Port Vale - Away, Withdean Era
Season 9 (A) 13/10/07 - 1-0 ~ Revell
England were playing at Wembley so it was an early k-o and Brighton fans drove past M25 exits and continued via M1 & M6 to the Potteries. They saw their favourite team keep a clean sheet and that was 4 in a row in Lg 1. Wilkins went with an unchanged side and did not have much experience other than late twenties. Still things at this stage were developing nicely. Port Vale hadn't updated their ground for full seating and looked a club in crisis, with no manager etc. They seemed on the way down, while things for us were on the way up - what with Falmer and all.
Vale bossed the first half but Kuipers was equal to anything that got past his resolute defence. Ref disallowed one they netted and after a sound rearguard action B'ton turned it arse about face. Wilkins went with a midfield diamond second period and we made a vital breakthrough. Elder came on at an hour or so and provided a header for Revell to score in the six yard box. After that it was us in charge although a tad end to end. Albion might have got more but couldn't hit 'em on the break effectively. It ended in smiles for us and a Board meeting for them.
Kuipers, Whing, Elphick, El-Abd, Richards, Savage (Elder), O'Callaghan (Fraser), Hammond, Cox (Martot), Revell, Robinson.
League 1 P 11 . W 5 D 2 L 4 . F 13 A 10 . Pt 17 Po 8

Season 8 (A) 23/12/06 - 1-2 ~ Fraser
The first half of the fixture list was completed with this visit to the Potteries on a freezing cold day before Xmas festivities really got into gear. Vale went one up quickly, as a hung-over Albion tried to contain 'em but couldn't. Ref then turned into Santa on 25min by gifting a penalty, for an early filling of lovely freebie points in the home stocking. There was no ho, ho, ho about it - a bloody disgrace and not fit to be in charge of a kiddies sleigh ride.
Second half, B'ton came out to redress the balance and gave it a good go. We had chances but could only scramble a late consolation. The result was an injustice but hey, it's all a learning curve. Wilkins had brought a very young squad to the brink of being a competitive League 1 outfit and that's a big plus. A little inconsistency needed to be ironed out, not only from game to game but actually over any 90 minutes. All in all, we'd had much worse beginnings.
Henderson, Whing, Hinshelwood, Butters, Rents, John (Frutos), Carpenter (El-Abd), Hammond, Fraser (Gatting), Revell, Robinson
League 1 P 23 . W 9 D 4 L 10 . F 31 A 34 . Pt 31 Po 12

Season 5 (A) 13/3/04 - 1-1 ~ Knight (pen)
Three quarters of the campaign had been completed and Albion were on track to Cardiff - hopefully! Mr McGhee considered Vale a more than useful outfit and a serious threat to upward progress. Two immediate comparisons are evident from those home and away fixtures versus fellow play-off contenders - apart from alcohol consumption and rain. Single score draws, where Knight, Knight, Knight got a penalty in each. An unbeaten run had gotten to five, with more importantly a two points per game average maintained. That would give us a cushion to hold off the chasing pack. McGhee thought 20 or so goals would be needed during the springtime run-in. Perhaps a lesser number was acceptable if Albion continued to defend well. One factor, which critically tended to influence from past seasons, concerned scoring from midfield - historically we didn't. BHA's manager was therefore desperately trying to sign a partner for Knight, who in some respects was spot kick king.
Roberts, Virgo, Cullip, Butters, Harding, Hart, Carpenter, Oatway, Jones (Mayo), Piercy (Robinson), Knight.
Div 2 (League 1) P 36 . W 16 D 9 L 11 . F 53 A 36 . Pt 57 Po 5

Season 3 (A) 20/4/01 - 1-0 ~ Watson
Brighton were already promoted going into this last game of the season. A win courtesy of Watson's free kick, meant remaining unbeaten over 10 matches through the run-in. Seven of those results were wins. Since a mere first half dozen fixtures, Albion had been in the top four, while holding second place from late January onward. It was a level of consistency that ensured they won the Championship and more silverware from back to back division titles. The number of clubs in League history who had achieved such a feat, could be counted in single figures. No wonder loads of celebrating, backslapping and 'he's a good bloke too' type words, poured out via speeches, interviews, broadcasts and pens from Chairman Knight downwards.
Bobby Zamora missed only a handful of games through suspension and injury, scored 28 league goals to become leading scorer for the dual Championes years and became a cult hero twice over. Based on appearances, the BHA div2 dream-team was;
Kuipers, Watson, Cullip, Morgan, Mayo, Hart, Carpenter, Oatway (Rogers), Jones (Pethick), Brooker, Zamora (Steele).
Div 2 (League 1) P 46 . W 25 D 15 L 6 . F 66 A 42 . Pt 90 Po 1

