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- 24/25 Season Preview 20 in 20 - Brighton & Hove Albion
24/25 Season Preview 20 in 20 - Brighton & Hove Albion
15 of 20 - Brighton, Albion/The Seagulls
nick lochner
August 09, 2024
The 2024/25 Season kicks off Friday August 16 when Fulham travel to Man United.
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2023/24 Finish - 11th Place |
Best In Their History. A Medium sized club with history, just not in the top levels, who are currently on a great run. Two years ago, manager Graham Potter seemed to be pushing all the right buttons, but then left in the early season for Big 6 club Chelsea. That did not phase BHA, they just kept winning and had their highest ever finish in the top league. Brighton have not been a consistent top-level club until they reached the PL for the first time in 2017 and will be entering their eighth consecutive season in the league. The first four years BHA fought to just avoid relegation finishing 15, 17, 15 and 16. The last three years have seen BHA achieve their best finishes in the top league 9, 6 and 11 and play in a Europe competition for the first time.
Rolling the Dice. When BHA and manager De Zerbi “mutually” parted ways the last week of last season concerns started circling that the Seagulls fall from 6th to 11th place was just the beginning of a free fall. BHA had their highest finish ever in the PL two seasons ago, but last season was a struggle both in the PL and the Europa League. Owner Tony Bloom has done a great job getting BHA to this position with sound decision making, but his decision to hire Fabian Hurzeler seems like a big risk. The 31-year-old Hurzeler will become the youngest PL manager ever. Could be a great home run hire but could also backfire in a league where the margin for error (and relegation) is pretty slim.
Youngsters. BHA have made 13 moves this transfer window, 5 IN, 4 OUT and 4 Loaned OUT. That’s a pretty small number considering BHA really suffered from lask of depth last season. While they will not have the extra European fixtures to add to their schedule, the Seagulls really ran out of gas as the season went on. Suspect some moves as the season starts. BHA may be relying on their good young talent this year. Last season then 18-year-old Buonanotte saw time along with Ayari (19), Ferguson (18), and Encisco (19). And while they are a year older, they key to the club may be the leadership they get from the elder statesmen - Captain Lewis Dunk (32), Danny Welbeck (33) and James Milner (38).
The Club
Located in Brighton & Hove (South England) Falmer Stadium aka The Amex, 32,000 capacity Rough estimates $250M Annual Revenue $60M Player Payroll  | History on the Pitch
Sponsorship
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 Home Shirt |  Away Shirt |  Third Shirt |
OwnershipThe Lizard - Tony Bloom is a sports bettor, poker player, entrepreneur and majority owner of BHA. Bloom’s wealth has been achieved through gaming websites and value betting on sporting events. He heads a private betting syndicate and significant real estate holdings. In 2009 Bloom secured $125M in funding for the new stadium and a 75% share of the club. Bloom is a lifelong Brighton fan whose family has been associated with the club in director and vice-chairman roles. | Biggest Rival - Crystal PalaceUnofficial A23 Derby
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The Culture
BHA spent very little time in the top league, but when they got there, they made the most of it and achieved a Europe spot for the first time ever in 2023. Brighton feels a little different than many of the other clubs in the PL and The Championship. Geographically, they are isolated from most other teams, so they don’t have a local rival. They also sold their traditional stadium of 95 years in 1997, Goldstone Ground in Hove. The fans were not happy with the decision and it cost the club good will and a lot of ticket sales revenue. From 1998-2011 the club played at two separate small stadiums, until a new stadium was built, Falmer Stadium.
Young, high potential talent and the Europa League last season, for the first time ever and there is lots of excitement and energy surrounding the club. Owner and fan Tony Bloom has continued to push the right buttons.
New to Level 1 & EuropeIn BHA’s history they have spent more time in Level 3 than any other Level:
Supporters You May Recognize
 The New Oak | SongAlso known as A Horse Galloping, was written in 1907 and is considered the unofficial county anthem of Sussex. “Good old Sussex by the sea, Good old Sussex by the sea. Oh, we’re going up to win the cup For Sussex buy the sea.” Game Day Pub Guide
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Fan Sites
According to the AI tool COPILOT - here is an image of a Brighton fan at the Amex Stadium, based on Wiki’s description of a BHA Supporter.
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Official Twitter@OfficialBHAFC High Follows on Twitter @BrightonBubble (14k) @SeagullsSocial (12k) @albionroar (9k) @AlbionAnalytics (7k) @bhafcstateside (3k) |
The Team
The Gaffer
 Fabian Hurzeler ODDS
| Roster NotesFull Roster click link Projected to finish 9th. Americans on the team (as of Aug 7)
Interested in playing Fantasy Soccer? Here are the basics. Typical teams have a budget of $100M and 15 players - $6.7M per player.
Goalkeeper
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American Express Stadium
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