SeagullsTom Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 Brighton and Hove Albion… …a small club. Punching above their weight… ...yet, their still here. Still in the Premier League, to fight for the chance to be in the best league in the world. ____________________________________________________________________________ A Brief History Formed in 1901, Brighton have not had the most illustrious history. Their only major honour coming in 1910 when they beat Football League Champions Aston Villa in the FA Charity Shield. The next 60 years brought mediocrity upon mediocrity, the club kept ticking over in the lower leagues of English football without as much of a splash. The 1970s and early 80s brought the most exciting period the club had seen to date. The chairman at the time was Mike Bamber, an ambitious and very wealthy man. Brian Clough followed him through the door to much fanfare, having only recently playing in the European Cup against Juventus. However, Clough found third division football a struggle. WInning just 12 of his 32 games in charge left Albion 19th in the league and Clough left to replace Don Revie at Leeds United - and we all know how that went. 1976. The year the club really kicked into gear. Alan Mullery took over and took Brighton and Hove Albion into the top flight for the first time in their history. This was a huge moment for the club and something that Mullery will always be remembered for. However, the legacy of Alan Mullery is something that runs deeper than simply a promotion to the first division. During this period in the history of Brighton the rivalry with Crystal Palace really began to ignite. Crystal Palace Terry Venables was the Palace manager at the time and there was already a strong feeling between himself and Mullery. The pair were to meet 5 times during the 76/77 season, however the most controversial (and interesting) tie came in the FA Cup First Round. The tie went through 2 replays until it was played at a neutral venue. Palace went 1-0 up in the 18th minute through a Paul Holder goal, moments later Brighton had the goal in the back of the net through Peter Ward - this was ruled out for handball it was later revealed that he had only handled the ball due to a shove from Palace’s defender Jim Cannon. The real controversy then assued in the 78th minute. A Brighton penalty, converted by Brian Horton would have put given Brighton the draw, however the referee forced a retake due to ‘encroachment’... the only players to be encroaching were players in Palace colours which Mullery branded a ‘terrible decision’. The game ended 1-0 to Palace who progressed through to the next round, however all was not over. As Mullery headed to the tunnel, he claimed that Palace fans had thrown boiling hot coffee over him. In response to this he reached into his pocket, took out a handful of change, threw it on the ground and exclaimed ‘that’s all you’re worth Crystal Palace’ accompanied with a variety of offensive hand gestures. The rivalry lived on, throughout the years. Despite the 45 miles between the clubs, despite the change of managers, despite the new generation of fans. Palace will always be Brighton’s main rival. Brighton’s only rival. The F.A. Cup Final “And Smith must score”. These are the words that resonate through every Brighton fan, no matter how young or old. This was the biggest moment in the clubs history, their best chance to win a major honour. The chance came very late in extra time, however it wasn’t meant to be. The game finished 2-2 and went to a replay. Manchester United came out on top winning 4-0, ruining Brighton’s only opportunity to win a trophy. They were relegated from the top division at the end of this season. The 1990’s and The Search for a Home The 1990’s almost sparked the end for Sussex’s only professional club. Relegation after relegation led to financial turmoil. Owner BIll Archer and Chief Executive David Bellotti had run the club into the ground. They had sold the clubs home, the Goldstone Ground, to a developer who turned the land into a retail park, and the club were 13 point adrift at the bottom of the table, which lost manager Jimmy Case his job. The unknown quantity Steve Gritt came in with the monumental task of saving the club - many say that if they had been relegated the club would have ceased to exist. Their form improved so much that all they needed to do was avoid defeat against Hereford on the last day of the season - who were routed to the bottom of the league. Kerry Mayo scored a first half own goal which would have sent Brighton into the abyss, however a late Robbie Reinelt goal sent the away fans into raptures and kept Brighton in the Football League, sending Hereford down in the process. The next 2 years Brighton were homeless and playing their ‘home’ games 70 miles away at the Priestfield Stadium - in perhaps the most ridiculous ground share ever. However in 1999, Brighton signed a lease to play at the Withdean Stadium - a local athletics track. This was meant to be a short-term solution, however it would take 11 years to move into their own home. The time at Withdean was not all bad however, they won 3 promotions in their time there and managed to take numerous scalps - most impressively beating newly rich Manchester City in the League Cup. Current owner Tony Bloom took over in 2009, funding the £93 million needed to build the Amex Stadium from his own back pocket. A fan of the club, who’s family has been on the club board for many years, made his fortune from poker, property and a sports gambling enterprise. However, his investment in the club has to be his greatest gamble, taking the club from League 1 strugglers to