Portsmouth - Away, Withdean Era
Season 4 (A) 31/8/02 - 2-4 ~ Cullip, Brooker
Martin Hinshelwood had brought in two new players, hopefully to help stem the flow of a string of reversals. He said, 'Guy Butters is a traditional centre half who loves to defend. Graham Barrett is a skilful forward come attacking mid-fielder.' Neither player proved to be the answer to a maiden's prayer. Butters gave away a penalty at Portsmouth and Barrett got sent off for violent conduct. Both had experience of big clubs. Butters had started a multi-club career at Tottenham, while Barrett came on loan from a huge Arsenal squad. Their ongoing careers were also to be divergent - Butters stayed on as a Seagull, Barrett ended up at Coventry.
Over 2700 Albion followers got into the uncovered Milton end on a warm afternoon in August. There were 19000 assembled for this south coast derby and was the first big crowd visitors had seen since the Mad Stad in div2. At one stage, Albion led in a pulsating first half after going one down. Cullip blasted one thru the area and then Brooker took advantage of a slip in defence to net an opportunist's goal. Butters then did his wrestling act in our box and Pompey levelled from the spot. Home fans were happy when they went ahead but away followers thought we were leaking preventable goals a little too easily. Portsmouth showed they had at last class to succeed in a promotion race, by driving in a long-range free kick. Brighton's other new signing was involved in a tad more than handbags and we had it all to do to prevent 4 becoming 5.
Hinshelwood said, 'I know only too well that the last five matches have been a massive disappointment for all. But I can assure fans nobody is more so than players, my staff and me.' Unfortunately, everybody was going through the mill, from top to bottom and at present there was heaps of chaff that needed to be separated from wheat.
Petterson, Pethick, Cullip, Butters, Watson, Melton (Wilkinson), Oatway, Carpenter, Brooker, Marney, Barrett.
Div1 (Champ's) P 6 . W 1 D 1 L 4 . F 5 A 10 . Pt 4 Po 22

Portsmouth - Home, Withdean Era
Season 12 (H) 8/1/11 FAC3 - 3-1 ~ Wood, Barnes, Sandaza
Albion were top of league1 but rearranged the fixture today for FAC action. This was Seagulls final chance for a cup run at Withdean, prior to flying up the road at Falmer later in the year. Previously in our last k-o competition, Brighton had somehow got past two non-league outfits, first Woking and then FC United - both these ties going to replays away from home. Now back here again, we'd drawn Championship opposition for round3 and it was our fairly near neighbours next to be beat. Gus Poyet had a decent sized squad to select from, which was quite different to Pompey's situation as an average outfit with financial probs. Gus made changes to our regular league1 eleven, resting keeper Ankergren, captain Greer, Dicker and putting Bridcutt on the bench. Could ambitious 433 work in these circumstances? Nevertheless, a useful line-up would pit themselves against better players than those usually found in clubs at tier three. Nearly 7800 punters got along to watch on a decent midwinter afternoon.
After flattering for five minutes, Portsmouth lost the plot and had a man sent off for retaliation (14min) on El-Abd. Brighton got going, put some super moves together and created chances. Just before half hour gone, Wood let fly to give ten-men opponents a real problem (26min). In stoppage for first 45min, Barnes converted a soft penalty and the away mob were in complete disarray. Ref was filling his book quickly with Pompey names and all B'ton had to do was keep level headed to reach round4 once more. The second period showed what GP's squad could accomplish from quality play, so it was something of a surprise when Albion conceded late in the day (88m). But sub Sandaza has scored many an injury time goal (90+) and guess what? A confident home side took full advantage of numerical superiority, although were quite capable of winning over 90min with eleven each. Brighton fans were singing and to date, it really was a happy New Year.
Brezovan, Taricco (Bridcutt), Elphick, El-Abd, Painter, Bennett, Kishishev, Sparrow, Wood (Sandaza), Murray (Holroyd), Barnes.

Season 4 (H) 18/1/03 - 1-1 ~ Zamora
Pompey played up in an all gold metallic effect strip. They looked jolly nice and had little red hearts on their chests to boot. They were top and pedestrian blue and white shirted were bottom. Fans wore winter clothing but the sun did appear at intervals, for this south coast derby of clubs in transit. This match followed a midweek FA Cup round 3 tie at Norwich which had been postponed from 4 Jan. Michel Kuipers had injured his leg in that knockout and a new custodian, Ben Roberts turned up at Withdean. He apparently was being paid from the Forty-note Fund, set up by fans to financially aid BHA who forever claimed to be skint. Steve Sidwell had been cup-tied by Arsenal and was now on the verge of going to Reading so went missing. Paul Kitson was on the bench and actually got on the pitch for the first and last time for a long time.
A capacity crowd of a paltry 6800 witnessed a clash of big versus small. Portsmouth had spent a lot of money to build a team out of nowhere after kicking around in lower reaches of div1 for years. Without Withdean we would probably have been in the Conference in one shape or form but that's where comparisons ended. Albion matched Pompey in every department on the field and gave a good account of themselves in the first half, to hold illustrious visitors to nil-nil. Soon after the break for southern comfort, Zamora refreshed his desire with a shot to take the edge off Albion nerves. Pompey immediately upped it and levelled with a little over an hour gone. Try as they might neither side could break deadlock in what finished as a very entertaining contest over ninety minutes. Considering Portsmouth had lost only once on travels and won eight, while Brighton were almost a reciprocal - many thought it a good point gained.
Roberts, Watson, Pethick, Cullip, Mayo, Brooker, Oatway, Carpenter, Jones (Blackwell), Zamora, Barrett (Kitson)
Div 1 (Champ's) P 28 . W 4 D 8 L 16 . F 26 A 46 . Pt 20 Po 24