Hartlepool - Away, Withdean Era
Season 12 (A) 13/11/10 - 1-3 ~ Dicker
Victoria Park always had irritating potential to be something of a proverbial banana skin for BHA. You know, a bit like Carlisle or Tranmere in the north-west. Come to think of it, our away series had already been to both those venues, where we'd got a point apiece. Bizarrely, Seagulls had also been to Peterboro in October for the previous away fixture - see season 10 below. Albion were on a very useful undefeated run at head of L1 and over 450 away fans went to see if it could be maintained. Gus Poyet put out perhaps his strongest side for this trip and had plenty on the bench to more than make numbers up.
The caretaker mgr/coach of United did his homework and found a formation to counter 41212 of BHA. He had a man to push up on Kish and also be a link to their strikers when attacking. Inside half an hour, Seagulls were floored when Ankergren missed a cross and Pools tapped in (23min). Brighton got up to speed for start of the second period and LuaLua came on at 52min. Albion attacked and it was his cross that reached Dicker at the far post (57m). It was even steven going into the last twenty minutes but suddenly United went ahead again unexpectedly (71m). Sparrow immediately came on (72m) but five minutes later, Bridcutt got a straight red for a bad tackle (77m). Before too long LuaLua was injured but Ref played on and Hartlepool got a third (84m). It was a bad day at the office, although only Albion's second defeat all season. Stats showed we had chances in 50-50 possession but United bagged three from four on targets. It was luck of the draw and Ref didn't help either, with his refusal to blow up when those dirty northern bastards started a bit of clog to boot.
Ankergren, Calderon, Greer, El-Abd (LuaLua - Baz), Painter, Bennett, Kishishev (Sparrow), Dicker, Bridcutt, Barnes, Murray.
League1 P 16 . W 10 D 4 L 2 . F 28 A 11 . Pt 34 Po 1

Season 11 (A) 5/4/10 - 0-2
It was Easter Monday and what had yer frigging fixtures computer done? So a lot of B'ton fans stayed home, eating bread and tasting wine (plus choccy eggs for comfort) and looking at images of Falmer ascending to heaven from a sunken hole in earth. Everbody just wanted to get this flipping season over with and looked forward to Gus Poyet's brand new squad for '10/11. We'd had more ups and downs within confines of L1 these last three years, than trips up that A1M to visit regular lower league fodder. Not only that, look how many managers we'd got thru, merely attempting to get back to tier two! At least Brighton had a chance of escaping a menial existence in future, unlike a lot of poor bloody northern outfits. Yeah, ambition is a terrible thing, that drives a coastal club to go places other southerners only see in nightmares after match of the day. Anyway at this stage we were mid table and not a lot to play for. About 350 B'fans went up there anyway, on a grey day in the northeast.
Gus stuck with 451, although Murray, Crofts and Painter were not available for one reason or another. United defended in depth first half and Albion did most of the attacking. But the home outfit slowed things down and our mob couldn't inject pace to go with possession. It was clean sheets all round at the break. Pools went one up on turn-around following a slip at the back by BHA (54min). From then on we were up against it and Poyet swapped Hendrie for LuaLua's pace just before the hour. He then put on Holroyd and Arismendi to go 442 in an attempt to equalise. But shit hit the fans and B'ton went two down when we lost out too easily in m-f (70m). The game was over and it was a below par performance until the end. Holroyd hit the bar but ex-BHA keeper Flinders did his bit too. He got Mom award so that says how much influence he had, on a grim afternoon hundred of miles from Sussex.
Brezovan, Calderon, Elphick, El-Abd, Hoyte, Bennett, Hendrie (LuaLua), Navarro (Arismendi), Dicker, Carole (Holroyd), Barnes
League1 P 40 . W 12 D 12 L 16 . F 50 A 56 . Pt 48 Po 14

