Archive
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August 7: Reading 3 Albion 2
There was much to admire and bundles of encouragement for Albion's longer term future despite opening day defeat at the Madejski. But can Mark McGhee's predominantly youthful squad grow up quickly enough to survive in the man's world of the First Division
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August 10: Albion 0 Plymouth 2
Albion knew life would be tough in the Coca-Cola Championship, but just how tough became even clearer after this convincing defeat at Withdean. Mark McGhee's Seagulls, already trailing to a bizarre early goal, found themselves 2-0 down and a man down
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August 14: Albion 1 Coventry 1
On the face of it, Albion's first goal of the season at Withdean pales in comparison to the last one last season, scored by the same player. Yet Adam Virgo's point-saving free-kick with a minute left could just turn out to be as significant as that
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August 21: Wigan 3 Albion 0
Mark McGhee, pragmatic as ever, did not dwell on a predictable defeat. Within half-an-hour of the final whistle he was looking ahead, not just to the relative respite of the Carling Cup tie with Bristol Rovers but, much more importantly, the next league
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August 24: Albion 1 Bristol Rovers 2 (Carling Cup 1st Rd)
Albion's miserable start to the season took another grim turn after an embarrassing exit from the Carling Cup. A home defeat by League Two opponents is bad enough without Mark McGhee having to sweat over the fitness of Leon Knight for Saturday's visit
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August 28: Albion 1 Preston 0
Albion's first victory of the season evolved from a video vigil after midnight in Mark McGhee's office. The manager and members of his backroom team drove from Withdean to the Falmer training ground to study until 1am last Wednesday morning TV footage
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August 30: Leicester 0 Albion 1
Mark McGhee pulled another rabbit out of the hat at the Walkers Stadium as his golden wonders pulled off a shock victory against his old club with a crisp finish from Adam Virgo. McGhee gave young powerhouse Adam El-Abd his first start of the season
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September 11: Watford 1 Albion 1
What a mindboggling few months it has been for Adam Virgo. The centre half converted into a rightback and then centre forward by Mark McGhee has been Albion's play-off saviour, point-saver and match-winner. Now, for the time being at least, he is their
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September 14: Albion 0 Wolves 1
Football can be a cruel game sometimes, as Mark McGhee would readily testify. His improving young Albion side will play much worse in matches than they did last night and still win. McGhee was crestfallen after watching Wolves grab their first victory
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September 25: Gillingham 0 Albion 1
The penny has dropped for Leon Knight - after Mark McGhee dropped him from the starting eleven. Albion's manager is determined to turn his maverick marksman into more of a team player. There are signs the message is getting through to last season's
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September 29: Forest 0 Albion 1
The Albion players may not have realised it but they paid the best possible tribute to Brian Clough at the City Ground. Adam Virgo's first half header, his fourth goal of the season and third in six games since Mark McGhee converted him into a bustling
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October 2: Albion 1 Sheffield Utd 1
Football's unwritten law of momentum suggests a rest is the last thing Albion require at the moment after seven points from the last three matches. Yet the forthcoming break is exactly what Mark McGhee's flagging players need to breathe fire again
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October 16: Crewe 3 Albion 1
Mark McGhee's 50th match in charge of Albion was marred by a strange refereeing performance. It would be going too far to suggest Trevor Parkes cost the Seagulls the game but he certainly contributed to their first away defeat for almost two months
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October 19: Albion 1 Cardiff 1
It could, in the long run, be the difference between staying up and going down. Mark McGhee pinpointed his team's tendency to relinquish a lead as Albion battled for a draw which keeps them three points clear of Cardiff. Leon Knight's second goal
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October 23: Albion 1 Leeds 0
The referee was the same and so was the result, but it was not just the weather which was markedly different from that sunny May day in Cardiff when Albion clinched promotion. The Seagulls have come a long way under Mark McGhee since the play-off final
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October 30: Sunderland 2 Albion 0
It was the most telling sign yet of how much progress Albion have made since the start of the season. A tight contest at the Stadium of Light was heading for a goalless stalemate with just over half-an-hour left when manager Mark McGhee made a change
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November 4: Derby County 3 Albion 0
Mark McGhee warned today that Albion cannot depend on other teams to save them from relegation. Last night's comprehensive defeat against a rampant Derby at Pride Park equalled the Seagulls' heaviest of the season. Nottingham Forest's 2-2 home draw
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November 6: Keep the faith
When Mark McGhee was asked after a damaging defeat whether Dean Ashton was the difference between the teams, his response was prompt and unequivocal. "There is absolutely no doubt about that," he said. "But you are not going to hear me complain. These
