While Albion’s trip to Wolves on 10 November 2002 will live long in the memory for that Michel Kuipers double save, which has featured in many a Seagulls showreel since, it also marked the arrival of young Steve Sidwell in blue and white.
It was a debut that pretty much went under the radar, a 13-minute cameo towards the end of a competitive 1-1 draw, but it signalled the start of a 12-game run that would yield five goals and make the fresh-faced 19-year-old a firm Withdean favourite.
A product of Arsenal’s fabled youth set-up, Sidwell had already made waves the previous season on loan at Brentford, making 30 third-tier appearances for Steve Coppell’s side. Now he had the chance to link up his former boss once again, who had headed south following Martin Hinshelwood’s brief tenure in the managerial hotseat.
“The move was a no-brainer really,” said Sidwell in an interview with the Albion matchday programme. “Having played for Steve at Brentford, I had gained so much from that experience. I enjoyed his sessions and the responsibility he gave me on the pitch, despite my age.
“The following season, Arsenal were looking to send me out again [after a muted spell at Belgian side Beveren] and while Brighton were bottom of the [Division One, now Championship] table, that didn’t bother me. It was another chance to play for Steve and to play at a level higher than I had done the previous season at Brentford.”
From the opulence of the Marble Halls came the Portakabins at the Theatre of Trees. From sessions enhanced by Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry et al, Sidwell was now entering the school of hard-knocks, led by Charlie Oatway, Danny Cullip, Richard Carpenter and Guy Butters. Worlds apart in football terms, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I knew I was going out of my comfort zone again but that’s exactly what I wanted,” he added. “It was still an eye-opener though; training up at the university on pitches that weren’t great and washing our own kit, while Withdean was a bit different to Highbury, to say the least!
“But I went down there to really immerse myself in the culture of the club. I’m not the type of character to think I was above all that, just because I was at Arsenal, and I think the players could see that. We also had some big characters in the team back then who would certainly have brought me down a peg or two if I’d had given it the big ‘un!
“There was no settling-in period either. Wolves away was some place to make my debut; it was good to get a taste of a big-match environment, in front of a big crowd, and from then on, I was in the team.”
Indeed, Sidwell started the next game, a 1-0 home win against Derby, thanks to a late Kerry Mayo goal. He made a big impression on the pitch with his all-action performance, winning the adulation of the Seagulls fans, while friendships on the pitch began to flourish.
“What struck me most was the passion of the fans,” he recalled of his opening games. “The team was struggling at the time, but home or away, they really got behind us. They also travelled in big numbers – something we’ve seen to this day.
“To have their backing really made a difference; it helped me settle that bit quicker. It was also nice to know the experienced players had my back, while I had a familiar face in [fellow Arsenal loanee] Graham Barrett, which helped. Of all the players though, I really hit it off with Bobby Zamora. You could see what a talent he was and while still a little raw round the edges, it was evident he could go on and play at the highest level.
“Both of us had that similar drive to make a success of our careers and we always stayed in touch. It was great to go on and play with him at Fulham, then again here at Brighton later in our careers.”
Sidwell’s penultimate game for the Albion saw him net a brace in a 2-2 draw against Burnley at Withdean, but it was a Boxing Day victory at Norwich City two days earlier – in which he also netted – that he recalls with more fondness.
“Norwich were one of the teams tipped for promotion, so we were real underdogs that day. I just remember we took the game to them from the first whistle and had a really good first half.
“I remember feeling comfortable playing against really good opposition. To go on and score the winner [nicking in at the back post in the 38th minute to volley home a Simon Rodgers corner] was great for me but even better for the team. I think it was our first win in seven games, so the confidence was there that we could kick on.”
Sadly for Albion, they would have to do so without Sidwell’s services. His eye-catching performances hadn’t gone unnoticed, and while his path was blocked at Arsenal by the likes of Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva, he joined Reading on a three-and-a-half year deal. The Royals would go on and make the play-offs that season while the Seagulls were relegated.
“I remember the Brighton fans singing that they wanted me to stay [against Coventry] but after my loan ended, I decided on Reading, who had come in to sign me permanently.
“At that stage, they had an emerging team. They also had a good infrastructure with the new stadium that Brighton obviously didn’t. If the new stadium at Falmer had been ready, maybe it would have been a different conversation completely. As it was, it proved to be the right decision for me [Steve would win the Championship and play in the Premier League with the Royals], but Brighton always had a special place in my heart.
“That’s why it was so good to come back for a second time and play a part in our promotion to the Premier League. It’s where this club, and the fans, deserves to be and I’m proud to have played my part in that.”
- A reminder, you can purchase copies of the Albion programme at the Amex on a matchday or online here.