Brighton have got to take some of the blame here.

They are meant to have a brand new state of the art stadium.

They agreed to ticket restrictions that meant all supporters had to show ID and should have been able to enforce that.

Fans trying to rush gates is nothing new. Neither are fans trying to smuggle pyrotechnics into grounds.

They have a duty to ensure all their customers gain safe entry into the stadium. If I had a ticket I would be demanding all my expenses back from them.

This post has been merged from a topic called 'Ashamed to be Palace tonight' by Midlands Eagle

Time for your nap now.

Incoming

A few cups of tea and a soak in a hot bath and I am back..

I travelled to Brighton. I was wearing my colours (only person I saw all day / evening in them) we were marched the long way to Brighton station to board the train to Falmer. This was to be expected and to be honest all the chanting, shouting and attention we attracted through town was part of the tie and the away day experience. It was a buzz to be part of that..

Took forever to be put on the train , police filmed us constantly. Again expected. Didn't get off at falmer until kick off. That's when the problems began. Through Brighton we were kept kettled and therefore protected by and large. At the perimeter of the amex it was a free for all. We had to pass several of their entrances to get round to ours (this is one thing which they could do with changing in future) now bear in mind I was wearing colours you had Brighton to the left, us to the right and a line of police packed shoulder to shoulder down the middle like a wall. An officer pushed me with full force on my shoulders over to the Brighton side. They were fighting to get at our lads, all sorts were being thrown from both sides. I was asking then shouting to be let through away fRom them to my own supporters and the police refused and kept pushing me back. I wasn't drunk, I wasn't laity or swearing and they put me into a situation of being hurt. Eventually an officer grabbed me and shoved me back to my fans in front of horses which were being driven through the crowds to disperse them.

Bha fans were running out of their entrances to try and get to our fans. I walked round the bend to our entrance and was met with smoke bombs everywhere and absolute total chaos. So we literally arrived in the middle of it all. I will post a photo of the scene which greeted us at the end.

We were then kettled , they rode their horses into us, they sent dogs into us. We had to use the back of coaches to toilet in the 60 odd minutes we were kept there. They started to make the cordon smaller and smaller and with that began the crush and surges of fans. You had no control over which direction you were pushed in it was like being on a wave being tossed about. Scary. At one point I stopped and tired to stand still so not to be knocked to the ground and a police officer punched me in the back between the shoulder blades and shouted to keep moving.. their attitude stank. They treated us like animals and vermin.

Taken back to falmer and made to stand there for ages as there was no train for us. At Brighton they refused to let people leave the station and we were shouted and sworn at by police to get on the bedford train at the next platform. I approached an officer to ask if it called at London.bridge and I was spoken to like filth and shouted at to get on the train. They were vile.

Edited by Michaelawt85 (29 Nov 2017 1.14pm)

all 5 were from susssex to so most likely brighton fans

This is totally in keeping with my experience of the night too. The level of incompetence from the police was extraordinary and as a result my son got to see his father smack a brighton support who tried to attack him, something I had hope he would never have to see. Likewise, the police at Brighton station where beyond stupid stopping those of us with cars or hotel rooms from getting out of the station and trying to force us on to train.