19Jun

Fixtures are the first taste of the new campaign

by Jason H

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The release of the fixture list is always the first glimpse of the forthcoming campaign, before the friendlies get under way. The first two fixtures Albion fans look out for, of course, are the games with the old enemy, Palace. Away on 1 December, home on 16 March, assuming TV doesn’t have its evil way with the kick-off times, are therefore the two dates that stand out most for us.

We start away at Hull City – hardly the opener we’d look for, being a very tough game and a very long trip, and then our first home game is a Tuesday night meeting with newly red-shirted Cardiff City, in a fixture which does the Bluebirds – or Redbirds? – no favours either.

Boxing Day brings Millwall to the Amex. Albion fans will hope for a better result than the last 26 December meeting with the Lions, a dismal 3-0 defeat at the Den during the 2007/8 season. A tough looking run-in brings Wolves to Brighton for the season finale, unless of course play-offs beckon by then.

The publication of the list is both a reminder of how tough the division is, and a sign of the increasing nearness of the kick-off. It’s all getting a bit real now, and that should serve as a spur, should any be necessary, to the club to get moving on their transfer activity. No doubt there are negotiations going on behind the scenes, but it’s proving a frustrating summer so far for the supporters. Let’s hope for some positive news soon.

Posted by Brighton fan Jason Heaver