On the pitch their fortunes have been up and down in this period too. In their last season at the Goldstone they came within a whisker of going out of the Football League two seasons in a row. This dice with Non-League brought a chuckle to the throats of many Glovers, Brighton staying up on the last day at the expense of the Bulls******s in a head to head at Edgar Street. The following season they finished 23rd again. A few seasons later they had turned things around and it was back-to-back promotions as Champions. One season in Division One produced an immediate relegation, but they were back up through the play-offs at the first time of asking. This time they had two seasons of struggle in the Championship before another relegation at the end of the 2005-06 season.

Since getting rid of Mark McGhee and appointing Dean Wilkins, the Seagulls are looking a much better prospect. They were slightly too erratic in their form last season that ensured that they were a mid-table side for most of the campaign - eventually finishing 18th. Part of the reason for that was their shocking home form, winning only 5 matches and losing 11 at the Withdean and eventually picking up more points on their travels. It certainly looked as though Wilkins' young side disliked being at the Withdean as much as everyone else did. The 2007-08 season has started with a complete reversal of those fortunes - so far Brighton have won every home game and lost every away game, but that has been good enough to put them into a strong early position in the League One table.

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RECENT RESULTS

05/04/2008	Port Vale	Home	CCL1	L	2-3	7741		Cox 26, Murray 90
08/04/2008	Southend United	Away	CCL1	L	0-2	8428
12/04/2008	Luton Town	Away	CCL1	W	2-1	6652		Westlake 51, Murray 59
19/04/2008	Hartlepool United	Home	CCL1	W	2-1	6178		Murray 38, Cox 89
26/04/2008	Bristol Rovers	Away	CCL1	W	2-0	7590		Westlake 71, Murray 74
03/05/2008	Swansea City	Home	CCL1	L	0-1	7283

FORTHCOMING FIXTURES

CLUB GOALSCORERS

Name	LGE	FAC	FAT	LGC	CC	Total
Nicky Forster	15	0	0	0	0	15
Glenn Murray	8	0	0	0	0	8
Dean Cox	6	0	0	0	0	6
Alex Revell	6	0	0	0	0	6
Dean Hammond	5	0	0	0	0	5
Jake Robinson	4	0	0	0	0	4
Bas Savage	3	0	0	0	0	3
Ian Westlake	2	0	0	0	0	2
Tommy Elphick	2	0	0	0	0	2
Nathan Elder	1	0	0	0	0	1
David Martot	1	0	0	0	0	1
Guy Butters	1	0	0	0	0	1
Joel Lynch	1	0	0	0	0	1
Adam El-Abd	1	0	0	0	0	1
Own Goals	2	0	0	0	0	2

ATTENDANCE STATISTICS

Highest League Attendance: 8691, vs Leeds United, 20/10/2007
Lowest League Attendance: 4395, vs Cheltenham Town, 19/02/2008
Average League Attendance: 5937

CURRENT LEAGUE SEQUENCE STATISTICS

Games Without A Win:	1		Games Without A Home Win:	1
Games Without An Away Win:	0		Games Without Defeat:	0
Games Without A Home Defeat:	0		Games Without An Away Defeat:	2
Games Without A Draw:	6		Games Without A Score Draw:	14
Games Without A No-Score Draw:	6		Games Without Scoring:	1
Games Without Conceding:	0		Home Results Sequence:	WWWLWL
Away Results Sequence:	LDDLWW		Overall Results Sequence:	LLWWWL

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General:

With the parking exclusion zone designed to keep fans out of the area around the ground the whole plan is to shuttle fans in late and ship them out early. The tone from our hosts is that football custom is not particularly wanted on whatever limited facilities there are in this residential district.

