Brighton Bears/Tigers/B52s

[John Boy]

I'm writing a piece for college about how/why these teams folded. To assist, I was wondering if anyone from here had any stories or pictures they wish to share of the teams?

Also, why are the Rugby Union teams playing at such a low level? If Brighton and Hove rugby clubs merged, would they compete at a higher level, and what would the likely attendances be?

Cheers

 

[matt]

Just in case you haven't seen it... http://www.brightonbears.com/

 

[Brovion]

The Brighton Tigers ice hockey team folded because they knocked down the ice rink where they used to play (SS Brighton I think it was called). The Top Rank Centre was built in its place (not sure what it's called now, its the building next to the Brighton Centre). This was despite the fact that the council said they'd replace the ice rink. Nearly 50 years later and we're still waiting.

BTW the Tigers were like the Liverpool of Ice hockey, they were one of the top teams in Britain.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I'm writing a piece for college about how/why these teams folded.

Cheers

Aah.... I can help you with this.

It was because they were BULLSHIT CRAP AMERICAN SPORTS, that were popular for ten minutes in the 80's, before everyone realised they were STUPID.

Glad to help.

 

[Stoichkov]

Also, why are the Rugby Union teams playing at such a low level? If Brighton and Hove rugby clubs merged, would they compete at a higher level, and what would the likely attendances be?

Hmm? That's an interesting subject i've pondered before.

I know little about Rugby Union's league structure and just how far up or down it the Brighton and Hove teams are but if they did merge, managed to raise the level they were playing at then they'd need a vacant small-ish stadium to play in.

Where on earth in Brighton & Hove would they find one of those? If only there was a stadium whose occupiers are shortly to vacate it.

 

[ATFC Seagull]

I'm writing a piece for college about how/why these teams folded. To assist, I was wondering if anyone from here had any stories or pictures they wish to share of the teams?

Also, why are the Rugby Union teams playing at such a low level? If Brighton and Hove rugby clubs merged, would they compete at a higher level, and what would the likely attendances be?

Cheers

And you haven't contacted me yet? I am ashamed.

 

[bigc]

BTW the Tigers were like the Liverpool of Ice hockey, they were one of the top teams in Britain.

Didn't they beat a touring Soviet side once which was a rare feat?

I thought the chronology was SS was demolished, they thought Kingwest would be able to host an ice rink/ice hockey but it couldn't.

Council has then said it will build a new ice rink and we are still waiting.

 

[Brovion]

Didn't they beat a touring Soviet side once which was a rare feat?

I thought the chronology was SS was demolished, they thought Kingwest would be able to host an ice rink/ice hockey but it couldn't.

Council has then said it will build a new ice rink and we are still waiting.

Yeah, December 1957 apparently. They beat the Soviet national side. And yes, part of the plans for the replacement building did include an ice rink - but it was the wrong size and hadn't got adequate provision for spectators and thus couldn't host an ice hockey team. The rink was was closed and removed within five years of opening. We're still waiting for it to be replaced as you say.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

The demise of the B52's was due to the bubble bursting in watching a live match and the ease of watching the professionals in the NFL from the comfort of an armchair. It also fell to pieces in this country when the NFL decided to create a feeder league in Europe , the EFL and fans became plastics and followed the London Monarchs.

 

[ATFC Seagull]

The demise of the B52's was due to the bubble bursting in watching a live match and the ease of watching the professionals in the NFL from the comfort of an armchair. It also fell to pieces in this country when the NFL decided to create a feeder league in Europe , the EFL and fans became plastics and followed the London Monarchs.

That is the story of the demise of the sport in general (esp as a spectator sport), but the B52's continued a long time after that. They became Sussex Thunder and remained at Withdean until 1998, when they came 2nd in the British Championship. A few internal problems, coupled with the loss of a permanent home ground due to a certain football club moving in, caused them to fold. They're now going again based in Crawley as a new club.

 

[Barrow Boy]

Go to this website and type Brighton Tigers in the search box. It'll give you loads of info about them.

http://www.mybrightonandhove.org.uk/index.aspx

 

[edna krabappel]

Can remember watching the B52s from the old seats on the north side of Withdean.

They had a QB called Chas Jasicki, or something like that. Might have had a brother called Jim who also played.

 

[edna krabappel]

They used to have derby matches against the Crawley Raiders as I also recall.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

The Brighton / Worthing / Brighton Bears, basically folded due to financial reasons and left a lot of debt in the town.

However the Worthing Thunder formed approximately 10 years ago when the Bears lef the town and remain one if the success stories in Sussex sport. Arguably after the Albion , Crawley and Eastbourne, one of the best supported sports team in Sussex.

 

[Jamie]

Bears - basketball, b52 american football and tthe ice hockey is also not an najor sport anywhere but america. Nobody cares about these sports and so they have no customer base. rugby union is mainly a private school game played in the west country and parts of southwest london. As such, little demand for a pro club in Brighton. The albion used to get big crowds and cricket also used to be played and watched by everyone (hence the sun still covers it more than it does rugby). May sound harsh but all the sports you mention just are not that important - doesnt mean they are not great fun as they are, but thy are just not that well followed in comparison to football

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

I went to a couple of B52s training sessions an Edna's right about the Jasicki brothers. Brighton does have a current US Football team - Brighton Tsunami based out of one of the universities.

 

[itszamora]

The Brighton Bears folded in short due to corrupt ownership, comic overspending (although that did briefly lead to a f**king good team, one which beat some MAJOR European sides) and being part of possibly the worst administered sports league in history. I used to work for them doing the game stats and saw said team regularly beating opponents by 50+ points, it was silly. Missed the Dennis Rodman circus as I was at uni at the time sadly.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

My wife in her youth was in a acting group called Pebbles Theater Company

They put on the show Best Little Whorehouse in Texas ( original with Burt Reynolds and Dolly parton - where the song " I will allways love you" comes from) at the Gardner Arts. they needed an American football team to play the part of ....an american college team... and that was the B52's....some of the rehearsals and parties were pretty wild events...as was the Brighton carnival parade.

With some of the young ladies in the group, I think the B52 lads couldn't believe their luck!

 

[ofco8]

After SS Brighton was demolished the new Top Rank complex did include a new ice rink. However it did not include any spectator stands so was useless to stage ice hockey.
It was obviously not viable and was converted into another club or cinemas.
Post war Tigers was mainly made up of Canadian servicemen who stayed on after the war.
As mentioed previously Tigers was one of the top British teams and played in League containing Wembley Lions, Nottingham Panthers, Paisley Pirates, Harringay Racers, etc. Most of those venues also closed.

 

[John Boy]

Thanks for all the posts so far