The WeAreBrighton.com 2018-19 End of Season Awards
The 2018-19 season was a strange one for the Albion. Before Christmas, we were looking up the table with a possible top 10 finish in the Premier League being on the cards. By the end, we were relying on Crystal Palace to beat Cardiff City to keep us up and Chris Hughton was paying for that almighty collapse with his job.
Despite the disappointing manner in which the campaign finished, this year’s WeAreBrighton.com End of Season Awards attracted a record breaking number of voters which suggests you clearly enjoyed the yeat.
There were 10 categories to vote across and although some of the winners were wholly predictable – you’ll no doubt be surprised to discover Anthony Knockaert won goal of the season – others were less clear cut with Sexiest Player, Memorable Moment and the Ashley Barnes Award for Red Card of the Season all being close run things.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote and congratulations to all our winners. Without any further ado, here they are…
WeAreBrighton.com Player of the Season 2018-19 –
Shane Duffy
Shane Duffy’s outstanding year at the heart of the Brighton defence is recognised once again as he picks up our WeAreBrighton.com Player of the Season award, winning over half of the popular vote. Duffy has already been named as the club’s official Player of the Year and earlier in 2019 he became only the second man ever to win back-to-back Irish Player of the Year awards. He’s blocked and headed everything that has come his way and he even managed to finish as Brighton’s second top Premier League scorer at the other end, his five goals highlighting the threat he offers from set pieces and being bettered only by Glenn Murray’s 13. That was enough to see Duffy beat his centre back partner Lewis Dunk to the award with Murray back in third.
Previous Winners: Pascal Gross (2018), Anthony Knockaert (2017), Bruno (2016), Inigo Calderon (2015) Stephen Ward (2014), Liam Bridcutt (2013, 2012), Glenn Murray (2011), Andrew Crofts (2010).
WeAreBrighton.com Goal of the Season 2018-19 –
Anthony Knockaert v Crystal Palace
You would struggle to find a sweeter hit than this if you watched every game of football that is ever played for the next one thousand years. That it secured a first win away at Crystal Palace for nearly 14 years and a first double over the Albion’s arch rivals since 1984 made it one of the great goals in Brighton history, let alone this season. Dale Stephens picked out Anthony Knockaert out on the right wing with a David Beckham-esque switch of play. Knockaert still had plenty to do but do it he did, getting the ball under, cutting inside and bending an effort into the stanchion of Vicente Guaita’s goal from a full 25 yards out. Stunning.
Previous Winners: Jose Izquierdo (2018), Steve Sidwell (2017), Jiri Skalak (2016) Rohan Ince (2015), Jake Forster-Caskey (2014), Craig Mackail-Smith (2013), Inigo Calderon (2012), Liam Bridcutt (2011), Gary Dicker (2010).
WeAreBrighton.com Memorable Moment of the Season 2018-19 –
Doing the double over Crystal Palace
Not since the 1983-84 season had Brighton completed a league double over Crystal Palace and their first six points from their arch rivals in 35 years were earned in the best possible style. Outplaying, out thinking and out battling Palace to win 3-1 at the Amex despite playing for over an hour with just 10 men was good, but even better was to come three months later when we went to Croydon and repeated the trick via two goals of the highest quality from Murray and Knockaert. Not even being held in Selhurst Park for 45 minutes afterwards by the Met’s finest could dampen the spirits of the jubilant away end.
Previous Winners: Manchester United home (2018), Wigan Athletic home (2017) Sheffield Wednesday home (2016) Fulham away (2015), Forest away (2014), Palace home (2013), Doncaster home (2012), Charlton away (2011), Southampton away (2010).
WeAreBrighton.com Flair Moment of the Season 2018-19 –
Glenn Murray scores with his penis
For Brighton’s FA Cup Fourth Round replay with Championship side West Bromwich Albion, Chris Hughton sent out a starting line up which cost a combined £56m. Yet despite naming the most expensively assembled side in Albion history, it took the penis of a 35-year-old originally signed from Rochdale for £300,000 over a decade earlier to beat the Baggies, meaning that Murray has now scored for the Seagulls with his left, his right, his head, his knee, his thigh, his chest – and his schlong.
Previous Winners: Anthony Knockaert (2018), Blowing the title (2017), Colin Calderwood (2016), Chris O’Grady (2015), Andrea Orlandi (2014), Liam Bridcutt (2013), Vicente (2012), Cristian Baz (2011), Inigo Calderon (2010).
