**Brighton v Palace: ‘A Rivalry as Big as Any Other’**
*By Jacob Panons and Daniel Sexton, South East*
*Published 11 minutes ago*
Though Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion are separated by just 45 miles (72.4 km), fans of both clubs insist their rivalry is among the fiercest in football.
Born from 1970s FA Cup drama and fueled by the bitter rivalry between former Tottenham Hotspur stars Terry Venables and Alan Mullery, the hostility between the two clubs shows no sign of fading.
“People who write off the match do it due to ignorance,” said Palace fan Dan Cook, host of the HLTCO podcast.
The teams meet this Sunday in the Premier League, where they currently sit just one point apart in the table.
Russell Guiver, a Seagulls fan and host of the Brighton Rock Podcast, shared his thoughts on the fixture: “It’s the game I’m always looking forward to the most.” However, he admitted that explaining the rivalry to outsiders “is getting tiresome.”
“It does certainly seem to confuse people because it’s not seen as the nearest team,” Guiver added. “I still meet fans of other clubs saying it’s not a real rivalry. I just scoff at them and tell them they’re wrong.”
“It very much is. It absolutely is. It’s felt as keenly by our fans and theirs as other rivalries in the country.”
### The Origins of the Rivalry
The roots of this rivalry trace back to 1976, when the teams met five times in a season. At that time, Crystal Palace was managed by Terry Venables and Brighton by Alan Mullery—former Spurs teammates who never saw eye to eye.
That year’s FA Cup first round tie was particularly contentious. Before the introduction of extra-time and penalties to decide a winner, drawn matches were replayed as many times as necessary. Palace eventually triumphed 1-0 in the third replay, intensifying the rivalry.
More recently, in a Championship play-off clash in 2013, Crystal Palace, led by Wilfried Zaha, knocked Brighton out en route to promotion to the Premier League. However, tensions ran high off the pitch as the Eagles were greeted with excrement in their dressing room before the match.
### A Rivalry Like No Other
Kieran Maguire, co-host of *The Price of Football* podcast and a Brighton season ticket holder, described Sunday’s fixture as “the derby match which nobody else can understand apart from Palace and Brighton fans.”
He explained how the animosity is seen as a “birthright” passed down through generations, despite a grudging respect between the sides.
“Neither of us are glamorous clubs. We both know we’re, to a certain extent, probably living on borrowed time in the Premier League and making the most of it while we’re there.”
Maguire also noted Brighton’s limited regional rivals, mentioning Southampton and Portsmouth are “too busy hating each other,” while Bournemouth “aren’t rival material.”
“You can’t dislike Bournemouth,” he said. “There’s nothing to dislike about them.”
For his part, Palace fan Dan Cook was unequivocal about the rivalry’s depth.
“We hate Brighton and Brighton hate us. It’s not a derby, unlike when we play Charlton or Millwall. It’s a rivalry, not the M23 derby as people outside the clubs seem to call it.”
“There’s a sense of bragging rights due to the journey that both clubs have been on in the last few years.”
### Respect Amidst Antagonism
Despite the bitterness, there is mutual respect between the fanbases as part of the wider football family.
Nigel Summer, chairman of the Brighton and Hove Albion Supporters’ Club, recalled past solidarity: “When they were going out of business, a lot of Brighton fans were dipping in the buckets and chipping in for them, and when we were in big trouble in the late 90s, there were a lot of Palace fans who were rooting for us.”
### Bragging Rights and Recent Fortunes
Both clubs have enjoyed improved fortunes in recent years. Brighton are recognized for their successful business model and their role as a producer of football talent—embracing Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
Crystal Palace, meanwhile, celebrated a historic season last year, clinching their first-ever trophy by winning the FA Cup.
Currently placed 9th and 10th in the Premier League, both clubs share similar experiences of progress and stability.
Palace fan and comedian Kevin Day highlighted a “strange mutual pride” from this parallel journey.
But he also emphasized the competitive edge: “For the first time in a while, we currently have the bragging rights, and I’m sure we will be singing about our FA Cup win for at least the first 20 minutes of the match.”
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