The prospect of watching Brighton in Europe now feels real

The day before the big game against Newcastle United and it was off to the Amex on Friday lunchtime to watch the Europa League draw beamed live into the Mayo Wynne Baxter Lounge.

There was a healthy attendance present and all were excited and in good spirits. As the draw was made, everyone seemed happy with the outcome and the prospect of watching Brighton in Europe suddenly felt very real.

Ajax, Marseille, AEK Athens… it is actually happening. The last year has not been a dream. Mr Paul Barber and Mr Paul Camillin really were in Monaco, representing Brighton and rubbing shoulders with other top clubs in Europe. We all felt so proud.

The draw was shown on a big screen but the sound quality was not up to standard. Nobody seemed to have thought to check the kit before running with it in front of a live audience. I know the importance of this as a I lecture online a lot of the time.

Never mind, I turned on my Sky Go app and watched the draw from my phone. Technology these days and the way it allows us to do this is marvellous.

I remember many years ago a day in Hailsham buying a mini black and white television. That seemed magic back then.

Goodness knows what young me would have thought of watching TV through a mobile telephone device kept in my pocket, let alone what I was watching being to do with the Albion playing in Europe.

Once the draw was completed, everyone started talking about which games they would be going to. As luck would have it, the fixtures have fallen so that the opening home match against AEK is when we are on holiday. I will have to settle for cheering on from Madeira.

Everything looks good for the other two home games, however. As for the away matches, well… my dear wife said early on there was no way we could afford to go to any of them.

I got a bit Victor Meldrew about that before realising that she was right and we cannot have everything in life we wish for.

Then low and behold, she won something on the Premium Bonds. The first thing she said to me was that she would treat us to a city break tied into a Europa League away game.

I was so excited, even though the chances of us getting tickets are very slim with only five percent of the ground going to away fans. We will pre-register for everything and what happens, happens. To even be talking about going to Marseille or Amsterdam to watch Brighton feels unbelievable.

There was another big moment this week when the postman delivered a copy of Seagulls Best Ever Season Volume 2 which I had asked Bruce in the club press office if there was any chance of Roberto De Zerbi signing.

Mister De Zerbi very kindly did so and the book now sits pride of place on the dresser at home. Thank you to all who have sent such nice comments about it, including Mr Barber on the recent Zoom call for fans about arrangements for the Europa League.

That was another example of technology being wonderful. I do have a gripe though. Does anyone else with a Samsung device like myself find the ‘more’ tab fails to work on the Albion App?

Nobody really seems to know or care how to fix it at supporter services. Maybe it is too techie or they do not think life exists outside of Apple?

Facing Newcastle to round off such an exciting week had the potential to bring us all back down to earth. Having watched the four-part Amazon Prime series on Newcastle earlier in the week, I was quite worried that they would be in determined mood to bounce back from two defeats in a row.

They did come out all guns blazing but apart from the opening few minutes which left me a bit twitchy in the East Upper, Brighton were awesome.

It was a sell out crowd, the sun shone and the Albion nearly reversed the scoreline which had seen us lose 4-1 at St James’ Park in May.

An early break for Alexander Isak was well diverted by Jan Paul van Hecke, who did so well as to even earn Brighton a goal kick – much to the away fans’ disgust!

Pascal Gross and Solly March played a one-two with March letting fly a shot from the right just past the far post. With his second attempt of the game, March went for the near post and Nick Pope had to shuffle it away for a corner.

Bart Verbruggen made his first save when parrying away a Miguel Almiron cross deflected towards goal by Albion captain Lewis Dunk. Will we see him in an England shirt this week?

Next came the first piece of Evan Ferguson magic of the evening. It all started with Dunk playing a long ball over the top for Kaoru Mitoma to chase.

Pope came right out of his area to get there first, but his clearance was not the best and landed at the feet of Pervis Estupinan.

Estupinan beat his marker on a run towards goal. He then laid off to Mitoma, whose placed shot was kept out by the foot of Pope.

The ball flew to the edge of the D where Billy Gilmour was rapidly approaching at high speed and let off a cracking effort. It hit Pope at full pace, bouncing off the stomach of the Newcastle goalkeeper as if his body were made of steel.

Ferguson was quickest to react to the situation, finishing off the rebound so calmly for a real poacher’s goal. With 27 minutes played, the crowd went berserk.

Newcastle tried to bounce back straight away. Anthony Gordon launched a move down the left followed by a good cross which Joelinton put wide by a few feet.

Eddie Howe has a good record as a manager against Brighton and many of us knew the second half would be not easy.

Newcastle have many players who supported their club as children and as shown in the Prime documentary, that passion can often give them an edge. Not to mention that their bosses don’t take lightly to failure!

Not on this occasion though. Our former Seagull Dan Burn let his will to win go too far the other way and picked up a yellow card for shirt pulling before the 65th minute and a masterclass in finishing arrived.

Gilmour slid in on the centre circle to help the ball into Ferguson, who turned and advanced 10 yards towards goal without any sort of Newcastle tackle.

Ferguson then picked his spot from at least 30 yards out, placing the ball expertly into the bottom corner with so much accuracy. I have watched it back about 100 times now and it just gets better on each viewing. A real Roy of the Rovers goal.

Gordon had an opportunity a short time later which he put wide of the post. Nothing was going Newcastle’s way but you still had to credit the Albion for making them look so poor.

A third Brighton goal would kill the game off. It arrived in the 70th minute from – guess who – that wonderful man Ferguson.

His shot took a slight deflection off Fabian Schar to beat Pope, leaving Newcastle with no way back and a long journey home – especially for their fans thanks to the evening kick off and train strike.

De Zerbi seemed to enjoy the third goal before attention turned to trying to maintain the clean sheet. That did not quite happen as Callum Wilson pulled one back in the 92nd minute, breezing past Van Hecke and slotting beyond Verbruggen to make it Brighton 3-1 Newcastle.

And so everyone left the Amex with another three points in the bag. We headed to the Bridge car park, knowing it would be another two weeks before Brighton are back in action thanks to the international break.

The Albion next to go to Old Trafford to face Manchester United, who must be feeling pretty peeved after their late defeat at Arsenal on Sunday 3rd September… the day war broke out in 1939.

After that, the games come thick and fast. AEK at the Amex on the Thursday, Bournemouth on the Sunday, Chelsea in the Carabao Cup on the Wednesday and then off to Aston Vila on the Saturday. Can you keep up?!

Tony Noble @Noble1844Tony

Seagulls Best Ever Season Volume 2 charts Brighton’s record breaking 2022-23 campaign through the eyes of Tony Noble, an East Stand Upper season ticket holder at the American Express Stadium. It is available from Waterstones, WHSmith, Amazon Bookstore and all good bookshops as well as the Albion Superstore at the Amex and via this link.