Preview: Hull City vs. Brighton & Hove Albion

After the unusual event of the League Cup first round preceding the start of the league season, the “real” season opener has finally come around. Hull City and Brighton both struggled in the league cup last week. The Tigers needed a penalty shot-out to dispose of League Two Rotherham (Report) on Saturday while Brighton were thrashed 3-0 by League One Swindon Town live on TV on Tuesday evening.

Brighton are upwardly mobile under Gus Poyet and are keen to improve on last season’s 10^th place finish. They've shown ambition again this summer with the signings of Tomasz Kuszczak, Bruno and Wayne Bridge.

Brighton is not an opponent I look forward to facing. I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen City defeat them on a couple of fingers and they are responsible for possibly the most soul-destroying game of football I’ve ever witnessed. It’s November 1998. The Tigers are rock-bottom of the football league with 3 wins from 17 games and face mid-table Brighton at Boothferry Park. Despite the visitors playing most of the game with ten men and some of it with only nine, they run out comfortable 2-0 winners. Fortunately for our history, Warren Joyce turned the season around soon after.

Team news

City: Matty Fryatt (Achilles) and Andy Dawson (thigh) are unlikely to feature. Corry Evans has a small chance of being involved as does Seyi Olofinjana. Eldin Jakupovic is now eligible to play for The Tigers but has a hamstring injury. Sone Aluko is still awaiting international clearance.

Brighton: Craig Mackail-Smith (groin) and Kazenga Lua Lua (hamstring) both missed the Swindon game with slight injuries but should return. Will Hoskins will miss out with a broken toe but Will Buckley has a light chance of being involved as he also recovers from a hamstring injury.

Quick History Of Brighton & Hove Albion 

Formed: 1901 

Won: Nothing of any significance. A few lower division titles. 

Famous for: Their nomadic existence between 1997 and 2011 and losing the 1983 FA Cup Final Replay after a 4-0 defeat to Manchester United. 

Record Attendance: 36,747 vs. Fulham (1958) 

Record Victory: 10-1 vs. Wisbech Town (FA Cup 1965/66) 

Record Defeat: 0-9 vs. Middlesbrough (1958/59) 

Rivals: Crystal Palace 

Brighton in Mnemonics 

B is for Bloom, Tony. Brighton’s chairman bought the club from Dick Knight in 2009 and has overseen Gus Poyet’s transformation of the club from League One also-rans to Premier-League wannabes. 

R is for Ritchie, Andy. He became Brighton’s record signing in 1980, costing £500,000 form Manchester United. The record stood for 31 years until it was broken by Will Buckley (and then Mackail-Smith) last summer. 

I is for Iovan, Stefan. Romanian international had a short spell with Brighton in 1991.

G is for Gordon Smith. “And Smith must score” is a famous piece of commentary from the 1983 FA Cup Final when, with the score at 2-2 between Brighton and Man United, Smith went clear on goal and missed. They lost the replay 4-0. 

H is for Home. After 14 years spent playing at Gillingham’s Priestfield Stadium and the awful Withdean Athletics Stadium brighton returned hom to their beautiful Amex Stadium, Falmer in 2011. 

T is for “Tug” Wilson. Brighton’s appearance record holder played 509 times. 

O is for Oatway. Commonly known as Charlie Oatway, he’s actually named Anthony Philip David Terry Frank Donald Stanley Gerry Gordon Stephen James Oatway after the QPR squad of his birth year. Cult hero who was instrumental in 2 promotion campaigns.  

N is for Norman Cook. Along with Des Lynam, “Fat Boy Slim” is their most famous celebrity fan. His record label “SKINT” even sponsored the club for 9 years.

All-time record vs. Brighton

Played 44, Won 12, Drawn 12, Lost 20. Scored 42, conceded 59.

All-time home record vs. Brighton

Played 22, Won 11, Drawn 6, Lost 5. Scored 29, conceded 17.

Highest home attendance vs. Brighton

25,374  – Saturday 5^th February 1966 – Division 3. Hull City won 1-0 with a winning goal from Ken Wagstaff.

