As Brighton & Hove Albion mark 125 years since their founding, the club's story stands as one of the most remarkable transformations in English football, moving from the edge of collapse to competing on the European stage.
The anniversary celebrations coincide with a home fixture against Arsenal, but for long-time supporters, the true significance of this milestone lies in how far the club has come. Founded in 1901, Brighton spent nearly two decades in the Southern League before joining the Football League. Promotion to the top flight arrived for the first time in 1979, and the club's most famous moment from that era remains bittersweet: Gordon Smith's missed chance in the 1983 FA Cup final, immortalized by commentator Peter Jones's cry of "And Smith must score..." Manchester United went on to win the replay.
The club's darkest period began in 1995, when then-chairman Bill Archer sold the Goldstone Ground, Brighton's home since 1902, to address mounting debts. Supporters were given no say in the decision and no replacement venue was arranged. The club played its final match there in 1996, a game marred by fan unrest so severe that both crossbars were destroyed as thousands invaded the pitch in protest.
What followed were years of upheaval, including two seasons playing home matches 70 miles away in Gillingham before returning to Brighton in 1999 to a temporary home at Withdean Stadium, an athletics venue with a capacity of just 6,000. Long-time supporter Paul Samrah recalled the era as one of instability. "After the 1983 FA Cup final, players were sold, there was no investment, the Goldstone was decaying and the crowds were dipping," he said. "There was no communication between board and fans, directors came and went. There was no continuity, no leadership, no direction. We were just rudderless."
A campaign led by fans, along with interventions from figures including former FA executive David Davies, ex-chairman Dick Knight, and then-Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, who overturned a rejected planning application, eventually paved the way for a new stadium in Falmer. For Samrah, hearing that planning permission had finally been secured in 2007 remains his most treasured memory as a supporter, calling it the moment fans "won our battle."
The club's fortunes changed dramatically under the ownership of Tony Bloom, a Brighton-born entrepreneur with family ties to the club through his grandfather Harry, a former vice-chairman, and uncle Ray, a director. Bloom took over as chairman in 2009 and oversaw the rise from League One football to the Premier League, along with the move into the American Express Stadium. Average attendances last season exceeded 31,000, a stark contrast to the Withdean years.
Under Bloom's stewardship, Brighton have built a reputation for shrewd recruitment, developing players and selling them for significant profit while maintaining competitiveness in the top flight. The club's first European campaign in 2023 included a memorable 2-0 win away at Ajax, a fixture manager Roberto de Zerbi used to remind his players of the thousands of traveling supporters in Amsterdam. Brighton have since embarked on a second European adventure in this season's Conference League, opening the campaign in Tromso, Norway.
Sporting director Mike Cave reflected on the scale of the transformation. "Anyone walking into Brighton today compared to even 15 years ago would not think it was the same football club," he said. "The club has been on an unbelievable journey... our responsibility is to ensure what's to come is better than what's happened in the recent or long-distance past."
In the matchday programme for the Arsenal fixture, Bloom paid tribute to the supporters who kept the club alive through its most difficult years. "What got this football club through was the determination of its fans. The bucket collections. The protests. The refusal to accept the Albion should disappear," he wrote. "This anniversary belongs as much to those supporters as anyone. Quite simply, without them, we would not be here today."
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.