Swansea - Home, Withdean Era
Season 9 (H) 3/5/08 - 0-1
Over 7200 got along on a warm afternoon for the last game of '07/8. Swansea were already champions, while Brighton were seventh and had missed play-offs two weeks ago. Tommy Elphick received Player of the Season momentos before kick-off. Swansea got their belated title trophy after final whistle. Other promotion and relegation issues went to this last day, where top and bottom six were shaking out for next term. Dick Knight was 70 and celebrated with people from Skint records at half-time. They had been shirt sponsors since 1999 but times were a changing. Albion wore one-off old-school b&w stripes for these special sentimental occasions. The away end was packed with singing Welsh, removed to a suitable distance at great expense.
Swans were probably close to Championship standard throughout a season when they'd led League1 from December. As a last fixture spectacle, good football was played by both sides and Albion did get chances. Trouble was we couldn't convert 'em and perhaps that was our story of a near-miss campaign.
After an hour City took it seriously and stepped up. Albion were struggling to respond and put under the cosh. The division winners nicked one close home (79 min), following inspired substitutions. It was clear B'ton were miles short of what would be required next term for a top-six spot. Wilkins went away to think long and hard about a BHA retained list. After all, we wanted to go places other than Crewe, Cheltenham and Yeovil again.
Kuipers, Whing, Elphick, Lynch, Richards (Mayo), Robinson (Dixon), Fraser, Loft (Fogden), Cox, Murray, Forster.
League1 P 46 . W 19 D 12 L15 . F 58 A 50 . Pt 69 Po 7

Season 8 (H) 5/12/06 - 3-2 ~ Cox, Revell 2
An evening match in a wet week on a windy nite, although mainly dry throughout. Understandably our pitch was very soft following a stormy period but played really well. Additional Cup matches had bolstered home fixtures, although 'old days' of postponements now seem long gone. This surface had not cut up and is about as good as you can get - shame about the seating plan. 5200 got along, which was kinda disappointing for an expected test by Championship wannabes (pukka stadium included).
Cox smashed home a blinder from way out, to open the scoring in B'ton's favour and net a vital first goal. It wasn't too much rough and tumble, with plenty of football but we'd conceded mid-field. In the second half, Swansea pressure got 'em a 60 min equaliser to a set piece header - a constant Albion defensive flaw. B'ton's counter attacking game kept things competitive for last half hour. Revell then got himself 2, a diving header and poacher's steal, in a display of real guts and determination - MoM. Albion wobbled a bit at times but were helped by a red card for a Welshman near the end. At the death, 10 man Swans flowed forward and squeezed their second past a snoozing rear guard. Whatever, it was too late for a come-back - we'd dun 'em.
Henderson, Whing, Hinshelwood, Lynch, Rents, Fraser (Carpenter), Hammond, Mayo, Cox, Revell (Gatting), Robinson (Santos)
League 1 P 20 . W 8 D 3 L 9 . F 27 A 30 . Pt 27 Po 12

Season 1 (H) 1/4/00 - 1-1 ~ Hart
Things were wrapping up in div3 and perhaps merely an eternal optimist could expect a play-off place by May. Adams had been in the manager's post for a year and had settled for mid-table. An unbeaten run of nine with six wins, highlighted development of the squad. He knew he required additional players to turn Brighton into a top six outfit and already had plans afoot. How much could he wring from the Chairman?
Swansea were scrapping with Rotherham on top of the table and both came to Withdean in consecutive fixtures - so proved a good test for future aspirations. B'ton were getting done by the Welshmen and needed an equaliser. Experienced utility man Ling came on to do a job and perk Albion up a bit. He proved efficient in that task. A rejuvenated side snatched a point through Hart and it was singing in the South Downs valley until final whistle. Well if not exactly singing, perhaps some late cheering.
Walton, Watson, Cullip, Crosby, Mayo, Freeman, Rogers, Oatway, Brooker (Aspinal), Ramsay (Ling), Hart.
Div 3 (League 2) P 40 . W 15 D 12 L 13 . F 60 A 44 . Pt 58 Po 12

