Our Gunners hit the road for one last time this season in the Barclays Women's Super League to face Brighton at 4pm (UK) on Monday With Chelsea crowned league champions in midweek the battle to consolidate second spot is on as we prepare to face third-place Manchester United next weekend PURCHASE TICKETS FOR OUR FINAL GAME OF THE SEASON We've already faced Brighton twice this campaign - once in the WSL and once in the League Cup - pulling off convincing victories on both occasions.  Our Gunners hit four past the Seagulls on a January trip to Broadfield Stadium Kyra Cooney-Cross and Mariona Caldentey all scoring in the space of 18 minutes.  When we hosted Dario Vidošić's side at Emirates Stadium back in November Brighton are on course for their best-ever finish in the Women's Super League currently sitting in fifth position with goal difference on their side over Liverpool The Seagulls have racked up seven wins so far as well as pulling off an impressive draw with Chelsea back in March They host us in Crawley off the back of a lucrative trip to Merseyside where a stoppage-time winner from Nikita Parris secured all three points in a 3-2 win.  It's also been a successful season for one of our Michelle Agyemang who has been on loan with the Seagulls since the start of the season Our Young Gunner has been on the scoresheet five times during this spell and was recently nominated for the WSL's Player of the Month award for April.  Slegers on Brighton: "I think we have had a lot of players playing against Brighton across those two games I'm happy with those performances, but this is going to be a whole new game "They're also further in their development as a team and they will pose us new challenges especially when you play against the same opponent we come away from the Lyon game and now this Aston Villa game so we have to build ourselves up to play against Brighton." We've had no fresh team updates since Wednesday's clash with Aston Villa where Daphne van Domselaar was not available.  Referee: Amy FearnAssistant referees: Isabel Chaplin and Ella BroadFourth official: Callum Parke For those not making the journey down to the Broadfield Stadium you can watch all Monday's action live on Sky Sports from 3.30pm onwards Supporters not in the UK can see how to watch by clicking the link below Copyright 2025 The Arsenal Football Club Limited Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source MEN WOMEN ACADEMY CLUB Everything you need to know about our 24/25 European campaign MEN WOMEN ACADEMY ALL MEN WOMEN UNDER-21 UNDER-18 Explore our Help Centre for answers to common questions For all other enquiries please use our New Enquiry form Website feedback? Fill in our form Report abuse and discrimination here Check out our exclusive Wallpapers for desktop and mobile today MEN WOMEN ACADEMY Watch Teams Matches Tickets & Membership Shop St. James' Park The match will be broadcast in the UK on Sky Sports. Supporters in other countries can check their local broadcaster here Supporters can also listen to BBC Radio Newcastle commentary across newcastleunited.com and the Official Newcastle United App with a Newcastle United Account Our Match Centre will provide minute-by-minute updates Fans can also chose their Player of the Match at full-time Match updates will be provided across the club's social media accounts. Follow them here: X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | TikTok | Threads Highlights will be available on newcastleunited.com and the Official Newcastle United App two hours after the match A full match replay will be available the following day Fabian Hurzeler confirmed that Jan Paul van Hecke is available to start on Sunday having missed the Seagulls' previous match and Kaoru Mitoma are all ready to start having been unavailable in recent weeks Hurzeler said: "(he) joined [in training] yesterday so he will be also maybe be an option to be in the squad Everything is looking a little bit more positive." We will wear our away kit, featuring navy and burgundy hooped shirts, white shorts, and navy and burgundy socks. You can buy the away kit here. Brighton will wear their home kit, featuring blue and white striped shirts, blue shorts, and white socks. Map Fran Kirby & Kiko Sieke also net for hosts Gunners miss chance to seal second-place finish Mariona Caldentey scores late consolation for Renee Slegers' side via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only Thanks for joining us for another Women's Super League midweek goal fest Do make sure to join us again on Saturday when we will be bringing you live coverage of all the final day action from around the grounds In the meantime have a read of Alex Brotherton's summary of that huge win for Brighton on the "report" tab at the top of the page or alternatively have a scroll through our aforementioned tik tok 90Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingBBC Women's Football TikTokpublished at 18:29 British Summer Time 5 May18:29 BST 5 MayCan't wait until the weekend for your next women's football fix BBC Sport now has a Women's Football TikTok where you can see the latest content and news from across the women's game So go and give us a follow, external 31Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingAs it standspublished at 18:28 British Summer Time 5 May18:28 BST 5 MayFT: Brighton 4-2 Arsenal With that huge win Brighton have opened up a cushion from Liverpool in fifth spot Meanwhile Arsenal remain just a point ahead of Manchester United who they will meet in a final day shootout for second place at the Emirates 111Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingget involvedGet Involvedpublished at 18:28 British Summer Time 5 May18:28 BST 5 May#bbcfootball WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only Someone should make clear to the Arsenal players that what happened in Lyon 170Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'We need to learn two very tough lessons'published at 18:27 British Summer Time 5 May18:27 BST 5 MayFT: Brighton 4-2 Arsenal Arsenal Arsenal boss Renee Slegers speaking to Sky Sports: "We conceded nine goals in the last two WSL games and we just said as a team we don't think it's acceptable We need to learn two very tough lessons coming off a big success We have to find solutions and move forward." On if today's defeat was more of a shock: "This is not what we are expecting and this is not what we are about it's not what we expected coming here and it's not what we prepared for From now on we have to do everything to be better against Manchester United." On if the Champions League final is a distraction: "It's intense for the players with where we came from and what's ahead of us I will be working until late tonight and tomorrow we want to try and get the details right and put our finger on what it is and how we want to move forward." On the importance of the Manchester United game: "We went for it we knew what we wanted and needed to do to secure second place We weren't successful but now it's about getting everything right and doing it against Manchester United instead." 44Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 18:24 British Summer Time 5 May18:24 BST 5 MayFT: Brighton 4-2 Arsenal While Brighton's players have been doing a lap of appreciation the likes of Guro Bergsvand bidding farewell after her last home appearance for the club Arsenal have been going through a post mortem of sorts after another disappoint performance The vibes among the two camps couldn't be more different 121Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingget involvedGet Involvedpublished at 18:22 British Summer Time 5 May18:22 BST 5 May#bbcfootball Having 75% possession means nothing if you only have one goal from 18 shots even if the Brighton keeper has been in inspired form If we're not clinical at this level then we can forget beating Barca with inevitably less chances on goal 272Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'It's not good enough all round'published at 18:21 British Summer Time 5 May18:21 BST 5 MayFT: Brighton 4-2 Arsenal Arsenal's Caitlin Foord speaking to Sky Sports: "We wanted to bounce back and turn that game around and the same thing has happened again It's not good enough all round and we need to take a look at ourselves individually and as a team "They took their chances really well and we didn't take ours It just didn't go in today but it just wasn't good enough." On if the Champions League final is a distraction: "I don't think so That's in the back of our mind and that is the game we are playing for this season We could have done that today and we haven't On importance of Saturday: "A good performance We need to take our chances end everyone has to be back in the game as we were against Lyon if we want to do well in the Champions League." 92Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 18:17 British Summer Time 5 May18:17 BST 5 MayFT: Brighton 4-2 Arsenal On the other side of the coin it was another frustrating afternoon for Arsenal and boss Renee Slegers as they slumped to successive league defeats for the first time in two years Nine goals conceded across those two losses against Villa and Brighton Those numbers look even more worrying when you look ahead to that all important Champions League final in two and a half weeks time Barcelona have scored 113 goals in Liga F alone this season 103Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'The effort was phenomenal'published at 18:13 British Summer Time 5 May18:13 BST 5 MayFT: Brighton 4-2 Arsenal Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton boss Dario Vidosic speaking to Sky Sports: "They are all special in different ways but a great crowd came out today to se us off we had to be resilient together today to have a chance On the game plan: "We would have liked to have the ball a little bit more but it's a position the club has never been in - winning against Arsenal On Sophie Baggaley: "We know the qualiy We are4 fortunate to have quality goalkeepers To be called in less than 10 minutes before kick-off On this season: "Sometimes you have to look away from the table and focus on the process be tough to play against and today we found our moments We made it difficult for a world class team." On the five players leaving and what recruitment we can expect: "We'll see We have to reflect on this season before we focus on next season." 202Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 18:12 British Summer Time 5 May18:12 BST 5 MayFT: Brighton 4-2 Arsenal Without further ado let's get the thoughts of Seagulls boss Dario Vidosic who has been giving his post-match thoughts to Sky Sports 81Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'What an incredible performance from Baggaley'published at 18:08 British Summer Time 5 May18:08 BST 5 MayFT: Brighton 4-2 Arsenal Courtney Sweetman-KirkEx-Sheffield United forward on Sky Sports the fact that she wasn't even due to start comes in last minute before the game and what an incredible performance from her 321Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingBaggaley beams for Brightonpublished at 18:06 British Summer Time 5 May18:06 BST 5 MayFT: Brighton 4-2 Arsenal It was a stunning Player of the Match display from Brighton stopper Sophie Baggaley who wasn't even supposed to be playing if we go by the original team sheet And don't forget the clearances and claims she made from crosses too 301Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'Brighton took their opportunities'published at 18:05 British Summer Time 5 May18:05 BST 5 MayFT: Brighton 4-2 Arsenal The defending started from the front and the press and they took their opportunities 241Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'Brighton put Arsenal to the sword'published at 18:02 British Summer Time 5 May18:02 BST 5 MayFT: Brighton 4-2 Arsenal Izzy ChristiansenFormer England midfielder on Sky Sports It's a tremendous win for Dario Vidosic's team They were excellent from start to finish and they had moments of real quality with their offensive players really resolute and they had everything.They've really put Arsenal to the sword and put them in a really uncomfortable positon going into the final day 442Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingFULL-TIMEpublished at 17:57 British Summer Time 5 May17:57 BST 5 MayBrighton 4-2 Arsenal That's all we have time for as the final whistle is greeted by gleeful roars from the home fans That's Brighton's first ever WSL win against Arsenal at the 14th time of asking and it moves them three points clear in fifth place as they fall to successive league defeats for the first time since May 2023 9730Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 17:57 British Summer Time 5 May17:57 BST 5 MayBrighton 4-2 Arsenal The delivery is disappointing and the chance is gone They've lacked quality at key moments and that will ultimately come to cost them 244Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 98 mins98 minsBrighton 4-2 Arsenal Even if they get a goal here they surely won't have time to grab a leveller 226Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingHITS THE WOODWORKpublished at 97 mins97 minsBrighton 4-2 Arsenal The Arsenal flurry continues as the corner is cleared to Jenna Nighswonger on the edge of the box and she fires at goal but Sophie Baggaley leaps into the air to tip it onto the crossbar 329Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 17:55 British Summer Time 5 May17:55 BST 5 MayBrighton 4-2 Arsenal Sophie Baggeley stays down after that save and requires a bit of treatment but she gets back to her feet to prepare for another Arsenal corner 205Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingprevious pagePage 1 of 7123456…7next pageThis video can not be played Brighton shock Arsenal in six-goal thriller Arsenal suffered a second heavy defeat in the space of a week as Brighton took advantage of defensive mistakes to dent the Gunners' hopes of a second-place finish Brighton had lost all 13 of their previous Women's Super League games against Arsenal but a Jelena Cankovic double sandwiched by goals from Fran Kirby and Kiko Seike Kirby gave Brighton a 16th minute lead with a stunning curled effort from the edge of the box though the way Beth Mead surrendered possession before Leah Williamson hesitated in closing down Cankovic typified Arsenal's shaky start Alessia Russo went close to providing the perfect response as her close-range header cannoned back off the post just a minute later Brighton goalkeeper Baggaley - a late addition to the line up in place of Melina Loeck - became very busy all of a sudden denying both Frida Maanum and Kim Little from close range in quick succession The 28-year-old produced a masterful stop when Foord met Caldentey's cross from six yards out but couldn't prevent the ball falling back to Foord to slam home Arsenal continued to push as Mariona and Maanum both tested Baggaley from outside the area but it was the hosts that went into the break in control A Seagulls corner was headed out to the edge of the box where Cankovic sent a fizzing first-time volley past a helpless Zinsberger Arsenal started the second half in the same wobbly way in which they began the first - Nikita Parris reached a long ball before Zinsberger but could only poke it wide If that was a warning not to overcomplicate things it was one Renee Slegers' side didn't heed Zinsberger's attempted ball out to the wing under pressure was easily intercepted and played to an unmarked Cankovic Not a single defender was in touching distance of the Serbian midfielder as she lobbed the ball over Zinsberger and into the unguarded goal Arsenal's defending got even worse 90 seconds later - Katie McCabe dropped deep when her defensive colleagues pushed high allowing Brighton striker Seike to race through on goal and finish expertly past Zinsberger Caldentey pulled a goal back with a curled effort in injury time before Jenna Nighswonger hit the crossbar from distance A second successive defeat leaves Arsenal just a point ahead of third-placed Manchester United going into the final day of the season while Brighton look set to achieve a club-best fifth place finish 'We need to take a look at ourselves' - Arsenal stalling at wrong time Brighton had never beaten Arsenal in the Women's Super League Slegers said her players needed to "neutralise" their emotions after the high of reaching the Champions League final was followed by a shock 5-2 defeat by Aston Villa While Arsenal looked sharp enough in attack - Baggaley was forced into making 10 saves and could make a claim to be player of the match - in defence they were nothing short of a shambles Squad rotation could be used as an excuse midweek but on Monday Slegers fielded the same back four that kept Lyon at bay last weekend Defeat means the winner will take second place in the WSL when Arsenal host Manchester United on Saturday we knew what we wanted and needed to do to secure second place," Slegers said after the game "We weren't successful but now it's about getting everything right and doing it against Manchester United instead." A second place finish would mean entering the Champions League in the third qualifying round In 19 days Arsenal will face reigning European champions Barcelona in the Champions League final Barring