July 1 2001

Brighton & Hove Albion

Many people do not understand the rivalry between the two clubs. Here some supporters explain their hatred of the Seaweed ...

GerryQueen

Back in November 1976, we played the Seaweed in the 1st round of the FA cup down at the Goldstone. I was 14 at the time. My dad took me and my mate Derek. We could only get tickets for the Brighton end.

It was so packed that when my dad finished his fag and dropped it, smoke started coming from the hood of the Brighton fan in front!! My old man started bashing him on the back trying to put the fire out, and it nearly caused a ruck!!

The match finished 2-2 with Rachid Harkouk scoring a fantastic goal down our end!! There were 29,000 for this match and the replay at Selhurst, which finished 1-1. The second replay at Stamford Bridge was remarkable for a few reasons.

It was absolutely pissing down with rain. Brighton had the Shed end and were crammed under the tiny roof. We had the other end and we soaked through.

We controversialy won the match 1-0, but Brighton had a penalty which they scored, but had to retake because a Palace player had encroached!

They duly missed the retaken penalty! This was the beginning of the hatred beteen the clubs as Mullery did his nut at the referee, one Ron Challis after the match.

Being a Tonbridge lad myself I remember Ron's son taking a kicking from local Brighton fans at school. The clubs were both on the up and gained two promotions together.

We had some great games against them. My best mate at school just happened to be a Seaweed fan, and I once burnt his silk scarf in my garden. We hate Brighton!!!

pepper

Apart from the infamous penalty game, the other one which stands out is the 1984/85, 3-1 defeat at their ground. After meeting up at Victoria Station at 8am with a few lads I knew then and a plentiful supply of tinnies, we set off at Brighton.

A couple of the more lecherous in nature wandered off to look at the nudist beach, leaving four of us to continue our drinking mission in a boozer in the town.

After a couple of hours of drinking and by now thoroughly Oliver Twist, about 20 or so Brighton low lifes came in giving it the large one. Being too drunk to consider doing anything sensible, abuse was exchanged, which lead to running battle in the street.

It ended up with me being knocked through a burgerbar door and ending up sprawled in a bloody heap, much to the astonishment of the diners there. But this was the story of the whole day and in all the matches I went to in the 80s, I had never seen trouble on this scale.

I also remember being at the back of their away end just before the ref blew up. Looking down at 100s of people waiting in the park outside for a ruck.

Needless to say the journey back back to the station was one long battle. So this is the reason I hate Brighton. Not the fighting, but their reluctance to start. Unless the odds are overwhelmingly in their favour.

I don't condone trouble at matches, but in those days as a lairy 19 year old, I had a differant perspective on it.

Laths

It all started back in the late 70s, when Palace went down to the old 3rd Division under Malcolm Allison. The first game of the season was at BHAFC on a hot August day.

The night before, Palace were in town and fights broke out in several pubs. The day of the match a group of us were in the Bosun Arms, not far from the station. As usaul, the little Brighton boys were walking past and getting the customary bottles thrown at them.

The main group of Palace left, which left a few Palce inside. Now BHAFC did have a hardcore of nutters, and this group attacked the pub and did some damage to the pub cutting some of my mates with bottles, one geting his wrist slit.

This group attacked the Palace in the ground as well, as we took their end. Fighting continued most of the match. The main nutter causing all the aggro was a bloke called Gatoni (I think that's his name). He had a little posse of chaps who were rather nasty.

How do I know? We took him to court over the bottle incident in the Bosun, and got him arrested at the match as we recognised him, and since that he was always looking for us in ther subsequent matches which followed.

Palace always took a good mob down to Brighton, and we had our own little pub at Preston Park were we'd meet before the match. This continued until the Old Bill got wise and closed it down on match days.

Anyway, it all started way back then with Alan Mullery stirring the hatred. The fights in the surrounding streets after the match, back to the station at Hove were legendry.

Back at Selhurst, the one I remember is the night match in which Palace were in the Whitehore and got moved to the Holmesdale. The track at the side was several deep in Palace and went the whole way down the side with our lot entering the Holmesdale and still leaving the Whitehorse. What a sight that was. I could go on but I think you get the drift.

Brighton Memories Part 2

In Depth The Brighton Rivalry