Albion Photos: Brighton 1-0 Bristol City, 30/05/04

Photos of Brighton and Hove Albion’s Nationwide Division Two playoff final against Bristol City at the Millennium Stadium on Sunday May 30th 2004.

Mark McGhee’s Brighton took on Danny Wilson’s Bristol City in a tense playoff final at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium. Over 27,000 Albion supporters made the trip to Wales for the game in which City were the favourites having finished five points above the Seagulls in the Division Two table.

The game seemed to heading for extra time with the sides locked at 0-0 entering the last 10 minutes. That was until Chris Iwelumo was felled in the box, leaving referee Richard Beeby no choice but to point to the penalty spot.

Brighton’s top scorer Leon Knight stepped up to score his 27th and most important goal of the campaign. The Albion saw out the remaining six minutes to win 1-0 securing an immediate return to the second tier following relegation at the end of the previous season.

It was Brighton’s third promotion in the space of four seasons. Danny Cullip received the playoff winners trophy afterwards amid a fireworks shower and the jubilant Albion players paraded the cup in front of a sea and blue and white.

The 2003-04 campaign remains the only year in which Brighton have won promotion through the end-of-season lottery in five attempts.

Those who say it is the best way to win promotion are right – which makes it a crying shame that the Albion are so rubbish traditionally in the playoofs..

If you have any photos from the Division Two playoff final between Brighton and Bristol City for inclusion in this gallery, please e-mail them to wearebrighton@hotmail.co.uk or tweet them to us @wearebrighton