‘Rolls’ Royce was surprise Christmas presence at QPR

IN THE DAYS before wall-to-wall media coverage of all things football, I can remember turning up at Loftus Road to watch a Boxing Day match between QPR and Brighton and wondering who on earth was in goal for the Albion.

It was in the Second Division days when Michel Kuipers was an almost permanent fixture between the sticks for the Seagulls (he’d played 46 consecutive games). But, on 26 December 2001, there was a stranger behind Danny Cullip and Simon Morgan.

He was certainly a stranger to the players, who’d only met him a few hours before kick-off, but, thankfully, he was well known to manager Peter Taylor.

It turned out, Kuipers had pulled a thigh muscle in the previous Saturday’s 2-2 draw at home to Chesterfield and, rather than chance rookie Will Packham, Taylor opted for an experienced ‘keeper who he’d signed twice before.

Taylor had hastily gone back to his previous employer, Leicester City, on Christmas Eve, to sign Simon Royce on loan to cover the period Kuipers was indisposed.

Royce did well to keep a clean sheet in what finished a 0-0 draw, having not had a chance to train with his new teammates.

It transpired Royce had only met them a few hours earlier, at Reigate, en route to Shepherd’s Bush, as the Argus reported, having spent Christmas Day with his family at his Essex home.

Royce managed to pull off decent saves in each half of the encounter at Loftus Road, stopping a goalbound Danny Shittu header in the first half and dealing with a 20-yard shot from crowd favourite Doudou in the second.

Albion’s Paul Watson hit the bar with one of his trademark free-kicks early in the second half while Cullip went close to breaking the deadlock from a Watson corner, only for his header to be cleared off the line by Karl Connolly.

Taylor knew what he was getting with Royce having signed him for both Southend United and the Foxes, where, under Taylor’s successor, Dave Bassett, the ‘keeper had slipped down the pecking order following a bout of laryngitis.

“I had been second choice all season at Leicester, but the way Dave Bassett works, if you are ill or injured he changes it and you have to work your way back,” Royce told the Argus. “I did so well last year, but, when you don’t play, you get forgotten just as quickly.”

He added: “I had been ill a couple of weeks before, so I had lost my place on the bench at Leicester.

“I’d not really played much reserve team football for three or four weeks, so when Peter asked me if I fancied playing a few games I jumped at the chance. It’s nice to keep yourself match fit.”

Royce admitted knowing the manager certainly helped him to drop down two divisions for the chance to play, but the main reason was to get some games under his belt.

“Dropping down a couple of divisions doesn’t bother me at all,” he said. “It’s still a decent standard and Brighton are flying high.

“There are some very good teams in the Second Division, like QPR and Blackpool, so it’s not a problem. I’ve played in the Second Division before with Southend and I quite enjoyed it.

“This is a perfect opportunity for me to get some games in and let people know I am still around.”

Royce was delighted to start his spell with a clean sheet – but that was as good as it got because he conceded 13 goals in the other five matches he played.

Three days after his debut, he let in two but saved a penalty in a 2-2 draw at Blackpool. Albion’s 10-game unbeaten away league record shuddered to a halt in a 3-0 defeat at Wigan, during which Royce needed treatment after being clattered by a Latics striker.

*Physio Malcolm Stuart tends to the clattered Royce at Wigan*

When Royce finally got to make his Withdean debut, against Cambridge United, he spoiled the occasion with a gaffe, pushing a long-range shot from Paul Wanless into the path of Luke Guttridge for an easy tap-in. Thankfully a Bobby Zamora hat-trick meant the Seagulls prevailed 4-3.

Royce’s penultimate game was a 2-1 win away to Chesterfield but three days later he bowed out in ignominy as Albion were thumped 4-0 by Steve Coppell’s Brentford in a live ITV Digital match, Ivar Ingimarsson and Steve Sidwell scoring two of the Bees goals.

Born in Forest Gate, London, on 9 September 1971, Royce began his football career with non-League Heybridge Swifts while working as a painter and decorator. At the age of 20, a £35,000 fee took him to Southend, signed by former Chelsea defender David Webb, who was managing the Shrimpers back then.

He made his debut for Southend in a 3-1 home win over Grimsby Town in March 1992.

In seven seasons at Roots Hall, Royce made 169 appearances in Divisions One and Two, a couple of them under Taylor, before getting a move to Premier League Charlton Athletic on a Bosman free transfer.