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November 13: West Ham 0 Albion 1
When a player of Steve Claridge's experience and knowledge of the game speaks, he is well worth listening to. He has only been with Albion since last Wednesday, yet Claridge has already noticed something which makes the Seagulls different from the
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November 20: Albion 0 Burnley 1
Here is the long and short of it. Coping without Danny Cullip and Adam Virgo was just too tall an order for one of the smaller sides in the Championship. Albion won at West Ham with a goal from a set piece, scored by Guy Butters. In the absence
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November 27: Ipswich 1 Albion 0
Danny Cullip pointed out after this cruel defeat that he is a good diver. Put him on a board overlooking water and Albion's captain will produce a perfectly acceptable "front flip". But a grassy area bordered by white lines? That is a different
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December 4: Albion 1 Rotherham 0
Dan Harding's first goal for Albion could also just turn out to be his last. That is the stark financial reality facing the Seagulls, which manager Mark McGhee referred to following a valuable second Championship victory in seven matches. Harding
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December 11: Millwall 2 Albion 0
Millwall winger Paul Ifill's clinical clincher 12 minutes from the finish must have made for interesting conversation with his victims and friends. "I'm going to be out with a couple of the boys like Virgs (Adam Virgo)," he revealed following a victory
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December 17: Albion 0 Stoke 1
Albion ended a turbulent week with a performance which showed they are still good enough to survive in the Championship. They shrugged off the departure of captain Danny Cullip to Sheffield United and were worth at least a point. Mark McCammon made
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December 26: Albion 2 Gillingham 1
If Albion go on to defy the odds stacked against them by surviving in the Championship this season, they are bound to reflect on Boxing Day as a significant turning point. There did not look like being much in the way of festive cheer for Mark McGhee
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December 28: Wolves 1 Albion 1
Albion boss Mark McGhee outwitted Glenn Hoddle to condemn the former England coach to a fourth successive 1-1 draw since taking charge of Wolves. McGhee responded to the midfield diamond formation introduced to Wanderers by Hoddle with a tactical gem
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January 1: QPR 0 Albion 0
Albion's 'Big Daddy' and 'Little Hinsh' are proving they can cope without Danny Cullip. A goal-line clearance each by Guy Butters and Adam Hinshelwood helped the Seagulls to their first clean sheet away from home since the shock win at West Ham in
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January 3: Albion 2 Watford 1
Albion manager Mark McGhee is in dreamland after his side doubled his expectations over the hectic Christmas and New Year period. This repeat of the Boxing Day victory over Gillingham at Withdean, when they also came from behind to win 2-1, made it
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January 8: Tottenham 1 Albion 2 (FA Cup Third Round)
It was not the fairytale ending Albion were hoping for, yet Robbie Keane's wonderful late winner offered further proof of the magic of the FA Cup. Keane was an unknown 17-year-old when Mark McGhee gave the prolific Republic of Ireland international
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January 17: Sheffiled United 1 Albion 2
It has taken a while this season but, as assistant manager Bob Booker observed after a triumphant return to Bramall Lane, Leon Knight is "in the zone". The return to prime form of last season's prolific top scorer bodes well for Albion avoiding the
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January 22: Albion 0 Forest 0
Despite missing an early penalty and an injury to goalkeeper Michel Kuipers, Mark McGhee was understandably upbeat after Albion took another giant stride towards safety. Long-serving defender Kerry Mayo got a little carried way in the build-up by mentioning
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January 29: Leeds 1 Albion 1
David Yelldell will not forget his English League debut in a hurry. Wolf-whistled by thousands of Yorkshiremen, the German-born giant helped Albion to another valuable away point with a combination of bravery and agility. Yelldell showed great courage
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February 5: Albion 2 Derby 3
Albion self-destructed as their undefeated run in the Championship, stretching back to before Christmas, came to an eventful end. There was no disgrace in losing to fifth-placed Derby, one of the best sides seen at Withdean this season. The narrow
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February 12: Cardiff 2 Albion 0
Albion have not endured many bad days at the office this season. They have been punching above their weight in the Championship virtually from day one, so manager Mark McGhee was in forgiving mood after a lacklustre performance. Cardiff, who by
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February 19: Albion 2 Sunderland 1
The only similarity between the Olympic Stadium in Rome, where Rami Shaaban played for Arsenal in the Champions League, and Withdean is a running track around the ground. Albion's modest temporary abode has even less in common with Old Trafford, where
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February 26: Albion 1 Millwall 0
Maureen Hart will be busy with the scissors, cutting up The Argus and other newspapers as a permanent reminder of her son's last-gasp exploits. In the seven years since Gary joined Albion, his mum has built up a formidable collection of scrapbooks.
