Brighton mark 125th anniversary after journey from near collapse to Europe

Brighton & Hove Albion are marking 125 years since their founding this week as they host Arsenal, capping a history that swung from near-collapse to genuine European ambition.

In 1995, then-chairman Bill Archer sold the club's long-time home, the Goldstone Ground, to cover mounting debts, without consulting supporters or arranging an alternative venue. Brighton did not leave the ground until 1997, following furious protests in which thousands of fans invaded the pitch and snapped both crossbars. The club then spent two seasons playing 70 miles away at Gillingham before returning to the city in 1999 to play at the Withdean Stadium, which held only 6,000 spectators.

Several figures helped rescue the club during this period, including former Football Association executive David Davies, then-Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, who overturned a rejected planning application for a new stadium in Falmer, and former chairman Dick Knight, who stabilised Brighton in 1997 when it came within 27 minutes of relegation out of the Football League.

The modern era began in 2009 when Tony Bloom, a Brighton-born entrepreneur with family ties to the club through his grandfather and uncle, became chairman. Under his ownership, Brighton rose from League One to the Premier League and moved into the American Express Stadium, where average attendance exceeded 31,000 last season.

European breakthrough

Last November, Brighton played their first-ever European fixture, beating Ajax 2-0 in Amsterdam in front of more than 7,000 travelling fans. This season the club is competing in the Conference League, chasing its first major trophy, while sitting fifth in the Premier League after four games, having also beaten Manchester United away from home.

Sporting director Mike Cave said the club today would be almost unrecognisable to anyone who knew it 15 years ago, crediting the long journey undertaken by staff and fans alike.