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Seaside Shuffle
Nov. 16th, 2025 08:19 pmBrighton & Hove Albion Women played their annual game at the club’s main ground, the Amex, today, versus Leicester City Women. On the train, at Worthing a couple of Brighton fans came and sat at my table. Seeing my hat, one of them said “I believe you’re going to the same place as us” and we discussed the Brighton Women’s prospects and how we all got into following the women’s game. At Brighton station, went for a much needed decaf mocha from the friendly people at Flying Coffee Bean, then the branch line to Falmer station.
I noticed that everyone seemed to be wearing Brighton replica shirts. I’d gone into the season regarding my Brighton woolly hat as sufficient indication of my support. But the overwhelming sight of blue-and-white-stripes clad fans, and me seeing, walking up to the stadium, an advertising hoarding proclaiming that this weekend the shop was printing names and numbers on shirts at no extra cost, swayed me through the doors of the club shop.
After apparently getting it wrong on their first attempt, the staff finally had my McLAUCHLAN 27 shirt, with a WSL sleeve badge, printed. I picked up an Albion Women calendar while there.
Finally in uniform, I headed into the stadium. A quick visit to a tea bar and then to my seat, about two-thirds of the way up the lower tier. Spectacular columns of flame shot up as the teams were introduced and a recording of a military band playing Good Old Sussex By The Sea blasted out of the PA.
Fran Kirby, alas, was injured. Rachel McLauchlan rewarded my choice of her name and number, impressing as she led early advances on the Leicester goal. Brighton’s pressure paid off in the 28th minute, Madison Haley making a jinking run into the box and chipping over the keeper. Maelys Mpome drilled home a low shot for Albion’s second just before the break.
Shannon O’Brien pulled one back for Leicester on 75 minutes. Brighton held on, and with the closing minutes ticking Marisa Olislagers fired in a thunderbolt for 3-1. In time added on a lofted Maisie Symonds effort was parried by the Leicester goalie straight into the path of Kiko Seike who neatly sidefooted home to make the points safe.
On Falmer station fans massed along the platform. The guy next to me said he hoped the doors would be by where we were standing. I said it reminded me of waiting for the trams after the Euro games in Switzerland this summer. Got into Brighton station just in time to catch an earlier, direct train to Portsmouth than expected.
I noticed that everyone seemed to be wearing Brighton replica shirts. I’d gone into the season regarding my Brighton woolly hat as sufficient indication of my support. But the overwhelming sight of blue-and-white-stripes clad fans, and me seeing, walking up to the stadium, an advertising hoarding proclaiming that this weekend the shop was printing names and numbers on shirts at no extra cost, swayed me through the doors of the club shop.
After apparently getting it wrong on their first attempt, the staff finally had my McLAUCHLAN 27 shirt, with a WSL sleeve badge, printed. I picked up an Albion Women calendar while there.
Finally in uniform, I headed into the stadium. A quick visit to a tea bar and then to my seat, about two-thirds of the way up the lower tier. Spectacular columns of flame shot up as the teams were introduced and a recording of a military band playing Good Old Sussex By The Sea blasted out of the PA.
Fran Kirby, alas, was injured. Rachel McLauchlan rewarded my choice of her name and number, impressing as she led early advances on the Leicester goal. Brighton’s pressure paid off in the 28th minute, Madison Haley making a jinking run into the box and chipping over the keeper. Maelys Mpome drilled home a low shot for Albion’s second just before the break.
Shannon O’Brien pulled one back for Leicester on 75 minutes. Brighton held on, and with the closing minutes ticking Marisa Olislagers fired in a thunderbolt for 3-1. In time added on a lofted Maisie Symonds effort was parried by the Leicester goalie straight into the path of Kiko Seike who neatly sidefooted home to make the points safe.
On Falmer station fans massed along the platform. The guy next to me said he hoped the doors would be by where we were standing. I said it reminded me of waiting for the trams after the Euro games in Switzerland this summer. Got into Brighton station just in time to catch an earlier, direct train to Portsmouth than expected.