Season 10 (A) 18/11/08 FAC1R - 1-2 ~ Forster
We'd drawn at W'dean on 8th Nov in FAC1 and were sick of the sight of Pools - see below. Brighton had been well beat at Carlisle on that previous Saturday, following five home matches in sequence during early month. Adams League1 eleven consisted of several on-loans but he was denied full use in Cup competitions due to parent-club denials. Albion were struggling to make headway in this division and with yet more trips north soon, were considered up against it to get a result here. They'd also been starved of comprehensive travelling support, on a Tuesday nite miles from anywhere remotely considered south.
A strong looking side turned out given prevailing circumstances and Brighton took the lead (28m) with a decent first half display. Cox made it for Forster who got round the keeper. In the second period, Hartlepool hit back doubly hard and scored two (67m & 70m) in quick succession. It appeared Albion back pedalled a tad too much and paid the price. Some said Lino made crucial decisions to keep dodgy pressure on visitors. He flagged for a pen when Hawkins tackled in the area and got some criticism afterwards as players trooped off. Adams threw men forward at the death but our leveller was disallowed. We'd been done in a battle of two halves and hey, goals do count in keeping clubs alive for the next round.
Kuipers, Whing (Cook), Elphick, Hawkins, Richards, Fraser, El-Abd (Fleetwood), Livermore (Robinson), Cox, Murray, Forster.

Season 10 (A) 25/10/08 - 0-1
This was a second trip up the A1 in a week, having been to Peterborough on Tuesday night. Adams had then completed his first quarter stats and they didn't make satisfactory reading. Based on pt/gm average, Brighton were forecast for only 50 points - merely enough to avoid relegation in a typical year. Somehow he had to turn around poor form and aim for top ten at least. This would mean matching year1 figures from his first revolution at Withdean. As a mood of financially restricted, credit-crunched doom and gloom hung over Sussex, Dick Knight had publicly backed his old div3 miracle worker - so more unemployment wasn't exactly an option. Anyway watching a series of expensive draws and defeats was already testing Brighton support to the limit in much more than one category! It was also cloudy, cold and blowing a grim gale way up north. Who'd be a footy fan doing 13k+ miles per annum travelling and jobless to boot?
Pools scored inside 15 minutes and just how easy was it for 'em to open our defence? A strong wind backed their attacks and they were up our end from word go. A simple cross and header on the back stick was all that's needed to go one ahead. Albion held out from conceding another before h-t but more by luck than a fair wind. It changed a tad after the interval when B'fans with cold hands but warm hearts (Newcastle Ale) encouraged our mob to net below us. Unfortunately it didn't happen but Anyinsah hit the bar/post angle, Virgo headed over Richards shot over. Adams changed from 451 to 433 and sent out the little brigade to keep it on the floor. We went round and round instead of up and down but the end product was similar - nowt! Adams blamed conditions but they were the same for both outfits and Danny Wilson knew enough about BHA to have done his homework. United closed us down, restricted space and turned it into a third tier encounter of Tees up southern softies. B'ton didn't have sufficient skills to appear beyond mere mediocre. Adams limitations were cruelly exposed at northern limits of this lower league - see below 12 months earlier.
Kuipers, Whing (Thornton), Elphick, Hawkins, Richards, Thomson, El-Abd, Savage (Cox), McLeod (Robinson), Anyinsah, Virgo.
League1 P 13 . W 2 D 7 L 4 . F 13 A 16 . Pt 13 Po 18

Season 9 (A) 27/10/07 - 2-1 ~ og, Savage
Brighton went to the NE a week after an unlucky home defeat to unbeaten Leeds and needing to get back on track for a potential play-off push. Hartlepool had missed that week due to a player killed in a road accident and there was a minutes silence at the Vic prior to k-o. On a grey and cool day fans gathered outside the ground to view flowers, scarves and messages laid in rememberance. Pool had been going well in div3 after a season at tier four, so would be no push over on their own turf. Wilkins was trying to find a settled young side but had a bit of a problem with 'em finding the net. Defensively B'ton were quite sound and a nil-nil would be ok in the circumstances.
On 14 min United headed an og from a Cox cross. They had been better but Albion continued to defend resolutely. Our attacks were spasmodic and lacked a killer punch. Just before half time Ref sent a Pools bloke off for kicking Cox. In the second half they still came forward and B'ton were forced into more rearguard action. We were hitting 'em on the break and had several chances to increase a tenuous lead. Four minutes from time Hartlepool were granted a penalty for handball, although not deliberate. It seemed we'd only ourselves to blame until snatching all three points at the death. Savage got round United's defence and smacked in a low fizzer across the keeper. Several hundred Brighton fans then went frigging in the quayside rigging.
Kuipers, Whing, Elphick, El-Abd, Richards, Martot, Fraser, Hammond, Cox (Loft), Revell (Savage), Robinson
League 1 P 13 . W 6 D 2 L 5 . F 15 A 12 . Pt 20 Po 8

