Harty on visiting The Amex and local boxing

Well, I have to say that the feeling has all but returned, even at the ripe old age of 46, as next Wednesday, I’m off to film a Hart of the Matter episode at the Amex Stadium.

Having initially received the dreaded phone call, whilst sitting in the Tribes office at Broadwater, in July, 1995, from a contact at Portsmouth FC, telling me the Goldstone had been sold and the Seagulls planned to migrate to Fratton Park, it’s been a rollercoaster ride.

There have been times where I, like many others, doubted that the stadium would ever happen, and, in fact, it’s no secret that had Tony Bloom not financed the whole project the whole thing would have been in serious jeopardy, despite the unquestionable efforts of Bloom’s predecessor as chairman, Dick Knight.

As an Albion fan, this is like Christmas at the moment, having travelled to Peterborough on Saturday for the alleged top-of-the table clash, and had it not been for the performance of the Posh’s keeper Joe Lewis, the Seagulls could have run out 7-0 winners.

The same could be said for Tuesday’s game against Exeter. Exciting football, lots of chances, in fact it almost goes without saying that if the Amex was open now, the Albion would be filling it every week the way they are playing.

Long may it continue, but as the Cratchitt family blessed Mr Scrooge when he changed his ways on Christmas Day, let’s not forget that none of this would have happened without Tony Bloom, who has never been a Mr Scrooge in any shape or form.

n Congratulations to everyone at Adur Boxing Club for an excellent dinner show at the Charmandean Centre last Friday night.

Having been compéring amateur shows for nearly a decade, I cannot recall a more well-matched series of bouts, 10 in total, and the crowd of more than 150 diners and couple of hundred additional spectators were certainly entertained.

A special mention should go to the management and the staff at the Charmandean, who did a superb job and looked after everybody very well.

Local boxing fans get another chance of live action next week when the Albion in the Community Scheme put on a boxing dinner in association with Hove Boxing Club at the Hove Town Hall, next Thursday (November 11).

Dining tickets, priced at £45, can be obtained by ringing Steve Gibbon at the Albion on 07834 022230.

n And finally pupils from year 11s at St Andrew’s School are currently enjoying a trip of a lifetime on work experience at a school in Kenya.

As part of their “R and R” time a football match against the local youngsters was arranged, and the boys made their way to the pitch which was located outside the village.

They not only played in bare feet, but were kitted out in a Worthing Minors kit, which had been previously sent out to Africa by Minors’ chairman Trevor Henson. For the record, our lads went down 4-1.