Chesterfield - Home, Withdean Era
Season 8 (H) 30/9/06 - 1-2 ~ Williams
Dean Wilkins was confirmed as Brighton manager and Dean White everything else, for appointments that had been a September open secret. John Prescott announced relinquishing the DPM's office, while N Baker MP will get a proper job eventually after political manouvering of a mud slinging variety. Dick Knight continues a life of devotion to deliver Falmer, while Wilkins also inherited a mission. Brighton, when free of all restraints holding back a journey to promised land, will be a top ten Championship club and hold sell-out concerts at iconic Village Way for extra fun. KTF.
Meanwhile old adversaries Chesterfield dropped in at now eight year temporary Withdean, provoking memories of successful seasons gone by. We may be back where we started before the Goldstone was sold but hey, it's still football at an alternative site. Albion lost another 500 off the gate, when fair weather supporters found excuses to duck League 1 fare for a Championship quality shopping mall. In the event, Brighton fans felt a revised wish list was in order for an immediate saving. We'd lost half of games in last season's Champ's debacle and it was happening again.
An inept first half left B'ton a goal in arrears and looking at plan B for salvation. New boy Williams headed a Rents cross over the keeper and it was game on for a second period. Anxious to have a happy ending, pouring forward caused a gap in midfield which wasn't a problem until losing possession. Spireites got the ball, counter attacked and nicked three points. It was back to the match day drawing board that resembled a giant magnetic tea tray, for Wilkins to shuffle those counters. Yes we definitely were inexperienced, naive and prone to errors. Change therefore was necessary but a mite unsettling.
Henderson, Hart, El-Abd, Lynch, Rents, Loft (Robinson), Hammond, Carpenter (Santos), Cox, Revell, Williams (Gatting).
League 1 P 12 . W 4 D 2 L 6 . F 19 A 25 . Pt 14 Po 18

Season 5 (H) 16/9/03 - 1-0 ~ Knight
As part of a rehabilitation process, Michel Kuipers had trotted off to keep goal for Peter Taylor at Hull. He had not started for Brighton since January and needed match experience. Meanwhile Ben Roberts sustained a back injury, so Ross Flitney from Fulham 2nds deputised between the sticks. In central defence, Dean Blackwell had been out from day one with serious knee damage and Guy Butters regained call-up to the rearguard, after nearly a year in reserves. Recent regular Watson was also in the wars but latterly, fringe squad members and youth could now get a chance in any selected sixteen.
Leon Knight scored his 6th goal in 8 fixtures to preserve a useful record at home, especially against Chesterfield. Things tended to be tight between us over several years and something special broke deadlock. A mazy run into their area, saw Knight unleash a curling shot round a despairing goalie to find the net at the far post. Yes, another one-nil on a Tuesday night but more by coincidence, rather than comparison to previous results. It was a clean sheet for the nervous kid keeper anyway.
Flitney, Hinshelwood, Cullip, Butters,Mayo, Hart (Pethick), Oatway, Rodger, Jones, Knight, Henderson (McPhee).
Div 2 (League 1) P 8 . W 4 D 2 L 2 . F 13 A 9 . Pt 14 Po 6

Season 3 (H) 21/12/01 - 2-2 ~ Steele, Zamora
Usual pre-Xmas restrictions applied, so it was a Friday night in suburbia rather than pubbing, clubbing or hanging, in and around Brighton. A week before, the home match versus Reading had been postponed due to frost on our super-duper pitch, so they got a big cover unfolded for the new groundsman to play with. Peter Taylor in his festive wish list, wanted fans to 'shout for their lives' - well there were issues and hung-over attitude about this particular fixture. Chesterfield may have gained promotion but only efforts of their true blue supporters had kept the club alive - does that sound familiar? Talking of people and clubs, Brighton had won both a Community Citizenship Award and FA Charter Mark, for social achievements by involvement through football.
In another combative contest, Albion took a two-nil lead. It appeared a ninth win from eleven, in a record breaking centenary calendar year was written on Yuletide cards. But prior to possible collection of all points, Spireites tipped the balance back in favour of deep mid-winter Derbyshire. Sub Rogers was sent off for a tackle of less than good tidings of comfort and joy. B'ton seemed to let minds wander to a Christmas Eve's relaxation and good God, Santa gifted gutsy guests a late equaliser.
Kuipers, Watson, Cullip, Morgan, Jones (Rogers), Pethick, Carpenter, Oatway, Brooker (Pitcher), Steele (Virgo), Zamora
Div 2 (League 1) P 22 . W 12 D 8 L 2 . F 32 A 17 . Pt 44 Po 3

Season 2 (H) 1/5/01 - 1-0 ~ Cullip
Brighton had originally been scheduled to play Chesterfield on 24 March, when we were 10 points behind them in the league. How ironical that this fixture was then played to settle the championship, without recourse to an official FL points deduction for our corrupt visitors. In fact Albion had turned around a huge deficit to lead the division just beforehand and had already gained promotion, with a win at Plymouth on 14 April. Chesterfield came to Sussex just two points behind us at the top and meaning to keep it to nil-nil. They failed on both counts.
On a night to remember, Cullip headed a late winner to set the seal on a fantastic season. It had been in 1965 when Albion had last received silverware and the Division 3 title in our centenary year, marked a milestone both in time and achievement. Older fans who remembered Goldstone glory days, had since seen their club left homeless, so close to relegation into the Conference and suffering possible termination. Younger fans knew of almost nothing but continual controversy, dismal defeats and tortuous travelling to ground sharing Gillingham. This game may have been a small step for Brighton fans aspirations but it gave a giant leap to BHAFC ambitions.
Kuipers, Watson, Cullip, Crosby, Mayo, Hart (Steele), Rogers, Carpenter, Oatway (Melton), Brooker (Thomas), Zamora
Div 3 (League 2) P 44 . W 28 D 7 L 9 . F 73 A 32 . Pt 91 Po 1