Season 5 (A) 27/9/03 - 0-0
Being back in div2 (League 1) after a year at higher level was gradually revealing a difference in standards. Perhaps Brighton had eventually got up to speed but really too late to avoid the dreaded drop. As most of that squad was still on the books, Steve Coppell could now take advantage with playing third tier football. However he knew the game through and through and said, 'to a certain extent our football was not as flowing as it was in relegation from the first division last season.' He was a realist and although aiming for bouncing straight back, knew stats and history were at odds with the club's mission. Especially considering Brighton's long ongoing, ground and financial situation. Coppell thought this league to be most open, with margins between winning or losing very small. He stated, 'the second division to a large extent denies space more than any other and some games are inevitably more of a physical challenge.'
Kuipers had been recalled from loan at Hull with ex-boss Peter Taylor. Ben Roberts was injured and keeping clean sheets seemed important. This was match no. 10 and points totalled in the first quarter (12 games) would indicate how things should turn out over the next seven months. Nearly 450 Brighton fans got to Hartlepool for a goal-less draw, three days after defeat at Middlesborough aet in the League Cup. Both results were seen as positives from several aspects against strong opposition. Hartlepool were unbeaten at Victoria Park for over a year, which also included hatfuls of goals. Albion were 'fresh and confident', as Coppell put it and might have got more from their possession and chances. We were good in all departments, with defence holding firm after Cullip was crocked. He left the field of battle with 15 minutes to go of a tiresome 90, after a long stay up in the northeast.
Kuipers, Hinshelwood, Cullip (Harding), Butters, Mayo, Hart, Carpenter, Pethick, Jones, Knight, Henderson.
Div 2 (League 1) P 10 . W 5 D 3 L 2 . F 15 A 9 . Pt 18 Po 2

Season 2 (A) 17/3/01 - 2-2 ~ Carpenter, Zamora
Records show that 500 Brighton fans went up to the north-east, which certainly wasn't the worst figure for rounded trips in any direction except south. Over 700 had gone to Lincoln way back in August to set a trend Nationwide. That was followed by nearly 500 crossing borders to Cardiff and over 300 made it up to Blackpool three days later. All but 1000 went up to York and 500 over to Hull. Darlington got 500 plus visitors and Macclesfield exactly 950. To head off in a different direction, Exeter received a tad short of 1000 at the end of January. Seven days later a very similar figure registered at Torquay but it was assumed a subtraction of five was due to out of season seaside activities. Well over 300 made the trip to Scunthorpe, which was considerably less than for FA Cup round 2 there three months previously when yes, 950 'exactly' got abroad. Names and consequently travelling expenses, have been withheld to protect the innocent!
Hartlepool had been on a good run and reached a play-off position with about a third of fixtures to be completed. Albion turned out in the usual red and black stripes but played confidently as if in blue and white. Pool did the same because they were unbeaten in 17 games and played there in b&w anyway. Both teams produced some good football for div3 and this was fully appreciated by fans. Generous BHA supporters had given to a fund to help one of Pools youth squad and were prepared to help home or away for any cause deemed suitable.
Hartlepool came from one down twice but almost bizarrely were pegged back immediately by an equally determined side. Kuipers showed his value as a shot-stopper, as others who Adams had brought in for this campaign like Carpenter, Brooker, Jones and Zamora also proved to be a real success. Chippy blasted a trademark pile-driver home and BZ converted a penalty. Ten games to add to Adams own stock as a winner.
Kuipers, Watson, Cullip (Virgo), Crosby, Mayo, Hart, Rogers, Carpenter, Jones (Melton), Brooker (Freeman), Zamora.
Div 3 (League 2) P 36 . W 22 D 5 L 9 . F 59 A 30 . Pt 71 Po 3