a huge goal difference swing on the final day Brighton will achieve their highest ever finish in the WSL The afternoon began on a slightly bizarre note - before kick-off Brighton confirmed Poppy Pattinson Dejana Stefanovic and Pauline Bremer would all be leaving the club this summer though manager Dario Vidosic was unaware the news had been made public until Sky Sports told him so goalkeeper Loeck suffered a suspected finger injury stand-in goalkeeper Baggaley was superb despite being thrown in at the last minute we had to be resilient together today to have a chance," Vidosic told Sky Sports After the opportunity to rate players has closed the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users Head here to get involved Get the latest WSL news on our dedicated page The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made Brighton & Hove AlbionManager: Dario Vidosic Wälti Match OfficialsReferee: Amy FearnMatch StatsKey Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Jorginho to join Flamengo Renee Slegers reacts to 4-2 defeat to Brighton Six changes for Arsenal against Brighton Women as big guns return Brighton & Hove Albion Women v Arsenal Preview Arsenal U21s and U18s miss out on league title Manchester United’s defeat to Chelsea later the same evening keeps them in the driving seat for 2nd place and Arsenal finish their WSL season with a home game against Marc Skinner’s side While Villa was a one off aberration in terms of context it also has to be a one-off aberration in terms of result and performance too Another stodgy display like the one at Villa Park will be of greater concern and give off the impression that minds have totally turned to the Champions League Final on May 24 After Wednesday evening, Renee Slegers told Arseblog News that her team now needs to ‘neutralise’ after a huge high in Lyon and a disappointment in Birmingham I imagine the starting line-up for the final two games will take on a much more familiar look and with a longer run-up at this game the Gunners ought to be in a better position to put their best foot forward against the Seagulls Arsenal have an excellent record against Brighton and have yet to drop a WSL point against them since their promotion to the top flight in 2018-19 They will need to continue that to get their WSL show back on the road and realign and refocus can play with freedom and with Liverpool and West Ham just behind them they will want to hang on to 5th place and the ‘best of the rest’ tag in the WSL table ‘We played well against them in those two games this season with two different teams The performance at the Emirates in the WSL and in the cup and we had a lot of players playing against Brighton in those two games I am happy with those performances but this is a whole new game they are further in their development as a team and they will pose us new challenges You play against an opponent but come away with something else and we came away from the Lyon game and the Villa game so we have to build ourselves to play against Brighton.’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQmiGJwWGpE Australian coach Dario Vidosic has come in this season with a progressive style and added experienced WSL campaigners like Nikita Parris and Fran Kirby underpinned by former Gunner Vicky Losada in midfield The Seagulls games tend to be high scoring and can sometimes be chaotic They have scored 30 goals in their 20 league games so far Leicester City are 11th and have conceded 33 They have a lot of firepower but their high risk / high reward style has plenty of risk and plenty of reward baked in They have supplemented experience like Parris Bremer and Losada with younger loan signings like Arsenal’s own Michelle Agyemang and Barca attacker Bruna Vilamala The fact that they have two Barcelona graduates in their team in Losada and Vilamala tells you how much security on the ball matters to Vidosic But they also get the ball forwards quickly to Kirby They like to play into wide areas early in their attack and though they like to pass out from the back a back up goalkeeper with coming up to 300 appearances for Arsenal and Bayern Munich and who has over 100 international caps coming into the prime years for a goalkeeper is difficult to beat for a back up The issue is that she has been at Arsenal for six years this summer and been first choice for a lot of that which does just mean that fans get bored and want to see something else Back up goalkeeper is a really difficult task because when you are in and out of the team It is a position that relies on regularity and routine There is no denying that she made a mistake in the UWCL quarter-final against Real Madrid that the defence looked more assured with van Domselaar in Lyon and that Zinsberger will not look back on two of the goals she conceded from one-on-one situations fondly from Wednesday evening It is a tough spot for her to be in and many supporters have reverted to blaming her for every concession Subs: 3.Wubben-Moy 9.Mead 13.Walti 21.Pelova 22.Nighswonger 25.Blackstenius 28.Ilestedt 40.Williams 62.Reid Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Drivers ignoring road closures around schools during the school run could soon have a fine landing on their doorstep if council plans to enforce them using CCTV go ahead Fifteen primary schools now have school street schemes which restrict entry to roads around the school at drop off and pick up time drivers who flout the restrictions have usually not had any comeback apart from disapproving glares from the volunteers who marshall them But Brighton and Hove City Council is now considering applying for Moving Traffic Enforcement powers under Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 If granted by the Department for Transport (DfT) these powers will allow the council to use CCTV cameras to enforce the existing road restrictions The council has now launched a six-week consultation only police can enforce school streets schemes and the council says many drivers ignoring the restrictions making some schemes unsafe and increasing congestion cabinet member for transport said: “We want to give our children parents and carers a safe and enjoyable journey to and from the school gate “The School Streets scheme encourages more people to walk not everyone has been adhering to the road restrictions These new powers would give us the ability to use CCTV to enforce them and keep people safe during pick up and drop off times We are keen to take action – and these powers enable us to do that “It’s important that we listen to residents and the school communities I’d encourage as many people as possible to give us their views and I look forward to receiving the feedback.” Following a consultation with residents and if approved by DfT the council would begin to use CCTV cameras to enforce the restrictions already in place There would be a six-month period where drivers would receive a warning notice if they contravened the restrictions If the restrictions were contravened a second time they would be issued a Penalty Charge Notice The charge for receiving a PCN will be £70 You asked – What law would drivers be breaking in using a public road they have paid for through their taxes this is no different in principle to contravening a bus lane The fact that the road is a public highway is irrelevant – all highways are subject to lawful regulation for safety A licence doesn’t confer an unconditional right to drive wherever you like Why would you like to drive in a designated school zone Mr Trugmaker You have a point about the Green Cross Code It’s about time the little tykes took responsibility for their own safety you’ve paid your taxes so if you take out a couple of kiddies on your way to work You’ve taught them a valuable lesson on how to cross the road safely they’ve literally put signs up that didn’t happen without authority why do you seem to think that the schools should be teaching road safety That is a parent or guardians responsibility this shouldn’t need to be done if it wasn’t for the fact that people flaunt these restrictions and blatantly ignore them Shocking that several people have felt comfortable saying they’d like to endanger children to shave a minute or two off their car journey The problem with these schemes is they are often pushed through by affluent parents who after they drop their children off have time for a coffee or go home to their wfh flexible job or to do their mumpreneur venture scoot isn’t possible for all parents some have to drop their children off in the 10 minute window and be on the shopfloor for 9am for example For people like these these schemes just make a difficult life even harder I’m sure the rebuttal to someone in this situation would be to put their child in a breakfast club but that would just show how little they consider others situations and website in this browser for the next time I comment This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed Brighton and Hove Albion 1 Newcastle United 1 Brighton and Hove Albion looked to be on course for a 1-0.. Brighton and Hove Albion face Newcastle United at the Amex this afternoon with Jan Paul van Hecke back in the.. Everton 2 Brighton and Hove Albion 3 Nikita Parris returned to the club where she started her senior career and.. Sussex 169 (59 overs) and 278 (94.2 overs) Nottinghamshire 300 (68.3 overs) and 149-1 (25.5 overs) Nottinghamshire (21pts) beat Sussex.. How to watch the WSL match between Brighton & Hove Albion Women and Arsenal Women the Gunners sit second in the table and can ill afford any further hiccups in their chase to finish strong Brighton are enjoying a solid campaign of their own entering the penultimate round in fifth after a dramatic 3-2 victory over Everton—Nikita Parris striking the decisive blow history isn't on the Seagulls' side They've never scored a home goal against Arsenal let alone taken points off them on their own patch GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch Check out GOAL's Live Match Centre for updates If you are abroad, you may need to use a virtual private network (VPN) in order to watch games using your usual streaming service. A VPN, such as NordVPN, allows you to establish a secure connection online when streaming. If you are not sure which VPN to use, check out GOAL's guide to the best VPNs for streaming sport The WSL match between Brighton and Arsenal will be played at Broadfield Stadium in Crawley, England Brighton will once again be without Madison Haley due to injury and there's still uncertainty surrounding Vicky Losada who is battling to be fit in time for what could be her final home appearance of the season Defender Jorelyn Carabalí could make the bench after returning to full training offering a potential boost to the back line they'll be missing in-form forward Michelle Agyemang who is ineligible to face her parent club after netting in each of Brighton's last two outings defensive duo Laia Codina and Lina Hurtig remain sidelined while goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar will need to prove her fitness after sitting out the loss to Villa expect to see familiar faces return to the fold and Caitlin Foord are all in line for recalls who shares the WSL's golden boot lead with 12 goals is set to spearhead the attack as Arsenal look to get back to winning ways The Westbourne and Poets’ Corner by-election candidates Voting is under way in the Westbourne and Poets’ Corner by-election for a seat on Brighton and Hove City Council Voters are required to have proof of their identity at polling stations today (Thursday 1 May) unlike those voting by post The by-election was called after Labour councillor Leslie Pumm resigned his seat last month citing his health At least seven of the eight candidates have run for election to the council before Polling stations were due to open at 7am and should close at 10pm at The results for the two seats in the ward at the local elections in May 2023 were A total of 6,550 votes were cast by at least 3,275 voters Only four out of the 23 electoral wards had a higher turnout – Rottingdean and West Saltdean (51.49 per cent) Westdene and Hove Park (46.18 per cent) and Wish (45.93 per cent) Geoff Shanks is the only candidate who stood in the ward in the local elections in May 2023 He came fourth out of the 10 candidates who were running for two seats the only Independent candidate two years ago was the proposer for Georgia McKinley Fitch for this by-election and the Lib Dem candidate in May 2023 The Conservative candidate Tony Meadows was proposed by Audrey Buttimer She represented the old Westbourne ward on Hove Borough Council when it was safe Conservative territory and the same ward on Brighton and Hove Council Westbourne and Poets’ Corner ward is bounded by the railway line in the north the seafront in the south and Sackville Road and Hove Street in the east The westernmost streets in the ward are Alpine Road The count is due to start at 10am tomorrow (Friday 2 May) and the results will be published by Brighton and Hove News This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Brighton and Hove Albion 1 Newcastle United 1 Brighton and Hove Albion looked to be on course for a 1-0... Brighton and Hove Albion face Newcastle United at the Amex this afternoon with Jan Paul van Hecke back in the... Everton 2 Brighton and Hove Albion 3 Nikita Parris returned to the club where she started her senior career and... Sussex 169 (59 overs) and 278 (94.2 overs) Nottinghamshire 300 (68.3 overs) and 149-1 (25.5 overs) Nottinghamshire (21pts) beat Sussex... Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. The new Women's Super League marks the start of a new era for reigning champions Chelsea, with long-serving boss Emma Hayes having departed in summer to start a new adventure with the USA Women's team. Last year they just about did enough to claim the title on goal difference ahead of Manchester City, while Arsenal will again hope to make it a three-horse race for the WSL title. Meanwhile Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham will hope to progress after further rebuilding this summer. Crystal Palace were promoted to replace Bristol City in the top flight, while on a wider note, the league is now under the management and operation of a new organisation set up to lead women's football towards further growth and progression, with Nikki Doucet overseeing both the WSL and Championship in a new phase for the game. Follow the live action below as Brighton & Hove Albion face Arsenal today in the WSL: Match ends, Brighton and Hove Albion Women 4, Arsenal Women 2. Second Half ends, Brighton and Hove Albion Women 4, Arsenal Women 2. Delay in match (Brighton and Hove Albion Women). Attempt saved. Jenna Nighswonger (Arsenal Women) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Delay in match because of an injury Sophie Baggaley (Brighton and Hove Albion Women). Corner, Arsenal Women. Conceded by Sophie Baggaley. Attempt saved. Alessia Russo (Arsenal Women) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Mariona Caldentey with a cross. Attempt missed. Emily Fox (Arsenal Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Image source, ReutersImage caption, Alexander Isak has scored 23 goals in the Premier League this season Alexander Isak earned a draw for Newcastle with a late penalty against Brighton at Amex Stadium. Brighton were on course for a narrow win as they led through Yankuba Minteh with stoppage time approaching. Newcastle had been awarded two penalties that were overturned by the video assistant referee (VAR) before being handed a third when Yasin Ayari used his arm to block Fabian Schar's free-kick. After a lengthy review, the on-field decision stood and Isak coolly converted to take his tally in the league to 23 goals for the season. A draw was fully deserved for Newcastle as they pushed and probed throughout the encounter on the south coast. Brighton mustered just three further shots after breaking the deadlock in the 28th minute as they struggled to find any rhythm. They did have a shout for a penalty of their own when Matt O'Riley appeared to have been caught by Sandro Tonali, but referee Craig Pawson waved away the appeals. Newcastle substitute Callum Wilson went close to snatching all three points in stoppage time when he forced Bart Verbruggen to make a fine save. The draw does no great favours to either side in their respective challenges for Europe, with Brighton staying 10th and Newcastle remaining fourth. Premier League: Brentford put four past Man Utd, Isak earns Newcastle draw Proud of Seagulls but have to focus on next match - Hurzeler Brighton felt euphoric last weekend after two late goals saw them come from behind to pick up a much-needed 3-2 victory against West Ham - ending a five-game winless streak. However, they did not appear to carry confidence from that result into this encounter and got a taste of their own medicine with Isak's late penalty denying them all three points. Minteh earlier showed great composure in a crowded box to craft space and curl cutely into the far corner to score for the sixth time this campaign, but it was against the run of play. The Gambia forward joined Brighton from Newcastle in a £30m deal last summer - after not making a single appearance for the Magpies. He was happy to celebrate