5 classic FA Cup replays from Brighton & Hove Albion history

The controversial decision has been taken to scrap FA Cup replays from the 2024-25 season onwards to the benefit of 20 Premier League clubs – including Brighton – over the rest of the football pyramid in England.

Room apparently needed to be made in the calendar for a couple of extra Champions League games due to the expansion of that competition and to avoid player burnout.

No consideration has been given to clubs outside of the top flight. Clubs for whom FA Cup replays and the money made from them can be transformative.

Once again, the whims and requirements of the top flight trample over what is good for the Football League and the hundreds of clubs playing non-league football below. They do not seem to realise there is much more to English football than the Premier League.

In a wonderful example of gaslighting, FA chief executive Mark Bullingham tried to claim the changes to the FA Cup have been made with its best interests at heart rather than being all about the greed, gluttony and wants of the Premier League.

“This new agreement between the FA and the Premier League strengthens the Emirates FA Cup and gives this very special tournament exclusive weekends in an increasingly busy calendar,” said Bullingham.

It all means that barring an abrupt U-turn, it will be at least six seasons until FA Cup replays return. If indeed, they ever do.

To commemorate the demise of a staple tradition of English football, here are five of the best FA Cup replays Brighton have been involved in. You can judge if these replays weakened the FA Cup, as the Premier League would have us believe.

FA Cup first round replay: Woking 2-2 Brighton, 2010-11

Alongside steamrolling their way to the League One title, the 2010-11 season saw the Albion embark on a memorable adventure all the way to the fifth round of the FA Cup.

To get there, Brighton required two FA Cup replays. And not just any replays; replays away from home against non-league opponents. An absolute gift for Seagulls supporters wanting to tick off new grounds.

The first round paired Brighton with Woking at Withdean. A 0-0 draw meant a replay 10 days later in front of a sold out Kingfield Stadium.

A ding-dong tie ensued as the Conference South hosts looked to upset the runaway League One leaders. Matt Sparrow gave Brighton a 57th minute lead. Gordon Greer cancelled it out on 72 with an own goal as the tie went to extra time.

Ola Sagbanmu put Woking 2-1 ahead, followed two minutes later by Elliott Bennett equalising. Having come out of retirement to make his first professional appearance in seven years, Albion assistant boss Mauircio Taricco marked the occasion be getting sent off for dissent.

Further drama was to come in the subsequent penalty shootout. Woking missed all three of their spot kicks, enabling Cristian Baz to win it for Brighton with a ridiculously cheeky Panenka.

FC United of Manchester 0-4 Brighton, 08/12/10

Brighton were rewarded foe eliminating Woking with a second round home tie against Evo-Stik Premier Division side FC United of Manchester.

After drawing 1-1 at Withdean, the Albion triumphed 4-0 in a replay at Bury’s Gigg Lane, where FCUM played whilst waiting to build their own permanent home.

FCUM’s FA Cup run that season raised almost £200,000. A huge chunk came from a capacity crowd for the visit of Brighton and the television money received for the game being shown live.

Manager Karl Marginson told The Guardian afterwards the money FCUM earned “is inching us closer to the day when we can have our own home”.

That dream was eventually realised 10 months after Brighton’s visit when planning permission was granted for a new stadium after a lengthy battle and a judicial review (sound familiar?)

The part which the FA Cup played in helping FCUM build a home is all the evidence needed as to why scrapping replays is a braindead decision.

Fourth round replay: Brighton 2-3 Liverpool, 1990-91

Back in the very early 1990s and Liverpool were the most successful and famous team in English football. To host the Reds in the FA Cup was a guaranteed sell out and a bumper payday.

There was deep joy amongst both fans and in the boardroom when Brighton secured a fourth round replay with Liverpool in the 1990-91 season.

It was done in the most unlikely of fashions. The Albion recovered from 2-0 down at Anfield to a quickfire Ian Rush brace. Goals from Mike Small and John Byrne shocked the Kop and brought the Reds back to Hove four days later.

A crowd of 14,400 crammed into the Goldstone Ground for an absolute thriller. Liverpool led, Small equalised and extra time was needed.

Byrne gave Brighton a 99th minute lead, leaving Albion fans dreaming of another famous FA Cup upset against the Reds to go with those of 1983 and 1984.

It was not to be, however, as Rush and Steve McMahon scored late on. Even in the defeat, this was one of the great nights under the Brighton lights – and one which would never have been possible if FA Cup replays did not exist.

Third round replay: Newcastle 0-1 Brighton, 1982-83

Over 40 years on from 1983 FA Cup Final and that unlikely run to Wembley remains one of the biggest achievements in Albion history.

Yet had FA Cup replays not existed, Brighton might never have been within a “And Smith must score” moment of defeating Manchester United at Wembley.

The Seagulls drew their opening fixture in the 192-83 FA Cup 1-1 at home to Newcastle United from a division below. That necessitated a Wednesday night trip to St James’ Park for a replay won 1-0 by the Albion.

If FA Cup replays had not been in place in 1983, Brighton could have seen their adventure ended at the first hurdle rather than under the famous Twin Towers.

You could of course make the reverse argument. Had replays not been in place in 1983 and the FA Cup Final decided on the day, Brighton might have beaten United on penalties rather than getting thumped 4-0 at the second time of asking.

Two FA Cup replays between Brighton and Crystal Palace, 1976-77 season

If FA Cup replays are considered too much for the overworked, multi-millionaire, modern day Premier League footballer, then goodness knows how they would have coped before the 1980s.

Penalty shootouts were not a thing and so matches drawn were decided in replays. Then second replays. Third replays. Fourth replays. Fifth replays.

Or in the case of Alvechurch and Oxford City in the 1971-72 season, six replays. It holds the record for most replays required to decide an FA Cup tie.

Multiple FA Cup replays play a defining part in the Brighton and Crystal Palace rivalry. Tensions were simmering between Seagulls and Eagles in the 1976-77 season as they battled for promotion out of the third tier with two managers in Alan Mullery and Terry Venables who hated each other.

The sides being drawn together in the first round of the FA Cup proved to be the spark thrown into the powder keg.

Crowds of over 30,000 saw Brighton and Palace draw 2-2 at the Goldstone and 1-1 in the first replay at Selhurst Park.

Two initial attempts at a second replay fell to waterlogged pitches. The game eventually took place at the third time of asking; on Monday 6th December 1976 at neutral venue Stamford Bridge.

Paul Holder put Palace ahead. Peter Ward had a perfectly good goal disallowed for handball, Eagles defender Jim Cannon confessing afterwards that he had pushed Ward to make him handle.

Brighton had another chance to get back into the game and force a third replay when they were awarded a penalty 12 minutes from time.

Brian Horton duly converted. Referee Ron Challis though made Horton retake because of encroachment. Not because of Brighton encroachment, but because of Palace encroachment.

The original goal should therefore of stood. Predictably, Horton’s second effort was kept out by Paul Hammond and the Albion were out of the cup.

Mullery was far from impressed as he confronted “Challis of the Palace” afterwards. His mood was not improved when an Eagles fan then threw a cup of coffee at him as he headed down the tunnel.

Now absolutely fuming, Mullery pulled a load of change out of his pocket. He threw it on the floor whilst shouting “That’s all you’re worth, Crystal Palace” and flicking V’s at any Palace fans in the general vicinity.

Mullery was not done there either and apparently stormed into the Palace changing room before being led away by police. The Albion boss was later fined £100 for this fantastic meltdown.

And the FA and Premier League reckon getting rid of that level of entertainment is strengthening the FA Cup? They are more mad than Mullery was that day at Stamford Bridge.