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The History of Brighton and Hove Albion v Leicester City

Two of the most popular and yet divisive characters to manager Brighton and Hove Albion have also managed Leicester City. And between them, they are responsible for some of the best moments in a fixture that has largely been restricted to second tier football until now.

Let's start with an old WeAreBrighton.com favourite, Mark McGhee. Many questioned whether McGhee was actually out of his mind when moving Adam Virgo from right back to centre forward a few weeks into the 2004-05 season.

But whatever he'd been smoking while playing with the tactics board, we wish we were smoking it too. Virgo scored his first goal as a striker away at Leicester in a 1-0 win and was so good up there Celtic actually parted with £1.5m for him come the end of the season.

A season later and even Stevie Wonder could see the Albion were doomed to relegation from the Championship. Leicester at Withdean in February looked pivotal if we were to confound those doom and gloom predictions and so, needless to say, we were 2-0 down inside of five minutes. McGhee's take on matters after the game? "We were the better side after that though". Not helpful, Mark...

McGhee took over at Leicester some nine years before he became Albion manager, moving to Filbert Street in December 1994. He wasn't able to keep the Foxes in the top flight that season which came as no surprise to Albion fans after we'd knocked them out of the League Cup a few months previously. The second leg in Leicester was particularly memorable. Firstly Stuart Munday scored his first goal for the club from 35 yards. And then Jimmy Case was sent off for, essentially, being deaf. The Albion had a corner in the last couple of minute, leading 3-0 on aggregate with the referee urging Case to get on with taking it. Unfortunately, being in his mid 40s the veteran midfielder couldn't here the warning and so he was dismissed for time wasting and dissent. The only player in the clubs history who has been sent off for a hearing problem.

The other man to have taken charge of both sides is of course Micky Adams. Adams made his first return to Withdean as an opposition boss with Leicester in December 2002, a 1-0 win for the visitors which was notable for the fact that nobody actually realised Brian Deane had scored at the West End of the Theatre of Trees due to heavy fog. Only when the game kicked off again did the Leicester fans realise what had happened and begun cheering.

Adams was back in his second spell as Brighton boss when one of the most inevitable cock ups in history happened. Dick Knight must have been warned designing a home, away and third kit all in blue wasn't the best move in the world. That issue came to a head when we were forced into wearing Leicester's away kit at the Walkers Stadium in 2009. Adams side were terrible that season and he was weeks away from the sack yet somehow we drew 0-0 with the league leaders.

Must have been wearing a superior sides kit. Any chance Leicester might want to lend us theirs again at the King Power?

 
Football League P W D L F A
Top tier 3 2 0 1 3 3
Second tier 22 7 4 11 23 27
Third tier 2 1 1 0 3 3
FA Cup 1 1 0 0 2 1
League Cup 2 2 0 0 3 2
Total 30 13 5 12 34 35
             

