A quick history of Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion FC known more commonly as Brighton is an English football team that has recently returned to the top league of English football, the Premier League.
The club has a rich history surrounding its name and crest. Their history is also full of relative success and also struggles.
The Name
Many ask where the club got its name from. And the story dates back over 100 years. Founded in 1901 as Brighton & Hove United, the team shared the city with Hove United FC, who where not happy with the name. Later that same year the team changed to Albion.
They replaced the defunct team, Brighton & Hove Rangers in the Southern League. It was in this league that they won their only national silverware, the FA Charity Shield, where they beat Aston Villa, who played in the Football League and were champions. This was in 1910. They reached the third division in 1920.
The Crest
Their first crest, which was used from 1945 until 1975 was a traditional coat of arms. It was designed to show the two townships of Brighton and Hove. It was a perfect balance of the Hove shield and the Brighton dolphin, however it was only the shield that was worn on the shirt during the 50’s.
During the 1974-75 season the team would earn their first nickname: The Dolphins, thanks to the crest. Although this was short lived. During an incident surrounding a match with rivals Crystal Palace, the visiting fans began chants of “Eagles, Eagles” to which the home team responded with “Seagulls, Seagulls”. In 1977, a seagull was introduced to the crest to honour this nickname.
The Seagull remained until 1998. The new chairman, Dick Knight, wanted to break away from the past. During the 2001-02 season, the emblem featured no seagull whatsoever. To honour the centenary of the club, the crest returned to represent the traditional shields of Brighton and Hove. The modern crest shows martlets and coral to represent the sea and Brighton. There is also a ship representing Hove and honouring the French attacks on the city during the 16th Century.
Playing in the Top League
The club has only been able to play at the top league of English football for a limited time. Their first appearance came in the 1978-79 season but they were relegated soon after in the 1982-83 season. They would not appear again until 2017-18 and are still playing in the Premier League.
Support Brighton & Hove Albion FC
Show your support to your favourite team and your faith in them. Sites such as ComeOn Odds offer bets on every game of the Premier League. If you want to win when your team wins, show them how much you believe in them with a cheeky bet and make some extra cash too. IF they win, you win.
This is a toast, to Brighton staying in the Premier League for many years to come!
