v 
SHRIMPERS
Well, not only one loan signing but two, with left back George Friend joining from Wolves and probably going straight into the side for the unlucky Johnny Herd.
Unlike the Sunderland Irishboy George has had regular first team football with Millwall so Tilly will want to get his money's worth straight away.
So will we see Roy O'Donovan on Saturday? Probably, as a replacement. Barney and Laurent did enough against Leeds to get another strat.
But what off the Irish boy? Not many positive comments from around the message boards. One Dundee United fan told me: "Not fit to lick Dougie Freedman's boots", well, he might get the chance if their both on the subs bench.
And that was a nice comment. I couldn't print the rest on a family site!
He's a young lad, not had a good time with injuries, and probably believed a touch of his own publicity when he was being courted by all those clubs, Blues included, a couple of seasons ago.
Roy has to know now he must knuckle down and do the business or he'll soon be back on a one pound Ryan Air flight to Cork, having made a few quid out of Sunderland in the process.
And if anyone can get the best out of him it's Tilly and Brush, who have done it before, and I'm certain will do it with O'Donovan, especially two tiers below his present level.
The rest of the team picks itself, and other than two dodgy spells at the start of the Walsall and Orient matches, it's not been a bad start to the season, M'Voto looking the business at the back.
We certainly are as physical a side as I can remember for a while, and no bed thing, and will be dissapointed if we don't pick up at least another point at the worst away ground in League One. Rain forecast as well!
Possible Southend United: Mildenhall, Francis, M'Voto, Barrett, Friend, Grant, Christophe, McCormack, Moussa, Barnard, Laurent.
Subs: Joyce, Sankofa or Herd, Sawyer, Scannell, Walker or O'Keefe, Freedman, O'Donovan.
OPPOSITION
Brighton boss Russell Slade will look to name an unchanged side after last Saturday's 2-0 win at Carlisle, as long as Nottingham Forest loanee, winger Arron Davies, is fit after hamstring soreness. Dean Cox, who didn't play in the game, may take Davies's place.
Left-back Jake Wright could return after a month out with a hamstring injury but right-back Andrew Whing is set to undergo surgery to resolve an ongoing groin injury.
Fellow defenders Jim McNulty (ankle) and Colin Hawkins (broken nose) are still missing along with Glenn Murray, although the striker is back in training following a hernia operation.
Gary Hart, Craig Davies, Matt Thornhill all played for the reserves giving Slade a strong squad to pick from.
| 10 | Walsall | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 9 | -1 | ||||
| 11 | Southend United | 7 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 8 | +2 | ||||
| 12 | Carlisle United | 7 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 8 | -1 | ||||
| 13 | Hartlepool United | 7 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 8 | -1 | ||||
| 14 | Norwich City | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 8 | -3 | ||||
| 15 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 8 | -6 | ||||
| 16 | Millwall | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 7 | -2 |
That 7-1 defeat at Huddersfield has not helped the Brighton goal difference!
Carlisle United 0 Brighton & Hove Albion 2
(Report by Howard Griggs from www.theargus.co.uk)
36-year-old Nicky Forster continued his rich vein of form as Albion made it back-to-back wins with a 2-0 victory at Carlisle.
The Seagulls' club captain scored once in each half as Russell Slade's men secured their first away success of the season. Forster now has five goals in his last four appearances but this win was built on an outstanding defensive display with Tommy Elphick particularly outstanding.
Albion made one change to the side that beat Wycombe a week earlier with Elphick replacing the injured Andrew Whing.
They made the perfect start by taking a fourth-minute lead. James Tunnicliffe's long throw was not cleared properly, the ball was lifted back into the penalty area and Forster beat Lenny Pidgeley with a delicate lob into the corner of the net.
Forster had another chance three minutes later from Gary Dicker's through pass but he screwed it well wide and Albion's leading marksman also had a penalty appeal turned down on 19 minutes when he went down under challenge from Danny Livesey.