Season 1 (A) 7/3/00 - 0-0
Numerically dominated by northern clubs, in the sense that aiming in any direction for this particular league, bar the M27 going westwards inevitably meant heading north. Even making allowances for 'short' trips to Northampton, Peterborough, Cheltenham, Southend and Barnet there were still plenty of venues left to clock up time, miles and travelling costs. Carlisle in October didn't seem too bad. Nor did Darlington on an August Bank Holiday weekend. York in April was a doddle but Hartlepool on a Tuesday night in March came a bit rich. Still, there was an increasing band of exiles who unfortunately, couldn't make season ticketed Withdean at all and several of those lived in Sussex! Nearly 250 devoted filed into the Victoria Ground to watch a goal-less draw from sanctuary of the Rink End stand. It thus became a significant stat, being the first time this season Pools had drawn at home from 17 games and for Albion, a fourth nil-nil away in seven shared results. Sometimes fans are just thankful for small mercies. Especially at 10pm on a night beside a cool, breezy Durham coast.
Brighton remained at the wrong end of the table after nearly a year of Micky Adams at the helm. He had arrived for the run-in and steered us to 17th place in '98/99, which was significantly better than 23rd for two previous years running. It appeared he was content to use this term as an interim period of progress, once pace setters and play-off participants had left us in their wake. Hartlepool had been a good test and the sort of tough opponents we would have to beat consistently from next August - to push on and up from div3. Adams realised he hadn't quite got the quality to go out and hammer those dirty northern bar stewards week after week. He had brought in a young but obviously talented loan signing, while supposedly keeping things ticking over nicely. His name was Bobby Zamora.
Walton, Watson, Crosby, McPherson, Mayo, Freeman, Rogers, Oatway (Aspinal), Brooker, Hart, Zamora.
Div 3 (League 2) P 35 . W 11 D 11 L 13 . F 49 A 40 . Pt 44 Po 16

Hartlepool - Home, Withdean Era
Season 12 (H) 12/2/11 - 4-1 ~ Wood, Murray 2, Noone
First of all, the Amex was on schedule for completion and B'fans were clamouring for season tickets, albeit forming an orderly queue as usual. Second of all, Brighton was hopefully on the up, where Tony Bloom had backed Gus Poyet to be his go-getter for Championship status. Russ Slade got the tin-tack in Nov '09 as anticipated but we'd recently been to see him again against Orient. Gus created a new side, although Elphick, El-Abd, Bennett and Dicker were still part of '10/11 promo candidates currently doing good in league1. Third of all, we owed Pools a right mauling for inflicting a tough loss at theirs and breaking talismanic LuaLua's leg to boot. Nearly 7300 got along on a nice winter afternoon to see a super green pitch and all.
On 12min, Wood smashed home from a short corner routine involving Bennett and Dicker. Shortly afterwards Barnes set up Murray to slot a second (17m). Wood limped off and sub Noone then ran the show for an hour out left. In the second period Albion went further ahead when Noone cracked in a bouncing ball following a goalmouth scrimmage (53m). Murray added a fourth (56m) when put clean thru by Dicker. Pools were being outplayed but got one back when poaching at a set piece (63m). Brighton had loads of chances and Muzza coulda had a hat-trick but for hitting the post and heading a tad wide. Albion looked good on the ball, impressive going forward and capable of a big result. It wasn't that Polls were particularly bad but didn't get a thing from Ref, who managed to upset everyone there with a few dodgy decisions. And we still left happy, which was obviously a good thing after 12 long years at the old sports complex. Onward and hopefully upward.
Ankergren, Calderon, Greer, El-Abd, Painter, Bennett (Holroyd), Bridcutt, Dicker, Wood (Noone), Murray, Barnes (Battipiedi)
League1 P 28 . W 16 D 8 L 4 . F 52 A 22 . Pt 56 Po 1

