Chin up Albion followers, that is all a part of the journey. Sunday at Wembley featured bitter disappointment, the worst strategy to lose an enormous FA Cup semi closing and most gutting of all, heartbreak for Solly March.
He didn’t deserve that and it shouldn’t detract from his unimaginable season. The easiest gamers on the earth miss in penalty shootouts and no-one ought to be important of March. What unimaginable strain he was underneath.
The Albion didn’t give their finest efficiency at Wembley – neither did United – and it was a humid, depressing day in a claustrophobic stadium which appears to stifle ambiance.
However allow us to always remember how fortunate we have been to be there, once more. How Grimsby City followers would have beloved that event had they crushed the Albion within the quarter finals.
And the way shut Brighton weren’t so way back to the destiny of Rochdale, relegated this week from the Soccer League after 112 years.
Scunthorpe United, Yeovil City and Torquay United are all set to vanish from the Nationwide League too; golf equipment we confronted (and infrequently misplaced in opposition to) regularly.
I met a Mitoma fan on the concourse at Wembley. They needed to know the best way to get to the membership store on the Amex this week to purchase a shirt, earlier than flying again to Japan after two days within the UK.
How mad would that story sound to anybody watching Brighton in League One at Withdean 20 years in the past? We’re a membership with international enchantment now.
Not solely that, however everyone seems to be beginning to recognise the Albion’s high quality. We went into our second FA Cup semi closing in 4 years because the favourites in opposition to one of many greatest golf equipment on the earth.
Managers and pundits alike charges us as among the best groups in England and in Europe’s prime 20. We’ve a workforce, a recruitment technique and a supervisor extensively admired and envied.
Even with defeat to United and coming away from a troublesome sport at Nottingham Forest with nothing, these are nonetheless the better of instances to assist Brighton.
A lot has been achieved already with the prospect of extra to return. From a primary Premier League prime 10 end final yr to a sensible probability of European qualification this season.
The membership is in revenue and boasting an array of stars coveted by our vastly wealthier rivals, not least World Cup winner Alexis MacAllister.
A crowded fixture record lies forward and we’re beginning to see gamers fatigued and extra vulnerable to damage. However what a chance for youngsters like Julio Enciso, Evan Ferguson and Facundo Buonanotte to make (much more) of a reputation for themselves.
Ferguson has scored targets for enjoyable. Enciso got here to the fore in opposition to Bournemouth and Chelsea. And Buonanotte marked his full Premier League debut with a objective in opposition to Forest.
Allow us to take pleasure in this final month of an unimaginable, excessive scoring, rewarding, generally irritating however all the time dramatic season. It’s one thing each the workforce and us as followers have earned and deserve.
Warren Morgan @WarrenBHAFC