A lunch both happy and sad
Yesterday I had lunch with three supporters of Brighton HAFC whom I know well and see in the 1905 lounge but only once this year.
One of them – J – sits in front of me and goes back on the train from the stadium with the other two who owned the pub.
J, who invited me for lunch, is a noted local authority on the Albion, submitting regular match reports.
His view is that, whilst the Seagulls now play much better football than under Chris Hughton, this is in areas of the pitch that do not matter.
My view is that in the absence of a big striker Brighton will always struggle to score goals but with defenders like Lewis Dunk, Ben White and Dan Burn and – behind them – the reliable Matty Ryan between the posts they will not concede that many goals.
The owners of the pub will have to shut it down tonight after several months of lucrative trading.
Their popular pub, famous for its generous helpings, is situated in the heart of the principally gay Kemp Town quarter and would take unbelievable money on Pride Weekend but not this year.
I have had Zoom meetings and more phone calls but nothing beats direct human social contact.
So there was both the conviviality of good friends meeting but also sadness when we had no foreseeable date, either at the Amex stadium or in the pub, when we would see each other again.