Season 11 (H) 31/10/09 - 3-3 ~ Dickinson, Forster 2
Out at Falmer, Buckingham Group had this bloody great tall crane erected to get the new stad's steel arch into place Wembley style. Talk about an icon - it was to be a proverbial jewel in the southdowns, even if it cast a shadow on the duckpond. Meanwhile we were in the bottom four and heading for L2 coz Slade couldn't match on-field stats with Bloom's off-field ambitions. The rev2 mark2 squad was long on hype and short on results. Slade was on borrowed time and it was Halloween and all - scary or what?
Pools went ahead on 6min when strolling thru a sleeping rearguard. This match had goals in it and didn't disappoint 6k punters on a cloudy but mild afternoon, perfect for footy. Dickinson levelled (27m) when scuffing in a rebound from his original piledriver. Forster put B'ton ahead (39m) when tapping home a top flite wing move by Seagulls. But would you Adam & Eve it, United hit us twice to lead 2-3 at ht. Our defence was a shambles and that was when they were er, supposedly defending. Slade threw cups and did hair-dryer stuff during beverages and it worked. Forster finished a useful attack (48m) to get Albion back on terms. We battered 'em, had goal line clearances, near misses and bad luck galore but no more goals. At least fans didn't boo like last week (Oldham) or at ht, when Slade realised his job was in jeopardy in another W'dean rocky horror show. The next day he was sacked by Bloom, along with White & Booker.
Smith, Hoyte, Tunnicliffe, Elphick (Virgo), El-Abd, Bennett, Dicker, Crofts, Davies (Cox), Dickinson, Forster.
League1 P 15 . W 3 D 5 L 7 . F 18 A 27 . Pt 14 Po 20

Season 10 (H) 31/1/09 - 2-1 ~ Forster, Andrew
The transfer window didn't shut until before the next midweek match scheduled against Peterboro at Withdean and Micky Adams had brought a couple in during January. Thomson, Anyinsah, Thornton, Johnson and Fleetwood had gone, while Lynch stayed on at Forest. Birchall and Jarrett arrived to bolster an ailing squad recovering from injuries. Then MA got Andrew on loan from Palace and Carole came back on short contract. BHA were also after Davies from Oldham. Brighton were in the bottom four, although picking up points on the road to ensure staying in the fight. It was home form that was so poor and had to be reversed, right here, right now.
After 20 mins Pools went ahead against run of play. Brighton started er, brightly and were actually playing football. Then it kinda fell in a hole and we went all route-one and kick and rush to boot. About the hour Adams put on Carole and he gave Forster the ball to score with from point blank range. The new blokes were doing ok, so Adams switched on his other wing. McLeod provided a cross for Andrew to head the winner. There was immediately three minutes of stoppage and yes, we'd done 'em very late again. Would you adam & eve it - some more good luck like at Cheltenham. Sullivan done good too and got Mom due to half decent saves to keep us in it - thank the Lord!
Sullivan, Virgo, Elphick, Hinshelwood, Livermore, Birchall (Carole), Jarrett, El-Abd, Cox (McLeod), Andrew, Forster.
League1 P 27 . W 6 D 10 L 11 . F 31 A 39 . Pt 28 Po 20

Season 10 (H) FAC1 8/11/08 - 3-3 ~ McLeod, Cox, Fraser
This tie was fourth in a sequence of five home matches in a fortnight, the third time it had happened in ten years at Withdean. On Tuesday eve before, Albion hosted Derby in LC3 and next up at nite was Swindon in JPT area QF. Previously in League1, Leicester and Millwall arrived in the same week, to be duly dispatched in a veritable goal spree. Prior to that dual victory, Brighton went up to Hartlepool and got beat again, to extend a win-less run going back to end of August. We might have been considered a little unlucky in the NE, although couldn't notch to level it, even with second half wind assistance. Only 2500 odd punters turned up at W'dean on a breezy, grey and showery afternoon.
Talk about ups and downs of football - or should it be end to end for cup ties? BHA went ahead inside 20 minutes, when McLeod (19m) lobbed their keeper. Virgo and Fleetwood combined to set-up Cox (38m) and Albion got to coffee two up. Pools hit back quickly when Hawkins (52m) netted from a dodgy header. They levelled soon after (55m) when Brighton's defence didn't clear danger. United took a deserved lead with Albion's defence hesitating again (69m) and fans grew unsettled. Fraser came on and snatched an equaliser (78m) when Fleetwood's effort was cleared off the line. Adams was still in the hat for r2 draw and felt relieved to be there. His best eleven was reduced by cup-tied loan players, although home-grown ex-kids tried their level best to claim a reg shirt for League1 starts.
Sullivan, Whing, Elphick, Hawkins (Forster), Richards, Cox (Robinson), Thomson (Fraser), El-Ab, Mcleod, Virgo, Fleetwood.

