Brighton 1 Crystal Palace 1
This fixture is known for its toxicity.
The clubs are 55 miles apart. Portsmouth and Southampton are nearer Brighton – Charlton and Millwall nearer Crystal Palace – so you cannot call call it a derby, although it is has been termed the M25 or M23 derby.
Both of these are geographically inaccurate as the M25 is much nearer South London and the M23 closer to Brighton.
The rivalry is based on a number of controversial decisions, mainly when Alan Mullery was boss at Brighton.
In one game against Crystal Palace, where Terry Venables was in charge, and he and Mullery did not get on as players at Spurs, Brighton were made by referee Ron Challis to retake a penalty.
Thereafter he was known as “Challis of the Palace”.
Mullery threw his loose change on the pitch. The two sets of fans hate each other.
More recently than the Mullery/Venables debacle, Brighton lost a semi-final play-off to Crystal Palace.
Somebody defecated in the Palace dressing room and Brighton gaffer Gus Poyet wrongly accused Brighton fans.
The one player that Brighton love to hate is Wilfred Zaha.
That he was away on Africa Nations Cup duty – as was Yves Bissouma of Brighton – was one explanation why the game was less toxic than normal.
An old friend was due from London – we were to meet yesterday -but the station area is one to avoid when Palace are in town so we rearranged the date.
As is often the case, last night Brighton dominated but it was Palace who took the lead through Conor Gallagher.
He has had a terrific season.
He has been the target of homeopathic taunts, but not yesterday because a chant you used to hear from opposing fans at the Amex was “We can see you holding hands”, to which Brighton fans would respond “You are too ugly to be gay”.
However, any form of prejudice chanting is now off-limits in this most liberal of cities.
Deservedly Brighton scored a late equaliser – a feature of recent games is the late goal.
Brighton are still in the upper half – just behind Manchester United, Tottenham and Arsenal – but, most importantly, above Crystal Palace.
