QPR - Home, Withdean Era
Season 7 (H) 26/12/05 - 1-0 ~ Butters
Michel Kuipers made his first appearance of the season, following an eleven month period since sustaining a shoulder injury against Forest at Withdean in '04/5. A 7300 gate, swelled by over 800 B Day Rs fans had a festive air, even if albeit mostly in the open. McShane was back also Carpenter on the bench, after injuries. A good thing too in the event, as Oatway got taken to hospital with a broken ankle with merely three minutes showing on that big yellow digital clock. Four minutes later Butters nodded home and that from a Chippy free kick. It thereafter became a bit scrappy, so Ref decided to show some yellows. Unfortunately our three cards made it five in total for each of Reid, Hammond and CKR. QPR's coach was summarily banished from the dugout, while McGhee tried to beef up attack by a double substitution with half an hour to go. Everything sort of tailed off.
McGhee said of Oatway before the game, 'it is looking like he is going to be absent for about twelve weeks'. An increasingly troubled boss wondered what would happen next, as for now he'd lost an influential 'interface' with the squad as a whole. Time would tell. A year later our club captain was still on the sidelines, having had recent surgery to remove a protective plate from his ankle. 2006 was to prove there were to be other fractures coming right thru the club's thin outer skin.
Kuipers, Reid, McShane, Butters, El-Abd, Hart, Hammond, Oatway (Carpenter), Frutos (Mayo), Knight (McCammon), Kazim-Richards.
Champ's P 25 . W 4 D 13 L 8 . F 25 A 36 . Pt 25 Po 21

Season 6 (H) 18/9/04 - 2-3 ~ Hinshelwood, Currie
Goals came at 16 minutes for Rangers, then 23 & 43 min for Albion and 74 & 89 min again for Rs - to record an unlikely away win. Quite how Brighton got to lose this Champ's meeting of previous seasons div2 adversaries in '03/4, was almost unexplained. In finishing runners up to Plymouth (90 pt) in May '04, QPR (83 pt) had edged ahead of Bristol City (82 pt) to get automatic promotion by one point, largely due to unbeaten home form. Fourth placed Brighton incredibly had their day out at the Millennium Stadium and further disappointed Robins, when Seagulls flew straight back up to greater heights again - amid cup final type scenes. Ironically both City (83 pt) and Rangers (83 pt) had finished 3rd and 4th respectively in '02/3, on equal points total but lost out originally to Cardiff (81 pt), who themselves emerged victorious from p-o's in er, Cardiff. Albion had topped these three clubs in '01/2 to gain auto promo and enjoyed back-to-back title celebrations to boot. Incidentally Cardiff (77pt) were 4th and again play-off contenders, while City (72 pt) were 7th and Rangers (70 pt) 8th. For various reasons you might think they both begrudged us a fair sized slice of knockout luck.
Hinshelwood played in midfield and was in the correct place at the right moment to equalise an early Rs lead. He was principally a defender who had gone out of favour during McGhee's early tenure but came in to do a job, in lieu of injured regulars. He was a youth team product and would go on to all but complete full season, when busting a knee the following spring on Easter Monday. Currie stepped up just before halftime to flight a free kick up, over and around a wall to now give B'ton a lead.
Twenty minutes from time QPR made a double sub and levelled four mins later. A third change 3 min after, seemed to secure them a point. McGhee responded with an inept three changes inside the last ten min. It put us defending on the back foot, under pressure while tiring. A moment from final whistle, Rs snatched a sensational winner.
Kuipers, El-Abd (Jarrett), Cullip, Mayo, Harding, Hinshelwood, Hammond (Carpenter), Nicolas (Knight), Currie, Virgo, McPhee.
Champ's P 9 . W 2 D 2 L 5 . F 8 A 14 . Pt 8 Po 20

