When debating Brighton and Hove Albion players across the eras, there has to be some degree of fluidity.
Regular readers (aren’t you all?!) will know, when it comes to the greatest player to ever pull on an Albion shirt in my lifetime, for me it’s still going to be Mark Lawrenson – and for the foreseeable future.
However when putting together a personal all-time Albion XI, over the years the line-up has naturally changed.
It might come as a surprise to some but as much as I liked the bloke, enjoyed watching him play, Peter Ward wasn’t in my all-time Brighton XI for very long.
Danny Welbeck converts Brighton & Hove Albion's first goal in the weekend win over Newcastle (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)placeholder image
Danny Welbeck converts Brighton & Hove Albion's first goal in the weekend win over Newcastle (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
The dye was a cast fairly quickly after Ward had departed the Goldstone in October 1980. Within a couple of years Mike Bailey’s team had achieved the club’s highest ever finish in the top flight, 13th, in 1981-82, with a forward pairing of Andy Ritchie and Michael Robinson, that particular duo were ‘the two’ in my all-time Albion 4-4-2 for nearly 20 years.
The much-missed Robinson is still there, Ritchie was at first replaced by Bobby Zamora and then latterly Glenn Murray, Joao Pedro crossed my mind, briefly, but now with our very own “Albion Indian summer” playing out in front of us, step forward Danny Welbeck, who’s now very, very close to making that starting line-up.
I can clearly remember when he signed for the Albion, October 2020, the nation still in semi-Covid 19 lockdown, a one-year deal on a free transfer, I’d seen it many times – a big name, quality player (you don’t play for Manchester United and Arsenal, scoring a Champions League hat-trick, play for England 42 times (scoring 16 goals) without being at a certain level) arriving at the Albion in the autumn of his career, for a small cameo role.
Five years on, that’s clearly not been the case. He’s now played more times for the Albion than he did for both United and the Gunners, and he’s now the all-time Albion Premier League top scorer with 33 and counting, and is only four off Robinson’s top-flight record of 37 goals. (That’s Division 1 in old money, as football did exist before August 1992).
I’m a Corona man by choice, so I don’t know much about vino, but Welbeck is like a footballing fine wine.
His goals this campaign have seen him set an amazing record in being the first striker to score in 17 consecutive Premier League seasons.
The ride continues this Saturday when he returns with the Seagulls to where it all began for him – Old Trafford – for an intriguing teatime fixture against Manchester United.
Like his two in the amazing victory against Chelsea last month, he’s got us all rolling back the years, and I’m genuinely excited about heading north at the weekend.
The scene is set, but will the footballing gods dictate that Welbeck, the last Mancunian to be selected by Sir Alex Ferguson, will come back to haunt the team who gave him his chance? This is the Albion, so don’t bet against it...
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