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March 5: Stoke 2 Albion 0
The message came through loud and clear after Albion's spot of bother on a bleak afternoon in Staffordshire. Manager Mark McGhee and defender Dan Harding agreed the pair of penalties which condemned them to defeat were dubious. More importantly,
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March 14: Plymouth 5 Albion 1
It is the issue which will be occupying the thoughts of every Albion fan today. Is a third successive away defeat, a thumping one at that, evidence of a downward spiral into relegation trouble? Or was a remarkable match a one-off, one of those inexplicable
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March 16: Albion 2 Wigan 4
We should have known better. Albion fans have become accustomed to exciting finishes to the season and now they are in for another. Manager Mark McGhee has been emphasising all along that the struggle for Championship survival was far from over, even
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March 22: Albion 0 Reading 1
Who said you make your own luck? The Gods were undeniably not on Albion's side last night in an unfortunate fourth defeat in a row. Disrupted by injuries and another illness scare surrounding Mark McCammon, the Seagulls succumbed to a controversial
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April 4: Coventry 2 Albion 1
If luck does, indeed, even itself out over the course of a season then Albion must surely be due plenty in the six matches which will decide their Championship fate. They have endured a barrel load of misfortune lately, culminating in a cruel fifth
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April 6: Preston 3 Albion 0
It was an accident waiting to happen and Phil Prosser did not disappoint. The referee so maligned by Albion fans launched the Seagulls towards a comprehensive sixth defeat in succession against impressive Preston. Prosser almost sparked a riot at
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April 11: Albion 1 Leicester 1
Just as Albion's relentless run of bad luck was about to continue, a Scotsman turned the relegation tide. It wasn't, for once, manager Mark McGhee with an inspired substitution or tactical adjustment. It wasn't Adam Virgo with another goal following
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April 18: Burnley 1 Albion 1
Jake Robinson and Chris McPhee as a front pairing to face West Ham at Withdean on Saturday would have been almost unthinkable three days ago. Suddenly their names must be at the forefront of Mark McGhee's mind as he tries to plot the victory Albion
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April 25: Albion 2 West Ham 2
Adam Virgo became Albion's unlikely play-off saviour at the end of last season with a last-gasp header in the semifinals against Swindon at Withdean. Now another youth team product has emerged, in similar fashion, as an equally improbable relegation
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April 30: Rotherham 0 Albion 1
Here we go again. Albion's bid to remain in the second tier of English football is going to the last Sunday, just as it did two years ago. But this time they are in much better shape. Back then they needed to win at Grimsby and for Reading to do the
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May 9: Albion 1 Ipswich 1
Long after the final whistle Mark McGhee walked behind the North Stand at Withdean towards his last press conference of another nerve-shredding campaign for Albion. Fans celebrating Championship survival on the terrace of the Sportsman pub spontaneously
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July 14: Triallist told to prove he's tough enough
Mark McGhee today challenged a possible new signing to prove he is tough enough for League One football. The Albion boss is taking a closer look at left-sided midfielder Daniel Severino, who scored in the midweek friendly defeat by Oxford. The 24-year-old
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July 12: Injury forces Dodd to quit
Albion fullback Jason Dodd has been forced to retire from professional football due to injury. The 35-year-old has quit the Seagulls after suffering a recurrence of the back problem that restricted him to seven appearances last season. Dodd was invited
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July 11: Biakolo might not fit the bill
Mark McGhee today admitted his trial striker from Le Havre might not fit the bill. The Albion boss was reasonably impressed by what he saw from 24-year-old Stephane Biakolo in the first half of Saturday's 4-0 win at Worthing. Biakolo, who has been with
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July 10: Starting role is Revell's target
New boy Alex Revell has set his sights on a starting role in League One after wasting little time scoring his first goal for Albion. Revell struck just 15 minutes after leaving the bench as the Seagulls opened their pre-season campaign with a 4-0 friendly
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July 7: Frutos challenged to score more
Albion manager Mark McGhee today challenged Alex Frutos to celebrate cementing his future with the club by finding the back of the net more frequently. McGhee wants the French left winger to add goals to his game in his second season with the Seagulls
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July 6: Frutos signs new deal
Alex Frutos has pledged his future to Albion by signing a new two-year contract without an escape clause. The French left winger agreed to rip up his existing deal, which had only a year to run and would have allowed him to leave for nothing following
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July 5: Dichio turns down Albion
Albion transfer target Danny Dichio has rejected a move to the South Coast - for the time being. The Seagulls agreed a five-figure fee with Preston for the widely travelled centre forward. New Preston manager Paul Simpson is prepared to let Londoner
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July 4: New kit is a break from tradition
Albion today revealed a break with tradition as they unveiled their new home and away kits. They will still be wearing blue and white striped shirts on the front but the back is all-blue. The change from stripes all-round has been forced on the Seagulls
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July 4: Seagulls give Magpie a trial
Albion are giving trials to young Newcastle right winger Martin Brittain and four Frenchmen, including former Crawley defender Leonard Mendy. The quintet trained with the Seagulls yesterday and are all expected to feature in Saturday's opening pre-season
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July 1: Kuipers back in contention
Michel Kuipers is back in contention at Albion after apologising to manager Mark McGhee. The Dutch goalkeeper has rescued his career with the club by saying sorry for outbursts last season. McGhee has now drawn a line under their long-running feud.