Season 5 (H) 18/8/03 - 2-1 ~ Knight 2
Brighton started life back in div2 minus Bobby Zamora. He went to Tottenham for one and a half million after becoming a potential star name in three seasons for Albion. Leon Knight from Chelsea was a direct replacement and the pair shared some history at Barnes in a junior side - Senrab. Many people thought BHA to have been pretty unlucky in not avoiding the drop from div1 and losing another asset. However most of the regular squad were still around, plus a scattering of youngsters on their way through. Steve Coppell said, 'I feel that division two is without doubt the most open of all four divisions. There is no one club with a massive financial advantage. The season will go to those teams who have the best player base and work best with resources they have.'
This Monday night match was scheduled for an 8pm kick-off to accommodate TV timetables. Withdean didn't even seem such a bad place after three months of enforced abstinence for summer pleasures and dreaming about Falmer. A strong side on paper took to the field and expectation was high for a campaign Dick Knight wanted to end with a P word. QPR unexpectedly opened the scoring inside 10 minutes from a free kick that missed everybody including a post by inches. Albion quickly equalised on a super surface, when Knight did what Coppell had him down here for. The on-loan front pairing seemed to be doing the biz in lieu of Zamora but time would tell. Rangers had been marked up as promotion favourites but took a more physical approach to getting points on the road. On the hour mark R's had a bloke sent off for retaliation, although they actually started it Ref! Eight minutes later, Knight stretched to convert a Henderson knock down. There was some good football played especially down the flanks to supply front-runners. The QPR keeper saved or blocked several times after sustained pressure was converted into great chances. Also a good atmosphere helped those of a slightly nervous disposition towards final whistle.
Roberts, Watson, Cullip, Hinshelwood, Mayo, Hart, Carpenter, Rodger (Oatway), Jones, Knight, Hendeson.
Div 2 (League 1) P2 . W 2 D 0 L 0 . F 5 A2 . Pt 6 Po 1

Season 3 (H) 8/9/01 - 2-1 ~ Zamora, Watson
According to Paul Rogers, we hadn't played QPR for about three decades but comparatively was also taking the micky out of old-stager Simon Morgan, so we couldn't be too sure. One way or another, it was a first for yet another new team to visit Withdean and enjoy open-air surroundings next to a nature reserve. Rangers had over 750 fans in support and boosted our trackside crowd to 6800 plus. That rivalled the gate registered when Chesterfield came to town on Mayday for a div3 showdown. Cardiff's arrival provided the biggest audience, also involving a promotion battle when near to full capacity at 6900 odd. QPR had been a regular div1 club and dropped down to tier three after a struggle on and off their west London pitch. They had gone into administration and were feeling the pinch in a slightly different way to Brighton. Apparently a player clearout had saved 45k a week in wages alone! Nevertheless, Rangers were expected to put up a fight as well for a quick return to higher echelons. Palace weren't ever around and Orient had blown their play-offs chance, so Rs took on a form of local derby.
After Albion had led and Rangers frustratingly equalised, this game appeared to be heading for a proverbial draw of evenly matched teams. Zamora notched a third league goal in six apps, when converting an incoming from the right flank. Rs levelled when lack of convincing marking and direct clearing of lines left 'em with the ball and a spare bod with a goal scoring opportunity. Ref only blew to re-start play, which many thought harsh. Just before time allowed for stoppages, Watson flighted a free kick into the bottom corner, to make himself a right left footed set piece maestro and match winner on overtime. What a way to earn a win bonus. Three home fixtures to date had produced three victories, plus eight goals. Fortress Withdean seemed to be continuing as the place to be in Brighton.
Kuipers, Watson, Cullip, Morgan, Jones, Rogers (Mayo), Oatway, Carpenter, Brooker (Hart), Steele (Lehman), Zamora.
Div 2 (League 1) P 6 . W 3 D 2 L 1 . F 8 A 4 . Pt 11 Po 6

QPR - Away, Withdean Era
Season 7 (A) 18/3/06 - 1-1 ~ og
An own goal gave us a point with ten minutes left, having been a goal behind for over an hour. The joke was, QPR were down to ten men from only five mins after sucking orange pith. Ref stopped retaliation becoming fisty-cuffs after an Rs guy lost his head. It had been going on all game and there was also biting, scratching, hair pulling and handbags for bad measure. Rangers took an early lead when a free header went thru Hendo's legs. Brighton fans gave it large portions of verbals, including insulting superhoops supporters from relative safety of the loft. Anyhow it was all a bit nip and tuck on a well-worn Loftus Road surface.
Following the red card, both managers made changes as emphasis shifted as to priorities. McGhee went first introducing Dodd, who was like a stranger to most Albion faithful having been very injury prone. Gatting came on as target man shortly afterwards, while QPR elected to play two counterattacking subs to hit us on the break. McGhee's last move was to put Loft onto the left wing, in only his second outing as sub. Some west-end away day devoted thought B'ton would have been better off using Reid attacking in midfield and going 433 to carve 'em open down the middle. Rangers therefore kept us out wide and soaked up pressure. Another piece of ill judgement, this time by QPR saw a defender head past their keeper from a Hart cross. At the death they missed a sitter to possibly send us home empty handed.
Henderson, Hinshelwood, McShane, Butters, El-Abd (Dodd), Carole (Gatting), Hammond, Carpenter, Frutos (Loft), Hart, Kazim-Richards.
Champ's P 39 . W 5 D 16 L 18 . F 33 A 59 . Pt 31 Po 23

