Sussex
Sports
By Laurence Elphick
Brighton & Hove
Albion FC
A season of success
then...finishing
6th when let’s be
honest, at the start
of the season, most
of us were thinking top 10 would
be good. Instead, and I’m sure I’m
not alone, I can’t help feeling a little
deflated after that grasping optimism
was replaced by realisation after the
humbling defeat to Derby in the playoff semi finals.
Now we’re faced with a second
managerial change in two seasons
after Oscar Garcia’s surprise
resignation, along with the news that
some of our big-name players have
been released……Lopez, Rodriguez,
Brezovan and the unlucky Will Hoskins
were perhaps to be expected. But
creative midfielder Andrea Orlandi
and the big Pole in our goal, Tomasz
Kuszczak...? Especially as the latter
was one of the nominees for Player of
the Season! And then there’s the loan
players that have gone back to their
parent clubs.
I think most fans would agree with
me when I say it was hard to replace
Wayne Bridge but Stephen Ward did a
tremendous job and was my player of
the season, so I would love to see him
back in the blue and white.
I for one just hope we can bring
in some exciting names and play
entertaining football next season. Oh
yes, and go up automatically, not too
much to ask then. Roll on August!
Sussex County Cricket Club
With the season in full swing, Sussex
are hoping for some silverware to
celebrate their 175th birthday this year.
Talking of big milestones, Luke Wright
and Ben Brown scored a combined 6th
wicket record partnership of 335 for
Sussex against Durham in the County
Championship at Hove. Wright top
scored with 189 while Ben Brown hit a
magnificent 163, beating the previous
6th wicket partnership that had stood
for 84 years. Brown’s total was the
highest ever by a Sussex player
batting at number seven!
With Captain Ed Joyce and England
wicketkeeper Matt Prior signing
contract extensions, bowler Chris
Jordan having been selected for
England as part of the T20 and One
Day International squad and the
recapture of Yasir Arafat, there are
many reasons to smile for Sharks fans.
The T20 tournament has been
revamped for 2014, with fixtures
running alongside the four-day
campaign rather than in a separate
block of fixtures as in previous
years. The T20 blast is certainly an
opportunity to erase the bad memories
of last season when Sussex finished
bottom of their group having lost nine
out of their ten games.
Crawley Town FC
After a tough season in
League One, Red Devils
fans will be eager to find
out how manager John
Gregory will put his stamp
on a team that he took over
in December last year. The former Aston Villa,
Derby and QPR boss, has signed a contract
extension that will take him through to the end
of the 2015/16 season who led Crawley to 14th
last season, Gregory said: “I have been very
happy here. It’s a fantastic football club.”
The summer is always a time when fans
want to see how a squad will shape up for
the new season and at the time of writing,
Crawley have released 11 players including
goalkeeper Paul Jones, Strikers Rory Fallon
and Billy Clarke as well as Sergio Torres,
Paul Connolly and former Seagulls player
Gary Dicker. Clarke ‘s departure along with
Matt Tubbs, who has returned to parent club
Bournemouth, means the top two goal scorers
at the club have now moved on. Only time
will tell if Tubbs, a firm favourite with t