Preston - Away, Withdean Era
Season 7 (A) 27/8/05 - 0-0
On August Bank Holiday weekend in a crowd of 12400, those thousands were for home figures and hundreds away. The result at Deepdale secured a point and proved a couple of others. Albion have fans prepared to arrive at a distant destination from all parts of the UK for one. Secondly, we didn't always get beat when not able to score ourselves. A brand new all-out attacking shape went into motion that caught opposition cold. 4-2-4 had supplemented 4-3-3, executed with pace, skill and passing. Route one was left to six footers, as four young 'below average height' forwards set about a giant defence with fancy footwork. Either side had chances to win but we'd settle for honours even, before during and after the event. It appeared McGhee now invoked various options from a small squad in more ways than one, depending on home/away, top/bottom combinations etc. He had never been one to go purely defensive and a fighting draw at North End marked strategy for a campaign of kill or be killed. Getting only draws was a road to nowhere, so better to win one, lose one. It would therefore be like a series of cup matches for bemused Brighton fans to endure.
Henderson, Dodd (McCammon), McShane, Butters, Reid, Carole, Hammond, Carpenter, Jarrett (Hart), Knight, Robinson.
Champ's P 5 . W 0 D 3 L 2 . F 3 A 7 . Pt 3 Po 23

Season 6 (A) 5/4/05 - 0-3
Hit for six. Brighton fans were in a state of shock as real relegation fears flooded their conversations on a long journey home with nothing gained. Previously at the three quarters stage reached of 35 games, Albion had obtained 44 points and 15th position. Now with 41 fixtures completed we had 44 points and were in 22nd place. Those six points needed for safety were proving considerably harder to accumulate than possibly ever imagined back in February. Not only points, our goal difference was second worse of all by a wide margin, so not likely to count in any mathematical deliberations of a negative kind. One saving grace was that teams up to 15th in the table were only just ahead on points and catchable on the run-in. Incidentally Leicester occupied that slot and were next up at Withdean.
The big talking point for the first half hour was Hart's dismissal and penalty, when as last man he brought down an opponent in the area. From then on we might as well have packed up and left 'em to it. The number of penalties we had conceded during that run-in was unbelievable and this latest set back was awarded by a certain Mr Prosser - see Sheff Utd home history. One minute before tea and sympathy Dolan showed why he would play only three games when we went two behind to a six-yard box steal. A third for North End not long after resuming the field, sealed our fate a sixth time for a trio of scores occurring on that long road. The thing was, getting beat is almost expected every other trip. Even in div2 we lost 11 on travels that ended at the magnificent Millennium Stadium. Brighton fans usually shrugged it off and literally moved on. However we chucked it in - in yellow too. Faithful wanted to see, if survival came down to a battle of attrition, blood spilled for the cause. B'ton didn't have the best football, tactics or formations but had plenty of spirit. If that was gone we'd lost the war, all else could be forgiven.
Blayney, Reid, Dolan (El-Abd), Butters, Harding, Hart, Carpenter, Oatway, Hammond (McCammon), Jones (Knight), Virgo.
Champ's P 41 . W 12 D 8 L 21 . F 34 A 60 . Pt 44 Po 22

