Programme Archive: 2011/12 Season

Now available on the Programme Archive are the 29 issues of ‘Seagull’ that came during Brighton & Hove Albion’s debut season at their new home, the American Express Community Stadium.

After years of struggle to secure a permanent home, following the club’s move from the Goldstone Ground in 1997, Gus Poyet’s team, who had just won promotion to the Championship, opened the stadium with a friendly against Tottenham Hotspur.

The 100-page programme included a superb timeline that showed the construction stages of Albion’s new home, and the players wore a special commemorative strip against Spurs to mark the special occasion.

It was a momentous day for the club, despite losing 3-2, but the club’s first league game at their new home was celebrated in style the following week, as Will Buckley struck twice off the bench to seal a dramatic 2-1 victory over Doncaster Rovers on the opening day.

Adding to the 23 league games, there were five cup matches at the Amex, three in the League Cup versus Gillingham, Sunderland and Liverpool, and two in the FA Cup against Wrexham and Newcastle United.

Altogether, there were 2,308 programme pages produced throughout the busy campaign, and there were plenty of good moments throughout the season, as the Seagulls finished tenth in their first season back in England’s second tier.

Click here to view Albion’s Programme Archive.