in front of the travelling fans - pointing at his badge and then the floor. It took Brighton another 52 minutes to have their next shot as they were penned back by a Newcastle side desperate to take something from the game. Home boss Fabian Hurzeler turned to his bench but could not find the right formula to get Brighton up the field and eventually the pressure told. With three difficult remaining fixtures to come against Wolves, Liverpool and Tottenham, Brighton's hopes of qualifying for Europe are starting to look slim. Magpies not at clinical best in front of goal - Howe When a second on-field penalty decision was overturned with the help of VAR, Eddie Howe must have been thinking this was not going to be Newcastle's day. Both interventions from the VAR were correct, though, with the first incident rightly chalked off due to Tariq Lamptey's foul on Anthony Gordon having happened outside the 18-yard box, while the second saw Joe Willock awarded a yellow card for diving. It was third time lucky for the Carabao Cup winners, albeit after a lengthy VAR review, when Ayari clearly moved his arm towards the ball as Schar's free-kick was heading towards goal. Isak is exactly the man you want over a high-pressure penalty in the last minute and he did not miss a beat as he sent Verbruggen the wrong way. The Sweden striker has scored the most goals by a Newcastle player in a Premier League season since club legend Alan Shearer also hit 23 in 2001-02. Brighton could have had no qualms had Newcastle snatched all three points when Wilson unleashed a powerful shot in the sixth minute of additional time. The draw will leave Newcastle - who had won six of their past seven league outings - with mixed feelings, knowing that victory could have propelled them up to third but a loss would have left them with a huge target on their back. Newcastle face Chelsea, Arsenal and Everton in their final three games as they look to hold on to a top five spot, which would secure a return to the Champions League. After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users. Yellow Card at 90 minutes plus 3Substituteshome team Brighton & Hove AlbionManager: Fabian Hürzeler Yellow Card at 90 minutes plus 3SubstitutesNumber 26 Wilson Match OfficialsReferee: Craig PawsonVideo Assistant Referee: Andy MadleyAssistant Referee 1: Timothy WoodAssistant Referee 2: Wade SmithFourth Official: Steve MartinAssistant VAR Official: Scott LedgerMatch StatsKey you need to enable JavaScript in your browser Brighton & Hove Albion v Newcastle United AudioBrighton & Hove Albion v Newcastle United 2:00:00Head to HeadSeason so farPremier League Scroll LeftScroll RightNewcastle are winless in all seven of their away Premier League games against Brighton (D4 L3) the joint-most they have visited an opponent in the competition without ever winning (also 7 v Watford & Wimbledon) It’s the outright most Brighton have faced a side without losing at home in the Premier League Brighton could complete their third league double over Newcastle after 1978-79 (second tier) and 2020-21 (Premier League) Brighton have already beaten Newcastle twice in all competitions this season 1-0 in the reverse Premier League fixture and 2-1 in the FA Cup fifth round The last side they won three games against in a single campaign were Wycombe Wanderers in 2009-10 while they have never beaten an opponent three times in a season as a top-flight side Brighton are one of two sides in the Premier League this season who’ve both scored and conceded 55+ goals (56 for each of their last 11 matches has seen at least three goals scored with 45 in total (4.1 per game) Newcastle United have won 19 Premier League matches this season and are looking to win 20 in a season for the first time since 2002-03 under Sir Bobby Robson (21) Eddie Howe would also become the first English manager since Frank Lampard with Chelsea in 2019-20 to win 20 Premier League games in a season no side has won more Premier League matches than Newcastle United (P19 W14 D0 L5) while champions Liverpool are the only teams to score more goals in that time (51) than the Magpies have (46) Brighton and Hove Albion have won four Premier League matches when they’ve trailed this season their most ever in a single campaign in the competition while the 17 points they’ve gained from losing positions is also their most in a season Newcastle United have won 27 Premier League matches by a margin of three or more goals the only side with more is Manchester City (38) while Howe has the most of these wins in Premier League history among Englishmen (38 – also 11 with Bournemouth) two more than the next best (Harry Redknapp Alexander Isak has scored 22 Premier League goals this season the most by a Newcastle player since Alan Shearer in 2003-04 (22) while Shearer was the last player with more (23 in 2001-02) Brighton are the only side he’s faced more than once without scoring against Kaoru Mitoma has scored in each of his last two Premier League appearances for Brighton the sixth time he’s scored in back-to-back games in the competition though he’s never scored in three in a row Sandro Tonali (Newcastle United) wins a free kick in the defensive half Foul by Yasin Ayari (Brighton and Hove Albion) Lewis Dunk (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half Callum Wilson (Newcastle United) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal Diego Gómez (Brighton and Hove Albion) header from the centre of the box misses to the left Assisted by Brajan Gruda with a cross following a set piece situation Pervis Estupiñán (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick on the left wing Danny Welbeck (Brighton and Hove Albion) is shown the yellow card Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United) wins a free kick on the left wing Foul by Joël Veltman (Brighton and Hove Albion) Fourth official has announced 9 minutes of added time Labour has won the Westbourne and Poets’ Corner by-election holding on to a seat that became vacant two months ago while Reform polled more votes than the Conservatives won the seat by 209 votes over the second-place Green candidate Geoff Shanks The Liberal Democrats were close behind in third was overjoyed at becoming a councillor when the result was declared at Hove Town Hall just after midday today (Friday 2 May) She takes over a seat vacated by former Labour councillor Leslie Pumm who resigned from Brighton and Hove City Council in March A total of 2,760 votes were cast out of 7,466 electors The newly elected Councillor Parrott thanked everyone who voted for her and said: “I can’t wait to get stuck in.” She said that her priority would be getting to know the ward and the people who live there and speaking up for people with disabilities and ways to tackle violence against women and girls a total of 6,550 votes were cast by at least 3,275 voters Labour now has 36 of the 54 seats on Brighton and Hove City Council the Conservatives five and the Brighton and Hove Independents two Congratulations to Michael Wang as the Liberal Democrats were close behind in third with 21.7% – our highest showing in BHCC for a while Lib Dems in general did really well across the board Worth reflecting that 15 years or so ago this was a safe Tory ward that no-one else bothered with much Also worth noting that Labour’s share of vote was 32% Most people aren’t happy with them either 32% isn’t bad when you think it was contested hard by the other centre left/left parties The good news is the small number of votes for Tory/Reform ie closet racist or openly racist Feels like Conservatives are paying the price for their objective mismanagement of the country and those who remain on the right are being absorbed by Reform Congratulations to Sam Parrot who will surely be an excellent and dedicated councillor Reform UK are making huge gains across the country and in Westbourne & Poets Corner have overtaken the Conservatives Great job Reform UK in their first outing in the city – well done all round Dirty tricks and smear campaigns by Labour / Socialist Workers Party / SUTR were all they could do to attack Reform in Brighton and Hove Keep on pressing down on the left and truly challenging the inept council and there dire leadership here in the city after all the chat about winning the election Punching downwards and Oswald Mosley tribute acts just aren’t very popular round these parts Clacton-on-Sea might be more up your street than Kemp Town Brighton & Hove will never be a Reform city A terrible result for Reform Yuk is a victory for the good people of B&H “Great job Reform UK in their first outing in the city ” It wasn’t their first outing in the city They had a candidate in the 2023 council elections and got 127 votes and came last in Hangleton & Knoll The also had candiates in Hove & Portslade and in Brighton Pavilion in the general election They would have had one in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven but did a deal with the SDP not to stand For reference the so-called ‘dirty tricks’ campaign deployed against far right Reform UK by Brighton and Hove Stand Up to Racism in this seat seemed to involve a) finding the candidates personal twitter feed and then b) reporting its openly racist and bigotted content to a wider audience and highlighting the support for fascists like Tommy Robinson on it which forced the candidate to delete it mid-election… Maybe Reform UK could try and avoid such ‘dirty tricks’ going forward by not standing racist bigots who openly support the far right as candidates The fight next full local elections could very much be between Reform It would be interesting to see how well Reform do in the councils they have taken over by cutting council costs We are paying some of the highest council tax in the country and the highest prices for parking permits How many Brighton council workers are working from home and are they allowed to claim for heating and broadband costs Why are we paying for council offices where this is provided How many diversity and inclusion or other non-jobs are there at the council Now Reform have power certainly in many councils it will be good to see what they deliver and if they do deliver I am sure many of us would be happy to pay less council tax and vote for them There’s a lot in this comment that sounds like genuine concern about council tax and public spending But look a little closer and it is full of familiar dog whistles; phrases designed to stir anger Phrases like “non-jobs” and the targeting of diversity and inclusion staff are not neutral criticisms They are part of a wider attempt to undermine the legitimacy of public sector work This kind of language often travels with vague but loaded questions like “how many people are working from home and claiming heating costs?” There is no evidence for this but it plays into a narrative that public servants are lazy or exploiting the system most council workers are doing more with less stretched thin by years of Tory central government cuts It is no coincidence that the same arguments are being used by parties like Reform UK who want to dismantle public services under the guise of “efficiency.” We should absolutely have debates about council priorities but we need to challenge the use of scapegoating language that targets workers and minorities while letting the real causes of austerity off the hook But let’s not pretend that stoking resentment against equality staff or hybrid workers is anything other than the politics of division Ironic that the candidate offering a complete nothingburger won no matter that the party bears no resemblance to the Labour Kier Hardie started You make a great example of how bad the conservative party is now perceived to have lost over 650 councillors The reality in Brighton is though that it’s been a Labour run council for most of the last 30 years in fact in the last 10 years greens only ran the council between the second half of 2020 when Labour gave it up Am always intrigued by the perception it’s a green council when it only ever was for a short space of time It’s been a useful narrative for Labour to use so they can deflect from their time running things I guess It is not long until the local Election campaigns begin It is of course rash to infer those results from this one but there is likely to be a shift away from an overall majority Will there be a return to the committee system Wang perhaps owes some of his very good showing to his advocacy of something better than a shrunken King Alfred sports centre with which Labour again tries to palm off residents Talk this evening about the next local election What form will this take if yhe area is in the meanwhile merged with Worthing and Newhaven as part of a mayoral county There should be an article about these uncertainties Premier League form is shown. Form is displayed with the most recent fixture on the right Newcastle United 1-2 Brighton and Hove Albion - March 2025 (FA Cup) Newcastle United 0-1 Brighton and Hove Albion - October 2024 (Premier League) Newcastle United 1-1 Brighton and Hove Albion - May 2024 (Premier League) Brighton and Hove Albion 3-1 Newcastle United - September 2023 (Premier League) Newcastle United 4-1 Brighton and Hove Albion - May 2023 (Premier League) 3 - Kaoru Mitoma, Georginio Rutter, Brajan Gruda, Mats Wieffer Under Eddie Howe, Newcastle United have won 27 Premier League matches by a margin of three or more goals. Since his first game in November 2021, the only side with more is Manchester City (38). Since 14 December, no side has won more Premier League matches than Newcastle United (P19 W14 D0 L5), while champions Liverpool are the only teams to score more goals in that time (51) than the Magpies have (46). Newcastle United have won 19 Premier League matches this season and are looking to win 20 in a season for the first time since 2002-03 under Sir Bobby Robson (21). Brighton are one of two sides in the Premier League this season who’ve both scored and conceded 55+ goals (56 for, 55 against), along with Spurs. Since losing 1-0 to Everton in January, each of their last 11 matches has seen at least three goals scored with 45 in total (4.1 per game). Alexander Isak has scored 22 Premier League goals this season, the most by a Newcastle player since Alan Shearer in 2003-04 (22), while Shearer was the last player with more (23 in 2001-02). Brighton are the only side he’s faced more than once without scoring against, however (4 games, 321 minutes and 15 shots). Yankuba Minteh scores for Brighton and Hove Albion against his old club Newcastle United - Picture by Gareth Fuller / PA Brighton and Hove Albion 1 Newcastle United 1 Brighton and Hove Albion looked to be on course for a 1-0 home win over Newcastle United when Alexander Isak slammed home an 89th minute goal from the spot Isak made no mistake in scoring his 27th goal of the season enabling the Magpies to steal a point in a dramatic 1-1 draw The referee Craig Pawson initially appeared to allow play to continue when Yasin Ayari He then consulted the video assistant referee (VAR) before awarding the visitors a penalty It was a case of third time lucky after two earlier appeals were ruled out by VAR It set the stage for a tense 10 minutes of added time during which Danny Welbeck was booked and Diego Gomez came agonisingly close heading narrowly wide from a Brajan Gruda free-kick Brighton had been sitting on a 1-0 lead after a cross from Simon Adingra was only half cleared by Tino Livramento Mats Wieffer chased down the ball and played in former Toon winger Yankuba Minteh The 20-year-old Gambia international took on two defenders and had three more trying to close him down and possibly taking the tiniest of deflections off Fabian Schar’s left hand Joe Willock made a surging run down the left and looked like firing the first solid chance of the match into the Albion net including Carlos Baleba at a pounding pace and goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen combined to close down the options and Willock’s searing shot inched over There were few other genuine chances in the game although Minteh tested Pope with a cracking shot from inside the penalty area in the 80th minute The visitors felt hard done by when two second-half VAR decisions went against them but capitalised after Ayari handled as the Brighton wall tried to block a direct free-kick Verbruggen was called on again as Callum Wilson forced the Netherlands international into making a crucial save from a thundering strike just before the whistle Albion boss Fabian Hürzeler said that his side hadn’t been able to control the game in the way that they had wanted and made some “easy mistakes” his players had stuck together and put in a good team performance Newcastle stay fourth with 63 points from 35 matches while Brighton stay tenth with 52 points from the same number of games the Seagulls are due to face Wolverhampton Wanderers at 3pm next Saturday (10 May) in their penultimate away game Premier League champions Liverpool are due to visit the Amex on Monday 19 May and Albion travel to north London to face Tottenham Hotspur Former United winger Yankuba Minteh's deflected effort had given the Seagulls a first half lead at the Amex Stadium. But after seeing two penalties overturned following VAR intervention, it proved third time lucky for the Magpies as Isak netted from the spot