Addicks boss Alan Curbishley briefly promoted him from third to first choice when Andy Petterson was loaned out to Portsmouth and Sasa Ilic lost form. He kept four clean sheets in a row in eight Premier League matches in the 1998-99 season, but injury issues then sidelined him. He didn’t feature at all in the 1999-00 season and, with the arrival of Dean Kiely at The Valley, decided to link up again with Taylor at Leicester, again moving on a Bosman ‘free’.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better move,” Royce told the Daily Gazette. “I played under Peter at Southend and I can’t wait to work with him again because he’s a great coach.

“He had a hard time at Roots Hall, but Peter has matured into an excellent manager in recent years, picking up valuable experience with both the England under-21 side and Gillingham.

“I owe Peter a lot. He knew I was out of contract at Charlton this summer, but he promised me that he would take me to whatever club he was at this year.

“At the time we spoke, Peter was still with Gillingham and I’d have been happy to play for him there in the First Division. But Peter got the Leicester job and he has remained true to his word and brought me on board.”

Initially an understudy to Tim Flowers, Royce had a run of 19 Premier League matches in the second half of the 2000-01 season, keeping clean sheets on seven occasions.

David Lacey, the renowned football writer for The Guardian, even hinted at international recognition for him, after newly installed England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson had been to watch Ipswich Town beat Leicester 2-0 at Portman Road.

“Eriksson was here primarily to run an eye over Richard Wright, Ipswich’s once capped goalkeeper, although, since Wright had so little to do, he must have gone away more impressed by Simon Royce, whose saves kept alive Leicester’s hopes of a point,” wrote Lacey. “Royce, back in the Leicester side because of another injury to Tim Flowers, showed excellent agility and anticipation in keeping out headers from Alun Armstrong and Matt Holland as Ipswich increasingly dominated the match.”

Taylor told the journalist: “Simon Royce’s goalkeeping was the only positive thing to come out of our own performance.”

Any hopes Royce had of taking over the no.1 shirt permanently at Leicester were dashed when Taylor paid £2.5m to install Ian Walker as his first choice ‘keeper.

After his loan spell at Brighton, he went on a similar arrangement to Manchester City later that same season, although he didn’t play any first team games.

The following season he went on loan to QPR, where he featured 17 times.

On his release from Leicester, he moved back to Charlton on a two-year contract, but made only one Premier League appearance in 2003-04.

He was quite literally a loan Ranger in 2004-05, initially playing a couple of games for Luton Town and then returning to QPR, making 13 appearances in their Championship side.

He made a permanent move to Loftus Road in 2005 and, in an away game at Stoke City, was in the news when caught up in a crowd invasion, although manager Ian Holloway said his ‘keeper was fine: “Simon Royce is a big lad and he can look after himself.”

Royce recounted the incident in an interview for brentfordfc.com. “We’d won the game 2-1. I always kept a towel and a water bottle by my left-hand post, so I bent down to pick them up and felt someone jump on my back.

“At first, I assumed it was a team-mate because we’d won the game, but then I looked down and saw a pair of trainers and felt a blow to the back of my head. It was a Stoke supporter who’d run on to the pitch, shouting ‘I’m going to do you, Roycey!’

“I had my hand on the post so managed to pick him up and throw him in the net. After that the stewards rushed on and we had more supporters on the pitch – it was complete mayhem. The fan in question was sentenced to four months in prison for assault.”

Royce managed to hold down a regular starting berth for the first time in several years during his time in west London, playing 32 games in 2005-06 and 22 in 2006-07.

However, he was back on the loan circuit, briefly, when in April 2007 he moved to League One Gillingham to play in their last three games of the season.

During the summer break, he signed for the Kent club on a permanent basis. He featured in 36 matches in the 2007-08 season, and was named Supporters’ Player of the Year, although the Gills were relegated.

When Royce penned a new one-year deal in the summer of 2008, manager Mark Stimson told the club website: “I’m delighted with Simon’s decision. He’s going to be a vital player for us next season and one that we will need to help get this club back to where we want to be.”

He was first-choice ‘keeper throughout the 2008-09 season, making 49 appearances as Gills were promoted back to League One via the League Two play-off final at Wembley. Royce, by then 38, said keeping a clean sheet as Gillingham beat Shrewsbury Town 1-0 was one of his career highlights. Former Seagulls Albert Jarrett and Mark McCammon were on the Gillingham subs bench that day.

