Club news

Withdean Years: 2009/10 Season On Seagulls Tv

By Kieran Cleeves • 19 January 2018

Brighton & Hove Albion’s penultimate season at the Withdean Stadium is now available to watch on Seagulls TV - a campaign which saw the beginning of Gus Poyet’s reign as the club’s manager.

Weeks after guiding the Seagulls to League One safety, Russell Slade was appointed on a permanent basis and began his preparations for another season in England’s third tier.

There was also a change of chairman as Tony Bloom stepped forward to help with the costs of building the club’s new stadium, after the economic climate took a turn for the worse.

Dick Knight stepped down as the club’s chairman after 12 years in the position, and was made life president of the football club.

There was a big turnover in players over the summer months, with numerous members of the squad departing, while the likes of Liam Dickinson, Alan Navarro and Andrew Crofts came in.

The season began with a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Walsall at the Withdean, and during a six-game spell without a win, the Seagulls were also thumped 7-1 at Huddersfield Town.

A first victory came at home to Wycombe Wanderers, before a 2-0 win at Carlisle United, but those proved to be two of only three triumphs for Albion in the opening 15 league games of the season.

It spelled the end of Slade’s time in charge, and just in time for Albion’s visit to high-flying Southampton, Bloom take a chance on appointing Poyet, who came for his first managerial role.

On Poyet’s birthday, the Seagulls produced a brilliant performance to beat the Saints 3-1 at St Mary’s, with Glenn Murray scoring twice before Andrew Crofts added late on.

Crofts needed a 90th-minute winner against Exeter City in December, but Albion’s performances were yet to rake in the points they deserved, as they remained in the relegation zone after 30 games.

Marcus Painter and Inigo Calderon arrived on the south coast in January, and the pair contributed to an improvement in form from the Seagulls, which included a 2-0 victory against Charlton Athletic at the Valley.

Nicky Forster netted his final Albion goal against Brentford at the Withdean before the club decided against renewing the striker’s contract - which paved the way for Ashley Barnes to arrive on loan from Plymouth Argyle.

Poyet’s men won five of their remaining ten games to secure their place in League One for another season, ending the campaign with a 1-0 victory over Yeovil Town at the Withdean.