late on to earn a share of the spoils against Fabian Hürzeler's team. The visitors enjoyed much of the ball early on and posed a threat going forwards. Harvey Barnes, coming off the left flank, clipped a shot across goal which Bart Verbruggen got a fingertip to, before the Dutch goalkeeper palmed away a dangerous Jacob Murphy cross with Bruno Guimarães lurking at the near post. Another burst down the left led to Joe Willock taking aim with the outside of his right foot but his effort just cleared the crossbar, and just before the half hour - and somewhat against the run of play - Brighton took the lead. Winger Minteh picked up possession on the right of the United box and jinked inside both Tino Livramento and Sandro Tonali before finding the far corner with a shot that took a slight deflection off former Seagulls defender Dan Burn on its way in. A flowing move involving Barnes and Isak led to captain Guimarães testing Verbruggen from the edge of the box before the break, and Barnes' direct running in the first minute of the second period almost brought a big chance, but his cutback evaded his teammates as they poured forwards looking for a leveller. Tonali and Fabian Schär both threatened from the resulting free kick but the Seagulls held firm, despite the extra energy injected by Gordon's arrival in place of Jacob Murphy. It was a much more purposeful second half from Howe's men but they struggled to pick the lock, and saw another Pawson penalty decision - awarded following Jan Paul van Hecke's challenge on Willock - overturned, with the United man going in the book instead. It was beginning to look like it just wouldn't be Newcastle's day by the time Minteh forced a smart stop from Nick Pope with just over ten minutes left. Gordon then fired over but with four minutes left, Pawson gave the visitors another penalty, and this time his decision stood. Schär's free kick was blocked by the arm of Yacin Ayari, and Isak remained typically cool to fire home from the spot and rescue a point for the Magpies. They could even have won it in added time, too, when Callum Wilson's thumping effort looked destined for the roof of the net before Verbruggen's instinctive stop prevented a last-gasp turnaround. You are viewing your 1 free article this month The letter has been signed by 26 authors – including Elly Griffiths and Damian Barr – and the goal is to deliver it to Kyle in-person today the authors criticise the government’s silence surrounding Meta’s use of LibGen They claim that Kyle has not directly spoken to authors in his constituency about the issue despite appearing on podcasts and giving interviews touching on the subject The writers complained that they had "their work stolen first by book pirates and then [allegedly] stolen again by a tech company called Meta to be used to ‘train’ their AI machines" without their consent and with no compensation The group has called for a face-to-face conversation with Kyle who they criticise over plans to "effectively gut and render benign the UK copyright laws" Barr said: "Many people in Peter Kyle’s constituency are directly affected – the economic harm is ongoing and rippling out into families Books only exist thanks to technological innovation – the printing press We need Peter Kyle to acknowledge that the law has been broken that we are victims of crime and that he is taking action to stop further harm and to support the creative industries which are vital to his constituency and this country." With European qualification still within reach of both teams Brighton & Hove Albion and Newcastle United square off in a crucial Premier League fixture at the Amex Stadium on Sunday afternoon Brighton ended a frustrating six-game winless run in dramatic fashion last weekend coming from behind to beat West Ham United 3-2 with late goals from Kaoru Mitoma and Carlos Baleba The victory also halted a three-match drought at home and Fabian Hurzeler’s side will look to build on that momentum as they return to the Amex remain firmly in the hunt for a Champions League spot after a commanding 3-0 victory over Ipswich Town marking their seventh win in eight outings While Eddie Howe’s men are one of the Premier League’s in-form teams they have struggled historically at Brighton’s home ground – failing to win in any of their visits to the Amex the Magpies will be eager to rewrite that record and come away with all three points "The group is full of positivity and energy." 🙌 Fabian's #BHANEW preview… 💬 @MonsterEnergy 📲 Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler is set to welcome back several key players The Brighton squad is looking healthier heading into the business end of the season though only van Hecke is expected to start alongside Lewis Dunk at the heart of defence This could allow Carlos Baleba to return to his preferred midfield role After scoring off the bench in consecutive games Kaoru Mitoma should be fit enough to start Brighton will still be without Joao Pedro due to suspension while Adam Webster remains a doubt with a thigh issue and James Milner (hamstring) are unlikely to feature again this season Also Read: Paul Pogba in Talks Over Sensational Return to Football After Two-Year Exile Newcastle have suffered a significant setback ahead of their trip to Brighton with key midfielder Joelinton travelling to Brazil for specialist treatment on a knee injury Joe Willock is expected to continue in the midfield Club captain Jamaal Lascelles is also out due to a serious knee issue from last season Newcastle’s defensive options are further limited by the ongoing absences of Lewis Hall (ankle) and Matt Targett (hamstring) Eddie Howe is likely to stick with a similar XI to the one that secured a 3-0 win over Ipswich last week with the team looking to build on that momentum covering everything from match analysis to transfer buzz and tactical deep dives soccer has been more than just a sport to me—it’s been an obsession Playing and watching the game from a young age fueled my passion eventually leading me into the world of sports media and betting I get to analyze the sport I love and bring the latest updates to fans worldwide The best part of my job is staying as close as possible to the beautiful game From the intensity of matchdays to the drama of the transfer market To all the readers out there — soccer is unpredictable and often heartbreaking just like our lives Get the biggest stories delivered straight to you - for free you consent to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy nad to receive marketing and account-related emails from The Playoffs The Playoffs has been a go-to source for sports and sports betting enthusiasts Our mission: To help bettors make the best choices with in-depth analysis Our motto: Share our passion for sports and betting our editorial teams work to deliver the most accurate and relevant information so you can place bets with confidence—and most importantly and understand that betting is a form of entertainment—not a way to earn money If gambling stops being enjoyable or starts affecting your life negatively don’t hesitate to seek support or take advantage of self-exclusion tools provided by betting platforms responsible betting is the key to a safe and enjoyable gaming experience DISCLAIMER: This site is 100% for entertainment purposes only and does not involve real money betting COPYRIGHT © 2025 - THE PLAYOFFS - SHARE THE PASSION FOR SPORTS AND BETTING Brighton and Hove Albion face Newcastle United at the Amex this afternoon with Jan Paul van Hecke back in the side Yankuba Minteh makes the starting line up although Brighton will be without Kaoru Mitoma and Solly March in the 2pm kick off are chasing a Champions League place while Albion still have a faint hope of the prospect of European football next season if they can stick to winning ways Dan Burn returns to the Amex with the Magpies but the visitors are without Joelinton But Alexander Isak will be among those in the Ton line up hoping to rack up another win The event is being held at the church and charity on Conway Street between 11am and 2pm on Saturday May 3 and is a chance to discover the work The Salvation Army does to support people across Hove musical interludes and video screenings showing regular activities and information about The Salvation Army There will also be the opportunity to meet the people who make the work of The Salvation Army possible Whether you’re curious about what goes on inside want to get involved or just want a welcoming space to connect with others the Open Day offers something for everyone said she is looking forward to welcoming visitors on the day She said: “This is a place where people find help We want to open our doors and show the community what we do – and how much we value their support.” The Salvation Army in Hove provides a wide range of services including Open House community drop-in on Tuesdays and Friday mornings and a lunch club on Wednesdays For more details, go to www.salvationarmy.org.uk/hove Help us continue to be there for people in their hour of need Copyright © The Salvation Army 2025 The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity in England (214779) Scotland (SC009359) and the Republic of Ireland (CHY6399) The Salvation Army Territorial Headquarters Food waste collections could start from as soon as September in Brighton and Hove if the council’s cabinet approves a proposal in a fortnight’s time A report to Brighton and Hove City Council’s cabinet has recommended a phased introduction to food waste collections in the autumn the only options for food waste recycling in Brighton and Hove are either to compost at home or use a community scheme About 10 million tonnes of food is estimated to be wasted across Britain every year all councils will be expected to have weekly food waste recycling services – a requirement brought in by the Environment Act 2021 When the council set its budget in February the cabinet member for net zero and environmental services said that £1.2 million would be allocated to bringing in food waste collections The council is also working to expand its recycling capacity to include plastic pots Other councils across Sussex are also working towards introducing food waste recycling before the government’s deadline Most councils including neighbouring Lewes District Council as well as Adur and Worthing councils are looking to start weekly food waste collections from next March the food waste will be sent for composting The cabinet is due to meet at 2pm at Hove Town Hall Can’t even get the basic collections right so this is just the same stuff that Southern Water dump into the sea They need to get right what they do now before adding to the service The thing is they can’t not do it now National legislation means that if they don’t start it by March next year the council won’t be meeting the new legal requirements Politicians in the city have been slightly mischievous with how they present the introduction of collections and expanded recycling collections making out it’s down their their political will and suggesting it’s something the other parties didn’t have The reality is that the new laws nationally are behind it and the council have been given millions of funding from the government to make the changes they need to make it happen – enough money to make changes at the depot the caddies that people will get to put food waste in Think we all know though that this council’s ability to collect things is dismal – so there is zero confidence how this will pan out in reality I have to say I doubt the efficacy of this new system when our mixed recycling has only been collected once since Christmas and our glass not at all I hope for the best but experience a complete lack of regular service Is it to much effort to walk your glass to one of many glass bins situated in both Lewes Rd & Upper Lewes Rd All our rubbish and recycling has been collected according to plan for years The only thing I want to happen is for more things to be recycled e Take the batteries to your local supermarket – the other items are due to be collected by the council later this month Changes to council services over the May bank holiday weekend Plans are now underway to begin the next phase of the sea defences scheme in Hove and Southwick The Brighton Marina to River Adur scheme aims to protect the coastline from coastal erosion by providing new measures and replacing sea defences The latest project runs from Kings Esplanade in Hove to Shoreham and is the biggest to be undertaken in this area Work has already been done to build a protective layer of rock next to Basin Road South and a new sea wall near the Hove Deep Sea Anglers Club The next stage involves building new timber groynes extending the beach between the King Alfred Leisure and Second Avenue and rebuilding sea defences on Southwick beach As a long-term project operating in a changing financial climate over the last 5 years it has been affected by rising global costs and availability of materials and resources.  At Brighton & Hove’s cabinet meeting on 24 April councillors agreed to increase funding for the next phase from £6.5 million to £11 million Cabinet member for Transport and Public Realm said: “This scheme is vital for the city to safeguard homes and businesses from coastal flooding and protect our local economy for decades to come we will help make our city more climate resilient and able to adapt to increasing storms “We are committed to value for money to deliver the best for our city. £4.5 million is a substantial sum but our local visitor economy alone is worth £5 billion*. This increase is due to inflationary costs affecting infrastructure projects nationwide together with the need for additional shingle replenishment to stabilise the beach bays.  with important business hubs and transport links based around Shoreham Port and the A259 coast road so this is an investment to protect our city our residents and local businesses from flooding for the long term.” *Local Visitor Economy Partnership, February 2025 Brighton & Hove is working in partnership with Adur & Worthing Councils Shoreham Port and the Environment Agency on this project The partners share resources to deliver better value for money across the low-lying vulnerable coastal stretch and apply for available grants The work is due to take place from late September 2025 to May 2026 timed to take place to avoid the summer season the council will enable seafront businesses to remain open The work will create more space for people to enjoy protect the city from sea level rise and storms and lead to fewer pebbles being thrown up onto the promenade during heavy storms At Southwick beach the work will start during 2026 with completion by April 2027 Find more information on how we protect our coast from flooding and coastal erosion. Read the cabinet report (agenda item 194) Watch the 24 April cabinet meeting. A project will soon be helping to protect a key part of the city from flooding and erosion Reducing the impact of severe weather in the city will be a leading priority for the council and its partners this year The next steps are being taken on a project which will help protect our coastline from the risk of flooding for years to come A group of villagers have started a campaign to improve the A23 which divides their community Renew Preston Village has set up a petition calling for safer crossings rain gardens and more protected space for people living and working in the area More than 1,300 people have signed the petition – Improve the A23 through Preston Village for the local community, environment and economy – on Change.org The total exceeds the 1,250 signatures required to trigger a debate at a meeting of Brighton and Hove City Council Residents Greg Fittock and Mark Campbell started the campaign last November saying that even though there were signs for Preston Village neither of them found an area that they felt was village-like They were joined by Iliana Koutsou who was concerned about the noise and the barrier created by the A23 which is six lanes wide through the heart of Preston Village But Preston was once a separate settlement from Brighton and dates from before the Domesday Book Mr Campbell said: “It’s quite a common feeling that people see the signs and wonder where is Preston Village “People understand where Fiveways is or the Seven Dials or Preston Circus All of these places have an identity but Preston Village has signs but no identity.” Mrs Koutsou said that the campaign had had a positive response from people in the area because they understood the feeling of not wanting to walk through the village centre She said: “When I used to have my daughter at nursery I would cross the road and go down the back streets as opposed to going through what is a very busy noisy village and the positivity of the campaign means people want to sign up.” She would like to see rain gardens along Preston Road to both beautify the area and soak up floodwater Mr Fittock said that the village was a beautiful place with historic buildings which are not seen because of the volume of traffic on the corner of South Road and Preston Road closed in April He said that this was linked to people’s unwillingness to linger and enjoy the picturesque parts of the village Mr Fittock said: “We want the council to restore