Brighton & Hove Albion’s Chief Executive, Paul Barber has praised the club for their progress in 26 years.
1997 saw the club sell their former home – Goldstone Ground and have to play their home games at Gillingham’s Priestfield Stadium – having avoided relegation to non league by virtue of goals scored at end of 1996-97 season.
Brighton eventually secured a 13-year lease on Withdean Stadium from start of 1999-2000 season, but moved to their current home – AMEX Stadium at commencement of 2011-12 season.
Fast-forward 26 years later, the Seagulls are now prearing for their first-ever UEFA Europa League campaign, achieved with a sixth-placed league finish last season, which will see Brighton face Ajax, Marseille and AEK Athens in the Group Stage this Autumn.
Brighton’s Chief Executive, Paul Barber reflected upon their journey across the last 26 years, as he quipped: “European football was a pipe dream for fans back then.
“It was only about survival. Having somewhere to play football that wasn’t in Gillingham, and outside club’s home city, the place of its birth.
“So everything that has happened for 25 years and the last decade is testament to the hard work from a lot of people from different eras.”
Barber went on to pay tribute to former and current Chairmen – Dick Knight and Tony Bloom, as he added: “You had Dick Knight and everything he did to save the club, and then into Tony Bloom’s era and the vision he had to make us a Premier League club – and the money to make that happen.”
Back in 1997 for two seasons, fans were forced to endure a 150-mile trip to Gillingham for home matches but now face a 1,500 mile journey to Athens, Greece, for an European tie.
Barber proceeded to admit that fans are likely to relish a flight to Athens than a visit to Gillingham now, as he continued: “There is a certain irony in there that fans used to have to make a 150-mile round trip to a home game in Kent – but may now be a lot happier about going to Athens to watch the team play 1,500 miles away!
“I’m sure they will make that trip and much prefer it to those days at Gillingham, because they would never have imagined this would be possible.”
Brighton have put together a three-game home package for their home matches in the Group Stage which Barber hopes demonstrates “the incredible faith and commitment of the fans, who bought blind despite not knowing who or when we would be playing.”
Such has been Roberto De Zerbi’s impact in the 12 months since he arrived as manager to replace Graham Potter, Barber acknowledged that fans now has “a broader awareness of Brighton and what we have done at European level and we seek to build the club’s profile with those who are not familiar with us.”
Barber went on to add that he had met fans ahead of the draw in Monaco last weekend who loved the team’s style of play, as he explained: “People were coming up in Monaco and saying they watch a lot of our football in the last two years and love the way we play.”