Chesterfield - Away, Withdean Era
Season 8 (A) 20/1/07 - 1-0 ~ Gatting
A flu bug and spate of injuries had further reduced an already small squad of home grown kids and old sweats. Loan players had otherwise disappeared off the scene for a while. Albion were previously on 5 losses, six if you include West Ham out-classing us in that FAC wash-out away-day. Kuipers came back-in to give the defence a bollocking, actually before they wobbled and to stiffen rearguard resolve. Boys had to be men and even fans stood up to be counted - 500 made it on a cold windy afternoon that reached a peak in Derbyshire.
It was good to see and hear Brighton weren't going to concede and get done through sloppyness, bad luck, poxy Refing or any other footy fundamental that had crept into previous losses. We fought it out from word go and happily - love-all at the break. Five minutes after restart, Gatting smacked in a winner from a delightful corner from Rents. Spireites came more into threatening positions but Albion mopped 'em up and Kuipers kept a kleenex to boot. Brighton fans also gave it large portions. There were other chances but it was a day for joy not tears, as a one-nil secured victory. Dean Wilkins came over and said to our faces, we were the best fans he'd ever seen and heard - so there! Pass the tissues!!
Kuipers, Hart, Lynch, Butters, Rents, Fraser, El-Abd, Hammond, Cox, Gatting (Elder), Robinson.
League 1 P 28 . W 10 D 4 L 14 . F 33 A 41 . Pt 34 Po 17

Season 5 (A) 16/3/04 - 2-0 ~ Butters, Iwelumo
Chris Iwelumo signed for Brighton & Hove Albion in the afternoon and recorded a first goal with a spot on pen point strike that evening. A strong wind blew down the ramshackle Recreation ground and an away army of around 500 were stuck in an old wooden stand for a goalless first half. It was stalemate at Saltergate, as both teams stopped the other passing with effective hustling tactics. Brighton fans stood facing that cold blast and our assisted attack force, on that open terrace for the second half. Butters headed in from a corner, in front of a gale of vocal support. He nodded another onto the bar later. Their keeper was having all sorts of difficulties in swirling conditions and Albion pressed down the flanks, producing numerous crosses. Step up big Chris for a fantastic late thirty yard debut screamer to a top corner. Thank you and good night.
Brighton had now got a settled starting eleven that could possibly go as far as the Millennium Stadium - on a May day to dream about. An exiled Aussie was also spotted when Iwelumo received the once over in a northern reserve match, at Stoke v Bradford. Paul Reid thus became a Seagull and was more than happy to associate Sussex coasts with New South Wales. To then end up in Cardiff by way of Sydney, was presumably quite an interesting journey.
Roberts, Virgo, Cullip, Butters, Harding, Hart, Carpenter, Oatway, Jones, Iwelumo, Knight.
Div 2 (League 1) P 37 . W 17 D 9 L 11 . F 54 A 37 . Pt 60 Po 4

Season 3 (A) 21/1/02 - 2-1 ~ Zamora 2
Monday night in the midlands isn't everyones cup of tea. A reshuffle of dates due to TV coverage meant a busy week for Albion, with two away games. The Recreation Ground is a bit of a throw back to division 3 north and not seemingly lots of fun under floodlight either. It maybe dismal and dire accommodation but ok for 300 die-hard travellers intent on a promotion hunt. Zamora bagged a brace, following a hat-trick at Withdean on Saturday. He first cheekily tapped the ball home after nicking it out of their goalie's hand. Then hit an absolute screamer from a superb piece of individual skill and composure. You had to be there. Red and black stripes rule ok!
Two evenings later, Withdean staged a first FA Youth game for round four of the Cup. Albion played Leicester, a Premiership Academy side and won 3-2 to advance into the last sixteen. Those kids emerged with credit and were the latest in a series of successful teams put together by Martin Hinshelwood and coach Dean Wilkins. Players like Virgo, Ramsay, Packham, Marney, Wilkinson, McPhee and Hammond had already come through to fringes of the full BHA squad. El-Abd, Hinshelwood, Harding, Breach, May and Elphick were some of that '01/2 team to go on and sign for their professional Sussex side.
Royce, Watson, Cullip, Morgan (Pethick), Mayo, Rogers, Carpenter, Oatway, Jones Hart (Webb), Zamora (Steele)
Div 2 (League 1) P 27 . W 14 D 10 L 3 . F 40 A 26 . Pt 52 Po 3

Season 2 (A) 21/10/00 - 0-1
Jokes about a crooked spire had as yet still to emerge, in reaction to a FL investigation into irregularities at rotten Saltergate. All ticketed Brighton fans went to Derbyshire and provided an away attendance of 2500, blissfully unaware of any Cheaterfield antics. Suddenly it was Albion as unlikely rule breakers, when Oatway had most second half minutes deducted for a red card infringement. From then on it became save an honest point, rather than nick anything by other more behind-the-scenes means. Many B'ton fans remember how the dodgy table toppers opened an illegal gap above div3 with a very late, headed winner. Albion had been unlucky in defeat to a side, stats showed were suspected inferior on the day - bar one alleged fortunate goal.
Kuipers, Watson, Cullip, Wicks, Mayo, Rogers, Carpenter, Oatway, Jones (Melton), Hart (Crosby), Zamora (Steele).
Div 3 (League 2) P 14 . W 8 D 2 L 4 . F 23 A 13 . Pt 26 Po 3