the centre of the village for pedestrians and for a place for the community to gather and to improve the environment so people can enjoy where they live There are multiple examples of that affecting the local economy had a flooding incident and that has affected its closure now.” Other people in the community are getting involved with the project including those with expertise in traffic management The campaign is supported by St John’s and St Mary’s churches several businesses in the area and the three Preston Park ward councillors Green councillor Kerry Pickett said: “We fully support the local community’s call for a safer “Green councillors of Preston Park ward are proud to back the aims of the Renew Preston Village campaign – to improve this great neighbourhood making the streets safer for all users and taking practical steps to combat flooding for residents and local businesses.” Brighton and Hove City Council’s cabinet member for transport has agreed to meet the group and said that he was happy to hear their concerns and ideas Councillor Muten said: “The A23 is an important route in and out of the city but it’s vital we balance the need for travel with making our city a pleasant place to live for our residents “We’re already making improvements to the infrastructure alongside Preston Park up to South Road as part of an active travel scheme which includes a new cycle lane “This will be finished in the summer and will encourage more people to travel through the Preston Village area on foot or by bike and bus The A23 is one of the priority areas on our Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) and we’re determined to make further improvements as and when funding becomes available to make this key corridor pleasant for everyone “I very much welcome the invite from local residents to meet listen and to co-design improvements that work well for the community and the city as a whole.” The petition to Improve the A23 through Preston Village for the local community, environment and economy is still open on the Change.org website where even is the village in Preston Village??? The new cycle lane has created the need for floating bus stops This means vehicles will find it more difficult to overtake them – this will lead to more congestion and pollution So,that’s more Nox gases and particulates in the air for the residents of Preston ‘Village’ If less clowns drove into town from patcham and got a bus or cycles it wouldn’t be an issue everyone driving down the A23 starts their journey in Patcham It’s lucky we don’t have people and commercial vehicles driving in from further afield The road is one lane wide north and south of Preston village junction so having three lanes for a stretch adds no extra traffic throughput Let’s stop wasting all that space on a traffic junction and make it a space people want to park Preston Village is effectively an offset crossroads comprising the A23 and Preston Drove / South Road A single carriageway would not be enough to accommodate this Simple steps like widening pavements outside the shops and pubs would be a fantastic first step to create an enhanced local environment Battery Operated Orchestra at The Brunswick SWEET MACHINE + BATTERY OPERATED ORCHESTRA + DARK RUST – THE BRUNSWICK we raced to the venue with literally seconds to spare as the performance room doors were about to close On entry we were warmly welcomed by our hosts who kindly sourced some seating for us I’ve been to this street level venue as well as their downstairs Cellar Bar performance area on several occasions and this is the very first time that I have been seated for an event here Opening up proceedings this evening is Eastbourne based solo artist Dark Rust (or Jim to his mates) According to the event blurb Dark Rust offers “a captivating sonic journey that evokes the golden era of eighties electro” or as his Bandcamp page puts it “Seamlessly melding synth-tronica and electro into a fractured dark-weave robo-disco infused rampage Dark Rust uses analogue synths and samplers to blend retro beats into irresistible grooves Haunting leads and gritty vocoders tempt you in as the pulsating bass lines make resistance futile” Tonight this is achieved via the use of a Moog Sub 37 At 8pm our hosts introduce Dark Dust to the rammed full venue and the punters uniformly enthusiastically show their appreciation In fact I’d go so far as to say that this had the feeling as though bags of Haribo were handed out to everyone prior to our arrival and had been immediately consumed they were an extraordinarily appreciative bunch The mood was set and the seven tune 32 minute set gets under way with the title track of last year’s ‘Tetro Disco’ album which commences with some vocoder action atop an electro backing beat It’s reminiscent of ‘Supamotodisco’ by Aircooled and it’s a promising start and from our ringside seats that are level to the side of his equipment we can see exactly how busy Jim is as he plays the keys Next up is the much slower Belgian New Beat-esque ‘Mekanique’ It’s also evident that there’s a Gary Numan influence going on in the song as well In fact all seven of tonight’s selections are from the same album ‘Painkillers’ is selection three and this has a different vibe going on Due to the sampled “opioids” information on the backing Paul Hardcastle’s ‘19’ easily springs to mind You could add ‘Sensoria’-era Cabaret Voltaire into the mix as well ‘Folie à Deux’ is choice four and this has a long electronic booming intro prior to the beat kicking in Think if Gary Numan was playing his vintage analog ARP Odyssey synthesizer along to a slowed down version of Men Without Hats ‘Safety Dance’ then you won’t be far off Track five is ‘ABC’s’ which again benefits from some vocal samples It’s here where electro and synthpop collide and there’s a feel of The Human League’s ‘Being Boiled’ mixed with Clock DVA The penultimate selection is ‘Manic’ which again has some vocoder action very much like what Gregory James Broussard used to offer us closes with ‘The Game’ which has a typical darkwave vocal delivery and has an almost sinister feel to it like Tubeway Army’s ‘We Are So Fragile’ meets a Combichrist vocal delivery It’s been an enjoyable set and I wouldn’t mind a second live viewing in the future linktr.ee/darkrust111 As all of the electronic equipment was set up in advance of the punters arrival, there was a very swift turnaround and a mere 11 minutes later Battery Operated Orchestra take to the stage The event blurb states that they are “So cool & collected you can almost see the dry ice there’s no dry ice on the go this evening and the lighting is ideal for photographers to grab their desired shots I have seen them playing live on numerous occasions and it’s always refreshing to note what equipment they bring along each time from the vast array from their collection the songs quite often sound slightly different and retain that fresh and interesting quality where they have brought along a Bass station 2; Microfreak; akai MKS mini plus; 1010 music tangerine; Yamaha CS1; Zoom d6 mixer; and various FX pedals for their 45 minute 10 song set that runs from 8:43pm until 9:28pm They are introduced by the hosts and are again warmly greeted by the enthusiastic crowd First up is ‘Nightclub Mishap’ which is found on their recent ‘Compulsory Games’ album It’s immediately obvious that they are seriously on the ball tonight and that Brigitte (or Brie as hubby calls her) is radiating her retro-chic look whilst Chris eagerly beavers away like an enthusiastic Labrador BOO are a somewhat loveable quirky act and this is reflected in the bouncy ‘Nightclub Mishap’ not sounding too unlike Lene Lovich’s ‘Lucky Number’ This is followed by ‘Obelisk’ from 2014’s ‘Incomplete Until Broken’ album for which Brie dons a Yamaha CS01 a small analogue synth that she plays slung from a strap and Chris adds the backing vocals when required Tune three is the bouncy ‘Lady Megawatt’ from 2020’s ‘Yesterday Tomorrow And You’ album and this has a synth drumbeat that’s not far off Depeche Mode’s ‘Personal Jesus’ BOO are seriously getting into their stride now and Brie is very animated and Chris is really going for it on the synths It’s evident that they are feeling very much at home this evening We now get a couple of tunes from 2023’s ‘Compulsory Games’ album this first of which being ‘Killing Girl’ which sounds different from previous live outings I’ve witnessed Tonight’s version begins with some tinkling electronics that sound just like the intro of ‘Ghosts’ by Japan and then the backing beat kicks in and it becomes much like The Human League’s ‘The Sound Of The Crowd’ The next tune from the current album is the danceable ‘Dead News’ which is typical BOO trademark material There’s also a different backing on the speedy bouncy track ‘The Sea’ (from 2016’s ‘Radiation’ album) for tonight’s performance and often when they play new versions live this embellishes their historical material Selection seven is ‘Perfect Wreck’ which is found on their ‘Snare’ album from 2018 This has a deep bass synth backing which is juxtaposed by Brie’s high vocal delivery and thus has the feel of The Human League MkI vibe The flow of the performance was sadly interrupted when their cordless mic wasn’t quite delivering and so the sound guy had to install a new mic with a lead and Brie’s vocals did actually sound different on the next song which is their evolving comical take on the theme tune of ‘Are You Being Served’ being grafted onto the beginning of their 2024 ‘Service Economy’ single thus making it the ‘Mr Humphries Mix’ – “Ground floor: perfumery This brought a smile to many faces in the crowd The penultimate selection was ‘The Dissolve’ from 2020’s ‘Yesterday Tomorrow And You’ album and the intro keys sound reminded me of ‘Tell Me When’ by The Human League Then the retro synth beat kicks in like a heavier version of something that could have been found on Depeche Mode’s debut ‘Speak & Spell’ album For this track Brie dons the Yamaha CS1 again which looks cool They sign off with the best tune of the set for me this being ‘Fairy Tale’ from 2016’s ‘Radiation’ album which also happens to be my favourite BOO album There’s some added key sounds in this rendition by Chris and you can’t fault those Numan-esque sounding key sequences Their setlist did list ‘Where Nobody Can Find Us’ which was a Katsen tune from Chris’ previous project Suffice to say that BOO went down an absolute storm booelectric.com There’s a frantic dash to the bar for some liquid refreshment and a mere 12 minutes later the headline set by Sweet Machine commences According to the event blurb they offer “Original synthpop with a strong 80’s vibe – Depeche Mode meets Pulp!” The band are a mature bunch that have been together for some quite considerable time and although the four bandmembers are spread across from Hove to the West Country they do still manage to get together to play some concerts Rob Petherick (Hohner B2 headless bass guitar) and Richard Churchyard (Nord Stage 3 & King Korg synthesizers) We received a 64 minute 13 tune set that ran from 9:40pm to 10:44pm The performance begins with the first of three cuts from their ‘1979’ album which dropped in 2015 It’s immediately evident that this quartet are huge fans of retro bouncy synthpop but are delivering it in their own fashion is an unreleased number titled ‘Divine Intervention’ and the beat is very much Dead Or Alive meets Bobby O It gets rather interesting for choice three which is the first of a handful of cuts from their latest ‘Shimmer’ album from back in 2022 this tune reminds me of the criminally underrated somewhat partly forgotten outfit Hohokam who famously went out on tour with Gary Numan back in 1984 The sound is unmistakably that mid 1980’s electronic music vibe that hasn’t aged as well as some of the standout tunes of that era (eg ‘Blue Monday’) ‘Glass And Steel’ is however a bouncy synth number and this witnessed a few ladies leaving their seats for a boogie The tune incorporates the chorus of Bronski Beat’s ‘Smalltown Boy’ “Run away Vocalist Tim next informs the punters that the next tune was written about lockdown when folk couldn’t travel the world and in this case it’s ‘Brasilia’ which is from their ‘Shimmer’ album This is followed by the debut live performance of a new track This is called ‘New Tricks’ and this too is a further upbeat number that could have easily been released by Hohokam back in the day The less intense ‘Shimmer’ title track comes next and is followed (and bettered) by ‘Underworld’ which is also found on ‘Shimmer’ and this has the catchy earworm “ticket to ride…to the underworld” lyrics After this we get the second yearned world destination during lockdown this time around it’s ‘China’ with its “Made in China” lyric Soundwise it’s not far off early Heaven 17 both vocally and musically with its bouncy uplifting beat and enjoyable Nords Stage 3 synth key action The ‘1979’ album title track comes next and we are told it’s a disco version of the tune but it’s not as immediate as its predecessor Tim now goes into great depth regarding their forthcoming single which was specially written for Rainbow Paradiso which is a new kind of Club Night that the band played at on 13th March at Komedia Bath and it featured host and games mistress Kiki Babs (international queen The tune is therefore not surprisingly titled ‘Rainbow Paradiso’ and it was quite likely a majority of the punters choice tune thus far on account of the loud applause at the end The word “Eurovision” was mentioned and I can see why Their setlist was showing the next tune as ‘Kylie’ but this actually turned out to be a cover of the diminutive Australian’s ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head’ megasmash This certainly brought the ladies back on the dancefloor it was an unnecessary dip into dodgy cruise ship (or Butlins Weekender) covers and I would have been far happier without it being played (Cue “Miserable sod” reply by Kylie fans!) Thankfully their penultimate selection was a self-penned number titled ‘The Last Man On Earth’ from 2015’s ‘1979’ album It’s another HiNRG tune that you might have expected Divine to have put out After the applause we were rewarded one more (encore) track this time it’s the Dead Or Alive wedding classic ‘You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)’ thus cementing my earlier Dead Or Alive sound spot but I reckon they should maybe stay away from heading towards being a covers band and carry on writing their own decent material It’s been an enjoyable night and it was rather nice meeting all those concerned sweetmachine.co.uk A public consultation has started on closing a secondary school campus to the surprise of at least one councillor Brighton and Hove City Council started the consultation on Tuesday 22 April after head teacher Jim Roberts announced a proposal to close Hove Park School’s Valley campus in Hangleton Way in January Conservative councillor Ivan Lyons was surprised to see the consultation posted on the Brighton and Hove Schools Catchment Areas Facebook group a few days later because he had not been notified that the process was starting who represents Westdene and Hove Park ward was told about the consultation after it had opened after a first online Teams meeting and just a few hours before a second Teams meeting He said: “I have requested another Teams meeting so that all interested parties can plan their diaries accordingly “It’s as though the Labour council are trying to keep the proposed closure as quiet as possible having come into office in 2023 on a ticket of not closing schools and then subsequently closing two primary schools within the city a few months later.” Pupil numbers have been falling and school funding is based on the number of students bringing the cost of keeping two sites open into sharp focus The prospect of pupil numbers falling further has made it harder for Hove Park to deal with a deficit of more than £500,000 pupil numbers have gone from 1,604 in 2013 to 1,214 in 2021 and 1,051 in 2024 The school’s capacity is 1,604 and the intake – or published admission number (PAN) – is 180 This sets the school on course to have 900 pupils The consultation asks respondents if they support closing the Valley site and what special facilities they would need to support their child if the move goes ahead Brighton and Hove City Council said: “Proposals to focus the school on to one site have come directly from the school “The council is supporting the process by hosting the consultation on our online platform “This consultation launched on Tuesday 22 April and is open until Tuesday 3 June so people have time to provide their feedback for Hove Park School and councillors to consider “There are also two in-person consultation events planned in May as well as online events “While this proposal is directly from the school a final decision will be made by cabinet as part of the council’s responsibilities around school asset management Everyone’s views will be taken into account “As with any decision which impacts our school community we would encourage anyone impacted to share their thoughts – including councillors and representatives from other local schools.” The two in-person events are due to take place at the Nevill Campus on Wednesday 7 May and the Valley Campus on