Carlisle had their moments too, the best of which when Kevan Hurst floated just past an upright with Michael Kuipers at full stretch.
The hosts started the half really positively and went close to an equaliser on 56 minute when Matty Robson beat two players down the left and his cross was met at the near post by Joe Anyinsah whose shot was deflected wide for a corner.
Having weathered the mini-storm, Albion doubled their lead on 66 minutes when, from their first meaningful attack of the half, Liam Dickinson crossed from the left byline for Forster to beat Pidgeley to the ball at the near post and prod home.
Forster had the ball in the net again four minutes later but his tap-in was disallowed for offside after Gary Dicker's shot had stung Pidgeley's palms.
Brighton & Hove Albion: Kuipers; Virgo, Elphick, Tunnicliffe, El-Abd; Bennett, Dicker, Crofts, A.Davies; Dickinson, Forster. Subs: J.Wright, Navarro, McLeod, Hart, Thornhill, C.Davies, G.Smith.
PREVIOUSLY
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GROUND
On three sides of the stadium are a number of basic 'temporary stands' which are uncovered and hence open to the elements. Only the North Stand on one side of the ground can be described as permanent, as this was in existence prior to the football club taking up residence (and will no doubt remain, when the Club eventually leave). This is the only stand that has some roof cover, albeit only partially to the rear and has a large Pavilion type building located behind it, which looks quite out of place at a football ground.
The pitch is surrounded by an athletics running track, hence the supporters are set well back from the field of play. Although the temporary stands are generally on the small side, this cannot be said of the South Stand. This stand was designed by McAlpine and has a capacity of 4,500.
Away fans are housed in the West Stand at one end of the stadium, in a small 'temporary' stand, more reminiscent of the structures at golf's British Open than a football ground. This seated stand is uncovered and has a capacity of 900 seats. Fans are set very well back from the pitch as there is a semi-oval grassed area behind the goal and then a running track in-between that and the stand itself.
You would expect from such an open stadium that the atmosphere would be fairly flat. However, the Brighton supporters really try hard to get behind their team and this made for a good atmosphere. The fans also make the most of the temporary nature of the stands, by making quite a large din by stamping their feet on the metal floor. The open nature of Withdean makes a visit daunting on a cold, wet day.
(Thanks to www.footballgroundguide.co.uk for the above)
WEATHER
21c's, cloudy but with sunny intervals.
REF
The man in the middle is Roger east from Wiltshire.
He gives an interview here: www.refworld.com/referee/134/1/roger-east
FIXTURES
BET
To Win:
Brighton - 5/4, Draw - 12/5, Southend - 12/5.
www.southendunited-mad.co.uk/news/loadfeat.asp?cid=EDW5&id=450263
By Coach go here:
www.southendunited-mad.co.uk/news/loadfeat.asp?cid=EDW3&id=450425
By Car go here:
www.southendunited-mad.co.uk/news/loadfeat.asp?cid=EDW7
PUB AND PIES
For the best drinking hostelries in Brighton, go here:
www.southendunited-mad.co.uk/news/loadfeat.asp?cid=EDW8&id=450525
HISTORY
he team are nicknamed 'Seagulls', partly due to the city's seaside location and partly as a response to the similar sounding nickname 'Eagles' of their main rivals Crystal Palace. Prior to this nickname they were known as 'the Dolphins' or 'the Shrimps'.
The team have historically played in blue and white stripes, though this changed to all white briefly in the 1970s (in the Freddie Goodwin era) and again to plain blue during the club's most successful spell in the 1980s.
Founded in 1901, Brighton played their early professional football in the Southern League. They were elected to the Football League in 1920.
Between 1979 and 1983 they were in the old First Division. In 1983 they reached the final of the FA Cup, which they drew 2-2, but lost 4-0 in a replay to Manchester United. They were relegated from the First Division in the same season.
Over the next decade or so, financial problems dragged the Seagulls down the league and in 1997 they narrowly avoided relegation to the Conference.
