As the Seagulls entered into March, they were in a complete mess…adrift in the relegation zone, little confidence and seemingly unable to string a run of results together.
However, there was hope on the horizon…following the departure of one time legend Micky Adams, Russell Slade had been appointed manager.
Slade had a proven track record wherever he went and with the addition of 5 new loan signings, including the prolific Lloyd Owusu and Stockport Stalwart Gary Dicker, there was renewed optimism as they approached their ‘derby’ match with Leyton Orient.
Sadly it wasnt a good start for the new boss as the side went down 2-1 despite taking an early lead. It got worse 3 days later when Southend beat their southern counterparts with relative ease.
The next game, at home to Slades old club Yeovil, was hailed as having the importance of a ‘cup final’. The hype seemed to work and the team rose to the occassion, for one of the few times to date that season, as they trounced the Glovers 5-0. It was a massive confidence booster but,as was the story of the season, it failed to provide the launching pad for a decent run and the Seagulls lost 3 out of their next 4 games at Walsall, Scunthorpe and MK Dons. These were sandwiched by a goaless draw at home to Tranmere.
A win at Hereford, twelve years on from the great Edgar Street escape of 1997, gave the Sussex side hope but they just couldnt maintain any sort of consistency and a poor defeat at home to Swindon had many fearing what looked like being the inevitable with just 5 games remaining…and if you’d said at that point in time, that it would be the last defeat of the season, you’d probably have been laughed at!
Going into the away fixture with a Colchester side who’d already won at the Withdean, no one really gave Brighton much hope but they defied the odds as an Owusu strike gave them a 1-0 win, this was swifly followed by a brilliant 2-1 victory at Bristol Rovers and then a convincing 3-1 victory at home to Oldham.
At last, they were putting a run together and the timing couldnt have been better, the win against the Lactics lifted the Albion out of the relegation zone for the first time in months and going into the final 2 games, their fate was in their own hands.
The upturn in form could be attributed to many factors but in paricular, Slades managerial know how, Owusu’s goals and the rejeuvanation in form of players like Gary Hart, Dean Cox and Andrew Whing.
Huddersfield’s retiring legend Andy Booth scored in his last ever home game for the Yorkshire club but could not prevent Brighton from gaining a valuable point in a hard fought 2-2 draw.
After a season of upheaval and uncertainty, it all came down to the last game against Stockport, who’s manager Jim Gannon had recently turned down the Seagulls manager job , a win would keep the Albion up…anything else could possibly have meant relegation depending on results elsewhere.
On a nail biting Saturday afternoon in the Sussex sun, Brighton scraped past their opponents 1-0 to ensure survival. It was veteran striker Nicky Forster who came to the rescue with a second half effort that secured all three vital points.
Incredibly, Brighton finished in 16th, 5 places off the relegation zone but there was no masking the fact that it had been a poor campaign and that changes were urgently needed if they were going to fulfil their aim of championship football by the time the new stadium at Falmer was built.
The Sussex club acted quicky, manager and saviour Russell Slade was offered a more permanent deal and 14 players were released in a huge clearout.
More significantly though was appointment of Tony Bloom as chairman and his cash injection which secured the stadium and the future of the club. Existing chairman Dick Knight was made life president.Suddenly the clouds are lifting and things are looking Brighton the south coast.
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