Brighton & Hove Albion

Brighton & Hove Albion FC is a professional football club that represents the Sussex coastal city of the same name that was initially formed as Brighton & Hove United on 24th June 1901, starting out life at the Hove County Ground.

The club moved into the Goldstone Ground in Hove the following year. John Jackson was the inaugural manager, as they replaced defunct club, Brighton & Hove Rangers, in Division Two of the Southern League.

The team were promoted to Division One of the competition in 1902-03 where they became Southern League champions in 1909-10 under the stewardship of Jack Robson. Brighton became founder members of Division Three South for the 1920-21 season.

Albion generally finished towards the top end of the table as they established themselves in new surroundings, as well as reaching the fifth round of the FA Cup on three occasions. League runners-up places were achieved in 1953-54 and 1955-56 under manager Billy Lane.

Lane led his side to the Division Three South title and promotion in 1957-58. Brighton’s spell in Division Two lasted until the end of the 1961-62 campaign. Worse was to come as the club was relegated to Division Four in 1962-63 before manager George Curtis departed.

Albion regrouped under the tutelage of Archie Macaulay to win the Division Four title in 1964-65. Freddie Goodwin had a spell in charge before the appointment as manager of Pat Saward who led Brighton to promotion in 1971-72.

The Goldstone Ground

The rise was too steep with the team lasting just one season in Division Two. Owner Mike Bamber was ambitious for success, appointing Brian Clough as manager in 1973 after his resignation at Derby County.

Clough lasted just one season as he was tempted away by the lure of Leeds United, after a very indifferent reign. His assistant Peter Taylor remained to take charge of the side. It was around this time that the club were given the nickname of ‘The Dolphins’. Both this nickname and new crest were to prove short-lived. 

Alan Mullery took over as manager in 1976, taking the side to promotion in 1976-77. Among the stars of the day were Peter Ward, Fred Binney, Chris Cattlin, Brian Horton, Peter O’Sullivan and Tony Towner. Mark Lawrenson was soon added to the squad.

Following an incident said to have taken place in the Bo'sun public house in Brighton prior to a 'derby' fixture with fierce rivals, Crystal Palace, a few away supporters started chanting, “Eagles, Eagles" to which a group of Brighton & Hove Albion fans responded with a chant of "Seagulls, Seagulls".

The nickname was quickly adopted as Albion went desperately close to promotion in 1977-78, before going up to Division One for the first time in 1978-79. Mike Bailey took charge for the 1981-82 campaign before being replaced by Jimmy Melia.

Main Stand at the Goldstone Ground

The entertaining Seagulls defeated Sheffield Wednesday to reach the 1982-83 FA Cup final. A dramatic game ended 2-2 after extra time, with Gordon Smith missing a great chance in the final minute foe Albion to lift the cup. The replay ended in a 4-0 defeat.

The team was also relegated despite having some excellent footballers at their disposal including Graham Moseley, Steve Foster, Jimmy Case, Gerry Ryan, Michael Robinson, Neil McNab, Gary Stevens and Tony Grealish.

Former player Chris Cattlin was appointed as manager until Mullery returned for the 1986-87 campaign which ended in relegation to Division Three. Barry Lloyd was given the task of trying to repair the damage, which was achieved with promotion in 1987-88.

Last game at the Goldstone Ground

Albion reached the play-offs in their quest to return to Division One in 1990-91, defeating Millwall before losing the final 3-0 to Notts County at Wembley. It proved a pivotal game as Brighton would be relegated to the third tier twelve months later.

Liam Brady took charge of the team for a couple of years from 1993 before former player Jimmy Case took over. He couldn’t prevent his side from being relegated to the fourth level Division Three in 1995-96 before he was replaced by Steve Gritt in December 1996 with Albion thirteen points adrift at the bottom of the Football League.

