- Published
Brighton's 125th anniversary celebrations could not have gone much better.
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celebrations → publish → ?
Decked out in specially-made commemorative kit, Fabian Hurzeler's side produced a performance befitting the occasion.
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side → deck → occasion
A home game against Arsenal had the potential to put a dampener on the festivities but instead Brighton marmalised the defending Premier League champions.
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Brighton → have → champions
A record crowd of 31,944 were at the Amex Stadium to witness it, roaring their side on to the most comprehensive of 3-0 wins.
Pascal Gross fired them in front, Charalampos Kostoulas drilled in the second on the stroke of half-time and Chema Andres' header made it three after the break.
They had the chances to add to that lead but three was more than enough and the celebrations in the stands had started long before the final whistle.
"It was a special one, not only because we played against maybe the best team in England but because of the performance," Hurzeler told BBC Match of the Day.
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Hurzeler → witness → Day
"The boys started really intense, they won their personal duels, played good in possession and created chances.
"
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they → start → chances
I'm really proud of my team, hopefully they enjoy it today because these kind of moments are important to enjoy."
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kind → enjoy → moments
From near oblivion to Europe and beating the champions of England on the club's milestone day, this is the Seagulls' remarkable story...
It is Thursday, 9 November, 2023.
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It → beat → day
Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi is addressing his players in the Amsterdam Arena before their Europa League tie with Ajax.
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Zerbi → address → Ajax
"There's 3,000 Brighton fans in this stadium tonight," said the Italian.
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Italian → be → stadium
"But there's more than twice that number in the city who have travelled over.
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who → be → city
Remember that when you go on to that pitch."
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you → remember → pitch
A long-standing senior Brighton official was in the dressing room that day.
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official → stand → room
A fan first and foremost, but someone who has spent almost three decades working for the club.
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who → spend → club
"It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up," he said.
For some clubs, an encounter with Ajax is commonplace.
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encounter → make → Ajax
"The royalty of European football," says the official.
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official → say → football
"From where we've come from, to be in that environment.
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we → come → environment
It was a pinch-me moment."
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It → pinch → me
Brighton won 2-0.
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Brighton → win → ?
Ask Paul Samrah for his single most memorable moment as a Brighton fan and a very different answer comes back, which goes to the heart of why, as they celebrate their 125th birthday around the visit of Arsenal, the Seagulls are almost unique among English clubs.
August 2007.
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Seagulls → ask → clubs
"After the years of campaigning, the days and nights I spent fighting for regime change and then for the stadium, the moment I heard we'd actually got planning permission, that our objectors had decided not to continue their fruitless efforts to stop the stadium," he explained.
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he → spend → stadium
"We'd won our battle."
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We → win → battle
The two stories highlight the before and after reality of Brighton & Hove Albion.
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stories → highlight → Brighton
Formed in 1901, Brighton were a Southern League club for almost two decades before they were voted into the Football League.
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they → form → League
They had experienced only seven seasons in Division Two when they were promoted to the top flight for the first time in 1979.
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they → experience → 1979
For years, they were known outside Sussex chiefly for "And Smith must score..." - the BBC radio commentary, delivered by the late Peter Jones, at a critical point during the 1983 FA Cup final, late in extra time.
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Smith → know → time
It was the moment when Gordon Smith, clear on goal with a chance to earn Brighton their first major trophy, saw his shot saved by Manchester United goalkeeper Gary Bailey.
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shot → earn → Bailey
United won the replay.
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United → win → replay
But in 1995, chairman Bill Archer sold Brighton's Goldstone Ground, their home since 1902, because of escalating debts that there was no obvious way of paying.
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Archer → sell → debts
Fans were not consulted and no alternative stadium was put in place.
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stadium → consult → place
Brighton did not leave until 1997, although their final season at the Goldstone was only confirmed by the property company who owned the stadium, after the final game of the 1995-96 campaign, which had to be abandoned as thousands of furious fans spilled on to the pitch to demonstrate against the ownership.
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thousands → leave → ownership
Both crossbars were snapped amid the tumult.
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crossbars → snap → tumult
After two seasons playing 70 miles away at Gillingham, and with the idea of a new stadium in the Toad's Hole Valley area of Brighton a non-starter, the club returned to the city in 1999 and started playing at Withdean Stadium, most famous for being the home athletics track of Olympic middle distance gold medallist Steve Ovett.
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club → play → Ovett
That brings us back to De Zerbi's pre-match team-talk at Ajax.
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That → bring → Ajax
Brighton had more than 7,000 fans in Amsterdam that night.
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Brighton → have → Amsterdam
When they moved into the Withdean, its capacity was only 6,000.
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capacity → move → Withdean
The modern Brighton really is a totally different club to the one that existed before.
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that → exist → one
"After the 1983 FA Cup final, players were sold, there was no investment, the Goldstone was decaying and the crowds were dipping," said Samrah.
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Samrah → sell → final
"There was no communication between board and fans, directors came and went.
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directors → be → board
Former Football Association executive director David Davies got involved, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott overturned a rejected planning application for Brighton's current stadium in Falmer.
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Prescott → involve → Falmer
Former chairman Dick Knight stabilised a club that in 1997 came within 27 minutes of being relegated out of the Football League.
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that → stabilise → League
…and 26 more, not listed.
The Aporia