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June 30:Fans must stay patient
Albion fans have been told to be patient about the club's quest to land a proven target man. Manager Mark McGhee has warned the Seagulls may be forced into a waiting game to sign the striker who will fire a promotion bid from League One. Preston's Danny
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June 29: Albion face cruel blow
Albion are chasing a midfield replacement for Charlie Oatway after discovering they will be without their inspirational captain until December. The Argus revealed yesterday that Oatway had suffered a setback to his recovery from a broken ankle, sustained
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July 10: Worthing 0 Albion 4
Jake Robinson has been a bright young prospect waiting to fully blossom for longer than he probably cares to remember. But the Denton Destroyer was arguably the player who shone brightest as Albion got through 22 men and cast their eyes over trialists
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May 1: Albion 1 Stoke 5
Two flame-haired Republic of Ireland prospects, one for Albion and one for Stoke, took all the plaudits at Withdean yesterday. The problem for the Seagulls was that Paul McShane was dressed in a suit, rather than kit, as he received his player of the
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April 24: Wolves 1 Albion 0
The result was irrelevant but the line-up named by Mark McGhee was intriguing. The side fielded for the relegated Seagulls' final away fixture in the Championship emphasised both the rich promise for the future and the age-old problem for Mark McGhee
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April 18: Albion 0 Sheffield Wednesday 2
In the end it was all very unlike Albion. The club that revels in drama lost their Championship status, as Mark McGhee put it, "with a whimper". Survival against overwhelming odds this time was a step too far, a second successive 2-0 home defeat
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April 10: Albion 0 Southampton 2
Every beaten team can usually reflect on a turning point, a moment which might have changed the face of the match. At Withdean on Saturday cometh the hour cometh the young man missing a chance which has all but ended Albion's hopes of defying the drop
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April 3: Millwall 0 Albion 2
There were plenty of individual performances to admire as Albion kept alive their hopes of Championship survival with a heartening victory. Paul Reid celebrated his recall with a swift and crucial breakthrough. Paul McShane, the other early goalscorer
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March 27: Albion 1 Luton 1
Albion ought to have sought advice from Mike Tyson while he was in town. We all know they have been punching above their weight this season. But their inability to land a knockout blow with the opponent on the ropes is one of the main reasons why
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March 20: QPR 1 Albion 1
Albion manager Mark McGhee predicted on Friday the trip to Loftus Road could be the turning point in the fight for Championship survival. He was right, although not in the way he would have wished. It now looks as much a case of when rather than
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March 13: Albion 0 Preston 0
Albion's first point in seven games could also just prove to be a turning point in the scrap for Championship survival. Towards the end of last season they gathered themselves after a run of defeats to stay up by the skin of their teeth via a win at
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March 6: Plymouth 1 Albion 0
Scoring goals has been a problem for Albion all season but they have defended reasonably well for much of the campaign. Now a pattern is developing of giving away bad goals, which, together with failing to take chances, is a recipe for certain relegation
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Letter: Jail for Hove?
The increasing number of mass-produced laws is creating a need for a vast prison-building programme. Architects' drawings for the new HMP Paterson (named after the early 20th-Century prison reformer) depict a prison for the future with no locks, manicured
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New rule drums out music fun
Brighton-based Big Brother contestant Pete Stephenson's love of music has landed the housemates in trouble again. It was the Daddy Fantastic lead singer who first began drumming rhythms around the house with anything to hand. Soon all the housemates were
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Developers allay school playing field fears
Parents and teachers have been reassured a proposed development will not bring an end to games lessons. Concerns had been raised over an all-weather hockey centre planned for part of a school field in Old Shoreham Road, Hove. It is used by Cardinal Newman
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Letter: Worthing costs less
I live in Southwick and, on a good day when the traffic lights are in my favour, it probably takes me about ten minutes to drive to Brighton. However, since car park fees keep going up, I find myself shopping more and more in Worthing where there is a
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Everything's going swimmingly in the big heat
Crowds of sun worshippers headed for the beaches yesterday as temperatures soared above 86 Fahrenheit. Bikinis and beach shorts seemed the only suitable attire as the heatwave sizzled across Sussex. With temperatures easing past the 30C (86F) mark - hotter
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Sale looms for club in crisis
Crawley Town football club will have to be sold or forced into liquidation after a deal to secure its future fell through. The club is in administration, with debts of £1.4 million, and asked creditors to accept a quarter of what they are owed in a deal
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Letter: Keep it public
In contradiction to Chrissie Coyle's assertion that only a small number of local residents are unhappy about Cardinal Newman School's plans to develop BHASVIC field (Letters, July 3), more than 300 signed a petition objecting to this extensive development
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Letter: Everyone benefits
In response to Mavis Aldridge and J Hales (Letters, July 7), the hockey pavilion and pitches would benefit the whole community, both east and west of London Road. The fencing is to protect residents and motorists. Public transport adequately serves the
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Letter: Save the BHASVIC field from hockey clubhouse
I was born and still live locally and am dismayed and very angry. Cardinal Newman School, with Brighton and Hove Hockey Club, want to dig up my local, open green space - the Brighton, Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College (BHASVIC) field - to lay two astro-turf
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Cricket: Kirtley has to make way
James Kirtley has been left out of Sussex's squad for their crucial Championship match against Middlesex at Southgate tomorrow. The 30-year-old has played just three games since re-modelling his bowling action earlier this year, taking seven wickets.
