Behind enemy lines at the Amex Stadium – Flaming Hecke! It’s Welbeck again

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·19 Oktober 2025

Behind enemy lines at the Amex Stadium – Flaming Hecke! It’s Welbeck again

Well, if this is what you get from a modern stadium, call Bob the Builder asap.

OK, the capacity would be utterly inadequate for a club of Newcastle United’s size. The location, nearer to Lewes than Hove, is as far removed geographically from Brighton as I am emotionally, but the stadium is first class.

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A spacious outdoor fanzone next to the turnstiles, only three minutes’ walk from Falmer railway station, is a great way to compensate for the rural surroundings.

There’s not a pub or even a street in sight, excluding the A27 wannabe motorway.

Hundreds of early arrivals tucked into food and drink while watching Chelsea do a number on Forest. Farewell, Ange, you were just too big for the big league.

The refreshments are reasonably priced compared with most urban bars and I couldn’t fault the match-day special, Cumberland sausages and Boston beans; hot, tasty and a generous portion for £8.

Apologies if these seem to be the musings of a football tourist but, hey, that’s the way of the world today.

The tip-up 30,000 seats, all blue and all with proper padding, were more comfortable than in the Festival Theatre at Chichester.

Every seat seemed to be an excellent vantage point. The PA was loud and clear, the twin screens just about big enough and the eight heavy-duty sprinklers were obviously unaware of the great drought of 2025 in East Sussex . . .

Of course, something had to spoil it.

While United’s travelling army sang along with Gusto (no, not the Chelsea cheat, he was otherwise engaged) to a quick blast of Hey Jude and 12 groundstaff poked and prodded the pitch, presumably to ensure all that water vanished as quickly as it had appeared, the big screens broadcast what I believe is known as a showreel of Albion’s greatest moments.

While I silently prayed there would be nothing to add to that compilation on Oct 18, 2025, those dreadful flame-throwing boxes propelled noxious hydrocarbons skywards and the locals sang Good Old Sussex By The Sea. Is there a little-known Premier League rule that means no match can start until the burning of precious fossil fuels has added to global warning? Even in the environs of Brighton and Hove, the most self-consciously right-on city in England?

When we did kick off I had to shout “Oh, Referee!” in apparent disgust. Gordon sprinted away down the left wing and was rightly awarded a free kick after being tripped . . . Such are the trials and tribulations of occupying a padded seat in the wrong section.

Craig Pawson let the game flow and was certainly no homer. Unfortunately, in Baleba and Rutter, Albion had the two dominant midfielders. They continually got the better of Guimaraes. When he is sub-optimal, so are United. Perhaps those air miles to the Far East and back for a couple of friendlies had taken a toll.

Once the game settled down after a whirlwind 10 minutes we found ourselves on the back foot. Pope did what he does best, denying Rutter with a full-length low dive and a strong left hand that preserved our clean sheet in away games this season for just a bit longer.

Burn had his work cut out to subdue Minteh, who broke free several times without capitalising. The flying winger has loads of assets but in this match looked short of footballing nous.

Compared with Elanga, however, he was the bee’s knees. Our version of the flying winger looks devoid of confidence. Howe is loyal to a fault, which is one reason United’s team spirit is as good as that of any rival, but sometimes the best solution is to remove a struggler from the firing line.

Was anybody surprised when Murphy replaced Elanga at half-time? Miley simultaneously took over from Joelinton, a change I had not foreseen.

By then, of course, we were a goal down, coolly taken by Welbeck, our nemesis season after season. Rutter made it, bursting through the midfield with pace and power before playing a perfect pass into the stride of the veteran striker. He did the rest, to the dismay of our supporters massed behind Pope’s net.

If the 41st minute is a good time to score, the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time would have been even better. Tonali bent an accurate free-kick from our right flank onto the head of Big Nick Woltemade, for once in a little space and facing Verbruggen’s goal. He was perhaps eight yards out and missed the target by maybe four.

We had a grand total of no attempts on target before the interval. We looked as unlikely to score as we had at Bournemouth last month. Brighton were playing with more energy than us and would have been two or three up if they had been clinical with their chances.

The second half followed the pattern of what had gone before. certainly for 10 minutes or so. Steadily, though, we began to press back the hosts, whose energy was visibly waning. The action was now far more in the Brighton defensive half. Murphy was making inroads on the right wing, Burn was advancing on the left and Miley, after an understandably wobbly start, kept the ball moving smartly in midfield.

On the balance of play since the interval, the equaliser was well deserved. Woltemade had toiled without reward against Van Hecke and Dunk in the air, indeed he had been more useful with defensive headers than with offensive ones, but when given no more than a half-chance on the deck he accepted it brilliantly. If that is not goal of the month there should be a stewards’ inquiry.

The momentum was definitely with United in the closing stages. Two or three goalmouth scrambles suggested we would leave the Amex with all three points for the first time in the Premier League.

We didn’t, because Brighton attacked against the run of play and took full advantage of a crunching Burn tackle on Wieffer that saw the ball spin into Welbeck’s path.

Cruel on Burn and cruel on United. Those Brighton fans who chose to boo their former defender, whose determination and desire can never be questioned, should be ashamed.

Would a draw have been a fairer outcome? Judged on the final 35 minutes, yes. Judged on the final 20, we deserved to win. That’s not how it works, unfortunately. Over the entire 101 minutes, Brighton were a little better than us.

I talked with a few of their supporters on the train back to the city centre and a few more on the train out to Worthing.

Some interesting comments: Baleba has been pants until this game, allegedly because his head was turned by the Salfords in the close season. Based on the £115m they banked from the Caicedo sale, they would accept nothing less than £120m for the 21-year-old Cameroonian.

Our former Swedish striker was totally unprofessional (an entirely unsolicited opinion).

Burn, while wholehearted, is not a top-quality defender (Try saying that to Howe or Tuchel).

Our midfield is massively powerful, with three big units in Joelinton, Tonali and Guimaraes (Last time I checked, Tonali was a shade under 6ft, as was our captain).

Brighton have a young, inexperienced squad, which is why Dunk, Welbeck and Milner are so important (No arguing with that point).

Here’s a final thought from a home fan, again offered without invitation: Albion didn’t deserve to win either match at St James’ Park last season.

By the law of averages, I reckon we will exact revenge sooner rather than later.

Brighton 2 Newcastle 1 – Saturday 18 October 2025 3pm

(Stats via BBC Sport)

Goals:

Woltemade 76

Brighton:

Welbeck 41, 85

Possession was Newcastle 54% Brighton 46%

Total shots were Newcastle 16 Brighton 13

Shots on target were Newcastle 3 Brighton 5