Port Vale - Home, Withdean Era
Season 9 (H) 5/4/08 - 2-3 ~ Cox, Murray
Albion were on edges of play-offs after a reasonable run of form without actually setting the world alight. Vale were rock bottom and defeat would've all but sent 'em down. On a chilly afternoon, 7700 punters came along to sit in those April showers and watch how fortress Withdean had received it's reputation. Wilkins had a mixed squad of home bred, transfer types from the north and on-loans from elsewhere. He had managed to get 'em this far and although not the finished article, there was promise of a half decent team. During March, games had come thick and fast and had we peaked too soon?
Port Vale played above themselves and just who was the top half outfit? They went two up inside 20 mins and Tongdean Lane hadn't seen the like since bad old days of Championship beatings. Cox drove home on 26 min to give BHA a chance after the break. We huffed and puffed, Vale scored again from down range with 3 minutes left. Murray headed a consolation in stoppage. You couldn't make it up. We'd been done by the better side and it was a set-back to big-boys dreams. Talk about shit in your own nest!
Kuipers, Whing, Elphick, Lynch, Mayo, Cox, Thomson (Fraser), Racon (Gatting), Westlake (Robinson), Murray, Forster.
League1 P 41 . W 16 D 12 L 13 . F 52 A 45 . Pt 60 Po 9

Season 8 (H) 27/1/07 - 0-0
They came for a point and got it. Ref was a self absorbed softie who blew up every time opposition fell over - which was lots. It is supposed to be football after all and you have to fight hard to get all three points. A low gate on a dry midwinter day watched a fairly entertaining but frustrating Albion performance. We were good at the back but Vale weren't a great threat there. Kuipers got to be picked between posts and he really wanted to be no.1 again, with more confidence now shown between keeper & rear line.
Our midfield pressed forwards, while front and flank men were getting there - if a bit dis-jointed and lg1 most of the time. B'ton created numerous chances but failed to score yet again. It was not for lack of trying, anyone of half a dozen players could have broken deadlock, each on several occasions. It was like being at target practice on a training field. Vale's goalie did stop, block or save a few but most went high, wide or handsome. So yet another Saturday without a home win and it was winding Withdeanites up a treat - old, middle aged or young. It's a lot of dosh to fork out and always go home for tea in a bad mood.
Kuipers, O'Cearuill, Butters, Lynch, Mayo, Fraser (Hart), El-Abd, Hammond, Cox, Gatting (Elder), Robinson.
League 1 P 29 . W 10 D 5 L 6 . F 34 A 41 . Pt 35 Po 18

Season 5 (H) 12/12/03 - 1-1 ~ Knight (pen)
A huge pile of letters addressed to the Deputy Prime Minister were delivered by the Falmer For All people, fronted by Des Lynam, Norman Cook and Lord Bassam to Downing Street. A group of Peers from the House of Lords commended the community stadium proposals to add to a high profile for Brighton & Hove in Westminster.
Concerning matters affecting happenings on the pitch, Michel Kuipers was recovering from a car smash. Ben Roberts was back to action after injury problems, while keeper legend and coach John Keeley became sub. Adam El-Abd had also broken through into the first eleven. On the night it rained as per usual in our pre-Xmas hose down. South-stand assorted anoraks in assorted anoraks, season ticket faithful and Friday night lads in home shirts got thoroughly frustrated and soaked as well. The problem became one of watching a 'wet' Albion all but tamely surrender three points. However when looking at the team sheet, keeper and right back, central midfield, strikers and subs had less combined appearances than our recuperating double championship goalie hero, of over 4 years service.
Roberts, El-Abd, Pethick, Butters, Mayo, Hart (Piercy), Rehman, Yeates, Jones (Lee), McPhee, Knight.
Div 2 (League 1) P 21 . W 10 D 5 L 6 . F 32 A 24 . Pt 35 Po 4

Season 3 (H) 10/11/01 - 1-0 ~ Zamora
Brian Horton had been a recent manager at Brighton for a few months before returning to his spiritual home in the Potteries. His highlight was to help get the club to finish higher than 23rd, where we had languished for two previous seasons during which our own residence was decimated by corporate greed. He brought Vale to third season Withdean and received a warm welcome. Well, we probably felt sorry for him. Valiants were trying to shield themselves against contesting while on a downward slope. Seagulls were flying high and intended to crack open a few porcelain thin reputations in the process.
Zamora scored his 3rd goal in consecutive one-nil wins, incidentally a header but significantly a 50th for Brighton. It was a tremendous achievement for a young player not yet 21 and an Albion age milestone. Adams had got the ultimate elements together for optimum team backbone in Kuipers, Cullip and Zamora. Taylor had merely tinkered with the original first eleven and results continued to be delivered. However, there was talk of Cullip wanting away. Brighton fans' expectations had also zoomed into the clouds, where 9 became elevated to a stratosphere 25 and what could bring us back down to earth?
Kuipers, Watson, Cullip, Morgan, Mayo, Hart, Carpenter, Oatway, Jones, Steele, Zamora.
Div 2 (League 1) P 18 . W 11 D 5 L 2 . F 26 A 13 . Pt 38 Po 1