I have been supporting Brighton and Hove Albion since 1952 when, as a nine-year-old lad, my parents were very happy for me to go the Goldstone Ground on my own as it was considered a safe place to be.

Sadly, in the 1970s, when football was hijacked by thugs and hooligans, football grounds became battle grounds.

Those days seemed to be a thing of the past when the Albion moved to the Amex stadium, where there is now a tremendous atmosphere at every game with no hint of trouble and spontaneous applause for the opposition fans when the crowd numbers are announced.

The only exception to this was the last match against Crystal Palace last season, when a small minority caused trouble and polluted the atmosphere in the ground.

I was saddened to read recently that a number of Palace and Albion supporters asked the police for details of the policing of the match this Sunday as they were worried about the possibility of violence.

We do not have to revert to the bad old days as the vast majority of supporters are fair-minded people who want to see the game played in the right spirit.

There can be intense rivalry without the provocative chanting of, “Who are ya, who are ya?” and, “We hate Palace, we hate Palace”.

I will never forget the final game of the Australia V England Ashes series when, as England hit the winning run, Freddie Flintoff was seen to bend down and console the distraught Brett Lee. Although they had been bitter rivals throughout the series their mutual respect shone through.

It is my hope that the Albion fans afford the Palace team and supporters the same respect and that the game will be played in a brilliant atmosphere with both sets of fans enjoying a great afternoon of sport, whatever the result.

Let the vast majority of true supporters set an example to the minority who show the aggression that has so damaged football in the past and refrain from joining in with any provocative chanting.

Give the Palace supporters a warm round of applause when the attendance numbers are announced.

Mick Harris, West Park Lane, Worthing