Sheff Utd - Home, Withdean Era
Season 7 (H) 13/9/05 - 0-1
A small squad had been added to by promoting Dean Cox from reserves, plus a third new Frenchman, winger Alex Frutos. This typified a go get 'em approach by the boss, who firmly believed Brighton could outscore opposition and thus take points to try and consolidate in the Championship. That philosophy would have been ok with an injury free, rock solid defence but this was far from the case. Clean sheets seemed hard to come by and some positions were of a stopgap nature - e.g. full backs. We also lacked a consistent goal scorer.
On a perfect night for football an unchanged side went through the motions against league leaders and flattered to deceive. The Championship is of a high standard and weaknesses in any area of the field, including keeper are punished. We looked second best all over home turf. United battled and Albion fought hard - nine yellows were shown. Sheffield just had an extra bit of class that no amount of youthful huff and puff could prevent from showing over 90 minutes. Once B'ton fell behind, even a second half revival proved to be just surface flash with no real penetration.
Henderson, Hart (Elphick), McShane, Butters, Reid, Carole (Frutos), Hammond, Carpenter, Jarrett, Knight, Robinson (Kazim-Richards).
Champ's P 8 . W 1 D 4 L 3 . Pt 7 Po 19

Season 6 (H) 2/10/04 - 1-1 ~ Currie
Alive and Kicking appeal funds had reached 100 grand and contributing Brighton fans received a certificate to commemorate their extra support. Several thousands had taken part in an annual pro-Falmer seafront march, where Directors, managers, coaches, players and other club's fellow fans joined in a gathering throng on the Brighton Centre prom. Micky Adams said, 'anything is possible once you get established in the first division.' B&H council leader Ken Bodfish remarked, 'it's a bunch of people of the city saying we want our football stadium.' While Charlie Oatway observed, 'it all passed off very well in terms of coverage and getting the message across to John Prescott.'
Albion sported a new strip for a home match against a team whose principal colour was red. An all dark blue outfit sponsored by Norman Cook and emblasoned 'Palookaville' took to the great green Withdean. It was hoped to engender a closer relationship with Skint, who had released a CD at the time. Unfortunately constant whistle from a trio of flag-happy officials wasn't exactly music to Brighton fans ears. It all began to look like a re-run of two years before in div1 first time around.
Butters had been injured a while back and Cullip had to have surgery, so with Reid starting at right back, an injury hit Albion looked kinda different. Watson and Roberts hadn't appeared all season and Rodger was now forced to retire like Blackwell. In the event Knight set up Currie to slot home a low strike on 22 minutes. After that it began to go pear shaped, especially into the 2nd 45 minutes. United began to hit us on the break and equalised in similar manner. Albion continued to flag as linos er, flagged. Kuipers however enhanced his reputation with some important saves to maintain parity. Sheffield missed a sitter and we'd somehow scrambled to a point apiece.
Kuipers, Reid, Hinshelwood, Mayo, Harding, Hammond (Jarrett), Oatway, Nicolas, Currie, Knight, Virgo.
Champ's P 12 . W 4 D 3 L 5 . F 11 A 15 . Pt 15 Po 15

Season 4 (H) 19/10/02 - 2-4 Hart, Barrett
A game that is remembered by a majority of Brighton fans and still stirs emotions. Dick Knight had appointed Steve Coppell manager and a previous blank Saturday meant he at least got to find out where various divergent parts of the club were housed. Coppell said, 'Martin Hinshelwood has been in charge at the club all this season and I am delighted that he has stayed on in the bid to escape relegation places. If anyone thinks a new manager will totally change things on the pitch they are mistaken. It is an insult to Martin and all the work he and backroom staff have done. I will have to try and tinker with the squad, bring in loan players and use free transfers to supplement. I cannot guarantee wins and great performances - only hard work and commitment from myself.'
In some ways expectation was high for a revival, following 10 defeats in a row. Speculation went so far as to whether Coppell was the man we should have engaged well over three months back at a preparation stage. Our new boss more or less had a watching brief but couldn't have been too displeased to go into the break 2-0 ahead. Two headers from Hart on 23 min and Barrett after 35 min, sent Withdeanites into a new world of happiness. Perhaps inexperience, complacency or sitting on a lead led to unfolding disaster. Utd got one back but Albion were still ahead entering the last quarter of an hour. Maybe it was down to visitors' subs but we seemed to go back deeper and deeper. That Ref who we would love to avoid in future and hate for all time, played his part in the debacle thereafter. A late super-sub hat-trick including two dodgy penalties, did for us in the last five minutes. A large crowd had assembled on the south stand running track and it was very angry. A verbal volley assaulted ears of officials, though it made no difference, we'd lost again - nothing apparently, was any different.
Kuipers, Watson (Hinshelwood), Butters, Virgo, Mayo, Hart, Oatway, Carpenter, Brooker (Wilkinson), Zamora, Barrett.
Div 1 (Champ's) P 13 . W 1 D 1 L 11 . F 11 A 25 . Pt 4 Po 24

