Rockin' Robins Non-league Wrexham were a whisker away from pulling off an FA Cup shock after taking Championship side Brighton to a penalty shootout in their third round replay. Goalkeeper Joslain Mayebi did his best to put off the Seagulls' penalty takers with a bizarre goal-line dance. But it didn't have the desired effect as [.

If one remembers the instant relegation Brighton and Hove Albion suffered on the last occasion they ascended to English football's second level, it's been a heartening first half of the season for the Seagulls. Many expected them to do well given the verve they showed in cantering to the League 1 title in May and a position just four points off the play off zone constitutes real progress.

If one remembers the instant relegation Brighton and Hove Albion suffered on the last occasion they ascended to English football's second level, it's been a heartening first half of the season for the Seagulls. Many expected them to do well given the verve they showed in cantering to the League 1 title in May and a position just four points off the play off zone constitutes real progress.

A January weekend to cast off the shackles of league pressure and revel in the romance of what is, at this stage, the most egalitarian of our competitions.
A Scottish Cup weekend. Breathe in the fresh air of potential shocks and brace yourself butchers, bakers and candlestick makers making SPL defences look like part-time amateurs.

Brighton & Hove Albion starlet Shamir Goodwin has emerged as a transfer target for Liverpool.
The 17-year-old striker has come to the attention of the Barclays Premier League outfit after some fine form for the Seagulls youth team, according to The Daily Star, with the Reds now reportedly considering a move for the player.

Gus Poyet has refused to back down from defending Liverpool striker Luis Suarez over alleged racist comments made against Patrice Evra.
Suarez has been charged by the Football Association for remarks made to Evra in a 1-1 draw between Manchester United and Liverpool in October.
Poyet caused further controversy by claiming that Evra has been "crying like a baby" over the comments and is convinced that his fellow Uruguayan is innocent.

This weekend's fixtures look like a pretty sedate set on the face of it. Leeds' terrestrially televised trip across the shires to meet Burnley and what may be the most pathetic grudge in history, Saints versus Seagulls, are worth keeping on the radar perhaps, but otherwise I can't help but be drawn down the leagues to the two derbies west of Bristol.

Why some Football League clubs only have themselves to blame for dwindling attendances

last week I phoned the box office of Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club with what I believed to be a routine enquiry. I am, I explained, a Barnsley fan who lives in London. The Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire Super Reds (who are becoming less and less super by the week) are visiting the Seagulls (who are plummeting from the sky in a manner similar to their visitors), I explained, and I'm planning on attending the match.

Craig Bellamy's inspired performance helped Liverpool secure progression to the Carling Cup fourth round as they condemned Brighton to their first competitive defeat at the Amex Stadium.
The 32-year-old flourished on his second full debut for the club, having rejoined the Reds from Manchester City in the summer.

All is not lost as Brighton find a way forward under Poyet

Ultimately they lost, but it can no longer be said of Brighton and Hove Albion that they are lost. Two years ago this week the Seagulls were 19th in League One.

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A news article on 2011-09-21 22:53:47 from: The Mail

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Brighton 1-2 Liverpool: Bellamy strikes, Stevie G returns

Kuyt adds late goal against battling Seagulls

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A news article on 2011-09-21 21:47:24 from: The Mirror

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Brighton 0-2 Liverpool: Bellamy strikes, Stevie G returns

Kuyt adds late goal against battling Seagulls

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Brighton 1-2 Liverpool: Craig Bellamy scores first goal since Anfield switch as Steven Gerrard returns from injury

Liverpool skipper sees action for the first time since March and Spaniard Vicente makes Seagulls debut, as Reds make wholesale changes following drubbing at the weekend

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Liverpool travel to the home of the seagulls today for their league cup fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Liverpool travel to the home of the seagulls today for their league cup fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Brighton boss Gus Poyet admits his side will need to play the "perfect" game if they are to beat Liverpool in the Carling Cup.
Championship hopefuls Brighton welcome Liverpool to the Amex Stadium in their third round tie on Wednesday night.
The Seagulls have already knocked out Liverpool's Premier League rivals Sunderland in the previous round, but Poyet believes his side will need a little luck if they are to send Kenny Dalglish's troops packing.

Gus Poyet hoping to celebrate his century in style

Brighton manager Gus Poyet admits his side will need to play the 'perfect' game if they are to beat Liverpool his 100th game in charge of The Seagulls.

View the full story here: The Mail

A news article on 2011-09-20 14:52:05 from: The Mail

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Brighton's new Falmer Stadium... Liverpool travel to the home of the seagulls tomorrow for their league cup fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion. Promoted from league one last season, the seaside club are finding themselves in a bit of good form. The Reds on the other hand will be looking to quickly forget about their embarrassing defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur on the weekend and

Brighton goalkeeper Casper Ankergren believes Wednesday's Carling Cup clash with Liverpool will show how far they have come.
The ambitious Seagulls welcome Liverpool to the Amex stadium for their third round tie hoping to take another Premier League scalp after dumping out Sunderland in the previous round.