Unfortunately, in December 2009, Royce sustained several injuries in a car accident.

Stimson told BBC Radio Kent: “His knee is in a bad way and he has a bad neck. He’s going to be out for a couple of weeks. He’s had a scan on his knee, we should get the results of that this week.

“He’s also had X-rays on his neck. I’m praying it’s just a couple of weeks because he’s a big player for us. Until we get the scan results we have to wait and see. He’s been a big part of it. He’ll be missed.”

As it turned out, Royce never regained the no.1 spot from Alan Julian, who’d stepped in to replace him, and he left Gillingham at the end of the season to take up a goalkeeper coaching job at Brentford, during which time former Albion no.2 David Button was among the goalkeepers he helped to develop.

Royce eventually left Griffin Park in the summer of 2018 after eight seasons with the Bees.In thanking him for his contribution, Phil Giles, Brentford’s co-director of football, told the club website: “He leaves behind a fantastic legacy, having developed some top goalkeepers during his time here, including Simon Moore, David Button, Dan Bentley, Jack Bonham and Luke Daniels.”

He returned to Gillingham as goalkeeper coach for the 2019-20 season, working with Bonham once again, and on 28 September 2019, at the age of 48, suddenly found himself on the substitute’s bench for Gills’ away game against Oxford United when reserve goalkeeper Joe Walsh suffered an injury just before kick-off. His previous involvement in a competitive match had been more than eight years earlier, for Brentford, in a 4-1 defeat to Dagenham & Redbridge.

Royce remained on the bench as Oxford won 3-0 and, at the season’s end, he left Priestfield as part of a Covid-related cost-cutting measure.

Pictures from various online sources.

John Humphrey – unsung hero of 1997 great escape

ONE OF the unsung heroes of Albion’s last-gasp survival feat in 1997 knew a thing or two about playing for clubs in precarious circumstances.

John Humphrey’s first club was Wolverhampton Wanderers during a bleak period in their history: they dropped into the basement division under the controversial ownership of the Bhatti brothers.

The right-back later played ‘home’ games for Charlton Athletic at Selhurst Park and Upton Park when the football authorities deemed The Valley unfit to stage matches.

And he ended his professional playing days turning out for Brighton in ‘home’ games at Gillingham’s Priestfield Stadium (as pictured above).

Humphrey came to Brighton’s rescue in the autumn of his career.

With Albion’s very existence under threat as 1996 turned to 1997, Albion handed the managerial reins to Steve Gritt, and former Charlton teammate Humphrey was his first signing: a free transfer from Gillingham, who were playing in the division above.

Humphrey was 36 at the time with nearly 650 professional matches behind him, including a good many in the top-flight with Wolves, Charlton and Crystal Palace. Indeed, he was Charlton’s player of the year in 1988, 1989 and 1990.

After four matches on the bench, Humphrey replaced Peter Smith at right back and played in Albion’s last 11 games of that 1996-97 season, only ending up on the losing side three times. wearebrighton.com said his impact made him “a seriously underrated piece of the Great Escape jigsaw”.

“Steve wanted me because I was experienced, could get the players organised and was able to talk them through matches,” Humphrey told the Argus. “He knew I was steady, reliable and dependable, that nine games out of ten I’d play pretty well and that I would give 100 per cent.

“It was a lot of pressure but I’d been through a few promotions (three) and relegations (six) with Wolves, Charlton and Crystal Palace.” He continued: “The stressful situations I had gone through with those other clubs had given me experience of how to try and keep a season alive.

“I could do a job for Brighton and I felt I did that and the team turned out to be good enough to hang on. It was one of the biggest achievements of my career.”

Humphrey remembered the pressure going into the Hereford match was “horrible” because of the media focus but he added: “It might have been going out of the frying pan of Gillingham into the fire at Albion but I’m glad I made the jump.”

Unfortunately, then chief executive David Bellotti tried to renege on a deal Gritt had agreed verbally with Humphrey that he’d get a new one-year contract if Albion stayed up.

“When I was told I was being released, I thought it was a pretty poor show. But Steve, to his credit, then fought my corner and I stayed on.”

With the Goldstone sold, and Albion forced to play ‘home’ games at Gillingham, Humphrey retained his place in the side and played in 13 matches but, along with other senior players, such as Craig Maskell, Paul McDonald, Denny Mundee and Ian Baird, he was let go to save money on wages.