Season 6 (A) 1/1/05 - 0-0
New Year arrived and Dick Knight was looking at his budget. Another twelve months had passed and because of that continuing Falmer debacle, the Board had to go cap in hand to supporters for some extra fighting fund dosh. Almost 1600 Brighton fans had contributed - hopefully with still more to come. An estimated 300k was necessary for re-hashing a portfolio of QC's legal documents, provided under a definitive second Public Inquiry. Little did the good folk of Sussex realise that this replay would run well into extra stoppage time and still end in stalemate. A penalty shoot-out was likely on a vast time line horizon, as long as BHA could constantly compete on equal terms with public moneyed LDC and their anti-lobby of hangers-on.
Shepherds Bush was about as low key as you could get for a day out in London on a Bank Holiday. The BBC centre that had broadcast news of a devastating tsunami in Indonesia was strangely quiet. There were charity collection buckets at Loftus Road, where 1900 away fans filed into the school end and tried to raise an atmosphere.
A tactical move to 442 in view of recent form and shape of this useful opposing team made for quite an open, or end-to-end game from outset. Both keepers were called upon to deal and an air of excitement prevailed among the crowd, whether they be hooped or striped versions of blue & white. Quite how the ball stayed out of each net remained something unresolved from day one. McGhee subbed McCammon for Knight at half-time in a tactic to pep up attacks. He switched things again fairly late on to 451, in an attempt to keep what we'd started with - a precious point. In wet conditions and fierce competitiveness of this clash, either outfit could have snatched a result. Rangers had a bloke red carded very late, for a certain amount of violence in glare of full floodlite.
Kuipers, Reid (Nicolas), Hinshelwood, Butters, Mayo, Hart, Oatway, Carpenter, Harding, Virgo, McCammon (Knight).
Champ's P 27 . W 8 D 6 L 13 . F 20 A 34 . Pt 30 Po 20

Season 5 (A) 17/1/04 - 1-2 ~ Cullip
Rangers were on course for an automatic promotion spot, having averaged all but two points per game. Their home record showed only three goals against and no losses conceded. Brighton went to Loftus Road with shaky away form and struggled to pick up points in west London - or anywhere else for that matter. Over 1500 travelling support was superb in a gate of nearly 18k - biggest so far anywhere. There was a big ground atmosphere and a balloon blizzard from the loft and all. Blue and white devoted, whether striped or hooped had a tremendous match to enjoy. McGhee afterwards said, 'the result was hugely disappointing but there were many good things about the performance. I had a lot of friends at the game and were astonished by those fans there. They couldn't believe the noise coming out of the away end. You saw a fully committed side and I'm sure the team had tried their very best.'
Brand new on-loan target-man Trevor Benjamin started and obviously needed time to integrate. He could hold it up but we wanted a tad more accuracy moving forward. All the goals came in an action packed first half. QPR went ahead with a pot-shot after a clear-cut penalty was denied us up the other end. Just before an interval to regain breath, R's went two up to a simple ball over the top. Cullip rose to nod a corner into opposition's net and peg 'em back right on 45 min. All the possession, pressure, aggression and flooding forward didn't count in a second period of missed chances. Albion went all out and finished strongly. Subs came on late and pushed up but to no avail. It was a right battle at times down in front of Brighton fans and a rough and tumble to boot. Pity we couldn't find the net again because that's what makes a leading side - game in, game out.
Roberts, Watson, Cullip, Butters, Mayo (Virgo), Hart (Robinson), Carpenter, Oatway, Yeates (McPhee), Knight, Benjamin.
Div 2 (League 1) P 26 . W 11 D 6 L 9 . F 38 A 29 . Pt 39 Po 7

