Albion story has 'touch of David vs Goliath'

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A sit down interview with the producer of Stand or Fall: The Remarkable Rise of Brighton & Hove Albion.

Luke Nicoli

2024-11-13T06:00+00:00

The Amex Stadium. 📷 by Ian Stephen.

A series of showings of Stand or Fall: The Remarkable Rise of Brighton & Hove Albion will be taking place at a specially created cinema at the Amex Stadium. We caught up with the film’s producer Matt Lorenzo, who lifts the lid on a story which has been 25 years in the making…

First of all, Matt, for those who are not aware of your work, tell us your background…

Well, my father was the first commentator on ITV, so I used to follow him around and those experiences gave me an idea of what I wanted to do when I grew up. I got to meet a number of legendary footballers close up, including Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and George Best, so I was somewhat privileged. I started out as a journalist with my local paper, then worked for the Guardian and the Times, before a six-year spell at the BBC. When Sky Television launched, I got a job as a presenter, and after a couple of years there, I got picked up by ITV Sport and hosted the 1994 World Cup – the youngest person ever to do that. From there, I moved on to GMTV and then back to Sky. It was then that I got fed up with reading out loud! I wanted to make documentaries, which is where I’m at now.

Your first documentary was ‘Bobby’ – which was critically acclaimed. How did you find that process?

I soon discovered that it takes a long time to make a documentary, that it's very expensive and actually very difficult. I didn't realise quite how difficult it was going to be. It took around three years to make and it cost a lot of money, much of which I supplied. But, as I say, it proved to be far more satisfying than just reading out what was going to become the day’s chip paper. It was received very well, which meant I could now look at further projects.

So, what was next?

A film on Manchester United, called The United Way. I was actually named after their legendary manager Matt Busby, given my dad was very close friends with him, so there's always been that connection with the club. Actually, it was following its release that Paul Barber – who is that rare combination of good bloke and successful bloke – emailed me to say that it was a great film and that he really enjoyed it. I emailed back, said thanks very much, and that I thought there might be some legs in a film on the Brighton & Hove Albion story…

You’ve also produced films on Geoff Hurst and Sir Bobby Robson, some real big hitters, so what was it that appealed about the Albion for you?

The 25 years between nearly becoming extinct at Hereford and beating Manchester United 4-0 at the Amex is quite a remarkable story, not just on the pitch, but off it. It's a hackneyed line but you just can't write the drama that you get with sport, with football – and if you'd gone to Hollywood with the story of Brighton & Hove Albion, it would have been thrown out for being too far-fetched! What Dick Knight and his collaborators did was just terrific, taking on the bad guys and fighting against the odds to keep the club in existence, and then Tony Bloom arrives, who is something of a genius with the way he has developed the club and operated in such an innovative way in the transfer market.

How long was the timeline between that initial email to Paul and getting the green line to start production?

The first conversation I had with Paul was in May 2021 and we started filming in January 2022, so it took about eight months to get it through the various hoops. We were pretty much ready to deliver at the start of the following season, but then Brighton were going so well and eventually got into Europe, so it seemed a shame to end the story there. Playing in the Europa League has been a massive part of the journey and well worth hanging on for. The trouble with Brighton is the story doesn’t seem to end, given this new chapter under Fabian Hurzeler, but we had to draw the line somewhere!

A lengthy story like this needs a lot of research, so who did you lean on?

Paul Camillin has been invaluable. Not only is he an executive of the club, he's a Brighton supporter, so he supplied the contacts that we needed. I think we spoke to nearly 60 people and it was from these conversations that I got a real feel for the emotion, the passion and the sense of community. There’s a nice scene where Attila the Stockbroker tell us that he cycles up to the Amex and every time he sees it, he has tears in his eyes. That community spirit really comes through in the film. It’s a story that’s genuinely told by the fans, for the fans.

Did you get a lot of fly-on-the-wall access?

We were given a lot of pitch-side access and were able to follow the team for a couple of matches. Paul Camillin also provided a lot of footage and some of the celebrations that followed the team clinching a place in the Europa League were terrific and he captured all of that. Key figures at the club were also generous with their time, likewise Norman Cook, who was a great talker.

Is there one emotive or vivid moment in the film that stands out for you?

The Shoreham episode is deeply emotional. It was difficult calling on the parents of the two lads associated with the club who died (Matt Grimstone and Jacob Schilt) and then there were the tears involved in the actual interviews. Both sets of parents also say how much Tony Bloom, Paul Barber and the football club helped them at the time. I defy you to watch that sequence and maintain a dry eye.

As an outsider, do you get a real feel for the community spirit that exists at the club?

I suspect most clubs will say the same, but there's something about Brighton which feels more community based than others, certainly at the highest level. I think the board are more accountable – there's more of a relationship between them and the fans – and there's a touch of the ‘David v Goliath’ which continues to exist. Brighton don’t have the budgets of many clubs around them, but they spend what they have very well. You won’t be unhappy being a Brighton fan right now, but that’s all thanks to what’s gone before…

Does the film appeal to fans of other clubs?

First and foremost, it’s for Brighton fans. Tony Bloom, Paul Barber and the board have viewed this as a gift to the fans, but I think if you're a football fan in general, you will have a grudging respect for the way Brighton have done things and their story – that, in itself, should make it an attractive film to watch. Although my films are sports- or football-based, I try to make them in a way that anybody can enjoy them, by digging out the emotion, the highs and lows, and the warmth – that’s always key.

What’s the feedback been like from Albion fans?

We had a pre-launch and I'm glad to say that the fans liked it – which is the most important thing – the board liked it, and the independent media who were there – talkSPORT and various newspapers – liked it too. That’s the affirmation you’re looking for because it would be terrible to spend all those years working on a project like this and finding out it wasn't very good.

When that curtain came up for the first time, how did you feel?

I was a bit nervous. When you plan a sequence, for instance, you’re hoping there will be a reaction, and when you get it, that's gratifying and testament to all the hard work you’ve put in. I’m hoping we’ll get the same reaction at the forthcoming Amex screenings for those in attendance and then, further down the line, with the wider Albion fanbase.

So, it’s going to be hitting our screens at some point?

I can't say too much as we're in negotiations with a major streamer that are going very well, so hopefully Stand or Fall will be on a TV screen near you before too long. I would also hope that the club produces a DVD, something more physical that the fans can take away as a keepsake for what has been an incredible period in the club’s history.

To book your tickets for the screenings, please click here.