Crystal Palace vs. Brighton: a NOT so Local Derby | OneFootball

Some 46 miles on the M23 separate Crystal Palace and Brighton yet it is considered one of the fiercest rivalries in the Premier League. THIS is the fixture both sets of supporters look out for at the start of each season.

The rivalry runs deeper than just locality. It stems from decades of awkward encounters between managers, nickname changes and coffee. Yes, coffee!

A Long & Bitter Rivalry

It all started back in the 1970s, specifically 1976, when the two teams faced each other a staggering five times across that particular year. A hotly contested FA Cup first-round tie brought about the first moments of controversy.

These were the days before penalty shootouts and teams kept replaying each other until an eventual winner progressed. After two draws, Palace emerged victorious with a 1-0 win at Selhurst Park, leading to Brighton manager Alan Mullery claiming he had a pot of boiling hot coffee poured over him by Palace supporters.

“So I pulled a handful of change out of my pocket, threw it on the floor and shouted, ‘That’s all you’re worth, Crystal Palace,'” an angry Mullery told the media in response and thus the rivalry exploded.

To add fuel to the fire, the following year Brighton officially changed their nickname from ‘The Dolphins’ to ‘The Seagulls’, which was similar to Palace’s ‘The Eagles’. The chants from the terraces were so alike that the change was deemed to be a deliberate method from Brighton to taunt Palace, and the rivalry between supporters had escalated.

The Tense ’10s

Fast forward to the modern day. The two teams have faced each other far more regularly since Brighton’s promotion to the Premier League in 2017. But four years prior, the two faced off in a Championship play-off semi-final after finishing the 2012-13 season in fourth and fifth place respectively.

The first leg at Selhurst Park was a tense affair which ended in a nil-nil draw. Palace striker Glenn Murray (who’d previously played for the Seagulls) was carried off the pitch on a stretcher. In the second leg, Wilfried Zaha cemented his hero status with Palace supporters by scoring twice at the Amex Stadium, sending the traveling fans into raptures behind the goal.

That match had its own moments of controversy, though, even before the players had taken to the pitch. When entering the dressing room for the second leg, the Palace team were greeted with excrement on the floor, a tactic used by Brighton to try and unsettle their opponents – although it would prove fruitless.

Palace would eventually earn promotion into the Premier League after beating Watford in the final at Wembley.

The Current Situation

Their recent meetings in the Premier League have been close affairs, generally, apart from the odd dominant victory for either side. In February 2024, Brighton swept Palace aside 4-1 at the Amex, a result that would eventually lead to the departure of manager Roy Hodgson.

Palace responded last season by completing their first league double over the Seagulls since 1932-33, when both teams were in the third division.

Sunday’s meeting at Selhurst Park comes with both teams enjoying a good start to their respective seasons. Palace are ninth and Brighton are tenth. The winners could move into the top six – should results go in their favour.

The atmosphere at Selhurst Park will be hot. There’s no better feeling than getting one over your fiercest rivals and despite both teams being guided by German managers. Oliver Glasner and Fabian Hurzeler know just how important the fixture is.

The biggest rivalries in football don’t always have to be determined by location. The near 50 miles separating Crystal Palace and Brighton will pale into insignificance when both teams come face to face for Sunday’s latest installment.