Season 5 (A) 7/12/03 LDV3 - 1-2 ~ McPhee
Ground sharing was not something only Brighton had enjoyed, when for two years renting at distant Gillingham before returning to town in 1999. Wimbledon had been at Palace for so many years, they eventually became a franchise but unfortunately for true Dons supporters at sub-midlands Milton Keynes. Fulham were using QPR's pitch during this season and so something like a spurious LDV trophy tie got put off to Sunday lunchtime instead. Both Brighton and QPR could see some extra mileage in staying in this competition and maybe ending up at the Millennium Stadium for a bonus day of fun and games. That notion was not so fanciful as each club was going well in div2 at present. Rangers were top and Albion third, heading a play-off chasing pack that amounted to half the division. Mark McGhee hadn't long been in charge and halted dramatic loss of form because the team was in limbo after Steve Coppell suddenly left two months previously. There was an argument that he saw LDV as a distraction but in light of what Peter Taylor had done two years earlier there were mitigating circumstances. The Withdean Era was more productive for developing Brighton sides in lower league knockouts and one day... See - Millwall, Bristol City, Boston, Cambridge, Forest Green, Wycombe, Swansea, Brentford, Cardiff and Bournemouth.
McGhee said, 'I believe that team could keep us in the competition and win us the game. The inclusion of Lee and Harding didn't lose us the game. Basic defensive errors led to defeat. As an exercise there were positives to take out. The second half performance almost got us back into the tie.' Goals went in on 18 and 23 minutes for Rangers and 77 minutes for Albion, suggesting McGhee had a valid point. A crowd of 7500 was swelled by 1600 supporters in b&w stripes who gave it their all vocally. As ever at Loftus Road we were denied a dead cert penalty, plus another red card assault on Knight that Refs also always turned a blind eye to. McGhee reshaped but he knew we'd lost it in the first half, so tried a few 'suck it and see' rituals in lieu on the Sabbath.
Roberts, El-Abd, Pethick, Butters, Mayo, Lee (Hart), Carpenter (McPhee), Rehman, Harding (Jones), Yeates, Knight.

Season 3 (A) 26/12/01 - 0-0
An unbeaten run was registering ten, on going into this Boxing Day festive fixture in west London. There had been six wins and four draws and BHA were just about maintaining a two points per game average. In normal circumstances this would be good enough for automatic promotion but through mid-season, a whole clutch of clubs were chasing those two spots and QPR were one of them. Rangers had been in div1 previously but came down for third tier football this term. They were in Administration and contrast that with Premiership entertainment at Loftus Road in the early nineties. This match began a series against Rs that would end with them on the up again and us a bit up and down. Never mind, we were in a pukka footy ground and subsequent big club atmosphere. Apart from Cardiff (12000), Huddersfield (11000) and Bristol City (14000), Brighton fans hadn't experienced five figure crowds for a number of seasons and 16000 odd made it a treat we wanted to repeat.
Noon isn't the most obvious kick-off time but ho-ho-ho, Shepherds Bush wasn't exactly away in a manger for the end of an Xmas journey. A figure of 3500 became the official away attendance, which was perhaps part of a consensus in a place with no room to get inn, 2000 years after another count-up. Oatway captained the side because he had local knowledge and wanted to be a local lad done good. Simon Royce on loan from Leicester made his debut between posts, in lieu of injured Kuipers. Daniel Webb also started as a bustling front man, being tried as a robust partner for BZ. Brighton may have edged it, having two headers cleared off Rangers line and a Watson f-k rattling the bar. Jones went down in their area to a bloke called Shittu and Ref thought the Welshman had dumped himself anyway and got flushed out. Taylor said, 'I thought we worked extremely hard to earn a good away point. There weren't many chances for either side and in the end I think a draw was a fair result. Both teams were determined to stop the other playing, which meant neither had much time on the ball. I was pleased with our professionalism and performance.'
Royce, Watson, Cullip, Morgan, Pethick, Rogers, Carpenter, Oatway, Jones (Brooker), Webb (Steele), Zamora.
Div 2 (League 1) P 23 . W 12 D 9 L 2 . F 32 A 17 . Pt 45 Po 3