Why the rise of Brighton and Hove Albion is a modern-day feelgood football story

[p]The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brentford/xYe7DwID/"]Bees[/a] are by no means alone, and arguably [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brighton/2XrRecc3/"]Brighton[/a] and Hove Albion have provided a real phoenix-from-the-flames scenario.[/p][h2]Brighton were at risk of going out of business[/h2][p]It shouldn't be forgotten that in just over six month's time, it will be 30 years since the Seagulls left their Goldstone Ground home.[/p][p]The club had been hit with a winding-up order and was at serious risk of going out of business before the club's board sold the stadium and Brighton drew their final game of the 1997 season to keep them in the football league.[/p][image alt="Brighton's current Premier League position" id="551cb02f-4287-464e-b95b-171950fd7b1e" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="9fa77a5b-2165-44ed-9cbe-a5937a1977ed" original-width="2160" original-height="2702" /][p]A loss against Hereford United on that fateful day (May 3, 1997) would almost certainly have condemned Brighton, but instead, it became the beginning of something special.[/p][p]Initially ground-sharing with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/gillingham/WvZyDeKk/"]Gillingham[/a], before moving to an athletics facility, Withdean Stadium, in 1999, the Seagulls' situation continued to improve to the extent that in 2009, Tony Bloom became chairman and took over majority control.[/p][h2]Move to the AMEX Stadium[/h2][p]In 2011, the club moved into the purpose-built AMEX Stadium, and with Bloom continuing to bankroll the club, the only way was up.[/p][p]Six years later, their dreams were realised as Brighton were promoted back into the Premier League after a 34-year absence.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hughton-chris/C6LCyaOt/"]Chris Hughton[/a] was manager at the time, but after he left in 2019, the side continued to flourish, firstly under Graham Potter and then [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-zerbi-roberto/pYizckpN/"]Roberto De Zerbi[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/guardiola-pep/hxNijWrJ/"]Pep Guardiola[/a], the most successful manager of his generation, was in awe of just how well Brighton played under the Italian, underlining just how far the club had come in a relatively short space of time.[/p][h2]Guardiola's praise for De Zerbi[/h2][p][b]“Roberto De Zerbi is one of the most influential managers in the last 20 years. There is no team that plays the way they (Brighton) play; it’s unique," [/b]Guardiola was quoted as saying ahead of a fixture between the Seagulls and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]Man City[/a].[/p][p][b]“I had the feeling that when he arrived I had an idea the impact he would have on the Premier League would be great, but I couldn’t expect him to do it in such a short time.[/b][/p][embed guid="2b02d30d-28c7-4c4d-981e-a12c9b900615" url="https://x.com/premierleague/status/1661009242902646785" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]“They create on average 20-25 chances per game. They monopolise the ball in a way that hasn’t been seen for a long time. Everybody is involved - the goalkeeper is like a holding midfielder.”[/b][/p][p]Once De Zerbi had decided he'd taken the team as far as he could, which included a foray into Europe, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hurzeler-fabian/QHesBmSQ/"]Fabian Hurzeler[/a] was handed the reins by Bloom.[/p][h2]Hurzeler's appointment was another master stroke[/h2][p]He was just 31 years of age and was, by some distance, the youngest manager in the English top flight (and also the youngest ever in the EPL).[/p][p]Bloom's foresight was questioned once again, but he has been proven right.[/p][embed guid="3a511820-1694-4214-ad09-2b0ab4422b6b" url="https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/2051314574356361434?lang=en" social-type="twitter" /][p]At the time of writing, and after a reasonable couple of seasons under Hurzeler's stewardship in which Brighton finished eighth on both occasions, they find themselves third in the Premier League table, having scored more goals (16) than any other team in the division during 2026/27.[/p][p]They've come back from 2-0 down at Old Trafford to win 3-2 in the Carabao Cup, have beaten reigning champions [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Arsenal[/a] 3-0, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/aston-villa/W00wmLO0/"]Aston Villa[/a] 4-0 and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/coventry/GOvB22xg/"]Coventry[/a] 5-0.[/p][h2]Still competitive despite mega-sales[/h2][p]What's perhaps even more impressive is that the club continue to improve on and off the pitch despite the sales of their best players.[/p][p]Since Hurzeler took over in 2024, Brighton have sold the likes of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/baleba-carlos/UwTdoLQl/"]Carlos Baleba[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-hecke-jan-paul/WG59HGIH/"]Jan Paul van Hecke[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/welbeck-danny/86PvpO11/"]Danny Welbeck[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/joao-pedro/CAmJERl2/"]Joao Pedro[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/adingra-simon/6kgBNHG6/"]Simon Adingra[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/estupinan-pervis/OIhsN1nG/"]Pervis Estupinan[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/barco-valentin/MXX0tUs3/"]Valentin Barco[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/enciso-julio/f19S9MEi/"]Julio Enciso[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/undav-deniz/tUHAdtMH/"]Deniz Undav[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gilmour-billy/MPhh66QA/"]Billy Gilmour [/a]and more.[/p][p]Prior to his tenure, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/caicedo-moises/tIqaAkDs/"]Moises Caicedo[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cucurella-marc/QTynbZd3/"]Marc Cucurella[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bissouma-yves/CSdILBh7/"]Yves Bissouma[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/trossard-leandro/xUAbnjp2/"]Leandro Trossard[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mac-allister-alexis/fDPhMB8M/"]Alexis Mac Allister[/a] are just five other big names who were allowed to leave, and who have flourished elsewhere.[/p][embed guid="4818daaf-e7fd-4731-8a23-2fe16d8d85d7" url="https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1690834448105840641" social-type="twitter" /][p]In some respects, then, Brighton could be classed as a selling club, but unlike back in the 1990s when the cashing in on their stadium was imperative, the club are now in a position whereby they only need to sell their crown jewels if it makes absolute business sense.[/p][p]Their rags-to-riches story is a real modern-day success, and could be a blueprint that other clubs might well consider following in future.[/p][p]With a European campaign ahead of them now too, 2026/27 could be another vintage season in the history of a football club that's truly been to hell and back, and lived to tell the tale.[/p][infobox id="8a8311c3-81b3-440e-8b49-36091db073d1" /]