Tuesday 20 May The consultation – Proposed Changes to Hove Park School – can be found on the council’s website Why is the Labour government not doing anything that properly addresses the flaws and unfairness in the national funding formula Will the council give this one away free of charge to the Diocese of Chichester like they did St Barts The reason why student numbers are reducing is because no-one can afford to live in Brighton & Hove and raise a family due to exorbitant housing costs Let’s concentrate on making housing truly affordable not just window dressing to get planning permission Falling school numbers is temporary – the loss of a school site will have lasting affects. A perfectly functioning site should be retained at all costs Brighton and Hove have experienced a sustained and long-term decline in pupil numbers Hove Park School’s enrolment has fallen from over 1,600 students in 2013 to just over 1,000 in 2024 This mirrors a wider demographic trend; the number of children under five in the city dropped by over 20% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses These aren’t short-term fluctuations but part of a steady decline in birth rates New families cannot afford to live in London-By-The-Sea… Work to extend Hove beach out to sea is to begin in autumn Brighton and Hove City Council last week agreed to increase the budget for the latest phase of sea defences from £6.5 million to £11 million “We are committed to value for money to deliver the best for our city but our local visitor economy alone is worth £5 billion “This increase is due to inflationary costs affecting infrastructure projects nationwide together with the need for additional shingle replenishment to stabilise the beach bays our residents and local businesses from flooding for the long term.” The work is intended to create more space for people to enjoy It summarises at the bottom the exact aim of the project Or you could take an actual interest and read the report that went to the last Cabinet meeting and the various previous reports over the years Unless you dam of!!the beaches nothing will stop the sea,I worked for the sea defence Brighton back in the sixties and the sea ripped out two ton plus coping stones along the under cliff walk and smashed the groins ,,no bother?? Boulders can disrupt waves but it will not stop them.I AM rather concerned at the council’s insistence of flooding,,,when did Brighton,,or hove or SOUTHWICK get flooded?? Is the answer so i dont agree with the council one bit,its another way of putting money in mates accounts it’s a fix and should be investigated Go to the police if you have any actual evidence otherwise layoff the unsubstantiated allegations Waiting to put flood defences in until after somewhere has been flooded is a very clever plan just because a thing hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean it won’t happen – a concept that you’re probably familiar with because you may have purchased house insurance King Canute is alive and kicking (and maybe working for the Council?) Wonder if these new groynes will trap all the sewerage that Southern Water pumps into the sea Brighton & Hove Albion v West Ham UnitedPremier League Just five games of the 2024/25 Premier League season remain and West Ham United will be hoping to kickstart a flying finish when they return to action away at Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday A 1-1 draw with Southampton last time out extended Graham Potter's side's winless run to six games though they sit 15 points clear of the relegation zone and only two off Everton in 13th Victory on the south coast will be the sole aim this weekend then with Potter looking for success against a club he managed between 2019 and 2022 and led to a then record-high top-flight finish of ninth in 2021/22 The Hammers claimed their first and only Premier League win over Brighton in this fixture last season Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio all contributed to a 3-1 scoreline and after a 1-1 draw in this term's reverse clash they will be aware of the threats posed by Fabian Hürzeler's Seagulls Having taken points off each of the top-five quartet Arsenal Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United this campaign Brighton had worked themselves into serious European contention before enduring an ongoing five-game winless run of their own scroll down below to find all the information you need ahead of kick-off.. West Ham fans are advised that the Club’s allocation of 3,001 tickets have sold out The first 90 per cent of tickets sold out to Bondholders and Season Ticket Holders with 27+ Loyalty Points The remaining ten per cent (301 tickets) were then made available by a ballot process to Season Ticket Holders who had yet to purchase for this fixture This ballot closed at 12noon on Tuesday 1 April American Express Stadium is easily reachable by public transport as it is just a few minutes’ walk from Falmer railway station itself a short train ride from either Brighton or Lewes station Trains depart regularly from both London Blackfriars and London Victoria with a journey time of around an hour to either Brighton or Lewes Train and bus travel within the local area is free of charge to ticket holders on matchday Brighton has excellent car parking facilities available to both home and away supporters at two park and ride sites at Mill Road (postcode BN1 8ZF) and Brighton Racecourse (BN2 9XZ) Parking at American Express Stadium has already sold out for this fixture but free motorbike parking and bike racks are available on-site Saturday’s 3pm kick-off will NOT be broadcast live in the UK but will be shown across the world by the Premier League’s international broadcast partners If you live outside the UK, click HERE for details of Premier League listings in your territory You can follow the action via our live blog on whufc.com and our app We will also have highlights and exclusive reaction for you after the final whistle on our website and social media Live audio commentary will be available in the UK on talkSPORT 2 and worldwide on our official website and app On-loan striker Evan Ferguson is ineligible to face his parent club on Saturday while Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Edson Álvarez will likely be assessed having missed last weekend's draw with Southampton through injury Long-term absentees Crysencio Summerville and Michail Antonio remain on the sidelines Brighton are set to be without a number of their players due to injury issues description of the offender and incident. We are proud of the diverse and inclusive values that our Club and community stand for We ask all Hammers supporters attending Saturday’s match to reflect those values – and to back the team with the passion Is there a better-run club in English football than Brighton & Hove Albion Despite selling a succession of players for combined fees totalling more than £400million since the summer of 2021 the Seagulls continue to fly high in the Premier League Pascal Groß and Billy Gilmour have all departed the Amex Stadium in recent seasons and gone on to impress at their respective new homes While some clubs might have struggled after losing such a large number of seemingly vital members of their squad Brighton have somehow continued to compete in the best league in the world local businessman Tony Bloom is the man who has overseen the incredible transformation on the Sussex coast Brighton have risen from EFL League One to reach the knockout stages of last season’s UEFA Europa League The question every other club in the country should surely be asking is Brighton have a philosophy which they follow While some may panic-buy when results or performances dip Brighton have stuck to their principles - namely identifying young talented players and coaches with the potential to develop and improve to the highest level While many clubs are reticent to offer opportunities to those players and coaches instead opting for experienced - almost always far more expensive - alternatives Brighton’s assured confidence in their philosophy means they are not afraid to try out the untested on the pitch and in the dugout Bloom bought Belgian second-tier club Royale Union Saint-Gilloise (USG) then finished second in the top-flight and won the Belgian Cup last season USG have also assisted Brighton by serving as a testing ground for some of the young players bought by the Seagulls including current regulars Simon Adingra and Kaoro Mitoma Brighton have also developed an outstanding worldwide scouting network that has seen them bring in a succession of future stars from overseas with South America a particular area of strength Bloom has made a series of appointments of head coaches with no previous Premier League managerial experience including current Hammers boss Graham Potter Their form may have been patchy in recent weeks but Brighton have shown they can mix it with the best once again this term when beating the likes of Manchester City and with five games to go sit just one point off eighth which could be good enough for another European adventure but former gambler Bloom and his Brighton have seemingly found a winning formula We have been to the Amex Stadium eight times previously once in the EFL Championship and seven times in the Premier League ended in a 1-0 victory courtesy of Kevin Nolan’s opportunistic winning goal when he fired past his good friend Steve Harper in the Brighton & Hove Albion net After losing four and drawing two of our first six Premier League trips there we finally scored a top-flight success at Brighton’s newish home last season Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio scored in a 3-1 victory in August 2023 That result was also our first top-flight win at Brighton at any venue as we lost on both visits to the Goldstone Ground in the First Division in 1981/82 and 1982/83 Referee: Darren EnglandAssistant Referees: Ian Hussin and Akil HowsonFourth Official: Simon Hooper VAR: Paul Tierney Assistant VAR: Mark Scholes  Darren England will referee West Ham United’s Premier League away fixture at Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday The 39-year-old has been part of Professional Game Match Officials Limited’s (PGMOL) Select Group One since the start of the 2020/21 season This weekend’s visit to East Sussex will mark the eighth occasion England has been the man in the middle for a West Ham fixture The first was an EFL Cup defeat at Everton in September 2020 while the most recent was the 1-0 home Premier League defeat to Brentford in February 2025 England has also acted as fourth official for ten Premier League matches involving the Hammers Doncaster-born England has also refereed the 2017 EFL League Two Play-Off final between Blackpool and Exeter City EFL Cup and in UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying For more information about the officials, click HERE Site designed & built by Other Media, powered by Clubcast Baleba is one of the finest young midfielders in Europe Carlos Baleba's stunning effort decided an enthralling five-goal game at Amex Stadium and gave Brighton a first Premier League win in six matches The midfielder curled the ball into the top corner in added time to decisively swing the pendulum in the direction of Fabian Hurzeler's team Yasin Ayari had given the home side the advantage in the first half with a brilliant strike before a second-half comeback from the Hammers looked to have turned the game on its head Mohammed Kudus restored parity soon after half-time with a close-range finish before Tomas Soucek powered home a header Baleba fired powerfully past West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola from outside the box The opening stages of the game showed why Brighton and West Ham went into the game as two of the out-of-form sides in the Premier League Ayari injected some much-needed quality in the 13th minute though curling the ball into the top corner from the edge of the box who thought they had gone two ahead until Simon Adingra's strike was ruled out for offside Soucek almost levelled for the Hammers but Bart Verbruggen turned the ball onto the crossbar He was beaten soon after half-time however when Jarrod Bowen squared for Kudus to finish with ease Brighton looked more likely to grab a late winner as the half wore on but Soucek headed in Bowen's cross at the back post with seven minutes to go putting Potter's team on the verge of an impressive comeback victory Brighton were far from done though and netted twice in three minutes - first with Mitoma's header and then with Baleba's unstoppable shot - to snatch an unlikely victory and end their run of modest form The Seagulls move up to ninth in the table and West Ham remain in 17th one place above Ipswich but with their Premier League status assured for next season because the Tractor Boys lost at Newcastle United and have been relegated Have your say on Brighton's performance What did you make of West Ham's display? When West Ham hired Graham Potter in January the expectation from many fans was that he would coax the same fluid football that caught the eye when he was in charge of Brighton from a talented Hammers squad But the loss at the Amex means the Hammers have still only won three times in the 14 Premier League games under the former Chelsea boss Jarrod Bowen's form has papered over the cracks for the London club in 2025 and they once again struggled to create if their captain was not involved Bowen assisted Kudus' leveller and Soucek's header in the second half – his fifth and sixth in the league this term – and he has more goal contributions than any of his team-mates in 2024-25 Bowen said after the match: "It's gutting To lose the game in that manner is sickening "This is not the first time we have been in a winning position and not picked up points If Ipswich had not completed the trio of sides to be relegated from the top tier this season already the Hammers could have been put under real pressure Imprinting his style since replacing Julen Lopetegui mid-season was always likely to take time but Potter knows the points tally since he arrived at West Ham is a long way from acceptable "The ability to sustain [our performance] is the biggest factor," said the ex-Brighton manager We have been done by two goals from outside the box but you need to sustain that and that is the challenge for us thrown points away at the end and we are hurting "We have to acknowledge the season we are having is a bad one The fact we have stayed clear of relegation is good but not good enough How Potter's West Ham lacked mentality - Houghton Baleba has been impressive for Brighton this season and Saturday's performance against West Ham was another example of that Not only did the 21-year-old score the stunning last-gasp winner but the Cameroon international snuffed out West Ham's advances on many occasions and was a key link between defence and attack for the hosts The midfielder was signed by Brighton from French side Lille in 2023 and his emergence helped the Seagulls deal with the departures of Moises Caicedo former Brighton striker Glenn Murray said Baleba had "even more potential than Yves Bissouma and Moises Caicedo" and he is established as one of the key components in Hurzeler's team His form is likely to have teams in the Champions League circling this summer for an all-round midfielder with no apparent weaknesses Brighton's Hurzeler reacts to win against West Ham To load Comments you need to enable JavaScript in your browser Carlos Soler Match OfficialsReferee: Darren EnglandVideo Assistant Referee: Paul TierneyAssistant Referee 1: Ian HussinAssistant Referee 2: Akil HowsonFourth Official: Simon HooperAssistant VAR Official: Mark ScholesMatch StatsKey Scroll LeftScroll RightBrighton have only lost one of their 15 Premier League meetings with West Ham (W6 D8) though it was a 3-1 defeat in this exact fixture last season West Ham have taken five points from their last nine available against Brighton in the Premier League (W1 D2) just one fewer than they had in their first 12 such meetings (W0 D6 L6) Brighton have lost three of their last four Premier League games (D1) more than their previous 13 beforehand (W6 D5 L2) The Seagulls have shipped 2+ goals in each of their last five league games their longest run since March 2022 (6 in a row) West Ham are winless in their last six Premier League games (D3 L3) last going longer without a win in the competition in January 2023 (7) All four of West Ham’s away wins in the Premier League this season have been to nil – the Hammers haven’t won any of their last 15 on the road when conceding at least once (D5 L10) West Ham have benefitted from three own goals in the Premier League this season It’s their most in a campaign since 2013-14 (also 3) while they’ve only benefitted from more in 2005-06 (4) West Ham have the oldest average starting XI in the Premier League this season (28y 214d) while only Chelsea (24y 20d) have a younger average age than Brighton (25y 117d) Brighton’s Danny Welbeck is looking to score 10 goals in a Premier League season for the first time (currently 9) – as it stands he’s the highest scorer in the competition never to reach double figures in a single campaign (76 goals) He’s scored more goals against West Ham than any other opponent in the top-flight (6) Niclas Füllkrug has either scored (1) or assisted (2) a goal in each of his last three Premier League starts for West Ham he’s averaging a goal or assist every 108 minutes this term the second best rate for a West Ham player in a single campaign (min 500 minutes) after Paolo Di Canio in 1999-00 (one every 90 minutes) West Ham boss Graham Potter’s only previous Premier League meeting with his former side Brighton ended in a 4-1 defeat with Chelsea in October 2022 No manager has lost by 3+ goals in their first two meetings with a specific former employer in the competition before Yasin Ayari (Brighton and Hove Albion) is shown the yellow card for excessive celebration Carlos Baleba (Brighton and Hove Albion) left footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner Assisted by Brajan Gruda following a corner Fourth official has announced 3 minutes of added time Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton and Hove Albion) header from very close range to the bottom right corner Assisted by Brajan Gruda with a headed pass Hand ball by Danny Welbeck (Brighton and Hove Albion) Tomás Soucek (West Ham United) header from very close range to the bottom left corner Mats Wieffer (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half Jack Hinshelwood (Brighton and Hove Albion) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul Mohammed Kudus (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the attacking half A television series about policing Brighton after dark is due to return for a third series next week Night Coppers is scheduled to be broadcast on Channel 4 over six weeks from next Tuesday (6 May) The show offers insights into the way that police officers and support staff think about their job and the people they serve and how they approach a variety of challenging situations Sussex Police said this evening (Thursday 1 May): “The Channel 4 show Night Coppers is returning for a third series this month giving a fresh raw insight into Sussex Police officers and staff as they police Brighton and Hove after dark “It follows response officers as they police the city’s night-time economy alongside officers and staff in our custody and contact centres “Filming took place over a series of months with the first episode of season 3 to be broadcast on Channel 4 on Tuesday 6 May at 9pm “The remaining five episodes will play out in the 10pm slot weekly from Monday 12 May the multi-award-winning documentary company behind series such as Channel 4’s 999: What’s Your Emergency and Forensics: The Real CSI.” the divisional commander for Brighton and Hove said: “After the success of the first two series we are delighted to welcome Blast Films back to capture the incredible work that goes into keeping the public safe “Night Coppers shows the realities of frontline policing and demonstrates the determination “We also wanted to show the side of policing that goes beyond the uniform – that our officers are human beings who perform an extraordinary service to the public under challenging circumstances.” said: “The third series of our hit show Night Coppers continues to lift the lid on what it’s really like to police the streets of Brighton by night – from dealing with the aftermath of Saturday night clubland spilling out on the seafront to domestic violence cases to dealing with the rise in teenage mental health problems “We had the privilege of filming with an incredibly brave some of whom appeared in previous series and others totally new to the job.” Maybe they should concentrate on their jobs instead of acting like idiots for the cameras They’ll all be sacked for misconduct in a few months knowing sussex police An exciting week of events is in store across Brighton & Hove to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE Day) on Thursday 8 May 2025 an announcement was made by then Prime Minister Winston Churchill over the radio ending the Second World War in Europe and allowing 3.8 million British men and 400,000 British women to return to their homes and families the nation will come together again to pay tribute to all those who fought for freedom and to celebrate the resilience and unity that have defined our country ever since as it will be one of the last opportunities to honour our living Second World War veterans who fought so hard to preserve peace and freedom that enables our shared way of life It is vital that we will learn from their stories and ensure they are told to generations to come so that younger generations understand what they were fighting for and the horrors that conflicts on this scale can bring VE Day is a very significant day for Brighton & Hove which has a proud history of marking the occasion Photos from 8 May 1945 show street parties taking place across Brighton & Hove and a parade past Hove Town Hall To commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day we will be flying the VE80 flags from Brighton and Hove town halls.  Brighton Palace Pier will host a range of activities - including 1940’s playlist on pier radio old newsreel footage on a big screen during daytime evening showing of black and white classic cinema and discounted fish and chips for service personnel and veterans.  the pier will be decorated in festive bunting and free entry will be offered to cadets and their families The ceremony will bring together the city’s cadet forces and veterans for a short service and the lighting of a beacon a fisherman will light our new beacon brazier at 9.30pm joining hundreds of beacons across the UK in a national moment of remembrance and hope Salvation Arms Band will be attending to accompany the community and cadet singing The ceremony is being supported by the Royal British Legion Hangleton will be giving a short service.  The Royal British Legion will be fundraising at the ceremony and selling special VE Day 80 commemorative pins.  Managing Director for Brighton & Hove Buses and Metrobus said: “We are delighted to be marking the historic 80th anniversary of VE Day to celebrate 80 years of peace since the end of World War II in Europe.  Find out more about the ceremony at the Peace Statue.  From barricades on Brighton beach to street parties throughout the UK this event will look at how the hardships of the Second World War led to the celebrations and relief of VE Day Enjoy a series of short talks by the Keep staff who will showcase some of its collections and immerse yourself in a recreated 1940s sitting room will introduce the event and reflect on the bombing raids inflicted on Brighton & Hove during the war Collections Senior Manager at the University of Sussex will talk through the wartime experience of the city Mass Observation Archivist at the University of Sussex will explore how Mass Observation’s extensive collection of Second World War diaries captured the thoughts and emotions of British people during the war and the celebrations of VE Day There will also be a chance to see some original wartime archives along with collections from Brighton & Hove Museums Visit The Keep’s website to book your free ticket Swing Field Unit featuring Miss Martha Miller will be performing live swing and dance music from the 1940s at Brighton & Hove's historic seafront bandstand.  The band will be performing in costume as a historically accurate group of musicians from the US 16th Infantry Regiment Band 1st Infantry Division alongside a United Service Organisations singer Downs Junior School, in partnership with local charity Take Shelter Brighton & Hove’s underground Second World War air raid shelter will host a full day of family-friendly activities.  Throughout the day visitors can enjoy guided tours of the school’s extraordinary air raid shelter and museum displaying rare items from the wartime years live music from school choirs singing wartime songs dance art performances and traditional fish and chips.  Visitors can also meet and find out more about a range of service and community organisations It’s a wonderful chance to delve into our city’s heritage speak to veterans who were children during the war and connect with our community Find out more about Take Shelter and Downs Junior School’s VE Day celebrations. 12 noon to 4pm, Brighton Fishing Museum, 194-208 Kings Rd, Brighton BN1 1NB Commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day during this year's blessing of the nets. Visitors will be able to sample seafood from Brighton's boats and enjoy live folk music and sea shanties and a great atmosphere. Councillor Amanda Grimshaw, Armed Forces Champion for Brighton & Hove City Council, said: “On Thursday 8 May, our city will stand in solidarity with communities across the UK and the Commonwealth to mark this momentous occasion.  “To mark VE Day 80, Brighton & Hove City Council is working closely with partners across the city to host a series of commemorative events. “Events like these are a vital reminder of the importance of remembering those who contributed to the war effort - both at home and abroad. They reflect Brighton & Hove’s dedication to honouring the fallen, celebrating the resilience of our communities, and ensuring that the sacrifices made are never forgotten. “I warmly encourage everyone to join not only to honour those who served and sacrificed during the Second World War, but also to stand in solidarity with all who continue to strive for peace, and to reaffirm our shared commitment to a more peaceful world.”  Liverpool's Olivia Smith has now scored nine goals in her debut WSL season Liverpool staved off Brighton's hopes of a comeback to leapfrog the Seagulls in the Women's Super League with victory at Amex Stadium on Saturday despite Brighton having the better of the second 45 minutes the two-goal deficit was too much to overcome as they fell to their third consecutive league defeat Canada international Olivia Smith scored after less than 90 seconds before Leanne Kiernan doubled the visitors' lead shortly before half-time Michelle Agyemang got one back soon after the restart to give the Seagulls belief but the Reds saw off their attacks to move into fifth place Brighton drop to sixth as Dario Vidosic's team continue their slide after a bright start to the 2024-25 season Interim boss Amber Whiteley's Liverpool team showed no signs of being disheartened by their elimination from the FA Cup by Chelsea last week and were ahead within a matter of minutes in Sussex Smith netted after Ceri Holland's pinpoint pass and was a constant threat during the first 45 minutes Brighton lacked sharpness and Liverpool's second goal came from a Seagulls error as a loose pass from Marit Auee was pounced on and Holland assisted for Kiernan at the back post The home side never looked like troubling Liverpool in the first half but Kiko Seike made an immediate impact after the restart The hosts initially appeared to have belief they could come back but apart for an off-target volley from Fran Kirby and another shot by Agyemang Liverpool saw out the remainder of the game to end their run of three losses in all competitions while Brighton are yet to record a WSL win at home since November Olivia Smith is enjoying a standout season with Liverpool since signing for the Merseyside club in the summer Brighton could not live with Smith's pace and the midfielder got off to a flying start scoring Liverpool's quickest goal this season The Reds' record signing was forced off with an injury on 51 minutes after a succession of fouls on the 20-year-old Seagulls defender Poppy Pattinson caught the winger late with a cynical sliding challenge and Smith received treatment before being taken off Whiteley said after the game: "It's too early at the moment We'll see how she is after a proper assessment and go from there." When Liverpool beat Brighton 2-1 in January, then Reds manager Matt Beard said the winger was "going to get hurt" if she was not protected more by officials Smith scored at Chelsea in the FA Cup defeat last weekend substituted for Bruna Vilamala at 81 minutesNumber 9 Haug Match OfficialsReferee: Lisa BennMatch StatsKey Delay in match because of an injury Kiko Seike (Brighton and Hove Albion Women) Taylor Hinds (Liverpool Women) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul Kiko Seike (Brighton and Hove Albion Women) wins a free kick in the attacking half Dejana Stefanovic (Brighton and Hove Albion Women) wins a free kick in the attacking half Fuka Nagano (Liverpool Women) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked Michelle Agyemang (Brighton and Hove Albion Women) wins a free kick in the attacking half Fourth official has announced 8 minutes of added time Rachael Laws (Liverpool Women) is shown the yellow card Bruna Vilamala (Brighton and Hove Albion Women) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked Talismanic fast bowler Beth Langston assessed today’s landslide win over Sussex at Hove and said: “I think that was a much better reflection of everything we’ve been working on over the winter.” Yorkshire Women were beaten in last Saturday’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup 2 opener by 114 runs against Worcestershire at Headingley winning by nine wickets against the Sharks at The 1st Central County Ground in a game which lasted only 45.4 overs in total with Langston helping to set the tone via an impressive two-wicket new-ball burst Captain Lauren Winfield-Hill then led the chase with a fine unbeaten 47 Langston and Winfield-Hill were just two of a host of performers on the South Coast sealing a five-point return from their second fixture of the summer especially after the disappointment of last week,” continued Langston “We know that wasn’t how we want to play our cricket so it was really good to just come back out today and show what we’re all about as a team It was great to see that it went a lot better for us.” new-ball partner Amelia Love and off-spinner Claudie Cooper starting impressively leaving Sussex 31-5 and in a hole they just couldn’t get out of “That’s something we’ve been working on and have spoken about in our plans – just trying to not give them any freebies,” Langston continued “It’s just about trying to apply that pressure and make them have to do something “We know we’ve got the skills to apply that pressure and make them have to do something Langston struck three times with the ball in defeat to Worcestershire last week So her start to the season has been impressive including all of the games she played on tour in Abu Dhabi,” said Langston “Her consistency for someone so young is really impressive and that will only continue to increase as she gets a bit older I’ve really enjoyed working with her.” she said: “Claudie’s been great coming here (from Surrey) Lots of good change-ups and good off her own bowling “She’s happy to bowl at any stage in the innings there were no dramas as Winfield-Hill and opening partner Erin Thomas (25) shared 74 for the first wicket to all but complete the chase Langston added: “It was just clinical from those two They batted really well and put the bad balls away “It was good to see them get some runs and finish it off nice and quickly “And I think that will give us a lot of confidence going into the next few weeks.” Yorkshire face Derbyshire twice next weekend first on Saturday at Derby’s County Ground in this competition and then at Harrogate on Monday in the first round of the new County T20 Cup Head coach Rich Pyrah hailed a "professional performance" from Yorkshire as they booked their place in the second round of the Vitality T20 County Cup Yorkshire eased into the second round of the inaugural Vitality County T20 Cup competition with a resounding 122-run win over Derbyshire in Harrogate this afternoon Yorkshire Women are in knockout T20 action as the brand new Vitality County Cup kicks off at Harrogate Follow this page for live updates against Derbyshire throughout the afternoon membership and Premium Experiences information and more exciting content from Yorkshire Cricket and the Northern Diamonds straight to your inbox To view our privacy policy, click here. While others dream of Machu Picchu or Mandalay Another day of nice weather and a kind of spring madness is beginning to take over This comes in the form of a mild wanderlust  coupled with the realisation that this might be my last summer in (relatively) good health and this year I ought to take advantage of it I have spent too long holed up in the Hove-l sometimes not even venturing from the bedroom for days on end except to eat and entranced by the names of their final destinations Others dream of Mandalay or Machu Picchu; I dream of Hangleton and Worthing this is literally true: a friend who lives there invited me to lunch at hers last weekend; she was making slow-roasted lamb with anchovies and garlic – one of my favourite meals – but a combination of illness and work prevented me and the psychic reaction to that has been to portray Worthing all clapperboard housing and desolate sea views although Google Street View tells me it’s not really like that I have taken it as far as the Hove Polyclinic (in one of the finest jokes I have ever made in this column I said that the Polyclinic was where you went when you were sick as a parrot) but no further in the company of my friend A— while I was recovering from a woeful break-up I was full of sadness but the views were amazing if a little spoiled by the