OVERALL

30 13 5 12 34 35

Leicester City 2-0 Brighton
Sat 7th Dec 2013 / Top tier / King Power Stadium / 31,902
The Albion's first away game in the Premier League sees them fail to register a shot on target as Leicester run out 2-0 winners at the King Power
Leicester City 1-4 Brighton
Tue 8th Apr 2014 / Second tier / King Power Stadium / 29,722
Stephen Ward, Jesse Lingard, Leonardo Ulloa (2)
Leicester's promotion party doesn't quite go to plan as the Albion hammer them 4-1 to inflict a first league defeat on the Foxes in 22 games.
Brighton 3-1 Leicester City
Sat 7th Dec 2013 / Second tier / Amex Stadium / 27,497
Ashley Barnes (2), Craig Conway
Sexy Peter Brezovan makes a rare start and in a rare turn of events doesn't make a significant cock up as the Championship leaders are beaten.
Brighton 1-1 Leicester City
Sat 16th April 2013 / Second tier / Amex Stadium / 28,493
Kazenga LuaLua
Kazenga LuaLua strikes with an 88th minute goal to rescue a point in the battle for a spot in the Championship play offs. A certain Anthony Knockaert was an unused sub for Leicester
Leicester City 1-0 Brighton
Tue 23rd Oct 2012 / Second tier / King Power Stadium / 25,726
Brighton 1-0 Leicester City
Sat 4th Feb 2012 / Second tier / Amex Stadium / 20,223
Will Buckley
Referee Andy Woolmer gave out more cards than the Royal Mail at Christmas with Matt Sparrow, Jermaine Beckford and Neil Danns all seeing red. A late goal from Will Buckley won it
Leicester City 1-0 Brighton
Sat 17th Sep 2012 / Second tier / King Power Stadium / 24,128
Leicester inflict the first defeat on Brighton since their promotion from League One. Gus Poyet unsurprisingly did not take this well, especially after Marcos Painter was sent off.
Leicester City 0-0 Brighton
Tue 27th Jan 2009 / Third tier / Walkers Stadium / 16,410
Dick Knight's decision to design a home, away and third kit that are all blue is finally shown up to me the cock up that it is as the Albion are forced to wear Leicester's away kit.
Brighton 3-2 Leicester City
Tue 28th Oct 2008 / Third tier / Withdean Stadium / 6,282
Bradley Johnson (2), OG
The undoubted highlight of Micky Adams second reign - not that there was much competition other than him resigning - as Brighton rally from 2-0 down at half time to defeat League One leaders Leicester
Brighton 1-2 Leicester City
Sat 11th Feb 2006 / Second tier / Withdean Stadium / 7,187
Alexander Frutos
A must win game against a fellow relegation candidate. So Mark McGhee's men go 2-0 down inside of five minutes. McGhee rather brilliantly says "We were excellent for the rest of the game, though"
Leicester City 0-0 Brighton
Tue 27th Sep 2005 / Second tier / Walkers Stadium / 20,296
Brighton 1-1 Leicester City
Sat 9th Apr 2005 / Second tier / Withdean Stadium / 6,638
Paul Reid
Leicester City 0-1 Brighton
Mon 30th Aug 2004 / Second tier / Walkers Stadium / 22,263
Adam Virgo
Many people wondered if Mark McGhee had gone clinically insane when he began playing Adam Virgo up front. Virgo justified the bizarre move with his first goal as a striker in a huge win at the Walkers.
Leicester City 2-0 Brighton
Sat 19th Apr 2003 / Second tier / Walkers Stadium / 31,909
Brighton's first ever visit to the Walkers Stadium ends up in a 2-0 defeat to Leicester which sends former Albion boss Micky Adam's side back to the Premier League at the first attempt.
Brighton 0-1 Leicester City
Fri 20th Dec 2002 / Second tier / Withdean Stadium / 6,592
One of Withdean's more farcical games with Brian Deane scoring the only goal at the opposite end to the Leicester fans, who didn't even realise they had scored due to the thick fog.
Leicester City 0-2 Brighton
Wed 4th Oct 1994 / League Cup 2nd Round 2nd Leg / Filbert Street / 14,258
Stuart Munday, Kurt Nogan
Stuart Munday scores from 35 yards and Jimmy Case is sent off for being deaf as the Albion secure a two leg victory over their Premier League opponents
Brighton 1-0 Leicester City
Wed 21 Sep 1994 / League Cup 2nd Round 1st Leg / Goldstone Ground / 11,481
Kurt Nogan
The Premier League Foxes are shocked by Liam Brady's Albion side as No No Nogan secures a first leg League Cup second round victory
Leicester City 2-1 Brighton
Thu 26 Dec 1991 / Second tier / Filbert Street / 16,767
Bernie Gallacher
Struggling Brighton, 23rd in Division Two, a Boxing Day trip all the way up to Leicester City. Yeah, thanks fixtures man
Brighton 1-2 Leicester City
Wed 30th Oct 1991 / Second tier / Goldstone Ground / 6,424
Robert Codner
Leicester City 3-0 Brighton
Sat 6th Apr 1991 / Second tier / Filbert Street / 8,444
Brighton 3-0 Leicester City
Wed 20th Feb 1991 / Second tier / Goldstone Ground / 6,424
Mike Small, Dean Wilkins, Bryan Wade
A fifth consecutive win lifted the Albion up into fourth spot in the Division Two table, fuelling dreams of a return to the top flight via automatic promotion. Things fell apart very quickly after that.
Brighton 1-0 Leicester City
Sat 17th Feb 1990 / Second tier / Goldstone Ground / 7,498
Kevin Bremner
It had been a bloody long time, but Kevin Bremner's goal gave Brighton a first win at the Goldstone for FOUR MONTHS!!!! A certain Sergie Gotsmanov was on the bench for the first time that day
Leicester City 1-0 Brighton
Sat 23rd Sep 1989 / Second tier / Filbert Street / 8,926
Brighton 1-1 Leicester City
Sat 11th Feb 1989 / Second tier / Goldstone Ground / 9,792
Gary Nelson
Leicester City 1-0 Brighton
Sat 8th Oct 1988 / Second tier / Filbert Street / 9,201
Brighton 2-1 Leicester City
Mon 20th Apr 1981 / Top tier / Goldstone Ground / 21,179
Michael Robinson, John Gregory
The Albion rally from 1-0 down at half time to defeat Leicester, virtually sealing the Foxes relegation from the top flight and taking a big step on what would become their own great escape
Leicester City 0-1 Brighton
Fri 26th Dec 1980 / Top tier / Filbert Street / 19,570
John Gregory
Brighton 3-1 Leicester City
Sat 3rd Feb 1979 / Second tier / Goldstone Ground / 19,973
Teddy Maybank, Peter Sayer, Peter Ward
Victory sends Brighton to the top of the second tier of English football - albeit it temporarily - for only the second time in the Albion's history
Leicester City 4-1 Brighton
Sat 23rd Sep 1978 / Second tier / Filbert Street / 14,307
Gary Williams
Our first ever league meeting with Leicester City doesn't go entirely to plan as the Foxes run out comfortable 4-1 winners
Brighton 2-1 Leicester City
Sat 10th Jan 1931 / FA Cup 3rd Round / Filbert Street / 25,722
Potter Smith (2)
Third tier Albion shock top flight Leicester with a 2-1 win in the FA Cup. Leicester played three internationals but they had no answer to two woldie goals from the brilliantly named Potter Smith