TONIGHT Withdean Stadium will see the return of one of it’s former legends.
Nicky Forster will be making his first appearance at Withdean Stadium in five months after a very public dispute over a contract with Brighton manager, Gus Poyet.
The feud started when Forster, 38, announced he was on the transfer list via the popular TV channel, Sky Sports News. This was news to anyone at the club, and the clash of personalities between Forster and Poyet meant that Forster was dropped from the all important relegation clash away at Leyton Orient.
Forster and Poyet may not see eye to eye, but Forster was adored by the Brighton fans and should be getting a great reception, and deservedly so. He came to Withdean in 2007, for a bargain fee of £75,000.
In that time he became club captain and scored an impressive 40 goals in his 98 appearances, including the 200th of his career, before Poyet shipped him out to Charlton Athletic.
After his release in the summer, tonight Forster runs out as Brentford’s number 8, and if the reception for former Albion players and managers this season is anything to go by, Forster will be greeted with a generous round of applause and standing ovation. The same happened to Russell Slade, Dean Cox and Paul Dickov, although Jason Jarrett’s return went largely unnoticed.
No doubt ‘Fozzy’ will do what all former players will do, and score against his former team, but if he does score how will he react? Younger players, like Tommy Elphick called him ‘a model pro,’ but seeing Forster over the years, he does like to wind up the opposition fans.
Should he score, will he ‘do a Cox?’ or ‘do a Hammond?’
A win for Brighton will see them maintain or even increase their lead at the summit of League One, before they make the trip to Prenton Park on Saturday, to take on rock bottom, Tranmere Rovers.
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