paragliders all over the place which has one of the most striking views in southern England has paragliders the way a beer garden in late summer has wasps.) The thing about Brighton & Hove buses is that they are amazing They are prompt and frequent and have wifi that actually works Not that I would be spending any time on the phone The whole point is to look out of the window and imagine other lives which I take to Kemptown when I am feeling lazy or breathless (Unless it is a Thameslink train.) A look at the map and I get excited in a very British way I could take the 14C to Rottingdean or even Newhaven; the 29 takes me as far afield as Tunbridge Wells its name sounding like that of a heavy metal band with dubious political tendencies but I have been advised not to go there unless I want to be beaten up The 13X will take me to the Birling Gap and Beachy Head; a fear of heights and a temporary appetite for life will prevent me from hurling myself off the cliffs or even coming within 50 yards of the edge the baddies force him to the edge at gunpoint and order him to jump off as with all the scenery in the Tintin books when they were redrawn The thing is that Sussex remains for the most part an extraordinarily beautiful county One of the things I like about Brighton very much is that it stops with a bang instead of petering out; go south enough and you’re in the English Channel; in any other direction and not just any old countryside but that of the South Downs one of the UK’s most beautiful national parks Travelling along the coast is also great; I have done the journey to Hastings by train and that took me via Bexhill home of the Goons’ Dreaded Batter Pudding Hurler; and a train to London once had to be diverted westwards and took me past the liminal wetlands of Southwick and Shoreham-by-Sea my subconscious came up with its idea of Worthing This article appears in the 10 Apr 2025 issue of the New Statesman, Spring Special 2025 BECOMING MAVERICK – Written & Performed by Award Winner Heather Alexander is premiered at Brighton Fringe this coming weekend I grabbed the opportunity to chat to Heather Alexander in advance of her world premiere of this new work but as a as a child I absolutely loved making up plays and basically running around the garden talking to myself So I guess then but in trying to get them produced and put on I When I started writing I wrote 2 30 minute short plays  One was called Kiss Off and one was called Proxy and it seemed to be quite well received Then I became a bit bolder and then I did a show called Annie Brassy Then I plunged right into adapting Virginia Woolf’s A Room Of One’s Own and then rewriting and producing and acting in that for Edinburgh and Brighton Fringe That was 2022 and that was well received so that gave me some confidence to keep going Two years ago I wrote a purely imagined back story for Miss Havisham who I think is right for a back story and as I advertise the show it’s the story that Dickens left out because we don’t know that much about her I remember reading it and thinking and every time there’s a film made of it It was absolutely brilliant that you did it You don’t know anything about them other than they are pretty awful and I’m just curious as to what makes somebody malevolent or whatever words you want to put around that And I started to think about maybe these women had a back story that might be very very interesting and obviously it’s from my imagination It’s my take on what their back story might have been But I wanted to treat their reimagined stories with empathy and try and understand why somebody might be driven to be grotesque or cruel or malevolent So what is your inspiration for starting a project Is there a particular influence that you always go to for the show I’m premiering at Brighton Fringe next week this week I don’t know how I stumbled across this French poem but it was so passionately read that it just inspired me Even though I understand a little French but don’t understand it all just there’s the passion behind it that made me think And then I was drawn very much as many people are to the malevolent character of Mrs Danvers from Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca because she’s so mysterious and again a malevolent presence which we don’t really know why So it was her presence  that inspired me to think well I’d like to write something about a woman who has lots of secrets we don’t really understand And so that’s what inspired me to start writing Becoming Maverick along with You have so many layers of terrifying as well I really want it known that it’s just an inspiration so I don’t want it said that I’m performing Rebecca What’s your process when you start work devising one of your shows I actually start writing because it’s the only way I know how to do it so I don’t actually do a lot of planning or thinking ahead I just start to write words and I hope that something comes from that and then obviously when a shape appears then I discard a lot of the words and a lot of the ideas But I literally have to just start writing otherwise I would just sit there and not do anything I’d just sit looking at the blank page So it’s literally just go and see where we we’re taken There’s a lot that just gets discarded but I find it very satisfying to just write it and I’m not I’m trying not to edit it too much; let it happen Then I see if there’s a shape or a story or an instinct or something that just drives it forward There is always a stage where I go “this is rubbish” and just throw it all away but I think that’s probably most people who write Are there any drawbacks to making your own projects “does it make it easy to learn the lines?” I say it doesn’t make any difference whatsoever It’s just as difficult to learn the lines whether I’ve written them or not But drawbacks – I guess it’s just you’ve only got your own instincts to guide you and obviously then you’re vulnerable to people’s opinions When you’re acting in somebody else’s work it makes you vulnerable to feeling sensitive about people’s comments and thoughts and all the rest of it I remember doing a one woman show and many years back now and it was written for me which was rather lovely and I was terrified for two weeks before I did it although I’d been acting for years But I remember standing on stage and sort of in the back of my head but there’s no one to screw you up either” And sometimes if a technical issue happens and you’ve just got to find a way out of it So there are pluses and minuses to everything And I guess of course the one thing you do have to do if you’re you also have to do all the marketing yourself as well I’m producing and making sure you’ve got all the costumes You have to just be disciplined and make sure you’ve covered – everything basically what advice would you give to artists who would like to make their own work but they’re nervous to do so I think obviously I’ve got to an age now I wouldn’t have dared to do this in my 20s or 30s or probably 40s but I’ve got to an age now where I think I’m gonna do this because I want to do it that’s their prerogative but I’m still going to do it” I wish I’d done this years and years ago You need experience and all sorts of things there’s all sorts of constraints and barriers that might stop people from taking that leap we’re all frightened of being laughed at or getting it wrong or being bad or scared Becoming Maverick – A Tale of Twisted Karma Inspired by the character of Mrs Danvers from Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca – a wholly imagined creative origin story* Dark family wounds force a woman to survive a savage legacy of injustice Becoming Maverick is a tale of a woman’s undaunting resilience to survive at all costs A child is found locked in a trunk on a cargo ship in Southampton The child with no name is sent to an orphanage asylum the young girl battles against outrageous injustice and societal iniquity Embroiled with a family fractured by the corrupting decadence of dark secrets and wealth she is driven to weather the storms of unimaginable consequences Karma is a dish best served cold and this woman is glacial Becoming Maverick – the journey of a woman who learns to twist the knife of fate Her story is just beginning… with a secret that no-one can know Award Winning performer and writer (Best Female Actor) HEATHER ALEXANDER takes us on a roller coaster journey of emotions with her latest show https://www.brightonfringe.org/events/becoming-maverick/ Councillors have agreed to change school admission arrangements in Brighton & Hove from September 2026.  The changes were voted through by Labour councillors together with cross-party support from members of the Greens and Independents and Brighton & Hove Independent Group as well as some Green and Independent councillors voted against the recommendations.   A series of proposed changes were discussed at a Special Council meeting on Thursday 27 February and communities through an online consultation and a range of consultation events These changes intend to address falling pupil numbers in Brighton & Hove improve equality and fairness across the city’s schools and give greater equity of choice said: “Admission arrangements in Brighton & Hove have been largely unchanged for the past 18 years “These carefully considered decisions will allow us to build a better future for children and young people in Brighton & Hove creating greater equity of opportunity and improving educational outcomes for all young people in the city “I’d once again like to thank everyone who fed back on our proposals We have listened and those responses shaped the final version of these changes to admission arrangements.” Some areas of Brighton & Hove include one secondary school This means that young people in different areas have unequal options in terms of accessing secondary education within the city We will be introducing an open admissions criterion that reserves up to 5% of places in each of the city’s community secondary schools for pupils who live in single-school catchment areas This will create more equity of access to education across the city In response to falling pupil numbers in Brighton & Hove – and forecasts that suggest they will continue to fall – we will be amending the published admission numbers (PANs) at three secondary schools from September 2026 We will be changing the PANs at Longhill High School from 270 to 210 at Blatchington Mill School from 330 to 300 and at Dorothy Stringer School from 330 to 300 School budgets are determined by pupil numbers Reducing PANs will help protect the long-term future of the the city’s education system The catchment area boundaries for Longhill High and Dorothy Stringer and Varndean schools will be amended brought within the Varndean/Dorothy Stringer catchment area and the BN2 1 and BN2 5 (south) Kemptown area moving into the Longhill High catchment area.  A sibling link for families affected by the changes to catchment area boundaries will be maintained many respondents indicated a willingness to support the council in its goals of tackling disadvantage raising attainment for all and contributing to the vision for Brighton & Hove’s school system.  We are exploring opportunities for greater collaboration between schools and will also build on the interest generated by the engagement on school admissions with a call for evidence on the medium- and longer-term strategy for the city’s education system.  Councillors will be discussing a report outlining proposed changes to school admission arrangements in Brighton & Hove at a Special Council meeting on Thursday 27 February Our Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme is back for Easter 2025 free activities during the school holidays We’ve launched a survey to help us understand the demand for childcare places and support childcare providers to meet the needs of local families Sussex Cricket is thrilled to announce that The 1st Central County Ground will be the first cricket stadium in the world to host the iconic, Sixes Cricket Bar.  This exciting new addition will be owned by the Club and located at the award-winning multi-purpose venue in Hove and will be open to the public in April.  Sixes is spreading Cricket culture far and wide through their gamified Guests from beginner through to Jofra himself step into the nets grab a bat and face down a virtual pro bowler hurling very real (soft) balls at them Strike a target then eyes on the screen as scores appear on the leaderboards Complete with a world class food and drink offering Sixes is the perfect spot for social gatherings ‘come with your crowd and catch the cricket fever.’ In addition to enhancing the already exceptional matchday experience at Hove the thrilling high-energy batting alongside vibrant food and drink will be open to the public year-round Previously situated on the Brighton beachfront the popular party-cricket experience welcomed over 33,000 cricket fans and guests during its 18 months at the Brighton i360 Sussex Cricket Chief Executive Pete Fitzboydon said: “Opening our own Sixes venue is an exciting step towards our vision for the 1st Central County Ground.  We want to welcome more of the community to our Hove home to make it central to the local community as well as introduce new audiences to Sussex Cricket.  “We have re-purposed an under-utilised space at our Ground into a high-quality community venue that will entertain tens of thousands of people all year round and will also provide a very welcome new income stream “Sixes could not have been a better fit for our goals: it attracts a younger audience particularly families and young adults; has wide appeal to both men and women; and fundamentally is cricket We are immensely grateful to the Sixes team and Aramark for their support in making it happen.” Calum Mackinnon said: “We’re incredibly excited to be opening at the home of Sussex Cricket.  It’s an iconic venue and a dream location for Sixes.  We’ve felt a real connection with the Brighton and Hove community since launching in 2023 and this new chapter gives us an amazing opportunity to continue to bring year-round cricket and party to locals and visitors alike.” Sixes is where cricket and a good old party combine.  Fast-paced you can play anywhere – on the beach or in the streets A party with no boundaries where everyone’s welcome.  Sixes captures that intoxicating energy in a tech-enabled batting experience paired with world-class food 5 challenge modes mean players of all skill levels can swing for the boundaries on a level playing field.  Sixes is your go-to destination for unforgettable group celebrations.  Sixes venues are like urban clubhouses - a vibrant community of cricket-lovers and partygoers.  Game4Padel have now opened the new tennis facilities we have recently completed at Hove Beach Park which form part of the overall upgrade to racket facilities at Hove Beach Park Four new padel courts opened in December 2024.  there will also be table tennis and pickleball available at Hove Beach Park making this one of the premier destinations in Sussex for racket sports The tennis, padel and pickleball will be operated by Game4Padel and its experienced coaching team. The courts are now open for bookings to the general public via Game4Padel.com.  running coaching sessions for all ages and abilities and ensuring the tennis and padel facilities are well used An open day with Game4Padel coaches is planned for this spring – with free sessions for all The table tennis will be free to use by anyone in the park The tennis courts will also be home to the long-established King Alfred Tennis Club who will once again play their Parks League matches and host their club sessions here Our Kingsway to the Sea regeneration project is reinvigorating the underused facilities and green spaces on the seafront in West Hove by creating Hove Beach Park a new park stretching from the King Alfred Leisure Centre to Hove Lagoon the park will be formally opened later this spring said: “I’m delighted that tennis is returning to Hove Beach Park now that the new courts are open “The racket sports offered by Game4Padel will join bowls ensuring the new park offers sports and leisure facilities for all ages and abilities.” gardens and cafes in Hove Beach Park are transforming the area I hope that the superb reception these new facilities are receiving from users will inspire the work of the new Seafront Development Board to transform other parts of our seafront.” Game4Padel CEO Michael Gradon added: “The padel courts have been really busy since we opened in December with a high number of bookings in January and February The tennis facilities have been eagerly awaited and we are sure with the help of our excellent coaching team they will be equally popular in the coming months “The investment in these facilities should be celebrated as well as the council’s foresight to work with external partners like Game4Padel to use our expertise in building thriving racket sport communities.”  Four new padel courts are now open for bookings and will soon be joined by new tennis courts Yellowave has been awarded the lease to operate Hove Beach Park's new sand sports centre The new wheeled sports area is now open at the Western end of Hove Beach Park with skating and skateboarding facilities to suit all abilities