Season 9 (H) 19/4/08 - 2-1 ~ Murray, Cox
League1 of '07/8 was reaching a climax with top six spots allocated to teams who'd gained 70 odd points at least. Swansea on 86 pts were promoted already but others were still immersed in the melting pot. Leeds had gotten to the magic seventy figure but that was with a 15 point penalty, which belatedly was up for appeal. Albion had slipped off the pace and odds were stacked against us overturning dirty northern play-off contenders. Brighton's sequence from the all important three quarters stage was WLWDDLLW, or 11 points from 8 fixtures. This gave a figure of 1.37 pt/gm and was miles short of a necessary 1.59 pt/gm season's stat overall. Albion actually needed an incredible 1.9 pt/gm during the run-in to mount an appreciable challenge for sixth place.
Over 6000 were seated at 3pm to see if BHA had any hope of beating bookies long prices for success. For some reason known only to Gods of Football, it was another drizzly afternoon for a visit from Pools. Like in that tough-to-take home loss versus Port Vale, our northern guests played much better than lacklustre hosts. By some weird footy fate, Albion went one up before break for drying off. Murray had headed a Cox cross in on 38 min. It looked to be ending with a single goal but Pools struck back on 75 min. Kuipers parried a shot and the Utd bloke slotted the rebound. Wilkins put on subs (81min) and a minute from time we'd won it (89min). Thomson centred and Murray nodded across for Cox to nick it by goal-hanging. I wasn't justice but hey, mathematically we still had our number in play.
Kuipers, Whing, Elphick, Butters (Lynch), Mayo, Cox, Racon, Thomson, Westlake (Gatting), Dixon (Robinson), Murray.
League1 P 43 . W 18 D 12 L 14 . F 56 A 49 . Pt 66 Po 7

Season 5 (H) 3/4/04 - 2-0 ~ Knight, Iwelumo
These were days when small contingents of away support were allocated the NE stand and punters were actually close enough to view events within range. It was a wet day and Pool had been to Withdean before in that very inclement autumn of 2000, when the old pitch drainage was suspect. There was a new one now and also BHA had just taken over match-day operations including pitch maintenance. This would save 10k pounds per fixture and believe it or not, 130 people were employed by the club for such things as stewarding and ground work. Oh it also rained again, so what really appeared to be different?
Since Mark McGhee had arrived in mid November and witnessed a home hammering by Bristol City, Albion had not lost inside six lanes of all-weather whatever forecast. In fact our subsequent record was W8 D3 and the last six games had all been wins. Hartlepool came down in eighth place boasting a half decent sequence of away results. Fortress Withdean assumed they were another pile of cannon fodder but Pool certainly didn't lack balls. They then seemed to be upsetting cramped odds on another victory when Ref awarded 'em an early second half penalty. At the break for revised Albion inspired catering it was still nil-nil, thus making comfort eating doubly attractive. Anyway justice was 'seen to be done' because Ref fell for the old fall guy routine but Pool fluffed it, while Roberts smothered it.
On 68 minutes Knight finally came up with a miracle. He converted a Hart cross close home that made it a different kettle of fish for soaked North Seasiders. He moved on to 25 goals from 38 apps and had a job from McGhee as long as that ratio held good. If only Brighton could co-ordinate him and the ball arriving together more often, we'd have been challenging for auto promo. Right on time Iwelumo headed his third goal from four games since being picked up by Mr Knight from Stoke reserves. Reid from Australia had also joined via Bradford seconds and was an unused sub on the day.
Roberts, El-Abd, Virgo, Butters, Harding, Hart, Carpenter, Oatway, Jones, Knight, Iwelumo.
Div 2 (League 1) P 40 . W 19 D 9 L 12 . F 59 A 40 . Pt 66 Po 4

