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1) Mark Ormerod
1994-2000, 80
appearances
The goalkeeper for
the Great Escape team of 1997. Kept a
clean sheet in the 6-0 demolition of Mansfield
in Withdean's first ever league match before
losing the number one shirt to Mark Walton at
the end of August. Released at the end of the
1999-00 season after six years dedicated
service. |
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2) Mark Walton
1998-2000,
58 appearances
Arrived as number one for the last season at
Gillingham before losing his place to Ormerod. He regained the shirt just six games
into 1999-00 and despite a huge phobia of
coming for crosses and a less than subtle waste
line kept it until he decided to walk out
on a free transfer for Cardiff. Very loud and very Welsh. |
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3) Michel Kuipers
2000-2010, 247 appearances
Lasted just 45 minutes of his debut at Southend
before going onto become an Albion legend. First choice
goalkeeper in both the 2001 and 2002
championship winning teams, unused sub in the
2004 play-off final and saved the penalty that
knocked Manchester City out the Carling Cup in
2008. |
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4) Mark Cartwright
2000-2001, 15 appearances
A free signing on the eve of the 2000-01
season, thrown into the deep end at half time at Southend he became number one for the opening
months of the season. Injury handed Kuipers his
place back and three further appearances
occurred after October Released at the end of
the season - but with a Division Three title
medal. |
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5) Will Packham
2000-2003, 4 Appearances
Another youth team keeper who kept a clean sheet
on his debut at Halifax for the already-crowned
Division Three champions and at Port Vale for
the already-crowned Division Two champions the
next season. Best remembered for his howler
against Preston in the FA Cup on one of only two
starts. |
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6) Simon Royce
2001-2002, 6 appearances
Classic case of Peter Taylor loaning one of his
old boys when he signed at Christmas 2001 as
injury cover. Played six
times and conceded 13 goals - just four less than
we had let in all season up until that point -
and culminated with the annual 4-0 defeat at
Brentford. Saved a penalty at Blackpool on the
plus side |
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7) Chris Jones
2002, 0 appearances
Remember him? Signed in March 2002 for the Division Two title
run in as back up for Kuipers, the Australian
didn't make it off the bench during his brief
month at the club - despite his claim to fame
being a clean sheet for South Melbourne in the
World Club Championship against Manchester
United in 2000 |
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8) Andy Petterson
2002, 7 appearances
Can anybody hear his name and not snigger? A
free transfer when Kuipers suffered his first
injury of 2002-03, he played a part in the 12
game losing streak - including that comical fall
over his own leg 30 yards out of his goal as he
attempted to run backwards from the half way
line, handing Gillingham their fourth goal in a
4-2 rout. |
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9) John Keeley
2002, 0 appearances
This is not some sort of sick joke. With
Petterson gone (only to be re-signed) and
Packham injured, Steve Coppell was not going to
go into the match at Crystal Palace with no
goalkeeping cover on the bench. Step forward the
41 year old coach - 12 years after his last
Brighton game. He wasn't needed as we lost
5-0. |
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10) Ben Roberts
2003-2004, 35 appearances
Perhaps the best of the lot, he would have
played far higher were it not for
back injuries that forced his
retirement. Initially a loan signing, Coppell
bought him in permanently as number one for
2003-04 including six straight clean sheets
and play-off semi final penalty heroics. Loved a mazy dribble outside his box |
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11) Dave Beasant
2003, 16 appearances
The 43 year old arrived to play a key part in
the battle for Division One survival in
2002-03. Despite his near-pensioner age, he
put in a number of superb performances including doing the worm to
celebrate a goal against Watford and being seen
on the floor of a kebab shop
after a 0-0 draw with Palace. |
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12) Ross Flitney
2003, 3 appearances
Arrived on-loan from Fulham in September 2003
when Kuipers was sent for some first team match
action to Hull, he found himself thrown in for a
debut against Chesterfield when Roberts got
injured the day of the game before returning to
play in the Christmas fixtures at home to
Wycombe and away at Swindon. |
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13) Stuart Jones
2004, 3 appearances
With Kuipers recovering from his car crash and
Roberts injured, he was thrown into the play-off
place battle by Mark McGhee for three games in
2004. Not that it went particularly well - a
substitutes appearance in a 1-1 draw at Wycombe
followed by defeats 2-0 at Luton and 2-1 at
Grimsby. He wasn't seen again after. |
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14) Chris May
2004-2005, 1 appearance
He spent the entire 2004-05 season bench
warming with his award being one appearance - coming off the bench for the final
moments of a 0-0 draw at home to Nottingham
Forest after Kuipers tore his shoulder to
pieces. A 100% clean sheet to games record has
to be applauded - even if it was just for five
minutes. |
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15) David Yelldell
2005, 3 appearances
The first man to try and fill Kuipers' boots in
2004-05. He arrived on loan from Blackburn
and in his first game performed heroics to
secure a 1-1 draw at promotion chasing Leeds
which is probably most remembered for his
dashing pink shirt. Played two more times and
they are probably best forgotten. |
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16) Rami Shaaban
2005, 6 appearances
Arrived on a free from Arsenal where he had
played Champions League football before a
serious leg break. His best moments came in an
inspired performance as ten men Albion beat
Sunderland 2-1 and he is another who looked
woeful for us but went onto play international
football, representing Sweden at the 2006 World
Cup. |
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17) Alan Blayney
2005, 15 appearances
Had two loan spells from Southampton
neither of which made it into permanent deals.
