Club news

Hughton Encourages Under-23 Play-off Final Support

By Kieran Cleeves • 08 May 2018

Brighton & Hove Albion manager Chris Hughton urged the club’s supporters to extend their footballing weekend with a trip to Villa Park on Saturday, as the under-23s play Aston Villa in the Premier League 2 Division 2 Play-Off Final - kick-off 12pm.

Simon Rusk’s side find themselves one game away from promotion - and with the first team in action against Liverpool on Sunday, Hughton encouraged fans to show their support en route to Anfield over the weekend.

He said, “It’s a really good opportunity for our supporters to get themselves to Villa Park, make a weekend of it and for us to have a really good support there.

“We’ve got an under-23 group that have been excellent all season and have made really good progress.

“For them to get to a final on Saturday against Villa at Villa Park, it’s something incredibly exciting for us. It would be a massive achievement [to win promotion].

Victory would see Albion playing against the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur next season, and Hughton believes it would be an exciting challenge for the under-23s.

The Albion boss also praised Simon Rusk and his coaching staff for the terrific job they’ve done throughout the season, as the Seagulls finished third in the league before beating Middlesbrough in their play-off semi-final.

“As a club, it would see us playing against some of the biggest and most established teams in the Premier League, which would raise the bar of our young players looking to push into the first team group.

“Because it’s our first season in the Premier League and every game is a big game, sometimes the good work around and underneath perhaps doesn’t get the attention that it should do, but Simon Rusk has done an exceptional job all season.”

Albion supporters can purchase tickets on the gate at Villa Park, with tickets priced at £4 for adults and £1 for concessions.