Albion should switch to Friday night football at Withdean. It’s a win-win-win situation!
Residents are already accustomed to Friday fixtures in December to comply with the current Withdean playing regulations.
I suspect many of them would be happier if Saturdays were Albion-free on a regular basis.
From the club’s point of view, the atmosphere for evening games is always better and so too, emphatically, are results.
They governed sales of the now-defunct Sports Argus and Albion’s notoriously poor fortunes on a Saturday had a depressing effect on circulation figures.
By sharp contrast, only one night match out of 19 at Withdean has been lost over the last three years.
Albion must have feared the worst when Keith Hill, the referee for that solitary defeat by Nottingham Forest ten months ago, was in charge against Leicester on Tuesday, especially with the visitors 2-0 up at the break.
In fact, Hill made a decision early in the second half which could prove to be the turning point of the season for the Seagulls.
Leicester appeared to have a clear case for a penalty when the otherwise excellent John Sullivan brought down two-goal Matty Fryatt.
Hill said no and Albion came back from the dead with two goals on his debut for Bradley Johnson and a late own goal by Jack Hobbs.
Johnson is the forward-breaking, goalscoring midfielder Albion have been lacking since the departure of former captain Dean Hammond to Colchester.
Happier times could be ahead now that two damaging statistics have been rectified – no League One wins at home and no league wins anywhere for ten matches.
Joint leaders Millwall are up next for the second of five home games in succession and Albion thumped them 3-0 at Withdean last season – on a Friday night!
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