Legendary former Albion captain and manager Brian Horton will be at the American Express Stadium for the opening day visit of Luton Town and he cannot wait to see the clash of two clubs that he skippered into the top flight. And he is still pinching himself at the thought that the Seagulls and Hatters have survived dark days and are now meeting as Premier League sides.
Albion, of course, came within a Robbie Reinelt goal at Hereford of dropping out of the Football League in 1997 and were homeless and ground-sharing at Gillingham when ‘Nobby’ returned as manager in 1998.
But Luton fell even further, dropping into the Conference in 2009 and not returning to the EFL until 2014. Last season’s Championship play-off final victory over Coventry City made them the first club to rise from non-League to Premier League.
“When I saw that fixture come out, I thought ‘Oh my goodness’," he said. “It’s just amazing. You couldn’t write it. When Luton were in non-League and the Albion were at Gillingham people would have said you were crazy. It’s just a fairy tale, it really is. Both clubs deserve it, because they are proper football clubs. I’m looking forward to the game and to seeing Steve Foster, who also captained both clubs, and Alan Mullery.”
For the benefit of younger Albion fans, Horton was a bargain signing by manager Peter Taylor from Port Vale in the 1975-76 season. He came with a reputation as a hard man, but he also proved an inspirational leader and the sort of all-round, box-to-box midfield player who would have cost many millions in today’s football currency.
Under Mullery’s management, he led Albion to promotion from the old third division in 1977, and then into the top flight for the first time in the club’s history in 1979 – scoring the first goal in the 3-1 victory away to Newcastle that clinched Albion’s elevation.
Two years later, he moved to Luton and did it again, captaining David Pleat’s side to promotion from the old second division. He later turned to management, spending another year with Albion during the two-year spell at Gillingham as well as taking the reins at Hull City, Oxford United, Port Vale and Manchester City.
“To have captained Brighton from the third division to the first still ranks as one of my greatest achievements in football,” he said. “I didn’t want to leave but big changes were happening. Alan Mullery left, Mark Lawrenson and John Gregory too. Luckily enough, I went to Luton and another manager in David Pleat that I learned such a lot from.”
Horton helped bring the glory days to both clubs but down the line, both fell on hard times. “I witnessed a bit of the dark days, if you like, when I managed the Albion at Gillingham,” Horton said. “It was sad for me because all my playing days for Albion were at the Goldstone, so many unbelievable games. At that time, after what happened with the sale of the Goldstone, I don’t think anybody could see them coming back to where they are now. Getting back to somewhere better, yes, but you couldn’t dream this up.
“But not many could have done what they did by taking so many supporters to Gillingham. When I was playing there were regularly 30-odd thousand at games, and that fanbase has proved it is still there – deservedly so with all that they have achieved and the football that they are playing. Thanks to Tony Bloom, what they have done is almost like a miracle.
“And the same for Luton. To see what happened to the football club, going out of the League, was mind-blowing and credit to chief executive Gary Sweet and the directors and management for doing what they have. Mick Harford has played a massive role because he has been there through most of it.”
Perhaps not surprisingly, Luton are tipped to go straight back down by many punters. “I wouldn’t mind that if I were at Luton, to be perfectly truthful,” Horton says. “What an incentive to prove people wrong – and I think they can. Kenilworth Road won’t be an easy place to go, let me tell you that. The pitch is good but the surroundings are small, compact, a lot of the big-name players have probably never played in stadiums like that. So that will be an advantage for them and I sincerely hope they stay up.”
The first day of any season, of course, can throw up the odd shock or two. How does he see Saturday’s game going? “You can never tell. In pre-season everyone goes all over the world these days, such as Albion going to America, and then all of a sudden you are back in reality. It’s totally different. There will always be shocks in the first few games.”
So, how about a forecast? “The fans were fantastic to me at both Brighton and Luton, so it’s a tough one for me to call. Everybody will be asking me who I want to win. But all I want to see is a good game of football, which I’m sure it will be, and then I’ll take whatever the result turns out to be. I had great times at both and wish them well.”