Brighton & Hove Albion

Brighton fans have been getting in touch with BBC Radio Sussex as the Seagulls celebrate their 125-year anniversary during the 2026-27 campaign.

Roger: For 14 years, I was the sports editor of BBC South Today. I was there on the pitch when Norman Cook was going to sponsor the club, but probably my fondest memory was being in a helicopter flying high over a farmer's field when Brighton got permission to build the Amex Stadium. It had been such a long battle, but I am sure the Albion fans have not looked back.

Jake: My favourite Brighton and Hove Albion memory is this free-kick from Anthony Knockaert in 2016 when we beat QPR 4-0. I won a half-time hat-trick scratchcard, which was £50 when we used to have them at the turnstiles.

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Joe: The Marseille home game at the Amex in December 2023 felt like the moment everything had clicked. We had a tough start in the group, losing the first game, but then to win four in a row, including beating Ajax twice, was incredible. To finish top of the group with Marseille, Ajax and AK Athens... It captured the emotion, and the eruption of emotion in the stadium.

Matthew: My favourite memory has to be Leonardo Ulloa's goal against Nottingham Forest in 2014 to send us to the play-off final. My Grandad, who sadly passed away in October, made the most deafening noise celebrating. I had to bury my head into the sofa. It was so loud!

Listen to the trip down memory lane on BBC Sounds here or by pressing play on the clip above

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Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

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Brighton start as they mean to go on – beginning the 2026-27 season with a Sunday home game against Aston Villa.

Fabian Hurzeler's side are in the unusual position of knowing their campaign as a whole will begin with a Conference League play-off first leg tie, with the second leg to follow in the first midweek of the season.

That means the Villa game is on a Sunday and the trip to Chelsea that follows will also be shifted away from it's current Saturday slot on 29 August.

Providing they reach the league phase, Brighton's squad depth will be tested by the first match coming between a trip to Sunderland and the home game with Crystal Palace, and the second coming after the Palace encounter and before a trip to Liverpool.

As usual, Brighton are away on Boxing Day – at Fulham. They also have midweek away trips to Bournemouth and Manchester United.

Hurzeler's side finish the campaign at home to Liverpool and away at Arsenal.

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Unai Emery's Aston Villa haven't lost any of their four Premier League encounters against Fabian Hurzeler's Brighton (W3 D1), with the Seagulls losing 64% of their Premier League fixtures against the West Midlanders.

However, Brighton are getting used to a good start. Since losing 3-1 to Chelsea on matchday one in 2020-21, they are unbeaten in their opening game across five Premier League seasons (W4 D1).

Villa, meanwhile, are a slower burner in recent times. After returning to the Premier League in 2019-20, they have only started their season with a victory twice in seven attempts (D1 L4), beating Sheffield United in 2020-21 and West Ham United in 2024-25.

• Read more on the matches and rule changes for 2026-27

Brighton will begin their 2026-27 Premier League campaign with a home game against Aston Villa.

The match will take place on Sunday, 23 August at 14:00 BST, with the Seagulls' first away fixture against Chelsea on the weekend of 29-30 August.

Fabian Hurzeler's side face Fulham (A), Tottenham (A), Manchester United (H) and Bournemouth (H) over the Christmas and New Year period.

And they end their league season against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on Sunday, 30 May, when all games will kick off at the same time.

See Brighton's Premier League fixtures in full here

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With the countdown to the 2026-27 Premier League fixture release well and truly on, we asked for your stories of opening-day games - both good and bad - that have stuck in your minds most.

Here are some of your replies:

Matt: Burnley away - we won 3-1 and it was our first game in the Championship in 2002-03! It was a superb day and Bobby Zamora was on fire.

Thomas: Maheta Molango scoring after about 30 seconds against Reading in 2004. He was a new, exciting striker signing. He literally did nothing else after those 30 seconds for his whole time at the Albion and he was turfed out of the club midway through the season.

