Up the Albion: Are Brighton Wembley Bound?

Mark Brailsford dreams of Wembley and ’83

So, the superstitious types start cooking-up convoluted paths for the road to Wembley, the old songs are sung once more in the pubs of Brighton, are the Seagulls on their way back to Wembley? This is a no pressure, joyous occasion for Albion’s players to go out and not only enjoy themselves but avenge defeat at the Amex in the League Cup when a churlish Kenny Dalglish refused to credit how well Albion played that night. Has there ever been a better time to face a Liverpool team who are riven by internal strife over the Luis Suarez racism issue, which rumbles on even now. Liverpool’s misguided attempt to defend the indefensible looked increasingly bad when a ‘supporter’ was arrested for making monkey faces at Patrice Evra during the match with Manchester United.

Then the Liverpool club website carried the image in their highlights package. Doh! Will this club never learn? Albion might fancy their chances. Remember the last time Albion beat Liverpool at Anfield? Liverpool were easily the best team in England at the time, they were arguably the best in Europe. But Albion triumphed that day in ’83 and have never been beaten at Anfield in an FA Cup match and the current squad are a better team than the one that played in that match.

“Not a bad result in the end and a good time/beer was had by all”

Then factor in the possession based game that Gus Poyet’s men habitually play with the fact that The Kop will soon get on the backs of the Liverpool players once Albion show their style of play. Then factor in the six and a half thousand raucous Albion fans who will doubtlessly out-sing the Kop and the scene is set for another famous, Albion Cup victory. Worth a bob or two.

A good away draw

So, not quite revenge but a satisfying result from a tense and atmospheric match in deepest darkest South London. Gus was disappointed with the draw which is a fair reflection (all right, I am biased!). I’ll leave the match reporting to others as my task is to reflect on things Albion. On a general note there has been some questioning of relevance of the rivalry with Crystal Palace. But for most Albion fans who know their history, this will always be the game that matters. Not a bad result in the end and a good time/beer was had by all. One thing that was impressive about the depressing environs of Selhurst Park was the pre-match flying of their mascot.

And no I don’t mean they hoik a seven-year-old boy in a Palace strip up a flag pole, I’m referring to a real eagle. It’s a magnificent creature that flies around the pitch landing on its handler’s arms after swooping around the ground, untroubled by the noise created by the crowd. Well, the Albion fans anyway. Perhaps stadium management team can be induced to train a seagull to swoop around the Amex for Palace’s next visit? Train a herring gull to load up on the takeaway leftovers from West Street of a Friday night, then let the seagull ‘recycle’ the results on the away end? Just a thought.