Premier League new boys. That was the history, what’s next… is yet to be written. ____________________________________________________________________________ Stadium Name: The American Express Community Stadium Built: December 2008 Capacity: 30,750. Squad Goalkeepers Maty Ryan has all the qualities to be the number 1 keeper this season, a good shot stopper who is very good with his feet. The only downfall is his height. Standing at just 6ft, he is not the tallest goalkeeper in the league. Tim Krul is a great number 2 and someone who will be very close to the number 1 jersey, a very experienced keeper who will do just as much work behind the scenes and on the pitch. Nikki Maenpaa and Christian Walton at number 3 and 4. Both are very good goalkeepers and Walton will most likely be looking at a loan a the top of League 1 or the Championship. Full-Backs Bruno is someone with vast experience at a very high level in Spanish football. However now heading towards the late end of 30 this is most likely his last season at a top level. One of the top performing fullbacks in recent years, the club captain and a real club legend - he will be getting his chance. Ezequiel Schelotto was brought in on deadline day to provide cover for the right back berth. A very good player going forward he is someone that will be looking to take advantage of Bruno’s age and take his chances when he gets them. Markus Suttner is an experienced Austrian left back who provides not only defensive stability, but a more than adequate option going forward. Gaetan Bong again is a great back-up. A powerful player, who does have a mistake in him. He will be looking to make his mark in the cup and push towards a league start. Liam Rosenior and Aleš Matějů are both back-up players who are at different ends of their careers. Rosenior is well versed in top level football and will provide a level head when times get tough. Matějů will most likely go out on loan, he needs the experience in order to make it at the top. Centre-Backs By far the 2 best centre-backs at the club are Lewis Dunk and Shane Duffy. They have the potential to be one of the best pairings outside of the top 6 and will have to perform at their very best if Brighton are going to do anything this season. Lewis Dunk has the extra incentive that the England squad is not overwhelmed with top quality centre-halves and if he performs well he will be in with a great shout of making the squad. Uwe Hunemeier and Connor Goldson are both great back-ups. However they lack top level experience which could be a problem if injuries hit Dunk or Duffy. Midfield Dale Stephens and Davy Propper are the 2 players who will be protecting the defence. Stephens is a hard hitting, hard working and reliable player. He’ll do the hard miles for Davy Propper who is able to create, but will also be asked to do his fair share of defending. Pascal Gross will play off the striker. Brought in over the summer for £3m, which is a snip when he created the most chances of any Bundesliga player in the 16/17 season - 95, whilst playing for a relegated side. In back-up there is veteran Steve Sidwell and Israeli Beram Kayal. Both solid players with a lot of experience which will definitely come in hand when the season kicks in. Jayson Molumby is the clubs brightest spark in the youth system. An Irish midfielder looks composed on the ball and will be looking at spending a year under Sidwell’s wing, before deciding whether to loan him out or get him involved in the 2nd season. Wide Areas Championship Player of the Season Anthony Knockaert is Brighton’s best player - the ability to create something from nothing and will be looking to prove he can play in the Premier League despite being replaced by Mahrez and Leicester. On the other side Jose Izquierdo, the clubs record signing, is someone who can create something from nothing. The columbian lit up Belgium football last season and will be looking to take that form into the Premier League. Solly March is a back-up who can play on both wings. A player who has recently come back from a very serious injury will be looking to make his impact from the bench - he’s quick and has 2 great feet. Could be the surprise package this season. Izzy Brown, Jiri Skalak and Jamie Murphy will also be looking to push into the first team squad - the former coming back off a great promotion winning season with Huddersfield. Strikers Glenn Murray is likely to start if the squad remains the same - Brighton’s top scorer last season will hopefully be able to get on the score sheet enough this season. Tomer Hemed and Sam Baldock will play back-up, however will know that they can start at any point as no striker is vastly superior to the other. A striker is needed in the transfer window. Tactics This season is all about consolidating and creating a solid defence to try to keep as many clean sheets as possible. 2 banks of 4 will hopefully contain the best sides and then aim to break quickly to catch sides on the counter attack. The 2 best players are our wingers so this is the best way to get up the pitch and with Murray up top, we have a striker who is great in the air and can hold the ball up very well. Gross will play a vital role in making sure the gap between the midfield and attack doesn’t grow too far. _________________________________________ Feel free to as any questions, I will look at updating as we go on closer to release- with a bit more indepth introduction to players etc. Also transfer targets/areas to strengthen are going to be a bit part over the next week or so before the first proper update! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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