Luke's Football blog

Crystal Palace vs. Brighton has been a rivalry since the 1970s, with some heated games in the past, but the rivalry didn’t really take off until the mid-1970s. In the summer of 1976, Terry Venebles was appointed manager of Crystal Palace, and his teammate at Tottenham, Allan Mullary, became Brighton’s manager. They had a rivalry when playing together at club level, with Mullary describing it as a “power dynamic” that would be ignited as they took over their respective clubs.

They were both given the same task, which was to get promoted, which started the rivalry between the clubs. In the first game between the clubs with Terry and Allan as managers, play was halted three times due to a smoke bomb and the game ended 1-1, but this would just be the start of the historic rivalry between the two clubs. Both clubs would soon end up being promoted together, with the Eagles having the bragging rights after finishing ahead of the Seagulls.

The rivalry was ignited further in 1982 when the Eagles appointed former Brighton manager Allan Mullary, which was met with hostility from the Palace fans as his record against the Seagulls as Palace boss was poor, losing both of his clashes against his former team. He would eventually leave two years later, in 1984, to the delight of palace fans. Both clubs were back in the same division in 1985, and the first match was a tense one as Brighton favourite Gerry Ryan saw his career end following a tackle from Palace defender Henry Hughton. This led to the winger breaking his leg in three different places, forcing him to retire. Then, after the game, there was violence between the two sets of fans, which was described as some of the worst violence seen.

Brighton dominated the rivalry in the 1980s, with the Eagles’ first win of the decade coming in 1986, when they were managed by fan favourite Steve Coppell. In April 1987, Brighton and Crystal Palace were at different parts of the table, as Brighton was near the bottom and Crystal Palace was fighting for the newly introduced playoffs. That led to a fiery encounter as Brighton stopped the Eagles’ playoff push, beating them 2-0, which led to fiery scenes in the crowd that day. That season, Palace missed out on the playoffs by two points, while Brighton were relegated.

Brighton were promoted the next year, which brought back the rivalry after a year’s absence, and the first game started with a bang. In the first game back, it broke the English Football League record for most penalties given in a game, with Palace being given 4 of the pens, three of which they missed, but they still won the game with goals from Ian Wright and Mark Bright, who would be key to Palace getting promoted to the first division. Brighton, however, stayed in the second division, where there would be fewer games between the two clubs over the years.

There were few games in the 1990s and 2000s as Brighton’s off-field problems caused them to fall down the leagues. In 2002, it was the first league match between the two clubs after a 13-year wait. The game was a thrashing as Palace came out 5-0 winners, but Brighton would soon get their revenge three years later with Paul McShane scoring a header to get Brighton their long-awaited win against their rivals.

The rivalry was reignited in the 2010s as Brighton made it to the championship in 2011, with Palace coming out 3-1 winners with former Seagull Glenn Murray scoring against his former club. This would be the first loss at Brighton’s new stadium, which would’ve hurt the club’s fans. Brighton would soon have the upper hand, finishing nine places ahead of their rivals, but the following year would be spectacular. 

The next season would be so spectacular as both teams would be fighting for promotion. They would end up playing a total of 4 times that season, with 2 being in the playoff semi-final, which Crystal Palace won after two goals by Palace legend Wilfried Zaha. The Eagles were promoted that season, while Brighton remained in the championship for a few more years until 2017, when they were promoted. 

In the top-flight games, there have been so many memorable games, with both sides having a few years where they dominated the derby. However, in recent years, Crystal Palace have dominated the derby, with Brighton failing to beat their rivals since 2019. This could all change as they face each other this Saturday, and with Brighton under De Zerbi in fine form, it could all change. However, in derby games, it’s all up for grabs, and it’s about who’s willing to fight for their team on the day.

Vieira’s men don’t come into the game in fine form, as they still haven’t gotten a win in 2023, and if that doesn’t change, they could face the fear of being plunged into the relegation dogfight. The team could possibly be without star man Wilfried Zaha for the game, which is a huge blow as he is the man who usually steps up for them, and with not long left on his contract, they could possibly have to buy a replacement for him.

This game will be crucial for both clubs and would be a massive boost to either team if they win. Brighton are in sixth place and could push for Europe, while Palace are in 12th place and Europe appears to be out of the question. They will hopefully aim to finish in the top half this season, which would be a solid campaign for them.