Firstly helped Mark McGhee's side escape
relegation after taking over from Shaaban for
the 2004-05 season run in before returning in
November 2005 for a spell in which he saved
penalties against Derby
and Watford |
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18) Wayne Henderson
2005-2007, 52 appearances
Arrived
on-loan at the start of 2005-06, Mark McGhee
made the transfer permanent in January 2006.
Played for Ireland during his time at Withdean,
he put in some stunning performances such as
Leeds away as well as complete howlers such as
passing the ball to an opposition forward at
Bournemouth. |
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19) Richard Martin
2005-2007, 0 appearances
Another player on the list who didn't make a
first team appearance. He provided back-up on
the bench to Henderson for 14 games in 2005-06
before a number of loan spells with non-league
sides. Incredibly, upon his release he ended up
joining Manchester City. |
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20) Florent Chaigneau
2005-2006, 3 appearances
Peter Cech's understudy at Rennes and a French
under-21 international arrived on-loan to
provide competition to Wayne Henderson for
2005-06. He played just three times - defeats
against Shrewsbury in the League Cup,
Southampton and Coventry before criticising
McGhee for dropping him and never being seen
again. |
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21) John Sullivan
2005-2009, 13 appearances
Made 13 appearances under Micky
Adams in 2008-09 after sitting on the bench as
back up to Michel Kuipers for a season.
Performed penalty heroics in the Johnstone Paint
Trophy Southern semi final at Shrewsbury in his
best Albion performance before being released by
Russell Slade. |
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22) Scott Flinders
2007, 12 appearances
Stood in for Kuipers from February 2007 until
the end of the season following his arrival
on-loan from Crystal Palace. Impressed with his
all round ability and it was his arrival that
coincided with a run that saw Dean Wilkins side
move away from relegation trouble in League One. |
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23) Paul Chrichton
2008-2009, 0 appearances
The fourth man on the list who sat on the bench
but never made an appearance. The goalkeeping
coach was asked to cover from December 2008 as
another Kuipers injury left Sullivan as the only
senior goalkeeper available and he did so on
five occasions without ever making it onto the
pitch. |
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24) Mikkel Andersen
2009, 5 appearances
Youngest goalkeeper to have played in Denmark's
top flight before he arrived at Withdean from
Reading as one of the thousands of loan players
Dean White secured during his brief spell in
caretaker charge in March 2009. Played in
Russell Slade's first five games in charge
before Kuipers' return to fitness. |
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25) Graeme Smith
2009, 9 appearances
Didn't have the best of starts when thrown into
a 7-1 defeat at Huddersfield as a sub after
Kuipers' sending off. Then let in four goals at
home to Stockport. Other horror shows included a 4-4 draw at Wycombe and 4-1 loss at
Norwich. Conceded 27 times in 9 appearances -
conclusive proof that Scottish keepers are
clowns |
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26) Josh Pelling
2009, 0 appearances
Fifth and final player to have sat on the bench
but not made it as far as the pitch. The youth
team product provided back up to Smith and
Brezovan six times after Gus Poyet's arrival in
November and December 2009 without ever getting
his kit dirty. Was released at the end of the
campaign without making an appearance. |
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27) Peter Brezovan
2009-, 42 appearances
With Poyet quickly realising that Graeme Smith
was completely gash, he bought in Sexy Pete on a
free transfer. While prone to total cock ups
himself, he saved a penalty on his debut at
Exeter and dislodged Kuipers from the team
permanently before a broken wrist saw him spend
the final Withdean campaign on the bench. |
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28) Mitch Walker
2010-2012, 1 appearance
One appearance, one clean sheet for another
youth team product who Poyet expected big things
from. He was handed his debut against Yeovil in
the last game of 2009-10 and was impressive
enough before dropping completely off the radar
and being released two years later without a
further game for the club. |
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29) Casper Ankergren
2010-, 64 appearances
With Brezovan out with a broken wrist and Poyet
realising that neither Poke nor Walker were good
enough to step in, former Leeds keeper Casper
Ankergren signed on the eve of the 2010-11
season. He made his debut 24 hours later at
Swindon and played in all bar three league
matches in that title winning campaign. |
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30) Michael Poke
2010-2012, 1 appearance
Another one cap wonder, he was signed to provide
back-up to Brezovan for 2010-11. His only
appearance came in a Carling Cup defeat at
Northampton Town where his inability to shut his
legs saw him nutmegged as the Cobblers pulled
off a shock victory. Never seen on the pitch
again. |