Season 2 (H) 18/10/00 - 4-2 ~ Zamora 2, Hart, Carpenter
South standers had long got used to getting wet but in the autumn of 2000 they were getting a right regular soaking. Their only warming consolation was that the team seemed to be on the up this season and Falmer, with proposals for a lovely curved roof, appeared on the horizon. Micky Adams had been awarded Manager of the Month for September and B&H city council were backing BHA as part of their Local Plan, by including a community stadium project. As Fatboy Slim's forthcoming album suggested, we were halfway between the gutter and the stars. Bob Booker had joined the club as assistant manager after Alan Cork went off to Cardiff. Dean White also came on board from Hastings as reserve team coach and chief scout. Meanwhile anti-Falmer factions were gathering in the gloom to elevate a 'set aside' brown-field site into some sort of green paradise on the edge of a unitary Gomorrah. Brighton fans have since wondered just whose rights were actually being violated. It was enough for them to write letters to local authorities in desperation.
Albion hit four in this Wednesday night far from a washout and were three up in thirty minutes. Ref had second thoughts about abandoning, as six goals and a hole opened up a pitch soaking in open-air entertainment. Harty was expected to score in those days having just converted to midfield from front man. Carpenter hammered his first set piece in an Albion career full of such strikes over seven seasons. Zamora touched one home, when Pools goalie saved Jones shot. His second to confirm a useful win, after the away outfit decided to make a game of it, was his eighth in thirteen fixtures. Hartlepool had a bloke sent off for swearing but Brighton could have had six by the time rain stopped. Albion looked pretty handy playing Zamora as a single striker. Other players were coming from deep to also get among goals and create chances. With a quarter of matches completed, Brighton were in an automatic promotion spot and set-fair to better last season's mid-table barometer reading.
Kuipers, Watson, Cullip, Wicks, Mayo, Hart, Rodgers (Melton), Carpenter, Oatway, Jones (Brooker), Zamora
Div 3 (League 2) P 13 . W 8 D 2 L 3 . F 23 A 12 . Pt 26 Po 3

Season 1 (H) 6/1/99 - 1-0 ~ Campbell
It was November already and three months since Brighton had come home to er, Brighton. A figure of 1.8 million pounds had been quoted for initially converting the Withdean into an acceptable FL venue. Gates had consistently registered between 5700 and 5900 limits from seven div3 fixtures there to date. The Board now wanted to provide a separate block of 300 seats for away fans, on the NE curve of all-weather surface. We didn't see why visitors shouldn't equally get wet like 4000 south standers every other week. A family section was hopefully to be instigated at a later date to help with encouraging the missing generation of fans. Those new shirts with appropriate Skint logo had proved popular with supporters, whether in usual b&w or red and black stripes for away strip. BHA also had proposals to submit for planning application, a 22 thousand-seat stadium at Falmer. This would dovetail with Brighton & Hove becoming a city at the new millennium. Six million pounds was needed for infrastructure alone and was scheduled for a three-year timescale to opening. It all sounded straightforward, at least in the twentieth century.
Hartlepool came down to inside the running track with very similar form to mid-table Brighton. It was sure to be a tough div3 scrap with a crucial first goal. Campbell found the keeper at his feet early in this autumnal game and one-nil, as they said on Motd in the old days. Albion kept it clean from then on. In front of a lifeless Withdean crowd of over 5700, a result was ground out - in a third class ground. Atmosphere in a suburban sports complex was lacking and a warm, pleasant novelty supporting open-air summer entertainment gave way to cold, wet conditions and then cold and wet and miserable to come. Micky Adams said, 'I feel we've stepped up a level in terms of performances. I am sure there is still more to come from us. In the next month or so the squad system will come to the fore and we have to be ready for it.'
Walton, Watson, Cullip (Mayo), Carr, McPherson, Campbell, Thomas (Ramsay), Rogers, Oatway, Aspinal (Armstrong), Hart.
Div 3 (League 2) P 16 . W 7 D 4 L 5 . F 23 A 14 . Pt 25 Po 9