There’s a strange take doing the rounds in Albion-centric corners of the internet right now. It goes a bit like this: “Maybe it’s better if we don’t qualify for Europe this season… it’ll help us next year.”
Sorry, what was that?
Brighton & Hove Albion have been to Europe once in our 124-year history. Once. That’s only just above none which, coincidentally, is the same number of times Crystal Palace fans have enjoyed a pint in Gatwick ‘Spoons and an Easyjet flight on an away day.
And now there’s a creeping suggestion we should politely pass on doing it again because it might make next season’s fixture list a bit busy? That we should swerve a potential away day in Celje (Slovenia, as you’re asking) or Białystok (Poland) so our full-backs can put their feet up between Premier League fixtures? Honestly, what are we doing?
Yes, Europe’s tough. Yes, it stretches the squad. Yes, Premier League form may suffer. But still. You don’t say no to Europe!
You don’t say no to watching your team walk out in some far-flung European outpost you’d never otherwise consider visiting, drinking a beer you’ve never heard of at a price last seen in the UK in the early 1980s.
You don’t say no to negronis in Trastevere or a pizza so good it makes you forget who was playing left-back. (It was Igor)
You don’t say no to bouncing in the away end in Marseille, after a torturous two-hour bus “tour” of the city outskirts, then belting out “Good Old Sussex By The Sea” in a stadium that smells like flares and history.
You don’t say no to the ancient charms of Athens, where myths are made, maps don’t matter, and retsina flows like it’s on tap from the Acropolis.
And you definitely don’t say no to Amsterdam, where some fans saw Brighton in Europe and others saw the inside of six bars before lunchtime. Many saw both.
The adventure was real. And it wasn’t just about football — it was about belonging. About knowing that little old Brighton, our club that had to borrow a ground in Gillingham and once played home games next to a running track, had made it.
And now some fans are saying we should sit this one out? So we can maybe go again next year?
Let’s be clear — next year isn’t guaranteed. It’s not even close.
The “Big Six” may not even exist anymore. – It now feels more like a Big Eight and, spoiler alert: we’re not in it.
Newcastle and Villa have joined the billionaires’ table. Spurs and United have stuttered this season, and we’ve still only got a sniff of Europe’s bottom table. Forest are having a freakishly good season and Champions League isn’t guaranteed for them.
It might take everything going wrong for a big club or two and absolutely everything going right for us to finish in the “where’s my passport?” zone again.
Waiting for the perfect storm is not a strategy. It’s a lottery ticket with worse odds and fewer Negronis.
We’re not Chelsea resting for a Champions League run. We’re Brighton. And Europe isn’t a distraction — it’s a prize. A reward for years of building something smart, bold, and completely ours.
Do the players want it? Of course they do! Fabian Hurzeler will want it too. And deep down, we want it, don’t we? We want the airports. The strangely-named beers. A random 5:45pm kick-off that makes no sense. We want to sing over tannoys in languages we don’t understand. We want to tell stories that start with “That night in…” and end with tears, tear gas, limbs, or all of the above.
So yes — we want Europe. This year. Now. And as often as we can get it.
Because football is supposed to be fun. And in case anyone forgot — Europe was the most fun we’ve ever had.
Do you want to see Albion competing in the UEFA Conference League next season? Join the debate right here.
