profit clause’ was removed from the club’s constitution, meaning the Board would take any money if the club winds up. Fans protested at the televised match at Bournemouth, delaying the game. Protests, aimed at the board, continued into the season. The most powerful message was on the 27th April at the last scheduled match at the Goldstone against York. At 3:16, fans invaded the pitch from both ends and tore down the cross bars.

The match was abandoned and the story made was a global story, with coverage on American and Australian news. Two days later, Chartwell plc. signed a one year lease back on the Goldstone, with only five minutes remaining on the midday deadline. Many more imaginative protests continued into the next season. Fans protested outside Bill Archer’s house in Lancashire and outside his company, Focus DIY in Blackburn. Around 90% of the crowd walked out early against Hereford; Brighton and Fulham fans marched from Brighton station to the ground; the Mansfield game was boycotted, with only 800 fans in attendance. The first ever ‘Fans United day’ took place on 8th February. Fans from around one hundred clubs turned up in their team shirts to protest against the Albion’s board. The day was a great success and Brighton beat Hartlepool 5-0.

The last game The 26th of April 1997 will be remembered by Brighton fans as the last game at the Goldstone. On an emotional day, Dick Knight was unveiled as the new chairman of the club. Brighton needed a victory for any chance to stay in the league. In the 68th minute of the match, Stuart Storer volleyed into the south goal to send the Brighton fans into ecstasy. As the final whistle went for the very last time, fans grabbed seats, turf and other memorabilia for souvenirs. Brighton managed to stay in the league with a draw away to Hereford.