26 years after Barnet at Gillingham comes Ajax in Amsterdam
Your WAB match preview for Ajax Amsterdam v Brighton is being written on Wednesday night from gate 88 at London Stansted Airport, just 26 years after a shade over 1,000 people watched the Albion lose 3-0 in a Tuesday night ‘home’ game at Priestfield Stadium.
November 5th 1997 was one of the bleakest nights in Brighton history. Whilst fireworks from the people of Gillingham lip up the night sky opposite whatever the Rainham End was called, the Albion were busy getting hammered by the might of Barnet.
Sitting 91st out of 92 teams in the Football League seemed like a generous position at the same time. It was a genuine shock Brighton were not the worst of the worst.
Doncaster Rovers though were having an even harder time of it with a chairman who tried to burn down the main stand at Belle Vue to pocket the insurance money.
Were it not for that man Richardson ruining Donny, non league would have been the Albion’s certain fate.
At the same time, Ajax memories were still fresh from a fourth European title won only two-and-a-bit years earlier.
There was so much as a gap between the mighty Ajax and the not-so-mighty Brighton but a bloody massive chasm.
Three times the number of Albion supporters who were at Gillingham for that darkest of Bonfire nights have tickets for the away section of the Johan Cruyff Arena.
There are likely to be many thousands more without tickets, watching in pubs and bars around Amsterdam.
This is the Europa League game which has caught the eye more than any other; a combination of the fame of Ajax, the ease of travel and the attraction of one of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations.
There will be Seagulls supporters on canal boats, in art galleries, sipping coffee and eating cake in cafe, and quite probably exploring the red light district.
It is going to be quite the trip. A far cry from a pint of Carling and a packet of crisps in The Cricketers just around the corner from the Priestfield.
A game of football might even break out. Brighton ran out 2-0 winners over Ajax a fortnight ago at the Amex but the hosts will provide very different opposition this time around.
Firstly, they are at home. Secondly, they have a new head coach who has turned what was looking like a potential nightmare season around via two victories from their past two matches.
Ajax also know they have to win to keep alive their hopes of avoiding bottom spot in Group B.
The Albion themselves are in something of a rut, that win over Ajax their only victory since the end of September. Fixture congestion, injuries and rotation are all taking their toll.
But really, who cares? Brighton could finish in lower mid table this season and it would still seem like a fair exchange for sixth in 2022-23 and the experience of watching the Albion in Europe.
After everything his club has been through in the past 30 years, we deserve to enjoy nights like this. Just don’t have too much cake.