Season 4 (A) 23/11/02 - 2-2 ~ Rodger, Sidwell.
Brighton had recovered from a record and potentially, season breaking losing run to go three unbeaten before visiting Preston. At the worst depths of weekly beatings previously, our deficit was eight points to the next struggler in 23rd place. That gap had been substantially reduced but was in danger of returning should results again be negative away from home. Maybe back-to-back championships had got us used to footballing performances and this div1 stuff had been a comedown. Maybe not, taking the game to opposition can pay dividends. Albion got back on terms from depression at Deepdale with a second half double shot stiffener. Two great goals created from attacking play, where mid-field pushed on in there, grabbed a precious point. The future suddenly appeared brighter as clouds of gloom lifted, a gap closed points-wise but reopened to allow rays of shining self-belief.
Albion conceded tow from fairly early on and to some extent it was deja vu with previous defeats. Basic defending at set pieces and around the box had gone awry. Steve Coppell said, 'it was disappointing that both goals came from corners, which has been a particular area of concern for us. The second half saw a massive attitude transformation from the players. They went on to claw back a point and looked to be the team that was capable of winning all three.' Soon after the break a cross by Zamora reached Rodger, who made no mistake. Twenty minutes later Zamora again provided a telling pass for Sidwell to do the biz - and some. Further more, Coppell was showing capabilities as a quality manager having stopped the rot and turned things around. His record of W2 D2 L2 appeared to give us hope because it averaged 1.33 pt/gm or nearly enough to survive over a 46 match season.
Kuipers, Watson, Pethick, Cullip, Blackwell (Jones), Mayo, Sidwell, Carpenter, Rodger, Hart, Zamora.
Div 1 (Champ's) P 18 . W 3 D 3 L 12 . F 18 A 35 . Pt 12 Po 24

Preston - Home, Withdean Era
Season 7 (H) 11/3/06 - 0-0
In a penalty shoot out, Albion's youth team lost their Cup QF up at Newcastle. However, there was good news for several of the squad. 'We are having to ask our youth players to do a man's job instead of introducing them gently and at a time when they could benefit from help of more experienced players.' These words were made real by Mark McGhee, after ten scholars had signed for Albion as professional footballers. Dick Knight said, 'I am absolutely confident for the future of this club because of these exciting young prospects.' McGhee added, 'meanwhile we have a fight on our hands to retain our position in the Championship.' Wayne Henderson had won an International cap for Ireland in Dublin. He enthused, 'with 34000 screaming Irish fans, I was over the moon.' On Brighton's ongoing relegation battle, Hendo remarked, 'we'll stay up and set the standard for talented young lads coming through.'
Henderson played his part in a game where B'ton scrapped with Preston and neither side could break deadlock. He made one outstanding save, getting down to keep things on the level. Both sets of forwards missed chances to nick a one - nil on slightly tatty Withdean turf. This mundane draw actually amounted to a single point from the last twenty-one up for grabs. There was a clean eighth sheet, ironically five of these had been goal-less draws and thereby hung a tale. Dick Knight went public with a feel-good Falmer message but used PR skills to whitewash divisions creeping ever deeper into the club. Talking of taking sides, McGhee started with three at the back and Carole in the hole, if you'll excuse the expression. He went to basic 442 for second period but unfortunately stalemate resumed whatever.
Henderson, Hinshelwood, El-Abd, McShane, Butters, Lynch (Hart), Carole, Hammond, Carpenter, Frutos (Loft), Kazim-Richards.
Champ's P 38 . W 5 D 15 L 18 . F 32 A 58 . Pt 30 Po 23

Season 6 (H) 28/8/04 - 1-0 ~ og
Summer football is a bonus at a suburban open air sports complex and almost anything can be forgiven when the supported home side actually wins. This was game five in the new sponsored Champ's, with extra TV rights attached and Albion's first three points. As usual at this time of year, the gate fell slightly and came in at just under 6000. Of more significance was McGhee's attempt to replace the non-returning Chris Iwelumo as a target man, come goal scoring forward. A fee was non-negotiable in any deal because Brighton as everybody knew, were hopelessly skint. In the event, a free transfer became effective whereby Virgo was pushed up front and told to put himself about. Hammond came into midfield for a first time since sidelined in div1. Knight was also back, for renewed FL action at old fortress Withdean.
On half an hour a North End defender somehow nudged a Currie corner into his net. Brighton looked slightly better as a cohesive unit than of late and a largely young squad was slowly ironing out problems. They had been thrown in due to injuries picked up pre-season or from long before to regulars from a div2 promotion chase. McGhee said prior to the match, 'I'm aware of exactly where our shortcomings are but until we get the centre forward we need and the rest of the squad fit, I feel we're still going to have some difficult days.'
The fact that Preston had an off day helped a cause to accumulate vital points. Quite a number of such games would be bound to hang in balance, with the first team to notch one likely to pocket precious spoils of victory. McGhee also said, 'we all have to persevere, be patient, hang on in there and keep working hard until results turn around for us.'
Kuipers, Hinshelwood, Cullip, Butters, Harding, Currie, Nicolas, Hammond, Jones (Mayo), Virgo, Knight.
Champ's P 5 . W 1 D 1 L 3 . F 4 A 9 . Pt 4 Po 23