Swansea - Away, Withdean Era
Season 11 (A) 11/8/09 LC1 - 0-3
The FL season began with a home fixture for once in a decade. So that meant this cup tie was our first away match. About 65 persons of peculiar BHA mentality attended in s-w Wales on a Tuesday nite in a gate of 6400. Russell Slade had gotten together a few from mainly div3 clubs in summer but was upbeat about chances versus Championship opposition. Albion hadn't spent megabucks because Tony Bloom put his money in investments - like Falmer's community stadium for £80mill odd. But the squad was lightweight, having culled 17 players at end of '08/9. Those that came in appeared stronger on paper but this was to be an early season acid test to compare with pre-season friendlies. B'ton then lost at W'dean and employed a lone striker. Sorting out m-f duties would be Slade's priority, given he'd got his pukka defence in place.
Brighton were turned over in comprehensive style by Swan's glide thru our open lock gates. They went a goal up quickly (17m) and cruised to victory well before the end. It was one-nil h-t but on the hour they'd won it (60) from a second goal. Their third was easy peasy (90m) while Albion were mentally already in the changing room for the bus back down the M4. Seagulls got zero shots on target and only two off. We couldn't even kick those Welsh off the park. White shirts cut thru our red&black outfit and you could read all about it in black and white plus subtitles when crossing the Severn Bridge. They were good, we were very average and signings seemed a tad same old. Oh dear, so much for revolution2 mark2. What a let down already.
Kuipers, Whing, Virgo, Elphick, J Wright (El-Abd), Thornhill, Navarro, Crofts (M Wright), Cox, Dickinson (Murray), Forster.

Season 9 (A) 8/1/08 JPT s-f - 0-1
Brighton went to the windy and rainy Liberty Stadium three days after being dumped out of the FAC3 by Mansfield at woeful Withdean. There had been something of a fans backlash, especially when Mr Knight announced on radio proposed substantial additions to our squad. Reasonable league form had slipped of late and three players had left - O'Callaghan and Richards back to Ipswich and Savage out of contract. To compound Wilkins problems, Hammond, Butters and Robinson were injured, while Whing and Reid went sick. Fogden got a first team debut and Hart a spot on the bench as Albion were a patched up outfit.
Swansea went ahead on 9 min with a free header and it looked all over, bar the pitch getting waterlogged. City were top of the table and as slick as could be. Slowly Albion thwarted threat of an avalanche and worked a way back into this tie. Wilkins had a little chat to the lads, who were playing with a defensive midfield diamond. In the second period our boys made a better fist of it and Swans were not floating off with an easy victory. Kuipers did his bit but Lynch got crocked. The back four was still home grown after subbing. Hart came on from out in the wilderness. Our front pair chased about but couldn't make best of service they received. Revell punted over. Cox got a one on one but goalie saved. There was plenty of fight in this makeshift unit but no breaks to force the tie into penalties. Unfortunately defeated but definitely not disgraced.
Kuipers, Fogden, Elphick, El-Abd, Lynch (Rents), Martot, Fraser, Cox, Loft (Hart), Revell (Elder), Forster.

Season 9 (A) 29/9/07 - 0-0
This return to Morfa was scheduled for a 1.30 k-o on a cloudy but mild day in Swans September stadium schedule. Something to do with Wales, cup rugby and an afternoon getting another stiffener after those English had come over again. Only 11000 turned up, which was ok by us but meant a fairly quiet lunch time as nil-nil prevailed throughout. Still it was nice to look around the super venue and make notes for a confirmed Falmer future. Martin Perry probably had architects drawings on his desk while we watched and you read. It's gonna be green and sustainable for our new icon, whereas we only had to park & ride here off the M4 coz them Welsh take all the parking spaces at that huge retail park next door. Eat your heart out LDC, FPC and CPRE etc.
Hinshelwood, Reid and Lynch were injured, while walking wounded El-Abd made the bench. Robinson was dropped and Mayo, Hart and Fraser didn't seem to figure now. Richards had come from Ipswich to join GO'C on loan but Frenchman Martot cried off with a dodgy back. This fixture developed into a backs to the wall affair, so just as well we took no chances. Albion had lost all three previous away contests (Crewe, Tranmere and Gillingham) so needed a first shut out. In fact we'd got one goal in the net over three visits, where build-up was ok but finishing er, rubbish. It might have gone against B'ton here but City were off form too. Our defence played a blinder, midfield buggered about and strikers wandered about for an hour and a half. At the death Savage rattled the crossbar. He, Revell and Forster needed some rugby coaching in running with the ball.
Kuipers, Whing, Elphick, Butters, Richards, Savage, O'Callaghan, Hammond, Cox, Revell, Forster (Loft)
League 1 P 8 . W 3 D 1 L 4 . F 10 A 10 . Pt 10 Po 12

