Brighton have become renowned for their success on and off the pitch but that is only half of the story. In some ways it is a miracle the Seagulls still exist at all
If 1995-96 birthed the anger and action of Brighton’s fanbase, the following season pushed them to the edge of reason and their club to the precipice. It also provoked a wave of concerted, nationwide campaigning of a like that English football had never seen before. And it might all have been for naught, were it not for one goal in one game.
That only accelerated the ill-feeling and the urgency of action. Different factions of the support believed in different approaches, but it was agreed that, to get national media exposure, they would need to be creative. The sheer variety of protests was groundbreaking. Some were spontaneous, others organised in the days before. Most were law-abiding, a few pushed the envelope. All were for the same cause: the world needs to know what is happening here.
Before that Saturday, Case’s replacement Steve Gritt had started with nine points from eight games, a clear improvement but far from enough to keep Brighton up. By late morning, supporters had started to gather. They had come from as far away as the United States, Germany and Spain, but most wore the shirts of English clubs who understood the grim truth: if this could happen to Brighton, it could happen to their club.
Brighton played eight more home league games in 1996-97 after Fans United Day. They won seven of those games and drew the other. Their last away league win of the season came on 2 November – that appalling record continued until the end. But at the Goldstone, as a fanbase prepared to say farewell to their home, Brighton gave themselves a shot at on-pitch redemption.The fortnight that changed everything began with the announcement that nobody dared believe in.
A week later, Brighton faced their judgement day and we meet our story where we started: half-time at Hereford. Kerry Mayo, Brighton-born, had scored an own goal and Albion trailed 1-0. The television reports show a row of supporters in the away end sat still with their hands up to their mouths or either side of their temple.
This was no short-term solution. Brighton stayed at Withdean Stadium for almost 12 years while their fight to build a new stadium continued. It was in March 1998 that a field in Falmer, between Sussex University and the A27, was first identified by Albion chief executive Martin Perry as a possible development site. It hosted its first game in August 2011.
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