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Smithson may snub Euro call-up
Claire Smithson admits she may snub the chance to compete at the European Championships after clinching her first senior gold medal at the AAAs Championships. Smithson boosted her prospects of being selected for the Great Britain team which will fly to
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Insurers go green at new offices
Insurance giant Legal & General has opened its new premises in Hove. More than 1,800 staff will be based at the offices in City Park, on the site of the former Alliance & Leicester building in Orchard Road. The official opening was conducted yesterday
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Morgan Heritage, Concorde 2, Brighton, Tuesday, July 18
As children of roots legend Denroy Morgan, reggae group Morgan Heritage were brought up on a diet of powerful and political black music. So you might be surprised to hear some of their early influences: "We loved Phil Collins," says keyboard player and
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Court challenge to daughters' war grave triumph
The Defence Secretary has challenged a legal ruling won by two sisters to allow their father's final resting place to be designated a war grave. Rosemarie Fogg and Valerie Ledgard's father, James Varndell, died with 20 others when the merchant ship SS
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Dancers dip their toes into a new experience by the sea
A cast of up to 100 dancers made a splash as they performed in Brighton's newest arts venue - the sea. There were no props, no stage curtains and no balcony seats but one-off dance production Where The Land Meets The Sea drew an audience of hundreds to
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Teenagers ignore jump warnings
The dangerous craze of "tombstoning" is sweeping Sussex. The practice of jumping from great heights into shallow water popular among teenagers has become a regular occurence at Shoreham harbour. Lifeboat crew and port bosses are horrified to see groups
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Estuary plan is opposed
Environment managers have launched a campaign to block a businessman's plans to save one of Sussex's most popular tourist spots. Nigel Newton, the owner of Bloomsbury Books, wants to build sea defences to protect the Cuckmere Estuary, near Seaford. The
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Letter: A step forward
It was the best news I have heard in ages, that the Pride street party is to be axed, and about time. Now all that is left is to have the parade cancelled and show our children this is not right, a bunch of people making fools of themselves. One step
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Letter: All venues should be allowed to throw a party
It seems the rules are not the same for all venues. While the Queens Arms, The Bulldog and the Marine Tavern are not allowed to have a street party, pubs such as The Marlborough and Dr Brighton's are. I am furious and Pride should realise this is why
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Letter: Time to get started
I noticed in a particular Sunday newspaper that Mr Tony Blair was questioned about his proposed handover of the role of Prime Minister to Gordon Brown and a spokesperson for the Prime Minister said: "He won't walk away with the job half finished." What
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Letter: Skate in the lagoon
Congratulations to everyone involved in the campaign to build a skate park for young people at Hove Lagoon. Veolia Environmental Trust's grant of £35,000 to Skate Expectations is fantastic news and will help take this much needed project closer to reality
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Letter: Stupid but fun
Regarding the letters concerning "Tombstoning" from piers and harbour walls, when I was a teenager this was regarded as normal behaviour. Of course it was risky. We all knew serious injury could result if we were reckless or stupid. Such risk was part
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Letter: Regency effect
In the article "Saving our history or bottling the city in aspic" (The Argus July 15) I have been quoted as saying that the Regency Society is ineffectual. In fact what I said was that the Brighton Society was formed in 1973 as, at that time, the Regency
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Marum earns second chance
Liam Marum has been given a second chance to earn a deal with Albion after making an impression in front of goal. The former Reading youngster is training with the Seagulls in France and could get playing time against non-league RC Port du Havre at Gonfreville
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Relief for mum as shuttle sets down
The mother of British-born astronaut Piers Sellers said she was "full of relief" after her son landed safely in the space shuttle Discovery. Discovery touched down at Kennedy Space Centre yesterday in only the second shuttle flight since the 2003 Columbia
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Muslim denied terror bomb plot
A British Muslim accused of conspiring to blow up civilian targets in the UK insisted he had nothing to do with a terror plot when quizzed by police, a court heard. Waheed Mahmood, 34, from Crawley, was arrested on March 30, 2004, after months of MI5
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Letter: Can't go to school
I agree with Chris Bourne about the need to change the Brighton's schools admissions policy (Letters July 13). The residents of Goldsmid ward are at a disadvantage for secondary school provision as past council decisions have left them with no nearby
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Mass rally planned to protect NHS services
A mass rally is being held in the latest round in the fight to save hospital services. Hundreds of people are expected to pack the centre of Chichester on Saturday for what is believed to be one of the biggest demonstrations the city has seen. The event
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Letter: Field of battle