The club were also in terrible financial trouble, which had led to the sale of the Goldstone Ground by then chairman Bill Archer. Somehow, the team pulled back the deficit to survive on the final day of the 1996-97 season, snatching a draw at Hereford through a Robbie Reinelt goal, sending The Bulls down instead.

Main Stand at Withdean Stadium

The following season saw the club having to share at Gillingham's Priestfield Stadium as former club owners departed with the proceeds from the sale of their spiritual home which had "paid off club debts".

The heroic Dick Knight took over as chairman, with Brian Horton appointed as manager for the 1998-99 season before the arrival of Micky Adams after a short spell under Jeff Wood. The local council were persuaded into allowing the club to use Withdean Stadium, an athletics venue in the north of Brighton from the start of the 1999-00 campaign.

Meanwhile, the club and its fans, with the massive assistance of The Argus newspaper, who also revealed some of the murky deals surrounding The Goldstone, campaigned long and hard for a new stadium.

Al fresco at Withdean Stadium

Albion were crowned Division Three champions in 2000-01 as Bobby Zamora and Darren Freeman starred before Adams was replaced by Peter Taylor. He took the team to the Division Two title in 2001-02 with a side including Michel Kuipers, Adam Virgo, Dean Hammond, Nathan Jones and Charlie Oatway.

After appeals and protests a new stadium was given the go ahead at Falmer, on the outskirts of the city in 2002. Martin Hinshelwood took over as manager after Taylor moved on for a few months prior to Steve Coppell taking over the job.  

Albion were relegated at the end of the 2002-03 while Zamora was sold to Tottenham for £1,500,000. Mark McGhee became manager in October 2003, taking his team to the play-offs a few months later.

Swindon Town were defeated before a Leon Knight penalty was enough to beat Bristol City 1-0 at the Millennium Stadium as Brighton went up to the Championship. Albion were relegated twelve months later before Dean Wilkins replaced McGhee in October 2006.

Adams returned at the helm for the 2008-09 campaign as work began on the new Falmer Stadium. Knight became life president in 2009 as Albion fan and professional poker player, Tony Bloom became chairman and invested £93M into the club, primarily on the new stadium.

Russell Slade had a short spell in charge at Withdean prior to the appointment of Gus Poyet in November 2009. The team won the League One title at a canter under Gus Poyet at the end of the 2010-11 season in time to bring Championship football to the newly opened American Express Community Stadium at Falmer for the 2011-12 season.

Albion’s first season at the Amex was a success with the side just missing out on a play-off position. The following campiagn Poyet led the side to the play-offs, but they went out in the semi-final to their bitter rivals Crystal Palace.

Poyet departed in mystery shortly after to be replaced by Óscar García. Albion once again reached the play-offs in 2013-14 but again lost in the semi-final, this time to Derby County. Garcia left his post during the summer of 2014 with former Liverpool star Sami Sami Hyypiä taking over.

Sami Hyypiä 's side found themselves hovering around the relegation zone for the first half of the 2014-15 season, which led to the Finn losing his job and being replaced by Chris Hughton in December 2014.

Hughton stabilised the side and eventually led them to safety with a twentieth placed finish at the conclusion of the 2014-15 season. A huge improvement came in 2015-16 with Brighton reaching the play-offs, where they went out in the semi-finals to Sheffield Wednesday.

Albion were promoted to the Premier League in 2016-17 as Championship runners-up with a side including Bruno, Lewis Dunk, Tomer Hemed, Anthony Knockaert, Glenn Murray, Jamie Murphy, Shane Duffy, Steve Sidwell and goalkeeper David Stockdale.

The team consolidated their position in 2017-18 as well as reaching the last eight of the FA Cup, going one step further in 2018-19 before losing to Manchester City. Graham Potter was named as Hughton’s successor in May 2019.

The team was added to and given a different style under the new manager with Neal Maupay leading the scoring in 2019-20 as Albion finished in fifteenth position. An amazing fifth place in 2020-21 inevitably drew attention from other clubs as Potter's side played wonderful attractive football.

