Nigel Adkins: The perfect pantomime villain for champions Brighton

Confession time: I absolutely loved Nigel Adkins and his work as a pantomime villain when Brighton and Southampton were battling it out for the League One title in the 2010-11 season.

Actually, battling it out is probably the wrong term. Southampton with their money and their squad should have won the title but the Albion obliterated everyone else in the third tier that season.

Never before had a Brighton side dominated a division in such a way. And it will probably never happen again either.

Gus Poyet He Who Must Not Be Named had the Seagulls top of the table before the end of September. They never once relinquished first place, winning promotion with five games to spare and the title with four still to play.

The Albion went to second place Charlton Athletic and blew them away 4-0. Two weeks later and Peterborough United were being hailed as Brighton’s new nearest challengers.

Posh manager Gary Johnson especially talked up by their chances, making the Seagulls’ visit out to be some sort of cup final for both sides.

No matter, Poyet masterminded a 3-0 win at London Road. It is no exaggeration to say that game could have finished seven or eight to the Seagulls, Posh goalkeeper Joe Lewis making a string of sensational saves and Elliott Bennett missing a penalty to boot.

Then there was Mad March, when Brighton set a new post-war club-record of eight successive wins, crammed into four weeks of football.

All in all, it was an unbelievable campaign. Which makes it even more of a shame that Poyet has been airbrushed from official Albion history.

His achievements and those of his squad deserve to be recognised. Never let it be said that Brighton & Hove Albion do not know how to hold a grudge.

Anyway, we are not here to talk about Poyet or that fantastic Seagulls squad of 2010-11. Back to the main subject – Nigel Adkins and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Where do you even start with what made him such a compelling character? How did a bloke who had spent 10 years and 557 games as physio of Scunthorpe United prior to being appointed Southampton boss get so under the skin of so many Brighton fans?

First, there was the inane grin that nothing could wipe from his face. Even when he was greeted by 4,000 Albion fans hurling abuse at him having hung up mocking banners when the Saints visited Withdean for the penultimate game at the Theatre of Trees, he looked so pleased with himself.

Adkins mixed a swag of arrogance with a touch of smugness. This was particularly impressive given that Southampton spent the entire 2010-11 season below Brighton in the table; the way Nigel carried himself and acted, you would think it was the Saints who had headed the table for nine months out of 10.

Poyet was not a fan of Nigel Adkins either, and seeing as Gus could do no wrong at that point in time it just encouraged Brighton fans to dislike the Southampton manager even more.

Both managers clearly had egos but that was about where the similarities ended. Poyet was the world class player, the flamboyant Latino.

He had a beautiful way with words and would talk about football making people happy, allowing them to escape the pressures of family life and forget their worries.

Adkins was the former physio from Birkenhead. His playing career consisted of being a goalkeeper with Tranmere Rovers, Wigan Athletic and Bangor City.

When he spoke, he used ridiculous metaphors about Grand National horses that made him sound like a bad David Brent tribute act.

Ah yes, time to deal with Adkins and his ridiculous post-match interviews. This is ultimately why I loved him as a pantomime villain – his ability to speak complete and utter bollocks.

Adkins took over at Southampton following Alan Pardew’s sacking in 2010, having spent four years in charge of Scunthorpe following his promotion from physio to manager.

He did a superb job at Glanford Park, leading the unfashionable Iron to two promotions to the Championship. They won the 2006-07 League One title, almost avoided relegation the following season against all the odds before winning immediate promotion back to the second tier via the playoffs in 2008-09.

With his track record in getting out of the League One, it was easy to see why Southampton wanted Adkins. When he arrived at St Mary’s, his new charges were 23rd in the table having won lost three of their opening five fixtures to Plymouth Argyle, Rochdale and Swindon Town.

The Saints’ other two games had ended in a draw with Leyton Orient and a solitary win away at Bristol Rovers. Not exactly the start anyone was expecting from a side heavily favoured to end the season as League One champions.

By the time Brighton travelled to Southampton in November, Nigel Adkins had lifted the Saints to seventh. They trailed the table topping Albion by eight points.

Nothing changed in that regard after 90 minutes, a 0-0 draw in which the hosts were the better side but Brighton squandered the best opportunity when Chris Wood missed a penalty.

Asked after the game whether the League One title would be between Brighton and Southampton, Adkins replied to the question with his now famous line of “Well, if they can keep with us, maybe.” A reminder that the Albion were eight points clear at the time.