I understand Chrissie Coyle's wish to support her son's interest in hockey but she misunderstands why this development is so passionately opposed by hundreds of local residents. The field is already widely used for all sorts of sports. My children go
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Residents' fury over rubbish pile
A rat-infested pile of stinking rubbish has turned an alley near homes and restaurants into an eyesore and health risk. Neighbours have complained for seven months about the mass of rubbish but instead of being cleared the pile grows bigger. Residents
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Letter: Princes are in the right
When Chi magazine published photographs of their dying mother, I am not surprised both Princes William and Harry feel like the magazine was "trampling on their mother's grave". Both feeling very hurt, they have decided to break their silence over Princess
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Letter: Nursery rhyme his greatest claim to fame
As good looking as Gable and charming as Conti, he nevertheless had Chaplin's pathos. In Oliver Twist, his artful dodger was craftiness to perfection. He switched as if by magic to become a rock-and-roller in Idle On Parade, then a slapstick funny man
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How I escaped Israeli bombs terror
A Brighton aid worker told last night of her rescue from bombed Lebanon as the region lurched towards all-out war. Susannah Graham, from Rottingdean, had been in Beirut with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, working in a Palestinian refugee
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Letter: Assurances don't seem worth much
So Brighton and Hove City Council and Worthing Borough Council have sold Shoreham Airport for about 40 per cent of its estimated value and, they assure the public, strict rules would prevent the land being used for housing. What strict rules? The agreement
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Smithson may snub Euro call-up
Claire Smithson admits she may snub the chance to compete at the European Championships after clinching her first senior gold medal at the AAAs Championships. Smithson boosted her prospects of being selected for the Great Britain team which will fly to
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Staff go to Rok school
A construction company has opened a state-of-the-art training centre. Rok has set itself the target of being "the best employer in the industry". The new facility is at its administrative headquarters in Gatwick Road, Crawley. The group, which has branches
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Road decision 'will cost precious jobs'
Sussex jobs could be lost because the Government is failing to deal with problem roads, business leaders have warned. Economists fear jobs were being put at risk by transport ministers' newest "to do" list. Plans announced last week include a £20 million
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Music lovers furious at closure of venue
Concert-goers have accused the owners of a live music venue of not doing enough to save it from closure. Fans of the Hanbury Ballroom in St George's Road, Brighton, were shocked when owners Zelgrain decided to sell the historic venue because it was struggling
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Know your rights at Pride, says legal group
A leading human rights organisation has urged revellers at this year's Pride Festival to exercise their rights if confronted by police with drug-testing kits. Release, the law and human rights lobby group, believes gay men and women will be targeted during
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Milburn, Concorde 2, Brighton
Maybe it's his chubby cheeks, his schoolboy haircut or the fact he turned down a place at Cambridge to become a rock'n'roll star but there's something instantly likeable about Milburn frontman Joe Carnall. Greeting the crowd with the words "Right on,
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Simply Red, Petworth Park, Petworth
A group in name only, Simply Red has evolved into a revolving door of musicians fronted by Mick Hucknall. It now comprises 11 musicians and, like or loath the old lothario, Hucknall's latest collective appears set to be a succesful one. Despite looking
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Pets hit by centre's cash crisis
Families are needed to take in dozens of cats and rabbits before their rescue centre home is sold. Debbie Campain has been running Cat Rescue at her bungalow in Peacehaven for five years. But since splitting with her partner two years ago she has struggled
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Protest wilts in heat
Protesters against Israel's bombing of Lebanon have chained themselves to the gates of a factory in Brighton which they claim supplies weapons parts to the Israeli military. Three protesters from the campaign group Smash EDO are blockading the EDO MBM
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Audits for new housing rejected
Campaigners are dismayed that the Government has rejected an audit of the county's infrastructure, to ensure it could cope with scores of planned new homes. Meg Munn, a junior minister, threw out demands for surveys to check that water services, schools
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February 27: Crewe 2 Albion 1
For whom the Bell tolls? Does Lee Bell's freak equaliser herald the beginning of the end for Albion in the Championship? Manager Mark McGhee, putting a brave face on a fifth successive defeat, made a pretty convincing case for the defence. Still
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February 20: Albion 0 Watford 1
Chris Eagles' extraordinary winning goal from the halfway line stunned everybody at Withdean, everybody that is except Paul McShane. The young Albion centre half was the one man inside the ground who knew his fellow Manchester United loanee was going
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February 15: Norwich 3 Albion 0