Humphrey accepted the package he was offered, called time on his long professional career, and dropped into the non-league scene, playing initially for Chesham, then Carshalton, Dulwich Hamlet and Walton and Hersham.

He got a break into a new career as a teacher at Whitgift School in Croydon courtesy of former Albion defender, Colin Pates, who’d played with Humphrey at Charlton.

“I knew Colin from Charlton when we roomed together,” Humphrey told the Argus. “I was aware he was at the school and he said he needed help for after-school sessions and asked me to come along. So I did and the football took off at the school and I got involved in other sports like rugby and basketball and got a full-time job there.”

After leaving Whitgift School, Humphrey became head of football at Highgate School in north London.

Born in Paddington, west London on 31 January 1961, Humphrey was picked up by Wolves after he played against their junior team for a North London club called Bourne Hall.

He recounted how events unfolded in an interview with wolvesheroes.com: initially signing schoolboy forms, then progressing to coaching in school holidays, before earning an apprenticeship.

He signed as a professional in 1979 and made his first-team debut in the old top- flight in a 3-0 Easter Monday win at Southampton in 1980. His second game ended in a 3-0 defeat to Brighton.

They came under John Barnwell and, by the time Humphrey left the club in 1985, he’d served under three other managers; the last being former Manchester United boss Tommy Docherty.

Although the side was relegated in 1981-82, Humphrey embarked on what was a 78-game unbroken spell in the side. He was ever-present when they were promoted in 1982-83.

“I loved my time at Wolves,” he told wolvesheroes.com. “I only left because we went down again in 1984-85 and I didn’t fancy playing in the Third Division. Charlton came in for me and they took John Pender from Wolves a few weeks later as well.”

Wolves under the Bhatti brothers were in freefall and a lack of investment in the side saw them suffer three consecutive relegations – in 1984, 1985 and 1986 – ending up in the old Fourth Division for the first time in the club’s history.

Humphrey joined an Addicks side newly-promoted to the elite and, although Lennie Lawrence’s side often struggled to retain their status, they remained in the top-flight until 1990, and many supporters thought the right-back was good enough for international selection.

On charltonlife.com in September 2012, Queensland Addick recalled his impressive level of fitness, and said: “The number of times he ran the right wing at great pace during a game was quite incredible.”

By the time he left Charlton in August 1990, he’d played 231 games and it was said his £400,000 transfer to top-flight Crystal Palace was linked to the fact that at the time Charlton were playing home matches at Selhurst Park.

In a five-year stay at Selhurst, Humphrey played 192 games (plus 10 as sub). Known principally for his defending, Humphrey was delighted to mark his 150^th appearance for Palace with a 35-yard equaliser for the Eagles against his old club, Wolves, in a 1993 1-1 home draw.

Between December 1993 and May 1994, while Palace were winning promotion from the second tier under Alan Smith, Humphrey was out on a six-month loan at Reading, playing nine games for Mark McGhee’s Second Division side.

He then returned to second-tier Charlton on a free transfer for the 1995-96 season, playing in 36 matches, after Alan Curbishley had taken sole charge.

Next stop was Gillingham, for the first part of the 1996-97 season, but he confessed he didn’t see eye to eye with manager Tony Pulis, so he was happy to answer the call from Gritt to aid basement Brighton’s cause.

Kish and caps invaluable experience in promotion season

WHEN RADOSTIN Kishishev signed for the Albion in the summer of 2010, they acquired the services of an experienced international footballer to help in their push for promotion from the third tier.

That ‘Kish’ was 35 at the time might have been a concern but the nous he brought to the side more than compensated for the inevitability that his best years were behind him.

As manager Gus Poyet told the Argus: “He is an excellent professional and has kept himself in superb shape throughout his career.

“His quality is obvious, there is no doubt about that, but we had to be sure about his fitness. But he has proved that age is no barrier.

“That experience and quality will bring a lot to the team and will also help our younger players in their development.”

With 88 caps for Bulgaria to his credit (he was in his country’s Euro ’96 squad for the tournament in England, then played in the 1998 World Cup in France and was involved up to 2009), Kishishev had seen Premier League action with Charlton Athletic, mainly as a right-back, as well as playing for Leicester City and Leeds United, when Poyet was assistant manager to Dennis Wise.

Kishishev expressed his gratitude to Poyet for rescuing his English football career at Brighton. “I thought I was going to retire after moving back to Bulgaria,” he said. “I thought I would stay there and finish my career.