Brighton fans were suitably wound up by Adkins’ comments and they were not the only ones. Poyet was steaming used it as additional motivation for his Brighton players.

Speaking just before the Albion won their eighth game out of eight in March, Gary Dicker said: “Back in November he (Adkins) said to the press we would go up this season if we could keep up with them. I don’t think we have ever been chasing them, but when you hear stuff like that it gives us an extra bit of motivation.”

That final game of Mad March came away at Dagenham & Redbridge. Adkins turned up to watch at Victoria Road and his presence did not gone unnoticed.

Glenn Murray scored the only goal of the game and the 1,411 strong away end sung a new chant directed at the Southampton manager sat in the stand to the right of the away end – “Are we keeping up, keeping up, are we keeping up?”

Poyet and Mauricio Taricco certainly enjoyed it. They went berserk at the full time whistle as they made their way down the tunnel conveniently located by the visiting stand.

Three points against Dagenham left Brighton 18 clear of Southampton. Any sane individual would conclude the title race was done.

Not Adkins, though. Cue arguably his most ridiculous post-match interview of the season, when he compared the Saints to legendary horse Red Rum rallying late on to win the Grand National.

Of course, Southampton were unable to make a remarkable recovery akin to the most famous racehorse of all time around Aintree. Brighton were confirmed as champions by the time Southampton arrived at Withdean on Saturday 23rd April 2011.

The Albion’s matchday programme got into the spirit. The front cover featured a picture of Brighton’s players celebrating their title win in the away changing room at Walsall a week earlier, complete with the caption “Champions! Can you keep up?”

Southampton afforded Brighton no guard of honour as the teams entered the pitch that day, which further riled up Poyet and some fans.

What everybody tends to conveniently forget when blasting Adkins and Southampton as classless is that neither did Colchester United 48 hours later on Easter Monday at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

As already mentioned, Adkins was treated to quite the reception. The “Are we keeping up song” got an airing and an extra large banner was hung directly behind the away dugout, reading: “The Adkins Diet. Humble pie. Egg on face. Chip on shoulder. Sour grapes. Can’t keep up. Won’t shut up.”

Nigel Adkins of course took it all in his stride, smiling and even giving a cheeky wave to the Brighton crowd. If anyone was expecting him to be hurt or humiliated, they were very wrong; he loved it.

Southampton needed three points against the Albion as their intense battle with Huddersfield Town for the second promotion spot went down to the wire.

Right up until the the 84th minute, it looked like Poyet and Brighton were going to deliver what would have been a particularly enjoyable hammer blow to the Saints’ promotion hopes.

Ashley Barnes had put the Albion 1-0 ahead on the stroke of half time, the least the hosts deserved after dominating the opening 45 minutes.

Adkins introduced a young Adam Lallana at the break and the future Brighton midfielder was head and shoulders above anyone else on the pitch, inspiring Southampton to a late rally and a 2-1 win.

David Connolly levelled the game with six minutes of normal time remaining, followed by a 89th minute winner from Jose Fonte. No prizes for guessing that Adkins was rather gleefully as he skipped off to celebrate with the Saints fans come full time.

A strong end to the season including that win at Withdean meant Southampton ended up following Brighton into the Championship as runners up.

And whisper it quietly, but Adkins had the last laugh as he led the Saints to a second successive promotion. From 23rd in League One to the Premier League in the space of two-and-a-half years. Not bad for a David Brent wannabe.

The two meetings between the clubs in that 2011-12 season continued to be feisty affairs. Taricco got himself sent off in an ill-tempered 3-0 defeat for Brighton at Southampton.

At the Amex, Rickie Lambert saw red for punching Adam El-Abd and Gordon Greer was given an early bath for an off-the-ball incident in which he swung an elbow at a Saints player.

Brighton ended up winning 3-0. Jake Forster-Caskey scored his first Albion goal along with a brace from Matt Sparrow, who had been Adkins’ captain at Scunthorpe.

That was the last time Brighton faced Nigel Adkins. By the time the Albion joined Southampton in the Premier League five years later, he was long gone.

Adkins has subsequently managed Reading, Sheffield United, Hull City and Charlton Athletic but never again against the Seagulls.

Which is a shame because he played a small part in making that title winning 2010-11 League One season what it was. Every great story needs a good villain and in pantomime Nigel Adkins, Brighton certainly had that.

Cheers, Nigel.