Potter left for Chelsea in September 2022 as the London club also signed players from the Seagulls. Roberto De Zerbi became the new head coach as World Cup winning Argentinian Alexis Mac Allister starred in midfield. A sixth place in 2022-23 saw Albion qualify for the Europa League.

Mac Allister was sold to Liverpool, but the club continued to unearth gems and maintain their standards. Brighton lost in their debut European campaign to AS Roma after a great adventure. De Zerbi departed in May 2024.

Brighton & Hove Albion FC will play in the Premier League in the 2024-25 season.

My visits 

Priestfield Stadium, Gillingham

Brighton & Hove Albion 1 Scarborough 1 (Saturday 24th January 1998) Division Three (att: 1,998)

Brighton had been kicked out of their beloved Goldstone Ground home after Chairman Bill Archer had sold it off without sorting out a replacement and then leaving. Albion were given refuge by Gillingham for a couple of seasons until the local Brighton council allowed Withdean to be used.

I travelled down in a car with some regulars who had a spare seat for the day. There was a freezing cold wind blowing in from the Thames estuary when we arrived. We were nice and early, so there was time for a few drinks.

We originally went in the awful Livingston Arms before someone got in touch and we were soon inside a packed Cricketers pub enjoying a great atmosphere. The Brighton fans were top drawer and were getting on really well with the Seadogs in the pub.

We were full of optimism before the match as Brighton were fighting for their lives at the bottom of the table, with Boro in great form having taken apart Torquay United 4-1 the previous Tuesday. Neil Campbell had looked like a world beater, terrifying defenders.

We entered Priestfield and in truth it was nothing spectacular. To read a description of the ground back then, click here.

Brighton played superbly on the day and Boro definitely didn’t. I lost count of the times the 'home' side hit our woodwork as well as going ahead through Peter Smith. It was completely one way traffic and the Albion fans really got behind their team.

Then in stoppage time, Boro broke away and Jamie Mitchell scored an equaliser to send the hundred or so away fans crazy. We walked back to the car and some of the comments were not very complimentary towards us. I couldn’t blame them. I’d have been exactly the same!

Withdean Stadium

Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Gillingham 0 (League One) Tuesday 13 October 2009 (att: 5,960)

Night shifts were done and I intended in crossing off a few more grounds in Sussex on the way to the coast for the evening's match as well as visiting a few hostelries, but I was just too tired. 

I took the train courtesy of a Southern Rail £10 all day ticket from Victoria directly to Preston Park, which is the nearest station to the stadium. On alighting I walked down the main road away from the ground and was soon in the Crown and Anchor to enjoy a couple of pints of Harveys. 

The area around the Withdean was very residential and middle class. Signs everywhere prohibit matchday parking. As part of your match ticket a free bus or train ride either way was included to keep traffic to a minimum.

The ground was approached up the incline of Withdean Court Avenue and then and under the railway on Station Road. The scene in front of me was straight from an outdoor rock concert. Portacabins were spread out everywhere offering facilities. 

I'd booked my ticket that afternoon as the club couldn't accept cash at the stadium. You had to ring the ticket office and pay by card and then a steward went to the office to collect it for you. I was soon inside with time for a wander about after some initial confusion.

The pitch was surrounded by a running track. On the far side stood the long low North Stand which is the only permanent structure. It had a rather a grand pavilion like structure behind it. To the right were three temporary East Stands, one of which was for families and then a disabled enclosure. 

I was on the track in front of the South Stand where my seat was for. It was a large temporary structure going the full length of the pitch. Finally at the far end was the West Stand which was for away fans. They seemed miles away from the pitch. This was not helped that the stand didn't follow the curve of the track, so some seats were around 50 yards from the pitch. 

All the temporary stands were fitted out with green tip up seats and had no roofs! This made it a cold night and affected the atmosphere badly. When the Gills fans sung, it took three or four seconds before we heard it in our seats. 