“I am very pleased with the way things have worked out and I really appreciate the chance I have been given to play for Brighton.”

In a matchday programme article, he said: “My desire for football is still so strong. As a footballer you should keep plying for as long as you can because you are a long time retired.”

However, in the autumn of 2010, Kishishev was indicating his stay on the south coast would only be for the one season because of the wear and tear he was feeling.

After being part of the side in season-defining away wins 3-0 at Peterborough and 4-0 at his old club Charlton, he told the Argus: “It is becoming harder and harder every year. My legs are getting tired and painful so it’s difficult to continue playing.”

Nonetheless, Kishishev was heavily involved throughout the season, starting a total of 25 games and coming on as a substitute in 11 others.

He missed a couple of months of action when allowed compassionate leave to return to Bulgaria, but Poyet was glad to welcome him back in March 2011 to bring a steadying influence to the final run-in.

For instance, after coming on as a sub when Albion eventually overcame Carlisle 4-3, Poyet said: “Kish came on and understood the game better than anyone else on the pitch.

“He knew where the danger was, how to pass it, when to make a foul. That is down to experience and quality, so I’m pleased to have him back.”

Kishishev was released in May 2011 and he returned to Bulgaria to play one last season with the club where it all began for him 20 years earlier: Chernomorets Burgas.

He started 16 League games for them, came on as a substitute in three more, and played his final game on 19 May 2012 in a 1-1 home draw with Locomotiv Sofia.

The background to his compassionate leave became public a few months later when in October 2012 his wife died of cervical cancer aged just 38. She had first been diagnosed with the illness while Kishishev was in the UK playing for the Albion.

Born in the Black Sea coastal city of Burgas on 30 July 1974, Kishishev also made 75 appearances for the city’s Neftochimik side and although he subsequently moved to Turkey to play for Bursapor, after only 20 games in six months there he returned to Bulgaria in January 1998 to join Litex Lovech, who he helped to win two league titles (1998 and 1999).

The bulk of his English career was spent in the top flight with Charlton under Alan Curbishley, and on a return visit to The Valley in 2017, Kishishev told the Charlton website: “It was always good when we beat the best teams. Arsenal; we beat them 1-0 on New Year’s Day and I think Graham Stuart scored. Chelsea; we beat them in their first year of Roman Abramovich on Boxing Day.

“I have great memories of games first of all, and then the crowd. The warmness they gave me all the time is one of the first things I remember.

“When I look back, I was one of Curbs’ favourite players. He always picked me and believed in my skills and ability, and I was so glad to have been part of that great team.”

Towards the end of his Charlton days, he joined Leeds United on loan and Leeds fan site ozwhitelufc.net details Kishishev’s career and explains his popularity at Elland Road, where he made 10 appearances as they unsuccessfully battled against relegation from the Championship.

When released by the Addicks in June 2007, he chose to join Leicester City on a two-year contract, with boss Martin Allen telling the BBC: “I watched him play against Belarus recently. I wanted to check he still had energy and enthusiasm – and he played well.

“I’m delighted that he has agreed to come here. He gives us some steel in the centre of midfield.”

Unfortunately, the move came during the reign of Milan Mandaric as chairman and managers came and went with alarming regularity. Allen was replaced by Gary Megson, but he only lasted nine games, and then Ian Holloway took over.

Just four months after signing for the Foxes, and having made only six starts plus five appearances as a sub, Kishishev headed back on loan to Leeds. He told the Leeds website: “I signed a two-year at Leicester and the start wasn’t very good, for the team and myself as well.

“Life changes all the time and I’ve got another spell here and I hope it will be for longer. Once I knew that Gus and Dennis wanted me to come, I agreed 100 per cent.

“I’m happy and I hope I can play some part for Leeds and keep the same standards.”

Just six days after he signed, Poyet quit Leeds to become first team coach at Tottenham and five days after his three-month loan came to an end, Wise moved on to become a director at Newcastle.

Kishishev made only seven appearances in that second spell and it seemed his time in England was over when he chose to move back to Bulgaria and rejoin Litex Lovech.

That was until he was reunited with Poyet once more at Brighton. He was already studying for his UEFA A coaching licence at that time and he has since managed and coached in Bulgaria.

‘Sleekly skilful’ Dale Jasper remembered with a smile

FORMER teammates expressed fond memories and a sense of shock when Dale Jasper died in January 2020 aged only 56.