Brighton In The Cup For Reds

Brighton's new Falmer Stadium... Liverpool travel to the home of the seagulls tomorrow for their league cup fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion. Promoted from league one last season, the seaside club are finding themselves in a bit of good form.

Reds out for Brighton double

Liverpool are hoping to make it a double success in cup clashes with Brighton after beating the Seagulls in their last meeting back in 1991.

View the full story here: Liverpool FC

A news article on 2011-09-20 10:38:52 from: Liverpool FC

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Liverpool will visit Brighton in the third round of the Carling Cup.
The Reds will travel to the Amex for the clash with the Seagulls in the week commencing September 19.
Kenny Dalglish's side set up the tie following a 3-1 win at Exeter City in the previous round.
The last time the two sides faced each other in the competition was at the same stage back in October 1985.

My shout for a guest report from the Brighton game was answered by Mike Hooley, a man who's first game, at the age of eight, was the '81 Cup Final Replay. Good start! Unsurprisingly for someone getting their Spurs education in the '80′s, his favourite player is Glenn Hoddle.

Here's Mike's take on yesterday's match:

Brighton 2 Spurs 3: Pre-season friendly, 30th July 2011.

Kenny Dalglish wants Liverpool to go back to their roots.
Dalglish, who watched his young charges take on Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds last night, was speaking after announcing a link- up with the Seagulls and St Joseph's Boys.
The Reds manager is a close friend of Bray boss Pat Devlin and they had a similar arrangement when he was at Newcastle United.

Fantasy football has moved on a lot since my mate Andy and I were invited to join a league by the landlord of our local about 15 years ago. In those days, a group of us used to gather in the upstairs meeting room at about 7:30pm a week or so before the season started. We weren't allowed out until we'd finished the auction, which normally didn't happen until after closing time and also lead to some very debatable decisions.

Valley Field at Marquette University is ready to host its first game of 2011 Finals Week between Weston FC and CASL Chelsea FC Academy. So ready, in fact, that the inviting and plush green grass requires a little extra help to safeguard from the ominous threat of seagulls.
Apparently, the seagulls that are drawn to Lake Michigan are also drawn to large areas of open space like, for example, soccer fields.

For the simple reason that we think the Seagulls would have been less likely to stroll to promotion like they did without him, Elliott Bennett takes this year's Young Player award. Of course, the man of the protruding tongue has since caved in to Paul Lambert's advances but given the Canaries' rising star, who can really blame the lad?

Sunshine, Seasides & Seagulls Colwyn Bay 1-0 Retford United (02:03:11) Ladies and gentlemen, Mr Rhys Wynne.... It's good fun and slightly annoying being a Colwyn Bay fan. With its location on the North Wales coast, we don't have any real local rivals. Instead, people actually enjoy us as an away day – particularly if we are an away day in August towards the end of the season.

So near, yet so far. Brighton & Hove Albion travel to North-East London to play Dagenham & Redbridge in a league match for the first time this evening with the scent of promotion heavy in the air. That Gus Poyet's team has been the stand-out team in League One this season is inarguable, but in recent weeks they have started to give the impression of being a team that is starting, just starting, to run on empty.

The Voyeur has arrived. Rapturous applause, flying zingers, the occasional poem. Special 1 TV has officially ascended to heights as of yet unknown as the puppetman weaves in and out of humorous casual reference.

They are perhaps Eric Cantona away from a global takeover, so long as the seagulls will follow the trawler.

Seagulls are the Bee's Knees Brentford 0-1 Brighton (08:03:11) We sent roving reporter Nick Goodwin to Brentford to watch the mighty Albion.... Since EFW's last League 1 outing in February, Brighton and Hove Tika Taka FC have notched up five league wins, scoring four goals in four of those games to boot.

Interview with the football legend, film actor, political activist, and tangential philosopher waxing on his career, international football and his new role with the New York Cosmos

"When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown in the sea."
~ Eric Cantona

Hopefully this is not what will happens to the NY Cosmos if and when it gets off the ground.

Ok say Pele and Cantona hit the Jalan Besar Stadium yesterday. I rolled up at the registration desk and given a sticker which I was told to display in a prominent place...but not that prominent place. Regretfully I stuck it on my beergut and still can't get the bugger off.
I was then escorted upstairs, in case I didn't know the way.

The Seagulls That Kicked The Hornets' Nest
Watford 0-1 Brighton (29:01:11)
It was so nice of Southern Rail to get in on the act. They chose to celebrate the Seagulls progression into the 4th round of the FA Cup proper by laying on a fleet of (Gus) buses to ferry 3,649 Brighton fans to Vicarage Road.

Via Facebook: "Today and tomorrow, from 4 PM Midnight, The New York Cosmos will be unveiling a digital billboard of epic proportions in Times Square to celebrate King Eric Cantona taking the throne at the New York Cosmos."

Naturally that brought to the CultFootball mind the following aphorism: "When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.