The teams took the field as the tannoy traditionally played "Sussex by the Sea" as the young cheerleaders froze their wotzits off on a bitterly cold evening. Albion were having a tricky run under the management of a former Boro hero of mine, Russell Slade. Gillingham sat in mid table. 

The home fans were supportive but not massively impressed with what they were being served up. The deadlock was broken by an excellent free kick from Albion's Elliott Bennett on twenty five minutes. The second half carried on in the same vein. 

Gillingham looking dangerous, Albion keeper Kuipers shouting a lot, Slade nearly busting a blood vessel with the Seagulls having good little spells. The standard of football was nothing special to be honest.

Gills keeper Simon Royce pulled off a couple of excellent stops to deny Andrew Crofts and then Liam Dickinson. Clumsy centre back Tommy Elphick doubled the lead heading in a Bennett cross twelve minutes from time, which Albion hung on to. 

I admired the fortitude of the home fans, watching games like that in an unsuitable stadium devoid of atmosphere with the winter still to come. If any set of fans deserve their new stadium and success on the pitch, then it was those of Albion. 

How they had kept going after losing their beloved old stadium to extremely dodgy owners and endured two seasons of a 140 mile round trip to Gillingham for "home" games was pretty amazing.

Amex Stadium, Falmer

Brighton & Hove Albion 1 Peterborough United 0 (Tuesday 6th November 2012) The Championship (att: 23,703)

I had been looking to visit the American Express Community (Amex) Stadium since its opening, but with games being sold out the previous season and work limiting my options, I decided to book ahead and go for a less attractive fixture. 

With all due respect to Peterborough United, they were hardly going to start a ticket stampede. I had spoken online to fans who'd been before as well as Danny Last, who runs the excellent European Football Weekends blog as being an Albion fan who offered me some excellent advice in advance of my visit.

Southern Railways offered an all day rover ticket for £12 if booked seven days in advance, so this seemed the most sensible and cost effective option for what I had in mind. I collected my ticket at Victoria station, and although I intended to head to Lewes for beers and the easier access I saw a fast train about to depart to Brighton, so I hopped on board.

On arrival I made a beeline for the Evening Star, the flagship pub for Dark Star Brewery beers, and the chance to have a lovely couple of pints of Hophead. The pub was well known by football fans and inside there were Brighton, Peterborough and Kingstonian supporters heading to Whitehawk, all quaffing away. 

I put on my football bets while enjoying the ale before heading back to the station to take the train on the fifteen minute journey to Lewes, going past the Amex on the way. I had visited Lewes on a couple of previous occasions but I'd not had a beer in the town. 

My research suggested that the John Harvey Tavern, the Harveys Brewery tap was the place to head. I went the long way round up and down a steep hill before crossing the bridge over the River Ouse. I entered the pub to find a scene of drunken mayhem.

I had read all about the famous Lewes bonfire where effigies of famous modern people were burned. The previous evening it had been Lance Armstrong. he pub was full of people singing in black and white hooped jumpers. I approached one of the most sober looking to ask what it was all about? 

The lady told me that the sweaters signified the Cliffe Parish Council who put on the extravaganza on the 5th November each year, and they were celebrating Box Day. This was when all who had given up their time the night before, but didn't have time to celebrate, went to the pub to make up for it. 

Making up for it was what they were doing, and in some style. It reminded me of Boxing Days of old in Scarborough. It was all a bit too long in the day for me to join in, so I headed back to the Lansdown Arms nearer to the station, where the Harveys was also in good nick. 

It was busy with fans waiting to jump on a train and I got sat next to a bloke who turned out to be an away fan who shared his useful real ale pub tips with me for my further travels. We headed for  the train at 6.55. The service was predictably busy, but everyone got on board for the one stop ride to Falmer. 

It was all very well set out and within a few minutes I was on the concourse under the East Stand sampling more hand pulled Harveys and a decent pie, for the £6 matchday offer. It had all the modern facilities for fans, notably a high proportion of female toilets to cater for the demographics of the modern Albion support as well as many art exhibits on the walls from local people.