Lowest home attendance vs. Brighton

2,421 – Tuesday 23^rd January 1996 – Division 2. A nil-nil draw.

Connections

Tigers manager from 1946 to 1948 Major Frank Buckley was a former Brighton player … Brian Horton played for Brighton for 5 years between 1976 and 1981 and later managed them … Gary Hobson left Hull for Brighton for £60,000 in 1996 … Greame Atkinson joined Brighton from Preston in 1998 … David Lee ended his short spell with the Tigers in 2001 by joining Brighton in exchange for Matthew Wicks … Peter Taylor led the Seagulls to the (then) Division 2 title in 2002 but left that summer and took over at Hull in November … A host of players followed Taylor from Brighton including Steve Melton, Daniel Webb, Michel Kuipers (loan) and the infamous Junior Lewis who’d been on loan on the south coast … Paul McShane was Brighton’s player of the season in 2005/06 whilst on loan from Manchester United … Nicky Forster left Hull for Brighton in the summer of 2007 (his step-son Jake Forster-Caskey is a current Brighton player) … David Livermore followed Forster a year later … Billy Paynter had a loan spell at Brighton from Leeds United last season … Brighton hitman Craig Mackail-Smith and the Tigers’ Aaron McLean formed a potent strike partnership at Peterborough United … Hull MP and then Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott gave the go ahead for Brighton to build their stadium in Falmer.

Last 5 vs. Brighton

Division 3 – Brighton 3 Hull City 0 – Friday 10th March 2001

A rare disappointing result in the second half of the 2000/01 season as Brian Little’s Tigers ignored the club’s administration, impending doom and the lack of wages being paid into their account and made the Division 3 play-offs. Any Friday evening fixture at Brighton or Southend equals an inevitable City defeat.

Championship – Hull City 2 Brighton 0 –  Saturday 20^th August 2005

The Tigers first win in the second tier of English football for 13 years was secured thanks to an excellent first half volley from Ryan France and a Ben Burgess tap-in. Burgess’ goal was his first since April 2004 after he missed the entire 2004/05 season with a knee injury suffered at home to Huddersfield later that month.

Championship –Brighton 2 Hull City 1 –  Friday 16^th December 2005

This was a disappointing loss against a relegation rival who hadn’t won for 10 games. Stuart Elliott put City in front after only 5 minutes but Seb Carole equalized minutes later and Charlie Oatway scored the winner before half time. Andy Dawson hit the bar late on. The Tigers had the last laugh avoiding relegation comfortably while Brighton finished bottom and were relegated.

Championship –Brighton 0 Hull City 0 –  Saturday 15^th October 2011

The Tigers first visit to the Amex Stadium produced the first of two entertaining nil-nil draws between the teams. The game kicked off late because of some stupid University opening day but started in the sunshine thanks to the last taste of summer appearing on the south coast that day. Aaron McLean smashed the cross bar in front of the travelling Tigers fans while Adriano Basso saved a fantastic dipping volley from Mackail-Smith to earn the draw.

Championship – Hull City 0 Brighton 0– Wednesday 22^nd February 2012

This was as good a nil-nil draw as you are ever likely to see. Barmby’s Hull City played tremendous football despite tricky conditions but could not manage a breakthrough while Brighton were a constant threat on the break. There were almost 30 shots on goal between the sides and nearly 15 on target. Oddly, the entire game is on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5BracwsM_s

Videos (uploaded by TigerTubeAmberNectar)

1992/93 – 1-0 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83P_G1XjnaU

1993/94 – 0-0 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Iho12CVzQw

1996/97 – 3-0 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY6y97Qj4mU

Rick’s XI for Brighton

(4-4-2)

Amos

Rosenior – Chester – Faye – Dudgeon

Stewart – McKenna – Koren - Cairney

Proschwitz – McLean

Please feel free to leave a prediction for the score and first goalscorer in the comments. I’ll give anyone who is spot-on a name-check in the match report.