It was always beyond the wildest of dreams to expect a Boxing Day fixture at Selhurst Park.
But was it such an unreasonable dream to hope for a match somewhere half-sensible rather than an away fixture in the wilds of East Anglia? No matter how delightful Delia's pies, the lack of trains and consequent need to use what is surely the least useful motorway in England made the Norwich fixture a mission impossible for many fans.
I don't imagine Norwich fans were overly excited by the prospect either. Even if they only had to fire up their combine harvesters, bung on a brand new Christmas bobble-hat and potter on down to Carrow Road.
There's precious little history between Norwich and Brighton and Boxing Day had damp squib written all over it - although we certainly won't complain about three points - especially since we're back in Norwich for the cup match on January 4 because there's only so much East Anglia a person can reasonably cope with. Two visits in a fortnight is verging on the unreasonable!
You shouldn't get too sentimental about great football moments of the past because it's very easy to cross the line which divides Great Moments from terminally Great Moments of Boredom. But great Boxing Day moments are an absolutely essential ingredient in the life of the football fan.
Even if sometimes, Boxing Day has delivered little more than the chance to break out from the more suffocating elements of a cosy family Christmas. Apart from anything else, you need the chance to step out in all those Albion goodies so eagerly unwrapped the day before! What was the point of your nearest and dearest selling their soul for the faintest chance of getting their hands on a home shirt - in the right size, for heaven's sake! - before the beginning of next season, otherwise?
Apart from the escapology and the chance to wear your new stuff, it's not a proper Boxing Day if you can't sit in the stands with a terrible headache and a desperately uneasy digestive system. Nothing clears up any post-Christmas suffering like a football match and the restorative effect of 90 minutes in a turkey-free zone (dodgy referees excepted) is the best medicine in the world.
There are other, more sensible, fixtures that could have been arranged for Boxing Day because there are enough contenders within a 50-mile or so radius of Brighton. We had less choice last year but we drew a very acceptable away at Queens Park Rangers. This was superb, not least because a dozen or so of us made the wild gesture of taking an "executive" box. The said box came with champagne, a fridge full of beer, a Desperate Dan sized breakfast and an excellent view of the game. This was a one-off experience since we're all still recovering from the cost but having a London-based game made it possible in the first place and the trip to QPR is now on our lists of great Boxing Day memories. For those who can actually remember what happened after they had enjoyed the refreshments to the full, that is!
Allowing for us saying cheerio to QPR at the end of last season, and accepting that we were going to have an away game on Boxing Day, why couldn't we have had Watford, Reading or Portsmouth? All accessible from Brighton without the need to get up at dawn and test the terrible headaches to the limit. We might have got Wimbledon at home on New Year's Day but it doesn't compensate for getting nowhere near a football ground on December 26. As supporters of a team for whom Boxing Day has a very special significance, I reckon we've been very badly done by this year, although three points has certainly raised post-Christmas spirits. If there are any left in the bottle to raise!
Roz South edits Brighton Rockz fanzine. Email: roz@southspark.co.uk
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