A product of Chelsea’s youth system in the 1980s, he made it through to the first team but moved to Brighton to get more playing time.

Although he succeeded – playing a total of 52 matches plus eight as a sub under Alan Mullery and Barry Lloyd between 1986 and 1988 – he had to move on again, this time to Crewe Alexandra, to establish a regular starting berth.

It was certainly no mean achievement, though, to have on his CV that he won promotion with all three clubs.

In Ivan Ponting’s obituary for Back Pass magazine, Jasper was described as “a sleekly skilful midfielder-cum-central defender”.

Born in Croydon on 14 January 1964, Jasper was an associate schoolboy with Chelsea from the tender age of 10.

He progressed to the youth ranks and turned professional at Stamford Bridge in January 1982. Manager John Neal gave him his first team break against Cardiff City in March 1984, and Chelsea fans remember him for his involvement in some eye-catching matches.

One involved a 4-4 League Cup quarter final against Sheffield Wednesday but in the semi-final v Sunderland he conceded two penalties.

Although part of the squad Neal steered to promotion from the second tier in 1983-84, the form of his friend Colin Pates, who later had two spells with Brighton himself, and Joe McLaughlin, meant first team chances were few and far between.

Nevertheless, former Chelsea star Pat Nevin remembered Jasper’s involvement in a warm tribute on chelseafc.com.

“Dale was about as much fun as you could find wrapped up in one person,” said Nevin. “He had a brilliant personality in the dressing room at Stamford Bridge and was always up for a surreal laugh with all of us, particularly when he was with his great friends Colin Pates and John Bumstead.”

When Neal’s replacement, John Hollins, failed to offer Jasper the first team game-time he craved, he took the chance to join Brighton in May 1986, and enthused about the move in an interview with Albion matchday programme contributor, Tony Norman.

“I signed on the Monday and three days later I flew out to Hong Kong with the team, so it wasn’t a bad week, was it? We played an exhibition match over there. I was a bit disappointed when a goal I scored was disallowed, but I was smiling by the end of the game, because we won 3-1.

“We were away for about a week and it was a very good way for me to meet the rest of the p!ayers and get to know them. It all seemed a bit unreal, because it had all come out of the blue, but it was very enjoyable.”

Unfortunately for him, the manager who signed him for Brighton – Mullery – was unable to recapture the midas touch he’d previously enjoyed at the club.

Jasper started the first 13 games of the 1986-87 season but only three wins were chalked up and Mullery was shown the exit door shortly into the new year.

Jasper played 16 games plus one as a sub under new boss Lloyd but, after the side were relegated back to the third tier, he found it difficult to cement a regular place in the starting line-up.

Apart from a 10-game stint of starts between November and January, he spent most of the 1987-88 season on the subs bench, with Alan Curbishley and Mike Trusson preferred and, for the promotion run-in, Lloyd turned to Adrian Owers. instead.

Although Jasper scored in successive matches in February (one after coming on as a sub in a 2-2 home draw with Chesterfield), his final appearance in an Albion shirt was in a 5-1 defeat at home to Notts County in a Sherpa Van Trophy regional semi-final on 9 March 1988.

Jasper’s well-known sense of humour was evident in his answers for a profile feature in the Albion matchday programme. Perhaps reflecting his lack of first team game time, he said his ambition was “to win the Sussex Senior Cup” and said his favourite actress was teammate Perry Digweed!

Interestingly, he listed (former Chelsea coach) Dario Gradi as one of the main influences on his career, and it was to Gradi’s Crewe side that he moved on leaving the Albion in July 1988.

At the Alex, he made more than 100 appearances in four years, including being involved in their 1989 promotion from the fourth tier. He later played non-league for Crawley Town and Kingstonian.

After his playing career came to an end, he worked in the building trade.

Shocked to learn of Jasper’s death on 30 January 2020, former Albion teammate John Keeley told the Argus: “Dale was really well liked by everyone. He had some real talent and was a top, top lad.”

Wearside hero Gary Rowell blighted by injury after leaving Sunderland

gary rowell tony norman BRIGHTON fans never got to witness the best of prolific goalscorer Gary Rowell who, to this day, Sunderland fans eulogise in the same way Albion fans still sing about Peter Ward.

He died aged 68 on 13 December 2025, exactly 50 years to the day of his first appearance for the Black Cats following a long battle with leukaemia.

