Nott'm Forest - Away, Withdean Era
Season 9 (A) 24/3/08 - 0-0
This was billed as a play-off spot contest by Brighton followers, although Forest still aspired to auto promo beforehand. 18k made it inside on a cold but mostly sunny, Easter Monday afternoon by the riverside. Good Albion numbers there and superb backing for the cause. We were on a very useful run and had come from 16th in winter to mount a late p-o challenge. Wilkins had any number of injuries to key men but stop-gaps produced results. Hart & Mayo were er, backs doing the do and Therry Racon, a Frenchman on-loan from Charlton was a handy replacement to slot into m-f.
As this fixture wore on, Kuipers was called upon to play a blinder. He was beaten twice but the ball cannoned off posts at each end. FDM made several impressive saves, as if he had promotion fever or something in his veins. Brighton drew the short straw for games in March and physical capabilities were stretched anyway. Forest couldn't really break us down, although FDM and thin blue line troops were outstanding. It got to be a third tier battle but more cat and mouse than actual attrition. Both sides tried to exploit fast counters but defences held firm. Either outfit could have nicked it and if not exactly a pulsating match, fairly entertaining considering - especially for Sussex devotees counting ongoing points totals.
Kuipers, Hart, Elphick, Lynch, Mayo, Cox (Butters), Thomson (Loft), Racon, Martot, Murray, Forster (Robinson).
League1 P 39 . W 16 D 11 L 12 . F 50 A 42 . Pt 59 Po 6

Season 8 (A) 19/8/06 - 1-2 ~ Robinson
Forest were expected to lead League 1 from outset of '06/7's campaign and brush aside any pretenders to 'their' title. McGhee was using an attacking 4-3-3 formation, in a re-run of his 4-2-4 pace and purpose tactics of a year before. It felt like being at a Championship venue and if you closed your eyes, 18000 could have been 30k. On a lovely afternoon a fierce battle of 'big' clubs was eagerly anticipated.
Brighton opened the scoring for the 4th game running, when a period of useful play resulted in a tap in. The first half had been shaded in favour of the away outfit. Forest hit back after the break and just over an hour were awarded a penalty - their man 'dived'. Twelve minutes from time potential league champs went to top of the table by converting a headed chance. El-Abd was sent off very late for a second bookable offence. We hadn't stayed strong in the face of pressure and buckled trying to win a match that was beyond present ability or experience to contend with.
Henderson, Reid, El-Abd, Lynch, Mayo (Santos), Hammond, Carpenter, Stokes (Frutos), Revell, Robinson (Cox), Hart.
League 1 P 4 . W 2 D 1 L 1 . F 5 A 4 . Pt 7 Po 8

Season 6 (A) 29/9/04 1-0 ~ Virgo
Brighton fans by the thousand took a walk on the prom a couple of evenings beforehand to highlight to the Labour Party Conference our need for Falmer. These people from Sussex and way beyond were marching for the cause in a well behaved but passionate manner. Two nights later eight hundred turned up at a super stadium in Nottingham with a crowd of twenty thousand. To say there are possible parallels, if not ironies is perhaps left understated. Millennium Stadium, City Ground or Falmer - which is the odd one out?
Super striker, leading goal scorer and hometown boy hero Adam Virgo, headed a 25th minute Albion opener. Going one up before tea-break set a full defensive game plan into action for a shell shocked second period. Kuipers earned his money but we knew the 25quid entrance fee was well worth it. Cullip got forced off with blood flowing from a head wound. Ten man Seagulls then withstood more flying assaults until an 'up in the clouds' final whistle. We'd inched out of the gutter bottom and stars were within reach.
Kuipers, Oatway (McPhee), Cullip, Hinshelwood, Harding, Hammond (Mayo), Nicolas, Carpenter, Currie, Virgo, Knight (Jarrett).
Champ's P 11 . W 4 D 2 L 5 . F 10 A 14 . Pt 14 Po 16

Season 4 (A) 27/11/02 2-3 ~ Sidwell, Jones
What many Albion away followers remember from that turbulent campaign, is the pukka atmosphere typical inside big-boys stadiums, especially at night. Ok, Forest dramatically reduced admission but it was still quite an experience for 1300 intrepid Seagulls' devotees to be among 30,000 beside the deep, dark Trent. Noisy Brighton fans kept up a constant level of vocal support, which drowned out them Midlanders seated above in those 'cheap' seats. They must have wondered how we could appear so happy, when another hammering was clearly on the cards - if not the pitch. Anywhere with a roof would usually do to try and raise it, whatever fate befell us.
BHA were two down by the interval. That became three, fifteen minutes from time. Sidwell reduced the deficit with a well executed shot and only ten minutes left. Albion then played with a certain elan - almost a flowing, relaxed style. Perhaps it was merely in our minds, a by-product of Prem type surroundings or possibly effects of local Burton's ale. Jones smashed home a solo effort, from thirty yards in stoppage time. Curiously for what was more of tomorrow's negative newspaper fodder, we went absolutely ballistic.
Kuipers, Watson (Webb), Cullip, Pethick, Mayo, Jones, Oatway (Carpenter), Rodger, Sidwell, Brooker, Hart.
Div1 (Champ's) P 19 . W 3 D 3 L 13 . F 20 A 38 . Pt 12 Po 24