Albion's luck shows no sign of turning, with time beginning to run out in their battle to beat the drop. They were hard done by yet again at Carrow Road last night, both by the margin of defeat and another harsh red card. Adam Hinshelwood was the
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February 13: Albion 1 Leicester 2
Try as they might, nothing is going right for Albion in their increasingly desperate battle to beat the drop. In fact, the harder they try the more things seem to go wrong. In-between another soul-destroying search for strikers, Mark McGhee and
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February 6: Coventry 2 Albion 0
Picture the predicament. In the past two years you have moved up the property ladder from a one-bed flat into a two-bed apartment. You work as hard as you can to keep your home in good order and the employees in the company department you manage work
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February 1: Albion 0 Burnley 0
Albion's glaring need for a new striker was reinforced at Withdean last night. A drab goalless draw against a Burnley side sadly lacking in ambition, combined with a surprise win for managerless Leicester at QPR, dropped the Seagulls back into the
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January 23: Sheffield United 3 Albion 1
Albion discovered to their cost again the difference between the dominating top two and the rest of the teams in the Championship. When you are slack against Reading and Sheffield United you are ruthlessly punished. At Reading last month the Seagulls
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January 18: Albion youth 2 Chelsea Youth 1
Dean Wilkins watched his Albion wonder kids dump super-rich Chelsea out of the FA Youth Cup at Withdean last night, then insisted: "We can play better". First half goals by the outstanding Joe Gatting and strike partner Dan Leach in front of an extraordinary
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January 13: Albion 2 Leeds United 1
Albion finally shrugged off the pattern of second half fading and failure to claim their most satisfying home scalp of the season. For the first time at Withdean during the current campaign they went on to win without being in front at the halfway
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January 9: Albion 0 Coventry 1
The shortcoming which is staring us all in the face sentenced Albion to another expensive early exit from the FA Cup. The Seagulls' lack of a goal threat was once again the difference between the possibility of landing a lucrative tie in today's fourth
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January 3: Southampton 2 Albion 1
The striker Mark McGhee tried to sign last season broke depleted Albion's hearts. Two goals by Dexter Blackstock, the second with four minutes left, earned Southampton their first points under George Burley and deprived the Seagulls of a bonus point
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January 2: Albion 1 Millwall 2
Dean Hammond could be the next Albion youth team product to catch the eye of other clubs if he develops a killer instinct in front of goal. That was the message from manager Mark McGhee after the Seagulls messed up the chance to give themselves breathing
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December 29: Luton 3 Albion 0
They say you should never change a winning team. Albion manager Mark McGhee ignored that old footballing adage last night, then watched his re-shaped side slump to only their second Championship defeat in seven games against lively Luton. McGhee
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December 27: Albion 1 QPR 0
Albion will have to scrap for Championship survival until March without their inspirational skipper. The broken right ankle suffered by Charlie Oatway took the shine off a bruising victory for the Seagulls against the club he has supported since childhood
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December 16: Albion 2 Hull City 1
The turkey will taste that much more succulent for Albion manager Mark McGhee and his players now. They go into the festive period boosted by a first win for ten games, thanks to a Christmas Carole and a collector's item from captain Charlie Oatway
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December 12: Reading 5 Albion 1
One moment of madness wrecked Albion's hopes of halting Reading's relentless surge towards the Premiership. No, not Gary Elphick's unfortunate dismissal three minutes into the second half. That merely confirmed the inevitable. The damage had already
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December 5: Watford 1 Albion 1
Albion launched a critical couple of months by proving yet again they are two-thirds of the way towards being a team to be reckoned with in the Championship. December includes home games against Hull and Millwall, two of their fellow strugglers. Those
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November 28: Albion 0 Derby 0
Alan Blayney did not have the happiest of starts to his second loan spell with Albion. He had to wait for his chance while Wayne Henderson did his stuff before returning to Aston Villa. Once his opportunity arrived, Blayney twice conceded three
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November 23: Cardiff 1 Albion 1
Albion manager Mark McGhee predicted when he signed Colin Kazim-Richards from Bury that the teenage striker would provide some of the highlights of the season. How right he was. Kazim-Richards earned the Seagulls another excellent away point with a
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November 21: Albion 2 Crystal Palace 3
A cruel and controversial climax to Albion's fifth home defeat out of ten camouflaged the shortcoming which threatens to deprive them of their Championship status. They are agonisingly close to being a team good enough to be comfortably placed in mid-table
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November 7: Stoke 3 Albion 0
It must be the season for apologies. Jose Mourinho will say sorry to Arsene Wenger if the Arsenal boss says sorry to him. Mark McGhee wants an apology from Leon Knight and now Stoke midfielder Darel Russell wants an apology from the Albion manager.
