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The Most Unusual Derby In Football?

  • Writer: eddieettridge
    eddieettridge
  • Dec 4, 2018
  • 4 min read

One side looks north, one side looks south. One is red and blue, the other is blue and white. The Seagulls, The Eagles, it's Brighton And Hove Albion v Crystal Palace. Otherwise known as the M23 derby. It is one of the most unusual derbies in England and may seem rather odd and uninteresting for fans outside of these football clubs. For Brighton and Palace fans, this game means everything.


The two clubs are separated by forty five miles along the M23. Crystal Palace being based in South London and Brighton in East Sussex along the south coast of England. The rivalry began back in 1976 when Alan Mullery was Brighton manager and Terry Venebles was in charge of Palace. Both Mullary and Venebles were together as players at Tottenham but there had always been bad blood between the two. Terry Venebles showed jelousy towards Alan Mullery after he was given the captains armband at Spurs. After their retirements from playing professional football, they both took on managerial roles. Both Brighton and Palace were in the old Third Division, chasing promotion and this was a chance for Venebles to get some mighty revenge on his old enemy.


The teams played each other five times in their first seasons in charge. The ties included smoke bombs going off in the stands, fights between fans in the stadium and on the streets. Both sides won promotion that year, but neither secured the title.


The most dramatic game between the two was in the Venebles/Mullerey era on December 6th 1976, in an FA Cup replay at neutral ground Stamford Bridge. The game was postponed twice due to poor weather conditions in the UK at the time which gave supporters, the press and both managers time to say their words and hype up the rivalry. In the game, Palace took the lead before Brighton had a goal disallowed due to a Peter Ward handball. Although Palace captain at the time Jim Cannon shoved Ward in the back, in order for the Brighton man to handle the ball.


The most controversial moment took place with 12 minutes to go when Brighton had a penalty and scored it. Referee Ronald Challis ordered the spot kick to be retaken because a Brighton player had encroached into the penalty box whilst Brian Horton made contact with the ball. However, it turns out Challis was wrong and players of Crystal Palace made the encroachment into the box. The penalty was retaken and this time saved by the Palace goalkeeper. The match ended 1-0 to the Eagles.


At the end of the game Mullary who was furious at the referee, received abuse from Palace fans. The Brighton manager took out some change from his pocket, threw it onto the ground in front of the Palace fans and shouted 'That's all your worth Crystal Palace!' whilst doing rude gestures with his fingers. Both sides have hated each other ever since and that game will go down as the most dramatic between the two.


The rivalry has grown since then. In 1993 Crystal Palace changed their nickname from the Glaziers to the Eagles. A few years later before a match against Brighton, Palace fans were chanting 'Eagles! Eagles! Eagles!' around the town in Brighton. The Brighton fans needed a response to that chant. Albion's nickname at the time was called 'The Dolphins' which was then switched to the 'Seagulls.' The South London club find it amusing because they believe Brighton changed their nickname because of Palace.


The Eagles' most memorable match against Brighton was in 2013 in a Championship play-off semi final at the Amex Stadium after a 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park in the first leg. Palace legend Wilfried Zaha stole the show that night as he netted twice to send Palace not just threw to the final at Wembley against Watford but to the Premier League, seeing as Palace beat Watford in the final. Brighton had been looking up from below in the Championship for four years until they got promoted in 2017.


It was the same year as that play-off match the last time Brighton beat Palace at home in a league match at the Amex when the Seagulls dispatched Palace 3-0. Goals from Leonardo Ulloa and David Lopez secured a famous victory over their bitter rivals. The Seagulls fans still like to sing about Boxing Day in 1988 when they beat Palace 3-1 to continue dominating the Eagles throughout the 1980's.


2017/18 saw the sides meet in the Premier League for the very first time. The much waited league match at the Amex ended in a 0-0 draw. Another tie at the Amex would be played due to the third round draw in the FA Cup. The Seagulls winning the match 2-1 thanks to a late Glenn Murray goal. The Premier League tie at Selhurst Park ended in a 3-2 Palace victory to extend Albion's winless run at Selhurst Park to thirteen years.


The rivalry is a strange one to neutrals but for Brighton and Crystal Palace fans, it's everything.



 
 
 

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