Geoff: Saturday, 18 August 1979 - our first ever game in the top flight and against Arsenal, who had Frank Stapleton, Liam Brady and Pat Jennings. Alan Mullery selected five forwards that day: Gerry Ryan, Peter Sayers, Peter O'Sullivan, Teddy Maybank and Peter Ward. We were three goals down by half-time, finally losing 4-0. A temporary stand increased the capacity to 29,000, but many more got in by tailgating through the old turnstiles. It didn't matter that we lost, we were just so happy to be there to witness that game.

Michael: I'll never forget our first Premier League game against Manchester City. The absolute shock at the pace of the top flight. The players were leaning on the goalposts out of breath! We held them to a low block for 70 minutes before losing 2-0 to a side that went on to get 100 points. It's crazy how much we have evolved since then!

Come back to this page at 10:00 BST to see how the Albion's 2026-27 Premier League fixtures have fallen.

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We asked you which players you have watched at the World Cup that you think would be a great fit at Brighton.

Here are some of your comments:

Dylan: Get Denis Undav back. I know a lot of bigger teams will be trying to get him as well, but we need a new striker as next year will probably be Danny Welbeck's last so we need to get one now. If Undav is not an option then Enner Valencia from Ecuador.

Henry: Crysencio Summerville of the Netherlands would be the obvious choice. We need more firepower!

Roman: Luka Vuskovic of Croatia and the USA's Folarin Balogun would be great for the team.

Joshua: Australia's Patrick Beach as a replacement for Bart Verbruggen if he leaves. Woud be a cheap replacement who looks good - and Brighton recruit cheap and sell well. Wilfred Singo of Ivory Coast would be great signing as well - strong presence at the back. Pedro Vite had a good game against Ivory Coast, and we know what Brighton can do with Ecuador midfielders.

Spotted someone you want for Brighton? Let us know who and why he'd fit

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The World Cup and some Brighton interest as focused a lot of talk on Tottenham's Luka Vuskovic.

Still only 19, the central defender caught the eye on loan at Hamburg last season and Brighton have already made an offer for him this summer as they look to fill the void left by Jan Paul van Hecke.

Vuskovic drew praise in some quarters for his play in Croatia's World Cup defeat by England on Wednesday, while others were critical of his defending when Jude Bellingham raced in on goal to give the Three Lions a 3-2 lead.

Last season, Vuskovic helped Hamburg finish 13th in the Bundesliga. He was shortlisted for the Bundesliga player of the season and rookie of the season awards, as voted for by fans, clubs and selected media.

There was much fanfare given he was one of only five players in Germany's top flight in 2025-26 to register a century each of clearances, ball recoveries, duels won and aerial duels won.

His national team manager Zlatko Dalic has said the 6ft 4in central defender "will be one of the pillars of our national team for the next 10 years".

A pillar for country perhaps, but amid interest from other clubs and with several Tottenham defenders to compete against, his role at Spurs still seems somewhat uncertain.

Tottenham have turned down a second bid from Brighton worth £35m for 19-year-old Croatia centre-back Luka Vuskovic, who spent last season on loan at Hamburg. (Sky Sports), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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In recent weeks, we asked you which Brighton players you would choose to keep, loan and sell this summer transfer window and now BBC Radio Sussex have had their say.

Host of the Albion Unlimited podcast Johnny Cantor, floated numerous names for each category alongside former Brighton striker Warren Aspinall, but has ultimately settled on these three players.

"I am going to keep Olivier Boscagli," Cantor said. "I think he could be a really good player. I know he's spoken to me quite a few times about how frustrated he is about not playing regularly; he's played in the Champions League, been at a big club and come to Albion and he's not playing as much as he wants.

"So he may be thinking, and I'm not saying he is, that he's in the prime of his career at 28-years-old and thinking 'right I need to get out whether on loan or somewhere else' but I would keep him because I think he's going to be vital – particularly in Europe.

"In terms of loan, I'm going to go for Tommy Watson. We need to find a club where he's going to play regularly. I don't know where that is, it wasn't at Millwall, and I really feel like he needs to find somewhere where he's happy."

For which player he would sell, Cantor agreed with the fans' conclusion.

"I'm going to go for the same as all the others – I think Carlos Baleba. That ship has sailed now and I think it's time to maybe find a place for him and move on in the midfield.