Club Bar :

There is a pub, rather than a clubhouse, called The Sportsman, which is located behind the North Stand. We don't know whether it is open to away fans, though it should be noted that it is part of a Beefeater restaurant and so they may be more keen on people who want to sit down for meals, rather than people who want to stand up in football shirts. Aside from that you've got to walk a bit, with four other pubs around 10-15 minutes away from the stadium, namely The Station Hotel, The Crown and Anchor, The Preston Brewery Tap and The Park View (listed roughly in ascending order in terms of how far they are to walk to from the stadium. None of them would stand up as amongst the best pubs in Brighton - for that you have to head to the town itself.

Central District :

The central district, especially around the railway station and in the alleys just back from the sea front, has a host of good pubs for all tastes, bars, clubs and eateries. Be aware that a proportion of Brighton's pubs are gay-oriented or deemed as 'mixed' or gay-friendly - if you're sensitive enough for the sight of two people holding hands to offend you, then we'd suggest you avoid the town centre entirely. However, for the rest of you, if you're on a day out head for the centre and you'll find something that suits. Be aware that parking down in the middle is normally very difficult and most street parking is either residential only or controlled by parking meters.

We've listed all five of the "walkable" pubs below, and mixed those in with the best of the town's public houses.

Local Pubs :

Basketmakers Arms: This pub is in Brighton town centre, a third of a mile east of the main railway station in an area known as North Laines. It is situated in a side street just off the Grand Parade in Brighton. If you are looking for landmarks then find the Royal Pavillion or the Dome Theatre on the A23 and head northbound, and Gloucester Road is a turning on your left. This is a Fullers tied house and therefore serves Fullers Chiswick, Discovery, London Pride, ESB plus seasonal beers and guest beers. It is popular with theatre goers and those looking for good food, with both lunchtime and evening offerings, although note that evening meals are only available from Monday to Friday. There is also a wide range of whiskies and the pub is decorated with old signs (some of which apparently have secret messages) and old tins. If you're staying overnight, they do a full roast dinner on Sunday lunchtimes with a vegetarian option. CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2007 entry. Opening hours: 11-12 midnight Thu-Sat; 12-11 Sun-Wed. Basketmakers Arms, 12, Gloucester Road, Brighton, Sussex, BN1 4AD. Tel: 01273-689006. Website: Click Here. Map: Click Here.

Battle of Trafalgar: This is a town centre pub that is situated in a side street almost directly opposite the main railway station, about 100 yards away, on the side of a steep hill. Serves Harveys Best Bitter plus guest beers and does lunchtime and evening food. CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2007 entry. Opening hours: 11:30-2:30, 5-11 Mon-Wed; 11:30-11 Thu, 11:30-12 midnight Fri-Sat; 12-11 Sun. Battle of Trafalgar, 34 Guildford Road, Brighton, Sussex, BN1 3LW. Tel: 01273-327997. Map: Click Here.

Bugle Inn: This pub is situated out on the north side of town, but probably not quite within walking distance unless you're particularly enthusiastic. St Martins Street is just off the Lewes Road (A270) a few hundred miles north of where the A23 and A270 split. This is a genuine Irish pub (no, not an Oirish pub) with a central 'island' bar. They serve up Courage Directors, Greene King IPA, Harveys Best Bitter, Old Ale and Young’s Special Bitter. The pub sometimes does live music, although this is presumably evenings in the main. There is also an outdoor area. No food. CAMRA Good Beer Guide entry 2007. Opening hours: 11-11 Mon-Sat; 12-10:30 Sun. Bugle Inn, 24, St. Martins Street, Brighton, Sussex, BN2 3HJ. Tel: 01273-607753. Map: Click Here.

Cobbler's Thumb: This pub is out on the north side of town, close to the A23 as it runs from the stadium down into the town centre. It can be found on the A270 just west of where it crosses over the A23 close to Brighton's London Road railway station. Although that puts it close to Preston Road that leads up to the ground, the distance is only really suitable for the most enthusiastic walker. This pub has an Australian theme to it without going too far over the top. Points of interest include the re-creation of the original cobbler’s workshop. Beers on tap include Dorset's Badger Tanglefoot, Harveys Best Bitter, Marston’s Pedigree plus guest and seasonal beers, plus real cider. This is a one-bar, two-roomed pub that can get quite noisy - lunchtime meals are served. CAMRA Good Beer Guide entry 2007. Opening hours: 11-11 Mon-Sat; 12-10:30 Sun. Cobbler's Thumb, 10 New England Road, Brighton, Sussex, BN1 4GG. Tel: 01273-605636. Map: Click Here.