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November 2: Albion are doing it the hard way
Albion, it seems, are going to do it the hard way, point by point, if they are to survive in the Championship this season. It was a case of deja vu at Withdean last night as they were unable to hold on to a 1-0 lead at home for the second time in four
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October 31: Albion 1 Ipswich 1
Albion chairman Dick Knight, adapting a well-worn football phrase, was "over Jupiter" when the green light was given for Falmer. Ipswich manager Joe Royle reckoned "there's more atmosphere on Mars" than at Withdean. Well big Joe, you are talking
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October 25: Sheff Wed 1 Albion 1
Brighton and Hove Albion fans are used to waiting. The Falmer decision has taken an eternity but, if John Prescott finally says yes on Friday, the wait will have been well worthwhile. It was the same for the team in South Yorkshire last night, a
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October 19: Palace 0 Albion 1
It is impossible to imagine a more satisfying way to move off the bottom of the table. Albion provided the perfect riposte to consecutive home defeats with their first victory over Palace for 17 years. Beating their biggest foes in their own backyard
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October 17: Albion 1 Cardiff 2
The weather was gorgeously glorious again but there the similarities ended. Can it really be only seven weeks ago that Albion pulverised Plymouth at Withdean with a performance full of forward flair and adventure? The same diminutive front four
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October 3: Albion 1 Norwich 3
If Albion are going to survive in the Championship this season they need to be on their game from the first whistle to the last. They cannot afford to perform for only 45 minutes, certainly not against sides with the sort of strength in depth Norwich
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September 28: Leicester 0 Albion 0
Sometimes an image can be far more revealing than any words. The snapshot which summed up Albion's seventh draw out of 11 in the Championship came after the final whistle. Albion coach Dean White put a consoling arm around Dean Hammond as the midfielder
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September 26: Burnley 1 Albion 1
Albion proved a point with another hard-earned away draw. They have not only a team but a squad capable of holding their own in the Championship. The Seagulls finished, for one reason or another, without five of the players kept together by Mark
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September 19: Albion 2 Coventry 2
Knowing how to get the best out of your players is an obvious and yet much under-estimated part of the art of management. Leon Knight and Albert Jarrett are playing the best football of their Albion careers this season under Mark McGhee and now the
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September 14: Albion 0 Sheffield United 1
Albion learnt the hard way that they cannot perform for only 45 minutes to pick up results in the Championship. A tardy first half condemned Mark McGhee's side to their second home defeat of the season against the leaders. Withdean has been something
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September 12: Leeds 3 Albion 3
Leon Knight is back to his goal-scoring best, as the focal point of surely the smallest strike force in the country. Mark McGhee's inspired decision to put Knight back up front in a four-pronged attack with Jake Robinson, Sebastien Carole and Albert
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August 30: Albion 2 Plymouth 0
Welcome to the Championship Taribo West. Plymouth's Nigerian international centre half will not forget his away debut in a hurry. Not just because of the surroundings, even if Withdean is a bit of a come down for somebody who once plied his trade
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August 24: Shewsbury 3 Albion 2
Albion made an embarrassing exit from the Carling Cup, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. A place in Saturday's second round seemed assured for Mark McGhee's much-changed side after substitute Jake Robinson had put them 2-1 ahead in the 80th
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August 22: Hull 2 Albion 0
Leon Knight must be sick of the sight of Phil Joslin. A couple of seasons ago he was booked by the Nottinghamshire referee at QPR, supposedly for play-acting. Knight was the victim of another controversial decision by Joslin which helped promoted Hull
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August 15: Albion 2 Crewe 2
Albion have one of the smallest squads in the Championship, so it is just as well it is also one of the most adaptable. Mark McGhee can count on a collection of flexible friends, each of them able to operate in a variety of positions. Australian
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August 10: Albion 0 Reading 2
If the performance at Pride Park was the up side, this was most definitely the downside. McGhee questioned his team's self belief and mental fortitude as goals in each half by Glen Little, his first for two seasons, and Dave Kitson made it a happy