"They will need more of a physical presence because I do thinkg Baleba does have that and he's probably the best at it at Albion but for me, if it wasn't Brajan Gruda, I'd go for Baleba."

Listen to the full episode and hear Aspinall's three players on BBC Sounds here

BBC Radio Sussex have discussed what Brighton need to do with their defence this summer transfer window.

With Jan Paul van Hecke agreeing a move to Tottenham, former Albion striker Warren Aspinall believes the club should also look to sell Diego Coppola and bring in new reinforcements.

Click play above to hear the full chat with host Johnny Cantor.

You can also listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds here

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We asked for your views on Jan Paul van Hecke's move to Tottenham after Brighton agreed a £52m deal with the club.

Here are some of your comments:

David: Very sad news. He should have been offered a new contract and captainship two years ago and then maybe he would have stayed. He obviously does not relish playing in Europe next season.

Darnton: He has been great for the Albion and deserves the chance to play at the highest level. But he is going to Spurs... which doesn't quite fit that criteria!

Richard: He must be mad! To go from a club in Europe to another that struggles is bizarre to say the least! Maybe the wages are a lot more...

David: Clearly we are not aiming to impress via success in Europe. I understand why he wishes to go but I am sad and shocked at the short-sightedness of the board. We do not deserve to be considered as challenging the top six.

Rono: A great time with us but final memory for me will be that needless 96th-minute Leeds back pass that dropped the point that would have had us in the Europa League next season.

Raymond: Another good player that has outlived the team. Like any other job, if he doesn't want to play for us, jog on. Wish him well.

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Brighton's latest signing Costinha will bring energy and experience to the right-back position, believes former Albion striker Warren Aspinall.

BBC Radio Sussex's Johnny Cantor discussed the signing with Aspinall as the pair highlighted what it could mean for versatile defender Mats Wieffer.

"Costinha brings energy down that right-hand side and he's experienced in Europe as well," Aspinall said on the Albion Unlimited podcast. "I think he's made 65 appearances since his signing in 2024 for Olympiacos and he's 26-years-old.

"And it's one of those situations where we could get Wieffer into midfield."

Cantor added: "Yeah, I'm desperate to see what Wieffer could achieve. It may be difficult for him to flip-flop, but if Costinha can play regularly at right-back, there's absolutely no reason why Wieffer doesn't become another option in midfield.

"Plus, Costinha's European experience playing in the Champions League, and with Albion going into the Conference League for a second season [after playing in the Europa League in 2023-24], obviously helps.

"We don't know about any player coming into the Premier League because it's so different and if you can deal with it, but I would say that experience is something they've gone for."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds here

Tottenham Hotspur have agreed a £52m deal with Brighton for Dutch defender Jan Paul van Hecke.

Van Hecke has a year left on his current Brighton contract and showed no inclination to extend the deal.

The deal also includes a significant sell-on clause with Brighton profiting further should Spurs sell the player.

Get in touch with your views on the sale here

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

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Brighton have no immediate plans to make a fresh offer for Tottenham defender Luka Vuskovic.

The revelation Brighton have agreed a £52m deal with Tottenham for Jan Paul van Hecke to move to north London sparked suggestions of a renewed attempt to sign Vuskovic, the 19-year-old who will be part of Croatia's squad to face England on Wednesday.

Vuskovic is viewed as one of the most highly rated young players in Europe and Brighton have already had a £30m offer rejected for him.

After spending last season on loan in Germany with Hamburg, Vuskovic will face more competition for the central defensive positions with the arrival of Van Hecke, although there has been speculation over the future of skipper Cristian Romero.

Brighton are keeping across the situation but they will not be making another bid at the moment.

Evidently, they do need a replacement for Van Hecke, who started 36 out of their 38 Premier League games last season.

However, they do have time.

With a year left on his contract, Brighton feel they have negotiated an excellent deal around Van Hecke, particularly as his move to Tottenham includes what is regarded as a significant sell-on clause, should the 26-year-old Netherlands World Cup star leave the club at some point.

Brighton are not willing to pay Tottenham's £60m asking price for 19-year-old Croatia centre-back Luka Vuskovic, who spent last season on loan at Hamburg. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter

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Costinha, full name Joao Pedro Loureiro da Costa, joins Brighton as a result of extensive data analysis and scouting from the club's impressive recruitment model.