Sheff Utd - Away, Withdean Era
Season 7 (A) 21/1/06 - 1-3 ~ Kazim-Richards
Dean Wilkins had been working wonders with the Youth team and they were on a cup run. A crowd of around 4000 were let in late at midweek Withdean as BHA made a rickett of their seating plan and turnstile operation. Good job then that Albion were victorious 2-1 over Chelsea, to progress to round five.
Wayne Henderson signed permanently for Brighton, was on the bench and looked to become first choice keeper. McGhee was intent on replacing Kuipers as no.1 and the big Dutchman didn't appear again or as sub for the rest of a sorry season. Brighton were dispatched a little too easily at Bramall Lane but did keep it clean until the second 45 minutes. Class told eventually and exposed our frailties in front of goal. We were lightweight in this department to say the least. Mind you the defence leaked three for a sixth time this term and it wouldn't be the last. Kuipers did prevent a fourth with typical FDM acrobatics late on. However, he put Lynch in trouble with a dodgy throw out leading to Blades killer second goal. He also might have done better to attempt a block for their third. CKR grabbed a consolation and was in the habit of scoring super sub style specialities. Lack of signings to a depleted squad had given rise to old and young groupings on the park. Kuipers, Butters, Carpenter, Mayo and Hart had plenty of experience but could they help youngsters along at this exacting level?
Kuipers, El-Abd, McShane, Butters, Lynch (Gatting), Reid (Kazim-Richards), Carpenter, Hammond, Frutos (Mayo), Carole, Hart.
Champ's P 30 . W 5 D 13 L 12 . F 30 A 47 . Pt 28 Po 21

Season 6 (A) 15/1/05 - 2-1 ~ Carpenter, Knight
Danny Cullip was not long gone to the Blades, no doubt after a friendly goodbye chat with old Sheffield hero Bob Booker. Under conditions of his transfer a few extra quid would come Brighton's way if United succeeded in gaining promotion. Dick Knight had said, 'the sale of Danny was something the club did not want to happen. We did everything possible to persuade him to stay - in spite of our financial position.' He further commented on the northerners reasonable bid for Cullip, 'He saw the move as a chance to play in front of twenty thousand every week and have a realistic prospect of playing in the Premiership. Without Falmer we can't offer that.'
Brighton fans gave Cullip a good hand and his ex-team mates uttered appropriate words of er, professional banter. It would all end in tears from today and a very short spell as a Utd player from our former captain of five years. Cullip moved on to start all over again at Forest.
McGhee lined his Palookaville dark blue eleven up in a 352 shape. The red and white stripes couldn't break us down at the back in a tough it out first period. Right on tea break Carpenter got on the end of a Knight pass, following good work by Hart. It was a bonus for Albion to lead and provide a cushion for a series of inevitable onslaughts when resuming on the field of battle. Mayo put through our net on the hour and thirty minutes were left to defend resolutely. McCammon came on with twenty minutes left. Albion were hanging on for a hardly credible point going into stoppage time. Suddenly Brighton were a fast raiding, counter-attacking goal getting mean machine as we mugged Sheffield with a switch blade cut and thrust. Reid laid on a perfect incisive ball for Knight to slip between defenders. We'd got an unbelievable second goal and 'let's have a winner' as Cullip would say.
Kuipers, Reid, Virgo, Butters, Hinshelwood, Mayo, Oatway, Carpenter, Harding, Knight, Hart (McCammon).
Champ's P 29 . W 10 D 6 L 13 . F 24 A 36 . Pt 36 Po 17

Season 4 (A) 18/3/03 - 1-2 ~ Carpenter
United had been in third place and pushing on for a play-off spot. Albion had their usual ups and downs, thrashing around in the bottom four. We'd lost too many away fixtures and needed our best eleven on the park to compete. We were still in it at the break, although already 2-1 behind. Rodger got injured just before teatime and Zamora just after. Carpenter joined them on the physios table with 20 minutes left, so the hoped-for draw never materialised. Five Brighton players were booked against three Sheffield, perhaps an indication knives were out of their sheaths and sharpened. Albion had equalised an early goal by 14 min when Carpenter slotted home after good work by Zamora. A direct free kick placed into a corner of our net, restored advantage to Blades merely 20 min later. During the second period Albion weren't as effective going forward and chances reduced to try and level things.
Over 600 travelling fans made it on a Tuesday night in a crowd of 19000. Brighton were getting used to big club atmospheres and tried to rise to the occasion. There was a one to be saved from four scenario at the bottom of the table, where two of 'em could count on numbers to support their cause. Any club putting a half decent unbeaten run together could avoid the scrap in that drop zone drama. Coppell said, 'Sheffield United are a tough First Division side, who are a lot of peoples favourites for promotion through play-offs. The game was very competitive and we deserved something from 90 minutes. I have to agree with Neil Warnock and say it was more than worth a bag of chips and a five-hour drive home. At Bramall Lane we had fabulous vocal support and a huge thank you to fans - it does make a difference and is appreciated by everyone.'
Beasant, Watson, Ingimarsson, Cullip, Blackwell, Mayo, Brooker, Carpenter, Rodger (Jones), Zamora (Barrett), Hart.
Div 1 Champ's) P 38 . W 9 D 8 L 21 . F 38 A 57 . Pt 35 Po 23.