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Looking back, Brighton’s previous four FA Cup quarter-finals have added up to a real mixed bag. But number five – this weekend against Nottingham Forest – feels different again.
Starting with Norwich at the Goldstone in March 1983, this was an exciting but narrow 1-0 win against the Canaries. All these years later I do wonder what VAR would have made of Jimmy Case’s 66th minute winner, which must still be disputed to this day in Norfolk.
Three years later Southampton arrived in 1986, and manager Chris Cattlin, with a depleted squad, by his own admission, got his tactics wrong, and after going behind 2-0 by the break, Albion were never really in it.
It was another 33 years before the next Cup last-eight tie, with an amazing journey in between which saw the club come back from the brink of extinction to gett back to the top table of domestic football.
Brighton players celebrate Danny Welbeck's goal at Newcastle, wbich secured Albion's FA Cup fifth round win and set up this weekend's quarter-final with Nottingham ForestBrighton players celebrate Danny Welbeck's goal at Newcastle, wbich secured Albion's FA Cup fifth round win and set up this weekend's quarter-final with Nottingham Forest
Brighton players celebrate Danny Welbeck's goal at Newcastle, wbich secured Albion's FA Cup fifth round win and set up this weekend's quarter-final with Nottingham Forest
This one brought a Sunday afternoon visit to the New Den to take on Millwall. As in 86, the Albion’s opponents found themselves with a 2-0 lead, this time towards the end of the game, but an unexpected Brighton comeback including Millwall’s keeper David Martin’s horrendous mistake in the dying seconds, saw the game finish 2-2 after extra time, with the Albion going through on penalties.
Then two years ago, in 2023, surprise package Grimsby of League Two arrived at the Amex complete with inflatable Haddocks, but were no match for Roberto De Zerbi’s men, losing 5-0.
But while it’s always fun reminiscing about Albion days gone by, this Saturday’s quarter-final at the Amex against Nottingham Forest is perhaps the most fascinating of the five.
As touched on in these jottings a couple of weeks ago, Forest’s recent emphatic 7-0 home win against the Albion, while extremely disappointing to the Amex faithful, has acted as a sort of watershed for Fabian Hurzeler and his team.
They haven’t lost in seven, and Forest arrive at the Amex this weekend, knowing despite the win being only eight weeks ago, it is now on the face of it a very dim, distant but still unpleasant memory for everyone connected with Brighton and Hove Albion.
Quite simply, I’ve been showing all the symptoms of Cup fever. I cannot remember in my 52 years watching the club, at this stage of the competition, the Albion having a better chance of winning the FA Cup.
On their day, they are more than capable of beating each one of the seven other sides left in the competition, coupled with the fact, this is the best ever group of players collectively the club have ever had.
Some might argue that the 2023 squad was better with the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Moisés Caicedo, but for me this squad ursurps it.
So after years of ultimate frustration and disappointment on the Cup trail, is Saturday going to be one of those days we remember for all the right reasons?
After all these years, and all the bad times, we’ve all still got to believe... to dare to dream.
As I mentioned after the Forest horror show, Palace came back from a hiding, 9-0 at Anfield, in to knock their nemesis Liverpool out of the FA Cup in 1989-90, so why can’t the Albion emulate their bitter rivals?
See you all on the other side, with a Wembley semi final in prospect, perhaps even against the Palace? Now there’s a prospect...