Nott'm Forest - Home, Withdean Era
Season 9 (H) 7/12/07 - 0-2
It had been raining all week but the pitch was all but perfect. On a dry, cold nite Brighton hosted Champ's chasers Forest and 6500 turned up to watch. This provided a considerable improvement on recent home crowds, which was good because Albion were after a p-o spot following an unbeaten run. We were also into FAC3 and JPT s-f to boot. The last time we'd been beat was against Leeds at Withdean and that was unfortunate to say the least. Wilkins went with his preferred eleven, had a strong bench but no spare keeper - see season 6 below! The old team had broken up but FDM remained. Hart was on loan to H&W in non-league. Butters was now a sub and Mayo only on fringes. Hinshelwood had ages out injured.
In the event Kuipers got beaten twice and you shouldn't pile more agony on him. The opening 30 min were even steven at a decent standard but Reds grabbed a vital lead. B'ton didn't stop a cross and bang an easy chance goes into our net. Forest went two up (48 min) when Lynch 'stumbled' and let in their top striker. Shortly after (53 min) Reds had a bloke sent off for kicking Robinson into touch. Wilkins was stopped from committing assault himself. Against 10 men B'ton were hopeless and appeared very League 1. Reid had half a game, following injury to Whing and looked half decent after a long spell out. Most of the others seemed knackered and way below par. Quite what was their best left B'fans yet to decide. Xmas was coming and was our goose already cooked?
Kuipers, Whing (Reid), El-Abd, Lynch, Richards, Robinson, Fraser (Revell), Hammond (Loft), Savage, Forster.
League 1 P 19 . W 7 D 6 L 6 . F 23 A 20 . Pt 27 Po 9

Season 8 (H) 17/2/07 - 2-1 ~ Hammond, Ward
The biggest crowd of the season so far at 7749, were seated on a mild winter afternoon to see big name and promo hopefuls Forest at Withdean. The first half was goal-less and bossed primarily by the Reds, as we huffed and puffed to little effect. Wilkins quickly abandoned a mid-field diamond that had caused havoc at Orient, as this particular opposition nullified those tactics. Forest should probably have gone ahead but Kuipers dealt bravely with their threats, although sustaining a groin problem - he must hate their name. Just before the break, a mass scramble in Reds box failed to see an Albion score - albeit from four attempts.
On 53 min Forest lost a man to a straight red for an elbow. On 54 min Revell came on for a return after 7 weeks out. On 55 min Forest scored from a solo effort in a crowded box. B'ton then went in search of an equaliser instead of a winner. Wilkins went with 343, at 69 min - hitting long balls up field and very lg1 & route one. It soon worked a treat as Elder won a free-kick outside the area. On 72 min Hammond drove a low ball around the wall and B'ton fans had a goal to cheer. On 73 min Albion clinched a massive victory when Ward had a shot parried but followed up, after good work by Savage. B'ton fans, deprived of a Saturday whole 3 points for months on end went absolutely ballistic.
Kuipers, El-Abd, Butters, Lynch, Rents (Elder), Cox, Ward (Fraser), Bertin, Hammond, Gatting (Revell), Savage.
League 1 P 33 . W 12 D 6 L 15 . F 40 A 44 . Pt 42 Po 11

Season 6 (H) 22/1/05 - 0-0
Leon Knight missed a penalty but Brighton fans remember this match more for another serious injury to Michel Kuipers. It came near the end of a disappointing draw and our tough former Dutch Marine of 134 appearances, forlornly tried to continue momentarily with a damaged shoulder. The rest was easily forgettable. Forest came down as relegation fodder, hoping to suck us into the enveloping swill. They are still considered a big club and many could not believe how rot had set in on City Ground banks of the Trent since '02/3.
Such was a knife-edge path through this league that any club could appear safe in mid-table and then slide off track. There were still sides Albion had to play who reckoned to pinch points for their own escape plan. It was dog eat dog. We had to beat these or run risk of repeating recent history. If so Brighton could become a serial yo-yo club. The second Public Inquiry into Falmer was finally to get underway and we badly needed a positive result from that contest too. Life was harder than scaling an escarpment face of South Downs in Lewes District Council's catchments area.
Kuipers (May), Reid, El-Abd, Butters, Hinshelwood, Mayo, Hart (Jones), Oatway, Carpenter, Harding, Knight.
Champ's P 30 . W 10 D 7 L 13 . F 24 A 36 . Pt 37 Po 18

Season 4 (H) 15/3/03 - 1-0 ~ Brooker
Play-off contenders Forest popped into the pitch by a nature reserve and might even have remembered our inaugural friendly match, in north Brighton suburbia of July 1999. They had won four and drawn two of their last six contests, scoring 18 against 7 goals. Nottingham F represented quality opposition and the sort of big club BHA could become, given a proper home and facilities. We all wrote to John Prescott concerning the likely granted wish to move.
Albion raised their game on-field and crucially scored first. Zamora and Brooker combined from a dead ball situation to run their quick thought-out idea past the Forest keeper. One - nil, as they say on Motd. A superb defensive display thereafter meant three precious points stayed on the south coast. It was five wins from seven for flying Seagulls and that's promo form too.
Beasant, Watson (Jones), Ingimarsson, Cullip, Blackwell, Mayo, Carpenter, Rodger, Brooker (Oatway), Rougier (Hart), Zamora.
Div 1 (Champ's) P 37 . W 9 D 8 L 20 . F 37 A 55 . Pt 35 Po 21