Rowell has a place in Sunderland’s best all time XI selection, in 2005 he topped a Football Focus poll as Sunderland’s all-time cult hero and, in 2020, was inducted into the SAFC Hall of Fame, which he described as ‘the best night of my life’.

There is a website that details every one of the 103 goals the Seaham-born footballer scored for the Wearsiders in 297 games after making his debut as a 71st minute substitute for Mel Holden in a 1-0 Sunderland win over Oxford United at Roker Park.

Unfortunately, the free-scoring striker-turned-midfielder was struck by a knee injury which hampered the latter part of his career, including his spells with Norwich City and the Seagulls.

Having left Sunderland on a free transfer after 12 years at the club, Rowell tore ligaments in his right knee on a pre-season tour of Scandinavia with Norwich before he even managed to kick a ball in anger.

In a year at Carrow Road, he made only six appearances – four as a substitute – and scored just the once, coming off the bench to net against Aston Villa. Typical of this spell between August 1984 and July 1985, he was substituted after only 16 minutes of his reserve team debut.

The following season, a £35,000 fee took him back to the North East to play for Middlesbrough, but, at the time, they were in the middle of a financial crisis and lost their second-tier status. Rowell top-scored with 10 goals in 27 appearances – two of them against the Albion at the Goldstone in January 1986 – but Boro were relegated in second-to-last spot (Brighton finished in 11^th place that season).

Brighton were not exactly flush with cash themselves in the summer of 1986 when Alan Mullery, the manager who’d previously led them from third tier to the elite, returned to the club to replace Chris Cattlin.

Mullery found a very different set-up to the one he’d left acrimoniously in the summer of 1981. With little money available to be spent on new arrivals, hard-up Albion, not for the first time, had turned to the supporters in an effort to raise transfer funds.

Money from a scheme called the Lifeline fund went towards buying goalkeeper John Keeley for £1,500 from non-league Chelmsford, Darren Hughes for £30,000 from Shrewsbury Town, and Rowell from Middlesbrough on a free transfer (the Lifeline funds being used to help with his relocation to the South Coast).

Mullery explained the Rowell signing thus in his programme notes: “I see his role with us as coming forward from midfield and adding to our power in the box.

“We know he can get goals and he is a versatile player. When we further improve the squad, we may use him a little differently.”

Rowell , who discovered Mullery had tried to sign him back in 1979 (but Sunderland hadn’t informed him), joined just after the start of the season, in time to be given a place on the bench for the away 1-1 draw with his former club Sunderland. He went on for Kieran O’Regan with 18 minutes left.

He kept the bench warm for two more matches before getting his first start in place of Northern Irish centre-forward Gerry Armstrong in a 2-2 draw away to Plymouth Argyle on 13 September.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before Mullery was reporting his absence from the side because of an ankle injury sustained in training.

Nevertheless, interviewed by Tony Norman in the matchday programme, Rowell, who was 29 and married with two small children, said: “I’m delighted with the move. I’ve found it to be a very friendly club and people have gone out of their way to make us feel at home. Now I want to repay the club by playing well for the team.”

The longest run of games he got in an Albion shirt came in November and December 1986 when he took over from winger Steve Penney for six matches (two wins, two draws, two defeats).

rowell BW HS

A broken toe and a troublesome hamstring made him feel injury-jinxed but, during his run back in the side, he had what Mullery described as “his best game since joining us” in a 3-0 win over Shrewsbury Town on 21 December. Six days later, the toe went again, and he didn’t play for the rest of the season.

Mullery was then controversially dismissed the following month and Rowell had to wait until the start of the following season for successor Barry Lloyd to select him.

He featured in three pre-season friendlies, all of which ended in defeats and wore the no.4 shirt in the opening two fixtures of the 1987-88 season, but those were his only first-team starts that campaign. His midfield berth was taken over by the experienced Alan Curbishley.

By October, the matchday programme reported Rowell and fellow midfielder Dale Jasper had been placed on the transfer list following long discussions with Lloyd. Curiously, it added: “However, both players are keen to stay with the club, regardless of any offers made, and will be battling hard for first team places.”

Rowell subsequently appeared seven times as a substitute for the first team, but he was largely confined to the Reserves for whom he made 20 appearances and scored once. In February 1988, he moved to Dundee on trial, but, when not taken on, moved the following month to Carlisle United.

After just seven games for the Cumbrians, he finished his professional career at Burnley, where he scored once in 19 appearances.