A boardroom takeover saved Brighton from going out of business, and by 2001 they reached The Championship. A second successive promotion was achieved, but they were relegated after one season. Promotion was gained at the first attempt, but the Seagulls went down again two years later.
For many years Brighton and Hove Albion were based at the Goldstone Ground in Hove, until the board of directors decided to sell the stadium.
For two years, from 1997-99, the club shared the ground of Gillingham, but have since returned to Brighton, where they now play at Withdean Stadium. This is not predominantly a football ground, having been used for athletics most of its history, and previously as a zoo!
The sale of the Goldstone Ground, implemented by majority shareholder Bill Archer and his chief executive David Bellotti, proved controversial, and the move provoked widespread protests against the board. The club received little if any money from this sale.
In their last season at the Goldstone, 1996-97, the Seagulls were in danger of relegation from the Football League. They won their final game at the Goldstone against Doncaster Rovers, setting up a winner-takes-all relegation game at Hereford United, who were level on points with the Seagulls. The Seagulls drew 1-1, and Hereford were relegated to the Football Conference on goals scored.
Because of the cost of the public enquiry, rent on Withdean Stadium, fees paid to use Gillingham's Priestfield Stadium, and a general running deficit due to the low ticket sales inherent with a small ground, the club had an accumulated deficit of £9.5 million in 2004. The board of directors paid £7 million of this; the other £2.5 million had to be raised from the operations of the club.
In an effort to achieve this, a fundraising appeal known as the Alive and Kicking Fund was started, with everything from nude Christmas Cards featuring the players to a CD single being released to raise cash. On 9 January 2005 this fundraising single 'Tom Hark (We Want Falmer)' went straight in at number 17 in the UK chart, gaining it national airplay on Radio 1.
Unlike most clubs carrying a large debt, the club has never considered entering administration, as it was a previous period of administration that led to Archer gaining control of the club.
On 28 October 2005, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister announced that the application for Falmer had been successful, much to the joy and relief of all the fans. However, Lewes District Council contested John Prescott's decision to approve planning permission for Falmer forcing a judicial review.
This was based on a minor error in Prescott's original approval which neglected to state that some car parking for the stadium is in the Lewes district as opposed to the Brighton & Hove unitary authority. This caused further delay. Once the judicial review ruled in favour of the stadium, Lewes District Council said that they would not launch further appeals.
The football club's board said in 2008 that although the stadium will be ready in 2010, it will not be ready for the start of the 2010-11 season. As such, the target date for opening is August 2011.
Building of the Falmer Stadium started in December 2008.
After what many fans and pundits deemed a very good 2007-08 season for Brighton and Dean Wilkins, it was announced on the 8 May 2008 that Wilkins had been sacked from his position of manager and offered the role of first-team coach at the club, which he subsequently declined.
It was then revealed that Micky Adams would be returning to the club to take over the duties of being manager and that reserve team coach Ian Chapman had left the club.
The 2008-09 season began strongly, albeit with poor home form. An early highlight was a penalty win against the pompous Manchester City in the second round of the Football League Cup which shocked the city fans and their new owner, the royalty of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
After being defeated by Luton on penalties in the Football League Trophy, Adams left the club by mutual consent.
After 3 weeks of managerless football, Brighton appointed ex Yeovil Manager Russell Slade as their manager, until the end of the season. But the start of his stint wasn't as successful as he hoped, losing his 1st two games against Leyton Orient and Southend, until thrashing his old club Yeovil 5-0.
As normal the relegation dogfight came down to the last game of the season, and Slade pulled off what the fans believed to be a miracle, by winning 5 of their last 7 games, keeping the Seagulls in League One by 3 points, eventually finishing 16th place.
After 12 years in the seat, Dick Knight made way for Brighton fan and professional poker player Tony Bloom to take over the club, Bloom also invested £93m towards building of the new stadium.