Having been targeted since January, the 26-year-old is likely to start the season as back-up to Joel Veltman at right-back. Veltman is in talks to extend a contract that expires at the end of this month.

Adding depth is particularly important in a year when Brighton have qualified for the Conference League. The defender, who is said to speak English, also knows 19-year-old striker Charalampos Kostoulas from their time together at Olympiacos.

It was at the Greek club that Costinha reinvented himself, converting from a winger into a physically powerful right-back - a move that helped him flourish.

Olympiacos gave Costinha experience of playing in the Champions League and chances to win multiple titles in Greece.

However, he was a late bloomer and moved between several academies - Cavaloes, Aveleda, Porto and Braga, as well as a loan spell at Palmeiras - before joining Rio Ave, where he made his breakthrough aged 20 in the Portuguese top flight.

The cousin of former Watford defender Joao Ferreira, Costinha is from Povoa de Varzim, a fishing and resort town just north of Porto, and is the first permanent Portuguese signing in Brighton's history.

A new episode of BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited podcast is now available on BBC Sounds.

Johnny Cantor and former Seagulls player Warren Aspinall assess the signing of Costinha, analyse Albion's representatives at the World Cup and play a game of 'keep, loan, sell' - plus Brighton Shakespeare Company artistic director Mark Brailsford discusses his new play to celebrate the club's 125th anniversary.

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Explore all Brighton content on BBC Sounds

The World Cup may be less than a week old but the 2026-27 Premier League fixtures will be released on Friday.

And to get in the mood, we want your stories of opening-day games that have stuck in your minds most - both the good and the bad.

Get in touch with your memories here

And make sure to come back to this page on Friday to see how Brghton's league fixture list has fallen.

It's been a while coming but in Costinha Brighton have signed a player who they hope will solve a troublesome area over the last five years.

In 2020 Joel Veltman signed from Ajax and has made nearly 200 appearances for the Seagulls. The Dutchman is understood to be discussing a possible new deal but is now 34.

Over that period the Seagulls have sought to find a back-up solution with Pascal Gross, Jack Hinshelwood and Solly March all trying to fill in while Tariq Lamptey suffered persistent injury woes. More recently Mats Wieffer, signed as a central midfielder, has emerged as a decent combative option.

Costinha may have to battle Wieffer for his place but the 26-year-old Portuguese fits the robust, intense profile of player Fabian Hurzeler likes. He's described as a player who likes to attack and overlap which fits perfectly into the way the team plays.

His experience should also come in useful as Brighton embark on their second season in Europe. All in all, it is a signing that makes sense in many ways, and at around £11m it looks to be good value. The proof is in the pudding but it could be another inspired deal from a club that has built a reputation for thinking outside the box.

Subscribe to the Albion Unlimited podcast on BBC Sounds

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New Brighton signing Costinha says he wants to help the club "fight for titles".

The 26-year-old right-back has arrived for around £11m on a five-year deal from Olympiakos where he won both the Greek league and cup.

"I'm so excited for this club and to play in the Premier League," he told the Seagulls media team after the move was confirmed.

"It's a dream as a kid and now it's a good moment for this experience and to help this club and my team-mates. It's very important to me.

"I spoke with some people about the club, I'm very excited to start. I think it's a very good club and experience for me. This club I think is like a family and I think that is the best for me.

"The people told me the people here like to help players. I'm excited to meet my team-mates, the coach, and all the staff, and to improve myself here at Brighton.

"I fight for every duel, I'm fast, I'm strong, and I like to run and help fight for titles. I'm motivated a lot for that. I want to feel the fans are happy with me and to help the team achieve our goals."

Former Portugal under-21 international Costinha is the first summer signing for Fabian Hurzeler's side as the club aims to strengthen the squad for only the second European campaign in its history.

"Costinha is a player we have followed closely for some time," added Brighton head coach Hurzeler.

"He has the defensive capabilities, intensity and understanding of what we value. He is also comfortable in and out of possession and will add competition at right-back."