Season 8 (A) 21/4/07 - 1-2 ~ Revell
It was a nice day for this end of season affair. A useful turn-out by Albion's devoted swelled a Welsh crowd to nearly 12000. They made plenty of noise too and some of their singing was in tune as you'd expect. There had been some sh!te flying in build up, during a week of reaction to verbal abuse at Withdean. Brighton were on a losing run and falling nearer the drop zone than mid-table. The season was tailing off into oblivion and was a tad disappointing to say the least. Still, it was great for Brighton fans to be in a new stadium again and pretend to be at a pukka Championship match instead. The place was a bit like Derby, Leicester or possibly Southampton in appearance.
Revell nodded in a Rents free kick to open scoring on 14 minutes. Away form had been pretty good compared to home results and this coulda been a game to go on and win. Er, no, we lost coz Swans tried even harder to get a result for a shot at those play-offs they blew out in last term. They showed a modicum of class to take chances, try to, want to and then to score twice, as we stood back and watched 'em play. Brighton huffed and puffed second period to get an equaliser but same old story of no finish for any amount of build up. Cox hit a post and Robinson, Butters and Elder went close but no cigar. Wilkins seemed pleased, although he wasn't really serious about this less than average line-up for '07/8 surely - or was he?
Flinders, Mayo, Rehman, Butters, Rents, Hart (Elder), El-Abd (Ward), Bertin, Cox, Revell, Savage (Robinson).
League 1 P 44 . W 14 D 10 L 20 . F 47 A 55 . Pt 52 Po 17

Season 3 (A) 16/10/01 LDV1 - 2-1 ~ Lehmann, Steele
Far be it for Brighton fans to question authority figures but officially eighty-seven attended to support us on a Tuesday evening in old south Wales. It might just as well have remotely been somewhere other side of the world masquerading as knockout tourist entertainment, on an otherwise busy fortnightly schedule for all points north in regular div2 fare. For a kick-off we'd already been to Cardiff at end of September in the same week as a 'local' trip to Wycombe and both still had 'southern section' written all over them for a possible LDV trophy round two venue. This term that mickey mouse competition for lower league clubs had been restructured to begin earlier, thus avoiding a clash with FA Cup round one but hey ho... Anyway Swansea has a nice sandy beach although mid October wasn't perhaps perfect for only having centenary shirt protection from a prevailing sou'-wester. Also those natives could be a bit unfriendly, they're Welsh and know they are - even their mascot was a complete... Cyril the Swan was nicked once for pitch encroachment and fined by FA in Wales who apparently overlooked some more serious 'previous' - GBH by all accounts. Swansea were supposed to move onto a site of an old athletics stadium at Morfa but as Brighton fans knew only too well, time would tell. Micky Adams and Alan Cork didn't last that long at either Vetch Field or Withdean and how long did John Hollins have? Their fans liked to protest too and could be fearsome to those authorities whether local or club, especially when singing from the same sheet - which altogether, sounded quite nice at least.
The valleys were resonating to rhythm when Swans put one in our nest. Newly manager-less Seagulls looked sunk and sold out up river. Caretaker Bob Booker went with a reserve team turnout, un-used subs being Ramsay, Marney, Wilkinson and Hammond. All those kids including Virgo had a seat on the bench for the very first time this term. In fact apart from Rambo those others couldn't muster more than 10 appearances between 'em. A vast majority of BHA devoted missed Lehmann's headed equaliser and subsequently ever witnessing him score at all. In 12 apps for Albion that was it and his career total now was 2. Steele bagged a late winner after pouncing on a ball off the bar. That shut Cyril up too.
Kuipers, Watson (Virgo), Wicks, Crosby, Morgan, Jones, Pitcher, Melton, Pethick, Lehmann, Steele.

Season 1 (A) 18/12/99 - 0-2
West Wales on the Saturday before Christmas is what you might call a computer glitch. Yet 200 odd obsessive compulsives got to Vetch Field and forgot local shopping. They could have stayed at home and got wet! Albion's squad was also decimated. To make matters worse apart from injuries, selection became a problem due to a flu virus. This effectively reduced senior pro's numbers in the sixteen to travel. Micky Adams fielded four new faces and even contemplated management staff playing! A plea to postpone fell on deaf ears. It never rains but...
Lorenzo Pinamonte an on loan striker, made his first appearance. The young, tall Italian was looking for a club in this country and did enough to warrant further inspection. Ryan Palmer played in what was to be his one and only game for Albion. Youth team members, Shaun Wilkinson and Chris McPhee then came on as subs, in some kind of dual debut, record breaking age thingy. Campbell got sent off. Brighton predictably crashed to defeat.
Ormerod, Watson, McPherson, Cullip, Crosby, Campbell, Palmer (Wilkinson), Rogers, Oatway, Aspinal (McPhee), Pinamonte.
Div 3 (League 2) P 21 . W 7 D 6 L 8 . F 30 A 26 . Pt 27 Po 15