The rest of Brighton's season from an American perspective

[Seagull over NZ]

I took my American mate to see Brighton v Swindon at Christmas and despite the loss, is a converted fan. This is an e-mail he sent me today looking at Brighton's chances of promotion - I love the Americanisms !!



Sussex by the sea! Sussex by the sea! We've cum up to win the cup for SUSSEX BY THE SEA!


What a result from the good boys from the south. Sounded like a bit of
good luck but they needed it! I have done some work on the internet over
lunch and have obtained the relevant information for the Seagulls remaining
13 games. It looks like it will be a bit of a tough go but I believe
PROMOTION is in the future!

As you can see, I have identified the remaining quarter's opponents and
bolded their respective records in the venue Brighton will find them.

Here is my assessment:
The seagulls need 74 points for a spot in the promotion melee, that means
they have 25 more to grab.
Brighton must get hot and run off the next three with W's.Stockport,
Brentford and Tranmere are in the top 2/3rd but this is where Brighton must
make the move to distance itself from the pack. The team has rebounded
from their lackluster January and February and must enter MARCH like a
LION!!!!!

Then a feisty draw at Port Vale will be a well earned point, this would
give them 10 points from there next 4 match and would require only 15 from
the remaining 10 matches.

Add the draws required at Chesterfield, Sheffield and godforsaken Blackpool
and there are only seven points needed. Realistically, the seagulls will
fall in one of these three away matches so lets give them two points.

Eight needed - that leaves five points to be taken from the next four home
matches, Colchester, Hartlepool, Rushed and Diamonds (got to love that
name!); petersborough. That would be one win, 2 draws and rare home loss.

Now down to the last three matches of the year, Bristol CITY at Bristol - It all comes down to this. In order to
prove that they are right to be there, Brighton has to take this from Their
competition. This shouldn't be difficult as Bristol will be well worn from
their season and their 20 goal favorable advantage at home will rest, like
their back line, on their laurels and the boys will rally to the cry, LEON
KNIGHT< KNIGHT< KNIGHT! with a dramatic finish.

What, you say that should Brighton falter, they can still tidy up with
Notts at the bottom _ NO I SAY, Notts will battle from relegation and
should Brighton not win a critical game against a crew at the top, they
won't deserve their promotion!

 

[cheeseroll]

Actually that is quite rousing ! A tall order for the next three games though and I hope we dont have to approach him for an adjusted prediction.

 

[Brighton Boy]

I reckon he done that himself.............

 

[Icy Gull]

The americanisation that's missing is "bunker down" which is what we'll need to do against teams like Bristol City if we are to get anything there.

 

[bhafc99]

I love American sports coverage. It's so obsessed with stats it makes the pages of the FT look like a light read.



From The Goose Fart, Ohio Sentinel Times Courier and Post

Soccerball Seagulls Need 0.476PPG Average In Next Eight Periods To Grab Pennant

After netalizing three goalscores in the first fifth over the Bournemouth Cherrybirds, Brighton's compounded annualized 2004 GPG has risen to 1.89 - just 0.07 below the benchmark 1.96 historically needed since 1856 to finish between 6.309th and 7.265th in the League of Second Division. And those Seagullers are gettin' pretty darn excited about that!

"Well woo hee!" exclaimed 57 year old Dick Knight III Jr. "Normally in the 22nd and 75th minutes of games on third Saturdays in second months where the temperature is below two degrees centigrade we struggle, but today was completely upsideturnarounded because our average height per player had risen to 1.44 metres from 1.42, by resting Jake Robinson on the bench."

Indeed the Cherrybirds had no answer to Leon Knight's size 9, 32in stride over ground pattern at an average of 67 yards per minute, with a top turning circle of just 47.4cm (upwind) and 48.3 (downwind). That was behind his penalized scoregoal that came when he hit quadrant H8 of the net at 61.04mph in the 6904th second of the eighth seventeenth. It was 3.24:09 on 01 23 1908 when the Albion soccerteam last achieved that feat - a fact not lost on Knight.

"Like, totally," he hollered.

For Albion Seagulls, it is now six weeks and four days since what fans are calling The Streak began (games where ball exits field of play more than 38 times in a game). And with stats like that, the division playoff champion wildcard conference series looks more than possible.

 

[Ex Shelton Seagull]

It's a big month coming up for the Brighton Gulls starting with this weekends north vs south tie against the Manchester Stockport Hats. The Hats have failed to record a 3 point result for a number of match ups but hopes are high amongst Hats fans that the squad can take advantage over the Gulls poor road form.
On the 2nd the Gulls face off against the Brentford Bees in a home game that has a 3 point success written all over it. The Bees haven't buzzed for quite a while and Gulls players and fans will be hoping to avenge their 0-4 reverse earlier in the season.
The following match up against the Tranmere Hubcaps has been postponed following the 'Caps adventures in the knock-out FA tournament. The 'Caps will face the South London Spanners on the 6th.
A trip to the Pottery beckons for the Gulls on the 13th for the tie with fellow play-off zone chasers, the Burslem Vale Valiants. The Valiants recently lost their coach, Brian Horton, and form has slipped to a mere 1.75 point average. The Gulls will be hopeful of a result here but the Valiants have an impressive form at the Royal Doulton Valiant Arena.
A home tie against the Colchester Troopers follows and the odds of 2/3 on for a Gulls win look realistic. The Gulls are averaging 1.85 score points against the Troopers meagre 0.89 point average on the road.
The month ends with a major match up in the Steel City against the Wednesday Owls. The Owls have made progress lately but a play-off zonal position appears beyond them despite a 2.2 net average from their new signing Ndumba-Ndumba-Samantha Mumba.
You can catch it all on Withdean Live, affiliates of Fox