Last Saturday was a little like May 11, 1991. Back in the days of the Shoop Shoop song (they never played that for me at The Zap) and Twin Peaks.
The Albion had to win their last game of the season at home to Ipswich to guarantee a play off spot , or draw and hope unfashionable Barnsley slipped up at home to Middlesbrough.
Yes Barnsley was unfashionable even then.
Albion had held a play-off spot since February of that year. Flirting with Liverpool in the FA Cup was a fun distraction.
So on the last game of the season, a packed Goldstone, some 12,000 fans were hoping to witness Albion's first ever play off-foray (not 585).
It was quite a dull match. Perry Digweed in trousers looked like a boy, compared to 40-year-old Ipswich keeper Phil Parkes, who also wore trousers - he must have weighed at least 17 stone.
Albion won a penalty when Clive Walker, knocking 50 himself, was up-ended by Romeo Zondervan.
Mike Small put Albion front.
Quite a dull game become a little less dull in the second half when Albion wonder kid and brickie Jonny Crumpet brought down Chris Kiwomya.
11,999 people thought disinterested-looking Essex ref David Axcell pointed for a goal kick, but the moustached little man (it wasn't even November) puffed his chest out, and angled his arm to the penalty spot and appeared to tell Crumpet (Crumplin in reality) he wasn't sure, but he couldn't care less.
Within seconds we were to witness the most famous moment in the history of The Knoll, as Jon Lees screeched into his Radio Sussex microphone: ''And Perry Digweed has saved it - Digweed dived away to his left and pushed the ball away!''
He then went on: ''Digweed who has never been a popular figure at the Goldstone, now has the adualtion of the fans in the north stand, as they chant 'There is only one Perry Digweed'.''
By the time Lees had finished, Kiwomya had picked up a loose ball and equalised, beating Digweed tamely at his near post.
Apart from singing four verses of Sussex By The Sea live on air when Sussex won the County Champoinship in2003, Lees never surpassed his Digweed moment - the most famous ever man from Stapley Road.
Now back to the game, at 1-1 and with Barnsley winning Albion were out of the play-offs .
Then Johnny Byrne injured his mullet (I once got Johnny mixed up with Keith Houchen, he wasn't particularly happy about it) and limped off, after winning Albion a vital free kick.
Like last Saturday Albion needed a goal to get into the play-offs, and with seconds left Dean Wilkins, who is nothing like Leo Ulloa, curled a free kick past Phil Parkes, who by this time could hardly move.
Cue wild scenes, as Albion's north stand faithfull invaded the pitch, lots of stonewash jeans, pastel shirts and big white trainers.
Albion won, but just like last Saturday when Reading fans invaded the pitch in premature celebration, the Barnsley fans were unaware of Albion's late goal and did the same thinking they were in the play-offs.
In those days of pay phones and fax machines, it took a few minutes for those poor Tykes to realise they had been done by Wendy Wilkins.
Of course Reading found out Albion were better than them far quicker on Saturday, but back in '91 Barnsley FC sent Albion a congratulatory fax ,wishing them luck.
Has Nigel Adkins fired up his Xerox?
Did you know Leon Knight is the last player to score a play-off goal for Brighton & Hove Albion?
Oh and if you were expecting an NSC expose - stay tuned!
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