Seagulls Over Burwash Article – July 2025
Summer, Long Haul Travel, Injuries and Sapphires
We are in the midst of the long, hot, football-less summer, when football club supporters can forget fixtures, scores and league positions and turn their minds to picking runner beans, smoking out the neighbours with barbecues and sipping Pimm’s on the lawn. Well, it may or may not be a hot summer, and you may or may not grow beans but the close season is not that long and there is plenty of footie-related activity to keep the avid supporters glued to their sport news websites. During the twelve weeks between the Champions League final and the resumption of the Premier League, not only are there numerous international World Cup qualifying matches and pre-season friendlies, there is the annual pantomime of the summer transfer window. This is the time of year when, traditionally, ‘teams like Brighton’ get all of their best players poached by the clubs that are bank-rolled by uber-rich club owners, or, in the case of Newcastle United, oil-rich countries. However, in recent years, there have been efforts to curtail clubs spending beyond their income and to ensure they are viable businesses and don’t simply buy success no matter what the cost. To this end, the Profit and Sustainability Rules were introduced to restrict the losses each club can accrue over any three-year period. Put simply, Premier League clubs are only allowed to lose £105 million over three years on a rolling basis. If this is exceeded, sanctions such as transfer embargoes and points deductions can be imposed. Fortunately for Brighton and Hove Albion, the club has been run so well that they have made record Premier League profits of £208.4 million over the past two years, so they can, theoretically, lose up to nearly £300 million without breaching PSR. Other clubs are not in such a secure position. Aston Villa, for example, can only lose £15 million before PSR sanctions apply. Given that most clubs financial years end during the close season, expect some frantic selling of players by clubs that are sailing close to the PSR wind in a bid to raise money, reduce their losses and avoid sanctions.
Over the past few years, Brighton and Hove Albion have earned deserved accolades for their shrewd transfer business. Rather than chase the established, proven Premier League players that will cost huge sums of money in terms of both purchase cost and salaries, the club tends to identify young talent from around the globe and develop them into top players at the Amex. This way they benefit from the players while they are at Brighton and, if they are sold on to other, more high profile, clubs, they make a significant profit. However, this does mean that the first team is truly multinational. The current Albion men’s senior squad represents 23 countries, including five north and south American countries, six African countries, seven European countries, Japan and, oh yes, England. Given the standard of football Brighton are playing these days, it is not surprising that a large proportion of these players represent their national teams. In fact, Brighton has more long-distance (beyond Europe) internationals than any other Premier League club. Whilst this is a feather in the club’s cap, it does mean the preparation for league games is disrupted following international breaks and players need time to recover from the inevitable jet-lag before they can perform at their best. Such was the case with the FA Cup quarter final this year when Brighton faced Nottingham Forest following the international break in March. A number of first team regulars were not in the starting line-up and Brighton lost on penalties after a gruelling, if uninspiring, 0-0 draw following 120 minutes of football. Had players not been playing half way around the world a few days beforehand would they have won? Who knows, but the jet-lag would not have helped their cause.
Not only did The Albion top the ‘overseas internationals league’, they also finished the season at the top of the ‘time lost due to injury’ table. Yep, the total amount of days lost with players being unable to train or play was a mammoth 1,407!! So much for the appointment of Professor Doctor Florian Pfab as the head of medicine at the beginning of the season! This contrasts with the injuries incurred by Nottingham Forest who lost only 475 days to players being on the treatment table. Why was there such a gulf in the susceptibility of Forest and Albion players to injuries? I have no idea…..that’s what Professor Doctor Pfab needs to work out, but the absenteeism from the first team inevitably effected the performances and, hence, the results. Without such an abysmal injury record, would the Seagulls have qualified for Europe rather than missing out tantalisingly on the final day of the season? Again, who knows?
Looking back at the 2024-2025 season from a Brighton supporter’s viewpoint, there are many ‘ifs, buts and maybes’ but in true Albion fashion, it was a rollercoaster of highs and lows yet continued the upward trajectory of the club. Excitement for the coming new season is already building and, with Fabian Hurzeller now used to the Premier League, the young players having improved hugely over the last year and new players joining the club, next season is full of promise and optimism. I am absolutely confident that the 2025-2026 season will be the most successful in the club’s history and that our sparsely occupied trophy room (cupboard?) will have some nice shiny silverware to adorn its shelves come next May. But, then again, I think that every year……!
For further information on joining Seagulls Over Burwash and details of forthcoming events, meetings or coach travel, please visit our website at www.seagullsoverburwash.co.uk or email me at simon.forster@seagullsoverburwash.co.uk. Alternatively, please feel free to contact our beloved and much respected Chairman, Mr Teskey O’Neil, on 01435 884344 or tesbar80@btinternet.com. This month, Teskey and his dearly beloved, Barbara, celebrate their Sapphire wedding anniversary. That means for 45 years, Barbara has had to put up with Teskey’s Albion obsession and his travelling to matches all over the country, not to mention the vast array of blue and white memorabilia that fills his house. For most couples, such a passion for something other than a wife would be grounds for divorce but this is where our Teskey has got lucky. Barbara is as football mad as he is! It’s a match (home and away) made in heaven! Congratulations to you both!
Simon Forster