Dover Castle: This is one of the harder pubs to find, tucked away amongst some side streets on the north side of the town centre. At the point where the A270 splits away from the A23 comin out of town, you need to be heading into the side roads on the east side of the A270. This is a Shepherd Neame pub serving Shepherd Neame Master Brew Bitter, Best Bitter, Bishops Finger plus seasonal beers. They bring in a DJ on Friday and Saturday nights if that's your kind of thing. There is also a conservatory and garden area. The pub does both lunchtime and evening food, with occasional theme nights, such as curry night on Fridays. Opening hours: 11-11 Mon-Sat; 11-3, 7-10:30 Sun. Dover Castle, 43 Southover Street, Brighton, Sussex, BN2 9UE. Tel: 01273-889808. Map: Click Here.

Evening Star: This is probably one of the top real ale pubs in the town, having won several local awards, including CAMRA Branch, County and Regional Pub of the Year 2005 & 2006. This pub used to be the brewery tap of the Dark Star Brewery until the brewery expanded and moved out, but the pub still stocks its full range, with Dark Star Hophead, Dark Star Original, Dark Star seasonal beers plus several guest beers as well as real cider. They also serve bottled and draught Belgian and German beers. If you're ever visiting Brighton in the Spring or December, check out their website as they do two beer festivals per year. Lunchtime food and bar snacks are available - to find the pub simply head 100 yards south from Brighton main railway station and you'll find it on the main road. Opening hours: 12-11 Mon-Thu; 11:30-12 Fri-Sat; 12-11 Sun. Evening Star, 55-56, Surrey Street, Brighton, Sussex, BN1 3PB. Tel: 01273-328931. Email: info@eveningstarbrighton.co.uk. Website: Click Here. Map: Click Here.

Lord Nelson: This pub is in the town centre, just east of the main Brighton railway station. Trafalgar Street is the first road south of the station running east, and so is easy to find. The pub is in the North Laines area and so you might fancy a trip to the Basketmakers Arms whilst you're heading in that direction. The Lord Nelson has two bars, one of which often shows sporting events on a pull-down screen, whilst the other bar leads out to a back room and conservatory which has been known to double as an art gallery. On tap are Harveys Mild, Long Man IPA, Best Bitter, Armada plus seasonal beers. They do lunchtime food, but not on Sundays. CAMRA Good Beer Guide entry 2007. Opening hours: 11-11 Mon-Sat; 12-10:30 Sun. Lord Nelson, 36 Trafalgar Street, Brighton, Sussex, BN1 4ED. Tel: 01273 695872. Email: info@TheLordNelsonInn.co.uk. Website: Click Here. Map: Click Here.

Preston Brewery Tap: Like the Crown and Anchor, this pub is situated on the main A23 south of the ground and a short distance, south-east of Preston Park Railway Station. Despite the name, this is not a brewhouse. Beers served include the woeful Courage Directors plus Harveys Best and a guest beer. This pub does both lunchtime and evening food. Opening hours: 11-11 Mon-Sat; 12-10:30 Sun. Preston Brewery Tap, 197 Preston Road, Brighton, Sussex, BN1 6SA. Tel: 01273-508700. Map: Click Here.

Prestonville Arms: This pub is a little further along from the Cobbler's Thumb, tucked in a side-street north of the A270, west of the junction with the A23. It therefore fits in with the group of "not quite walkable distance" pubs on the north side of town that put you roughly in the right direction for the ground. This is an 18th century corner pub that serves Fullers Discovery, London Pride, ESB plus seasonal beers and usually a guest beer. They also do lunchtime and evening meals. There is also an outside area. Opening hours: 5-11 Mon-Thu; 12-11 Fri & Sat; 12-10:30 Sun. Prestonville Arms, 64 Hamilton Road, Brighton, Sussex, BN1 5DN. Tel: 01273-701007. Map: Click Here.

