[Albion] The 2023-24 Pre-Season Friendly Thread (First team, U-21s and U-18s)

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Cowfold Seagull

Fan of the 17 bus
Apr 22, 2009
22,114
Cowfold
Yes, this was a bugbear of mine when I used the Mill Road for P&R and had to pay (cup games?). Bus stopped at the top of the hill to let on people who were just walking up or had parked for free around the corner.
But I've got a car of 4 (2 kids) which will now cost £12 and I bet they don't check tickets.
Friendly game which will cost me, with food and drink, about £107!
Well, playing Devils' Advocate for a moment, how much would it cost you to park your car at any car park in the city, for that duration? more than that l'd venture. Plus of course P & R includes transport to and from the ground.

You do after all live in Brighton, no cheaper way of getting to the Amex?
 




Cowfold Seagull

Fan of the 17 bus
Apr 22, 2009
22,114
Cowfold
Well, playing Devils' Advocate for a moment, how much would it cost you to park your car at any car park in the city, for that duration? more than that l'd venture. Plus of course P & R includes transport to and from the ground.

You do after all live in Brighton, no cheaper way of getting to the Amex?
 


Official Old Man

Uckfield Seagull
Aug 27, 2011
9,099
Brighton
Well, playing Devils' Advocate for a moment, how much would it cost you to park your car at any car park in the city, for that duration? more than that l'd venture. Plus of course P & R includes transport to and from the ground.

You do after all live in Brighton, no cheaper way of getting to the Amex?
I live in Uckfield. For the normal home games I use Seagull Travel except PB removed the travel subsidy a few years ago so I don't get anything back. £315 for 23/24.
Working in Brighton I can tell you parking is £33 a day but I have a season ticket for NCP at £1600 a year. Interestingly I know of many who park illegally whilst watching for a warden. They 'move' their car around the block returning when TW has gone. They get the odd ticket which is still cheaper than NCP!
 


mile oak

Well-known member
May 21, 2023
881

Im just wondering I havnt got a smart phone so how can I get a ticket? Not sure I will go anyway just curious. Wonder why we planned a friendly Pride weekend resulting in capped capacity. Did I miss something, what is that capped max? I know we need a friendly timed about a week before Luton just think an away match mightve been better so as to not clash with pride. Im torn where to be given its 'only' a friendly.
 


GT49er

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Feb 1, 2009
49,183
Gloucester
Im just wondering I havnt got a smart phone so how can I get a ticket? Not sure I will go anyway just curious. Wonder why we planned a friendly Pride weekend resulting in capped capacity. Did I miss something, what is that capped max? I know we need a friendly timed about a week before Luton just think an away match mightve been better so as to not clash with pride. Im torn where to be given its 'only' a friendly.
Go Pride! They will welcome you, Smart phone or not ............... The Albion? ..... not so sure!
 




mile oak

Well-known member
May 21, 2023
881
This is just a thought but if say the club streamed this friendly for a fee what would you pay? Fiver? Tenner? I don't think this has ever been done before has it? Also the away matches.
 








AZ Gull

@SeagullsAcademy @seagullsacademy.bsky.social
Oct 14, 2003
13,092
Chandler, AZ
Bringing the list up-to-date:-

(Kick-off times are local)

1st Team:

Training camp ?

Saturday July 22 Kick-off: 7:00pm v Chelsea (Venue: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia)
Wednesday July 26 Kick-off: 5:30pm v Brentford (Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta)
Friday July 28 Kick-off: 7:30pm v Newcastle United (Venue: Red Bull Arena, New Jersey)
Sunday August 6 Kick-off: 3:00pm v Rayo Vallecano (Venue: Amex Stadium)


U-21s:

Tuesday August 1 Kick-off: 7:45pm v Hemel Hempstead Town (Venue: Vauxhall Road)


U-18s:

Saturday July 15 Kick-off: 3:00pm v Burgess Hill Town (Venue: More Than Tyres Stadium)


As it stands, there is only one known fixture for the U-21s. Are they playing your local club? Please post on here if you have seen or heard anything.
 


Cowfold Seagull

Fan of the 17 bus
Apr 22, 2009
22,114
Cowfold
Bringing the list up-to-date:-

(Kick-off times are local)

1st Team:

Training camp ?

Saturday July 22 Kick-off: 7:00pm v Chelsea (Venue: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia)
Wednesday July 26 Kick-off: 5:30pm v Brentford (Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta)
Friday July 28 Kick-off: 7:30pm v Newcastle United (Venue: Red Bull Arena, New Jersey)
Sunday August 6 Kick-off: 3:00pm v Rayo Vallecano (Venue: Amex Stadium)


U-21s:

Tuesday August 1 Kick-off: 7:45pm v Hemel Hempstead Town (Venue: Vauxhall Road)


U-18s:

Saturday July 15 Kick-off: 3:00pm v Burgess Hill Town (Venue: More Than Tyres Stadium)


As it stands, there is only one known fixture for the U-21s. Are they playing your local club? Please post on here if you have seen or heard anything.
Hemel Hempstead is a strange sort of venue for our U-21's, a non-league club in a commuter town torth of London, I wonder what led to use accepting a fixture there.
 


Springal

Well-known member
Feb 12, 2005
24,782
GOSBTS
Worthing beat a Brighton U23 XI 4-0 today

 






AZ Gull

@SeagullsAcademy @seagullsacademy.bsky.social
Oct 14, 2003
13,092
Chandler, AZ
Worthing beat a Brighton U23 XI 4-0 today

:lol:

I'm convinced Albion have an official policy of releasing as little information as humanly possible when it comes to the academy these days. They still haven't made any sort of announcement about the retain/release list from last season!