I went to my seat a few rows back to survey the scene. The West Stand opposite consisted of three tiers of seats with a semi circular roof and corporate boxes in between the levels. The East Stand was similarly shaped but smaller, with just two tiers of seating divided by more boxes. The North and South Stands both joined up with the sides. However, the corner sections of the North Stand were still to be completed.

The teams came out with a traditional recording of 'Sussex By The Sea' being played. To take in the pre match atmosphere, click here.

The game itself was as dull as anything I'd seen in some time. Peterborough, cheered on by their hundred and fifty or so travelling fans, basically parked the bus and looked to return home with a draw and maybe a smash and grab win. They had an occasional break without really threatening. Craig Mackail-Smith, playing against his former club, looked to be Brighton's star performer.

I went downstairs at the break for a Bovril and to see the half time scores come in while trying to warm up a bit, before returning in the hope of seeing something of note. A Scarborough supporting mate; Barrie Watson messaged me to look out for Albion's Stephen Dobbie who was a family friend of his. 

As if by magic Dobbie was bought on from the bench for the start of the second half. I took up one of the plenty of spare seats to get a loftier view in the hope it would look better. Sadly it didn't, and it really wasn't offering value at £37, leather padded seat or not. Gordon Greer at the heart of the home defence made a couple of timely interceptions, while at the other end his mates looked for an unlikely opportunity. 

My biggest entertainment was trying to keep tabs on my failing football bet. I thought about going a little earlier in an attempt to beat the crowds, but I stuck it out. This turned out to be a good choice as Dobbie neatly dinked home in the second minute of added time. 

Even I let out a cheer, as much in relief as anything else. The young student types nearby continued with their irritating attention seeking cobblers and decided to goad the Posh fans. I went back downstairs and took the advice of my pals by ordering another pint and a pie, which was cheaper after the game. 

It also offered the opportunity to see the full time scores on one of several screens. More screens showed the train times, which was most useful. I headed round and into the back of the North Stand, even managing to sneak up the service tunnel in the corner to get a snap of the East Stand. 

The system at Falmer station seemed to work well. A train was leaving for Lewes as I joined the queue, but withing a few minutes another one was along and everyone got on it. I arrived back at Lewes at 10.20, which was far better then I'd been led to believe. 

I was tired and relieved when the 10.30 service for Victoria arrived, as I was tired after coming off night shifts. Now, I admit to be far too ambitious at times and sometimes a bit too smart for my own good. Here follows a perfect example.

When we got to Three Bridges a train was about to depart on the adjacent platform that would be stopping at West Hampstead. This was far better for me and just a short tube ride home at the other end, so I swapped. I nodded off, but woke intermittently. I remember West Croydon station and then London Bridge. 

It was at this point the lack of sleep and Harveys kicked in as the next thing I knew I woke as the train stopped. The station looked a lot bigger than I remembered. I came round quickly as I realised I was now in St Albans. This was not good news, especially as there wasn't a train heading back south for nearly an hour.

I asked a taxi driver how much he wanted to Watford, from where I thought I'd get a night bus. He asked a ridiculous figure so I went back inside. Fortunately my staff card persuaded a security guard to open the toilet for me. I sat on the platform doing my soduko in the paper. 

Two young St Albans City players, who'd been in action at Redditch United came to catch the train. I then realised my day pass didn't cover the service I was on, so I sat in the hope that if a ticket inspector came round, he'd have a bit of sympathy or a sense of humour.

I had wanted to see how the American Presidential election was going, which was just as well. I caught a night bus from Cricklewood to Willesden Green and then another back to Kingsbury. Luckily an all night store was open so I could grab a pint of milk and something for a sandwich. I got home at 2.30am.

It had been a night of fine ales, history lessons, night transport and an awful match. I couldn't wait for the next chance to do something similar. It definitely beat staying in! 

The photos of The Goldstone Ground have been taken from the internet.