LOOKING BACK: BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION
History
29th September
An ingenious transfer and memorable hat-trick feature as we remember some of City's historical links with Saturday's opponents, Brighton & Hove Albion.
A WIRELESS TRANSFER
Mobile phones and e-mails may be taken for granted these days, as deadline day transfers often go down to the wire. But way back in August 1921, it wasn’t quite as easy.
That year, Cardiff City Secretary/Manager Fred Stewart wanted to sign Brighton defender Jack Rutherford, and agreed a fee with his Club. The problem for Stewart was that other clubs were also after Rutherford, who at that that time was returning to the country by ship from America.
Stewart therefore sent a wireless telegram to the vessel in the mid-Atlantic, asking Rutherford to meet him when the player disembarked at Southampton. Fortunately for the Bluebirds, the plan worked and Stewart duly signed his man - leading to the City Manager being widely praised for his ingenuity.
SAYER AND THE SEAGULLS
Fans of City and Brighton during the 1970s will remember former Wales International Peter Sayer fondly. The Cardiff-born forward, who scored a memorable goal to beat Tottenham in the F.A. Cup in January 1977, left South Wales midway through the 1977/78 season to join Brighton for a fee of £100,000.
On the south coast, he helped his new side to win promotion to the top level for the first time in their history the following season, before later joining Preston North End.
MILLAR'S HAT-TRICK
One highlight of a difficult third tier campaign in 1993/94 came when City travelled to face Brighton at their former home, The Goldstone Ground.
Former Port Vale midfielder Paul Millar, signed in August 1991, was the star of the show - hitting a hat-trick in a 5-3 victory for the Bluebirds. Our other goals in the memorable away win came from Phil Stant and Wayne Fereday.
FRIDAY'S RETURN
Robin Friday played his first match of his second season for Cardiff City at Brighton on October 29th 1977, after being absent since the 1977 close season due to illness.
It was something of an unfortunate return to the side for the Bluebirds cult hero, who was famously sent off after fouling Brighton defender Mark Lawrenson. Seagulls fans will remember the match more fondly, as they went on to record a 4-0 win.
THE FIRST MEETING
The Bluebirds' links with Brighton go back to the 1912/13 season when the two sides met in the Southern Alliance, a midweek competition consisting of Southern League First and Second Division sides.
City and the Seagulls went up against each other several times between 1913 and 1920 in the Southern League’s First Division, but our first Football League meeting was in late-August 1931 in Division 3 (South) when 15,000 saw a 1-1 draw at Ninian Park.
You can still get your tickets to watch City face the current table-toppers at the Amex Community Stadium by visiting our eTicketing website.
Or, if you can't make it to Brighton, there will be live commentary and highlights on Cardiff City Player HD.