Season 4 (H) 12/4/03 - 0-2
Once upon a time Preston had a player that Albion decided to buy for 100,000 pounds. So Mark Lawrenson came and played over 170 times during four seasons before making the grade at higher level. He arrived at positively the right time to help BHA upwards into Division 1. It is perhaps no surprise to realise it also corresponded with those glory years at the Goldstone Ground. Mark made his senior debut for PNE at seventeen and reached 70 odd appearances in three years. He was born in Preston and might have joined Lancashire Cricket Club, being something of an athlete with expert eye to ball coordination. His mother was Irish and that gave him a chance to play International football at a young age, just before a twentieth birthday. Not bad for a lad from Preston who went on to be about as big as you could get in northwest England.
Brighton expected to beat Preston, having seen off southern p-o hopefuls away at Reading and were on a high. Things had been very tight at the bottom since the run-in started, when Albion eventually got into that dogfight proper. Even before season's three quarters mark, it looked like three from four to go down. Of course, nobody was going to do us any favours - it was all in our own hands, or rather boots. Things could have been so different if their woodwork hadn't twice prevented BHA taking a first half lead. Albion were taught a lesson in finishing after tea break, when a proven div1 outfit showed us how to pour it on and get a job done. Coppell said, 'as the second half progressed we became more nervous, which resulted in more mistakes. I believe these players have shown this year they are capable of bouncing back. At the beginning of November we had four points from fourteen games. If then someone had offered our present position, each and every Albion fan would have jumped at the chance. Rest assured our desire is stronger than ever.'
Beasant, Watson, Ingimarsson, Cullip, Mayo, Brooker (Jones), Carpenter, Rodger, Barrett (Kitson), Hart, Zamora.
Div 1 (Champ's) P 42 . W 10 D 10 L 22 . F 42 A 62 . Pt 40 Po 22

Season 3 (H) 5/1/02 FAC 3 - 0-2
It is hard to think of Preston as once a fourth division club, given their history especially in the FA Cup. However the whole world turns, old times change and so does football. Northern dominance in the professional game slipped away, with contributory factors like abolition of minimum wages that added to economic and social alterations. As these things influenced life in a post war 20th century, clubs like Preston were in decline. But Brighton had been there too, so perhaps it was all down to lack of money in a pre-sponsorship age. Believe it or not in 1996 North End were coming up from tier four, while Albion were dropping to that level after total disaster southern style. As the new millennium dawned, Preston headed for div1 and Brighton remained just grateful to be playing back in the city of their birth. At the time these two teams were about to cross that north - south divide once more. BHA got pushing for a promotion place and PNE attempted to repeat reaching a play-off position to possibly secure elite status.
It had been very cold in Sussex and New Year matches had been lost at home to adverse conditions. So we ended up on a bleak Tuesday night in mid January not having witnessed any action at Withdean since before Xmas. Kuipers had picked up an injury previously and Packham deputised between sticks. Lilywhites played in away colours of yellow and black which looked nice and so did their football. They took an early lead and unfortunately Albion missed a penalty to level within minutes of restart. On a winters night six and a half thousand hardy souls began to see what obtaining seasonal higher level would contemplate. Preston were definitely going through anyway when Packham let the ball through his young body. Taylor said, 'we applied some pressure and put in a decent performance. If we get into division one it will be difficult to compete on crowds of 7000 a week. You end up doing everything within your power just to keep the team in that league.' Yes, without being overly negative it was a judgement call but he knew that proverbial score all right.
Packham, Watson, Cullip, Morgan, Mayo, Hart, Carpenter, Oatway (Jones), Brooker, Webb (Steele), Zamora.