In 1935 Charlie Connell, together with fellow supporter Bert Head, formed the Brighton Tigers Supporters Club on the steps of the Sports Stadium in West Street. Charlie was also the driving force behind the reception given to Jimmy Kelly and Reg Merrifield on their return from the World Ice Hockey Championships in Prague in 1938. Ten thousand people thronged Queens Road and West Street as the two men were transported in a Daimler from Brighton Station to the Sports Stadium. With the outbreak of World War Two, Brighton Tigers ceased playing in 1939. The 1946-47 season was the first organised campaign after hostilities ended. The first game attended by Charlie Connell and an organised supporters club was on October 10th 1946, Tigers against Wembley Monarchs. This was the start of the London Provincial League which changed to the Autumn Cup a few games later. The supporters club reached its peak numerically in the immediate post war years when its membership was almost 2,000. On April 9th, 1948, Charlie with supporter's club trip secretary Alf Back organised the much publicised flight from Shoreham to Nottingham; 21 fans made the journey. This was not the first air journey undertaken by Tigers supporters. There were several pre-war trips, including one to Manchester. Brighton Tigers Supporters Club were among the first fans of any sport in the UK to fly to an away fixture. Charlie Connell also spent one season at the Goldstone Ground giving vocal encouragement to Brighton and Hove Albion FC. On November 22nd, 1953, following the Tigers v Streatham game at the Sports Stadium, 18 years staunch and loyal service in an official capacity came to an end with Charlie's retirement as the supporters' vocal director. His retirement was due to a change in employment and abode. After years of working as a cake confectioner and living at 15 Southover Street, Brighton, he found work as a storeman with the leading London department store D.H. Evans. This made it impossible for him to travel to Brighton regularly for games, although he did make occasional appearances in the remaining years. He also made a guest appearance on the night of May 23rd 1965 for the final game at the Sports Stadium. Charlie continued working until the age of 74, and died after a short illness on April 29th, 1982, aged 75.

Charlie Connell may well, as you state, have retired "officially" as Tigers' cheerleader in 1953, but I remember seeing (and hearing!) him many times after that. My first visit to the SS was as a Harringay Racers supporter in (I think) 1957 and he was certainly in action that night. That was after Brighton Tigers switched their "home" night to Sundays (from Thursdays). I guess that was what enabled him to take up his megaphone again without clashing with his work commitments. Also, after the league collapsed, he was frequently to be seen getting the crowd going at the various "Cup" games Tigers played from 1960 to the final closure in 1965. I was one of many Londoners who travelled down by train every Sunday in those days for our hockey "fix", as the sport was not played at all in the Capital. Anybody else remember that desperate uphill dash up West Street to catch the last train (10.08 p.m.) back to Victoria? As for dear old Charlie, if I close my eyes and try very hard, I can still hear his inspirational cry...."Set 'em alight, set 'em alight, who's the team to set 'em alight? T-I-G-E-R-S.....TIGERS!!"