Sir Charles Napier: This is in the same street as the Dover Castle, in an area known locally as Hanover. Head east into the maze of side-streets at the point where the A23 splits from the A270. This is a street corner local, decorated with memorabilia including old maps and photographs of the town. They do bar snacks all day at weekends and numerous theme nights if you're lucky enough to catch the right night. They serve Fullers Chiswick, London Pride, ESB, plus seasonal and guest beers. There is also a small enclosed garden area. CAMRA Good Beer Guide entry 2007. Opening hours: 5-11 Mon-Thu; 12-11 Fri-Sat; 12-10:30 Sun. Sir Charles Napier, 50 Southover Street, Brighton, Sussex, BN2 9UE. Tel: 01273-601413. Map: Click Here.

Station Hotel: One of the more local pubs to the Withdean Stadium - roughly 10 minutes walk south of the ground. This is a single bar locals' pub that has been recently refurbished. They serve up Courage Best Bitter, Harveys Best Bitter, Shepherd Neame Spitfire and other guest beers. Close to Preston Park railway station - head south of the station and you should find it within 100 yards. They do lunchtime food and there is an outdoor area. Opening hours: 11-11 Mon-Sat; 12-10:30 Sun. Station Hotel, 1 Hampstead Road, Brighton, Sussex, BN1 5NG. Tel: 01273-501318. Map: Click Here.

The Crown and Anchor: Walking distance from the ground at just under a mile, this pub is situated on the main A23 south of the ground and just south east of Preston Park Railway Station. This is a single saloon bar pub that does lunchtime food and serves Greene King Abbot Ale and Young’s Bitter. Opening hours: 11-3 Mon & Fri, 11-2:30 Tue-Thu, 5-11 Mon-Fri; 11-11 Sat; 12-10:30 Sun. The Crown and Anchor, 213 Preston Road, Brighton, Sussex, BN1 6SA. Tel: 01273-559494. Map: Click Here.

The Park View: This is the furthest of the 'walkable' pubs mentioned in this guide and the fact that it is situated along a side road away from the main road and the station may mean it is a little quieter. It is situated just over a mile away from the ground, so allow roughly 20 minutes walk. If you can find the Crown and Anchor and the Preston Brewery Tap on the A23, south of the ground and the station, then at that point, turn eastward (left if you are walking away from the ground) into Preston Drove. The pub is an imposing corner site building with a large outdoor patio. Available on tap are Bass, Fuller’s London Pride and Harveys Best Bitter, whilst lunchtime and evening meals are also available. Opening hours: 11-11 Mon-Sat; 12-10:30 Sun. The Park View, 71 Preston Drove, Brighton, Sussex, BN1 6LD. Tel: 01273-544121. Map: Click Here.

© The Sportsman: This is a large pub situated right outside the Withdean Stadium and is part of a Beefeater Steak House. There's no word on what their matchday admission policy is, although the fact that it is almost bolted onto the outside of the stadium gives a clue that it is going to be excessively crowded on match days. Serves Whitbread Boddingtons Bitter and Flowers Original. Open: 11-11 Mon-Sat; 12-10:30 Sun. The Sportsman, Withdean Sports Complex, Tongdean Lane, Withdean, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 5JD. Tel: 01273-505561. Map: Click Here.

Likelihood the Natives Will Understand You :

Brighton sees itself as cosmopolitan and trendy and, to be fair, it pulls it off quite well. Most people will already be aware, but the phrase "the only gay in the village" is not applicable here.

Top-Tip :

Take your binoculars with you if you want to see any of the 22 ants scurrying around on a scrub of land 150 yards away from where you are sat.

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