WeAreBrighton.com Comedy Moment of the Season 2018-19 –
Yves Bissouma laughs at Arsenal
Brighton’s 1-1 draw away at Arsenal effectively ended the Gunners hopes of finishing in the top four and with it, their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League. That left a lot of disappointed players on the pitch come the final whistle at the Emirates, with the Sky Sports cameras panning around each dejected body slumped in the floor. And then right in the middle of all this misery was Yves Bissouma stumbling around laughing hysterically to himself. Bissouma later claimed it was because Gaetan Bong was doing something funny somewhere to make laugh, but we much prefer the idea of the Mali international thoroughly enjoying costing Arsenal a place at Europe’s top table for next season.
Previous Winner: Anthony Knockaert (2018).
Ashley Barnes Award for Red Card of the Season 2018-19 –
Shane Duffy v Crystal Palace
A few days before Palace’s visit to the Amex, Duffy had sent out a tweet which included the wonderful phrase “head’s gone.” It took just 28 minutes of the game with the Eagles for that prophecy to come true as the centre back lost his mind in spectacular fashion, launching a fantastic headbutt at Patrick van Aanholt right in front of referee Kevin Friend. It was a case of all’s well that ends well though – the dismissal meant Pascal Gross being sacrificed for Leon Balogun who put the Albion 2-0 up with his first touch and on the way to a famous 3-1 win. Heads gone, indeed.
Previous Winners: Glenn Murray (2017), Dale Stephens (2016), Adrian Colunga (2015), Leonardo Ulloa (2014), Ashley Barnes (2013), Mauricio Taricco (2012, 2011), Colin Hawkins (2010)
WeAreBrighton.com Villain of the Season 2018-19 –
Ricardo Gold
Ricardo Gold was the gimp who paid to have his shit single advertised with a mural on the side of Gelato Gusto in Church Street – painted over the Bruno El Capitan artwork that had adorned the wall for nearly two years. If it was meant to be some sort of marketing genius then it didn’t work as Gold ended The Great Escape Festival which he was visiting the city for with a grand total of 100 Twitter followers. Justice.
WeAreBrighton.com Look-a-like of the Season 2018-19 –
Lewis Dunk – Neil from The Inbetweeners
Lewis Dunk looking like Neil from The Inbetweeners is a nomination that pops up every year in our coveted Look-a-like of the Season award. It’s been some time since it was a resemblance that last won though – you have to go back to the 2014-15 season to find it at the top of the pile, since when both Ezequiel Schelotto and Inigo Calderon have triumphed for looking like Jesus Christ and Oliver Norwood’s decision to bleach his hair bright blonde was vindicated by turning him into a dead ringer for Shirley from EastEnders. There is a marked difference between Dunk and Neil four years on from when the duo last won this award as Dunk now has an England cap whilst Neil is presumably still seeing how much Lego he can fit up his bum. They might be similar in looks, but in career progression, they’re miles apart.
Previous Winners:Jesus Christ (2018, 2016), Shirley from EastEnders (2017), Neil from The Inbetweeners (2015)
WeAreBrighton.com Sexiest Player of the Season 2018-19 –
Bruno
Who else could it be? In what proved to be his final campaign as an Albion player, Bruno finally received the recognition he deserved by being voted as Sexiest Player of the Season, just ahead of last year’s winner Maty Ryan. Bruno’s success sees Spain return to the top of the pile in a category they dominated between 2012 and 2015, winning it five consecutive times through Vicente, Andrea Orlandi and Calderon. Bruno’s success shows that we are not just losing a great player, a great captain and a great man but also a bloody handsome human being. Once a Seagull, always a Seagull. A sexy one at that.
Previous Winners: Maty Ryan (2018), Shane Duffy (2017), Inigo Calderon (2016, 2015), Andrea Orlandi (2014, 2013), Vicente (2012)
WeAreBrighton.com Percy Tau Social Media Comment of the Season 2018-19 –
Phakisho Thaba
One of the highlights of the 2018-19 season has been seeing all the mental comments that the Albion’s new found South African followers posted on the club’s social media feeds about Percy Tau. They’ve asked why he isn’t playing constantly, proclaimed that he should be playing for Real Madrid or Barcelona and that with the Lion of Judah, Brighton could crack the Champions League. All of that led us to create a new category for 2018-19, the Percy Tau Social Media Comment of the Season Award. No words can do the effort of Phakisho Thaba justice. It’s just completely insane and that is why we love it.
wait till you see him,the lion of judah..wait till you hear peter drury go like..”oooooh how about that..just how good is he?”..and jim baglin go like “..peter, i mean over the years we’ve seen some good african players like aubemeyang,and some really great ones like mo salah..but this man percy tau is just something else..he is indeed the lion of judah”
Completely mad and a well deserved winner.