Oh well - I have made this match the subject of my first ever, er, "tweet" on Threads.
 


ifightbears

Well-known member
Jul 19, 2010
670
Cornwall
:lol:

I'm convinced Albion have an official policy of releasing as little information as humanly possible when it comes to the academy these days. They still haven't made any sort of announcement about the retain/release list from last season!

Oh well - I have made this match the subject of my first ever, er, "tweet" on Threads.
Can you link us to your page?
 








AZ Gull

@SeagullsAcademy @seagullsacademy.bsky.social
Oct 14, 2003
13,092
Chandler, AZ
Albion U-18s lost 3-0 at Cambridge United U-18s on Saturday. No word from the Albion, of course, but the Cambridge United instagram account posted a few pictures taken by @izzypolessportsphotography

Here's one example, showing from left to right U-16 Theo Outen and new scholars Corbin Mthunzi and goalkeeper Alfie Mansell:-

Cambridge.jpg

Based upon these pics (and a few others posted on social media) it looks like the scholars who featured included goalkeepers Lorenz Ferdinand and Alfie Mansell; and Corbin Mthunzi, Matthew Hayden and Shane Nti. U-16s who featured included Adam Brett, Jackson King, Tate Ferdinand, Tyler Silsby and Theo Outen. No evidence of any second-year scholars (other than goalkeeper Ferdinand) so a pretty young "U-18" side all told.
 


AZ Gull

@SeagullsAcademy @seagullsacademy.bsky.social
Oct 14, 2003
13,092
Chandler, AZ
An update:-

(Kick-off times are local)

1st Team:

Training camp ?

Saturday July 22 Kick-off: 7:00pm v Chelsea (Venue: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia)
Wednesday July 26 Kick-off: 5:30pm v Brentford (Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta)
Friday July 28 Kick-off: 7:30pm v Newcastle United (Venue: Red Bull Arena, New Jersey)
Sunday August 6 Kick-off: 3:00pm v Rayo Vallecano (Venue: Amex Stadium)


U-21s:

Friday July 7 Lost 0-4 v Worthing (Venue: Amex Elite Football Performance Centre)
Tuesday August 1 Kick-off: 7:45pm v Hemel Hempstead Town (Venue: Vauxhall Road)


U-18s:

Saturday July 8 Lost 0-3 v Cambridge Utd U-18s (Venue: ?, Cambridge)
Saturday July 15 Kick-off: 3:00pm v Burgess Hill Town (Venue: More Than Tyres Stadium)


Anyone have details of any other friendlies?
 




ifightbears

Well-known member
Jul 19, 2010
670
Cornwall
Albion U-18s lost 3-0 at Cambridge United U-18s on Saturday. No word from the Albion, of course, but the Cambridge United instagram account posted a few pictures taken by @izzypolessportsphotography

Here's one example, showing from left to right U-16 Theo Outen and new scholars Corbin Mthunzi and goalkeeper Alfie Mansell:-

View attachment 163309
Based upon these pics (and a few others posted on social media) it looks like the scholars who featured included goalkeepers Lorenz Ferdinand and Alfie Mansell; and Corbin Mthunzi, Matthew Hayden and Shane Nti. U-16s who featured included Adam Brett, Jackson King, Tate Ferdinand, Tyler Silsby and Theo Outen. No evidence of any second-year scholars (other than goalkeeper Ferdinand) so a pretty young "U-18" side all told.
Do we have a list of the first year scholars confirmed yet @AZ Gull ? Something like Mansell, Rutter, Ferns (has this been confirmed yet?), Mthunzi, Hayden, Mackley, Simmonds, Gorman, Belmont, Nti, O'Boyle, Gulzar, Morling, West, Howell? Or are some of these a bit younger/ not been taken on as scholars?
 


AZ Gull

@SeagullsAcademy @seagullsacademy.bsky.social
Oct 14, 2003
13,092
Chandler, AZ
Do we have a list of the first year scholars confirmed yet @AZ Gull ? Something like Mansell, Rutter, Ferns (has this been confirmed yet?), Mthunzi, Hayden, Mackley, Simmonds, Gorman, Belmont, Nti, O'Boyle, Gulzar, Morling, West, Howell? Or are some of these a bit younger/ not been taken on as scholars?
Nine of last season's U-16s were offered scholarships, and we now know that Liverpool U-16 striker Joe Belmont has joined as a scholar. So, the ten 1st-year scholars I am aware of:-

Joe Belmont
Layth Gulzar
Ronnie Gorman
Matthew Hayden
Josh Lewis
Callum Mackley
Alfie Mansell (GK)
Corbin Mthunzi
Shane Nti
Aidan West

To the best of my knowledge, Albion's bid to sign Celtic's Ronan Ferns has not been successful (yet, at least).

Of the other U-16s from last season, George Iorpenda has signed as a scholar at Ipswich Town. I know his older brother Thomas (a couple of years in front of him) was offered a scholarship by Albion but chose to go to Huddersfield Town instead, for whatever reason, where he is now a professional. I have no idea whether we offered George a scholarship and he turned it down, or whether he wasn't offered one. Cian Morling and Andy Dzontoh were also (presumably) not offered scholarships but I don't know if they have found other clubs.

Elidon O'Boyle (who also seems to go by the name Don Mulgeci on social media - I think his mum is Irish and his dad is Albanian) is the same age group but I believe he only spent his U-15 schoolboy season at Albion, moving from Chelsea, before heading to Millwall last season where he is now a scholar.

Of the other names you mention, Harry Howell, Will Rutter and Freddie Simmonds are all U-16s this season.
 


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