[Albion] "Finest night in 122 years"

[Jim in the West]

Hereford, of course, will always be the most important match in the long history of BHAFC. Last night was amazing, but I'm going to go against the grain and say the Marseille match, for me, pipped it. The sheer awesomeness of the Velodrome. The amazing atmosphere. The elation after Pedro's penalty at the end. The hour or so in the stadium, singing and watching the guy with the broom!!

In Marseille we announced that we had arrived, properly, on the European stage, having initially buckled in the face of 60,000+ Marseille fans. Plus Marseille are a much better team than the current Ajax side. And - I know this is way down the list - but the weather in Marseille was perfect....the Fans Zone worked, you could go to the game in a t shirt... Last night in Amsterdam was a bit wet and chilly, so pre and post match festivities were not quite the same.

So - for me, it's Hereford. Marseille. Ajax!

 

[scooter1]

Brighton v Ajax feels like it should be played in July to a half empty stadium, with 22 players each getting 45 mins in preparation for the new season.
But in fact it's very real and little ol Brighton more than holding their own in a competition I never thought i'd see us play in.
f***ing brilliant!!

 

[Right Back]

Another vote for Marseille. However, I was in Marseille and not in Amsterdam. Makes a big difference as to how you feel although last night was amazing on the TV.

 

[Originunknown]

Of course it was, in terms of the result and footballing achievement no question.

Hereford, of course, will always be the most important match in the long history of BHAFC. Last night was amazing, but I'm going to go against the grain and say the Marseille match, for me, pipped it. The sheer awesomeness of the Velodrome. The amazing atmosphere. The elation after Pedro's penalty at the end. The hour or so in the stadium, singing and watching the guy with the broom!!

In Marseille we announced that we had arrived, properly, on the European stage, having initially buckled in the face of 60,000+ Marseille fans. Plus Marseille are a much better team than the current Ajax side. And - I know this is way down the list - but the weather in Marseille was perfect....the Fans Zone worked, you could go to the game in a t shirt... Last night in Amsterdam was a bit wet and chilly, so pre and post match festivities were not quite the same.

So - for me, it's Hereford. Marseille. Ajax!

Agree with this, the atmosphere at Marseille was on another level. It was far more of a spectacle where as the Ajax fans were flat. A wonderful result, certainly our finest if you consider European football superior to any domestic result which it rightly should be.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

 

[CaptainDaveUK]

Historically this is our greatest achievement, the highest we’ve ever been. We’ve had better wins of course, like when we battered United at home, but in terms of world football, right now little old Brighton are a force to be reckoned with and that is quite simply incredible. UTA.

 

[Bodian]

It's really difficult to define 'finest' isn't it. And as others have said, it's all contextual.

Last night was weird. Away from home against Ajax - and we won. But, the thing is, I expected us to win and would have been hugely disappointed if we hadn't. And therefore the feeling is a bit different to unexpected 'fine' wins. I know I'm now mainly an armchair watcher (except for the odd excursion to a northern ground), but for me Marseille was a greater achievement. I didn't know what to expect - and coming from two down to level the match really did for me feel to be our finest achievement.

And like other posters, I still can't quite believe what's happening. I have just typed 'away from home against Ajax...I expected us to win'. That's just ridiculous.

 

[AK74]

Last night, was alright .

 

[goldstone]

No. That was, and always will be, Hereford away. Everything else flows from there.

I think this is about the greatest NIGHT. Hereford was a day game wasn't it?

 

[Wardy's twin]

Think it marks a peak in terms of achievement, 7th in PL and an away win in Europe.

 

[The Grockle]

Hereford was probably the most important fixture in our history but in terms of prestige the FA Cup in 1983 was surely the biggest, would have been watched by millions around the world at a time when it still meant a lot.

 

[Commander]

Hereford was probably the most important fixture in our history but in terms of prestige the FA Cup in 1983 was surely the biggest, would have been watched by millions around the world at a time when it still meant a lot.

Yes. But we lost the game! So it can’t have been our ‘finest’.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

We've beaten a great club, but not a great team.

It's only our greatest night if you forget about the line up we beat and only look at the shirt

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I can understand the sentiment, but Hereford was grim. We were appalling at the time and it was with a toxic background and Hereford’s a dump. I was relieved and grateful we won, but there wasn’t anything particularly great about it. Fast forward 26 years and we’re putting in superb performances against iconic clubs in fancy stadia in nice parts of Europe. Now that is fine!

 

[Mackenzie]

Doesn't feel like the greatest night in our history to me, historic but not greatest, perhaps I'm just being grumpy.

 

[Stato]

@attila is right that nothing trumps Hereford. Other less obvious moments are of greater import too. The day that Tony Bloom became chairman, the day that Hazel Blears' report confirming planning consent was received. There have also been victories on the pitch that felt more exciting. However this one seems historically significant, confirming something that very few of us have had the confidence to speak aloud in case the hubris of doing so somehow blows away the illusion and returns us to reality.

On the one hand, like Norwich beating Bayern Munich away back in the nineties, last night's was the kind of result that can be looked back upon as historic after the bubble bursts and we return to being the Brighton we were before. However, the fact that, unlike Norwich's, this result wasn't a shock and doesn't feel like a one off giant killing, but a fair reflection of the two team's current position in the food chain in some ways makes it feel less monumental, but in other ways makes it more astounding.

Brighton won at Ajax. - Whereas this statement seems incredible to all of us who have been with the club 'through the hard time and the good'. There is a younger generation of world football fans who will shrug and say 'Well, they would wouldn't they?' That seems even more incredible.

 

[Rookie]

for me last night was a lot better than Marseille. The whole vibe was better and then throw in the night in central Amsterdam

 

[Stato]

I hope it's not tempting fate to point out that, since WWII, we've done the double over Ajax more often than Palace have done it over us.

 

[medwayseagull reborn]

No. That was, and always will be, Hereford away. Everything else flows from there.

The headline does say "night" to be accurate.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

Hereford was the equivalent of a great piss up in a back street pub followed by the best kebab ever.

Last night was like dining out in the best restaurant with the finest wine, followed by a kip in the Dorchester with Margot Robbie.

Both were excellent in their own ways but one was certainly more exotic than the other.