Born in Sunderland on 6 June 1957, Rowell grew up in the mining village of Seaham, became an apprentice at Sunderland in 1972 and two years later turned professional.

In 1976, when Sunderland were struggling in the First Division, manager Jimmy Adamson gambled on the introduction of the 19-year-old Rowell: it paid off in spades as he scored 44 goals in two and a half seasons.

During that prolific spell, Rowell was in the squad for two end of season England Under 21 Championship preliminary matches; he went on for Laurie Cunningham in a 1-0 win over Finland in Helsinki on 26 May 1977 but wasn’t involved in a 2-1 win over Norway in Bergen six days later. This was an England side including future full internationals Peter Barnes and Peter Reid.

He was also a non-playing member of Dave Sexton’s squad that assembled at the Goldstone Ground three months later, but he had to watch as an over-age Peter Ward (22), playing on home turf, of course, scored a hat-trick in a 6-0 win over Norway. The aforementioned Curbishley was also a non-playing onlooker in that squad.

footballinprint.com Undoubtedly, the stand-out moment of Rowell’s Sunderland career came when he scored a hat-trick in a 4-1 win over arch rivals Newcastle United at St James’ Park, which he referred to in a profile article (see above).

In a vote for Sunderland’s best players of the 1970s, Rowell was described as “a lovely footballer. Though not blessed with blistering pace, he would ghost into goal-scoring positions and his finishing was deadly.” Rowell was an expert penalty taker, scoring 25 of 26 he took for Sunderland.

Some observers reckon but for injury he would surely have gone on to gain full England international honours. However, his career was severely disrupted by a serious knee injury sustained in a March 1979 game against Leyton Orient.

After a lengthy recovery, he resumed scoring goals regularly but there were doubts over his being able to maintain fitness for the duration of a whole season.

As part of a big team rebuilding exercise carried out by manager Len Ashurst in 1984, Rowell was allowed to move to Norwich.

After his playing days ended, Rowell became a financial consultant in Burnley and those loyal Sunderland supporters still got to hear their hero because, for a number of years, he was a commentator on Sunderland games for Metro Radio.

Pictures mainly from matchday programmes. Sunderland profile article: footballinprint.com.

Steve Gatting’s three Brighton Wembley dates after missing out with Arsenal

1 MAIN gat sees GS goal.jpg STEVE Gatting played at Wembley three times for Brighton having twice been denied the opportunity by Arsenal.

After being left out of Arsenal’s FA Cup Final sides in both 1979 and 1980 he finally got to step out onto the hallowed turf twice in the space of five days in 1983.

And his appearance in Brighton’s 3-1 defeat to Notts County in the 1991 play-off final at the famous old stadium was also his last in an Albion shirt after 10 years at the club.

In Match Weekly’s 1983 Cup Final preview edition, Gatting revealed his heartache at missing out with Arsenal in 1979. “I expected to be at least substitute after playing in five of the games leading up to Wembley, including the semi-final,” he said. “I was desperately sick when I didn’t get a chance. Although I really wanted the lads to do well, I couldn’t help feeling pangs of regret as the cup was paraded around the ground.”

Born on 29 May 1959 in Park Royal, London, two years after his famous brother Mike, the former Middlesex and England cricket captain, Steve was no mean batsman himself.

Instead of joining the ground staff at Middlesex County Cricket Club, though, Gatting shone at football with Middlesex and London Schoolboys teams and became an associate schoolboy with Arsenal before joining as an apprentice in July 1975. Terry Neill signed him as a professional at the age of 17 and a year later he made his First Division debut against Southampton at Highbury.

Gatting made 76 appearances for Arsenal over three seasons, his most memorable being the 1979 FA Cup semi-final against Wolves at Villa Park. He said his biggest disappointment was missing out on the May 1980 European Cup Winners Cup Final against Valencia in Brussels.

In his youth career, Gatting played in the centre of the back four but Arsenal generally played him in midfield, where competition for places was fierce with the likes of Liam Brady and Graham Rix. He admitted after joining Brighton: “When they bought Brian Talbot from Ipswich, I sensed I was on my way out.”

It was rumoured Albion would take Gatting as part of a swap deal that would see Mark Lawrenson join Arsenal but, of course, Lawrenson went to Liverpool instead. Albion were still interested in Gatting, though, and in September 1981 new manager Mike Bailey met him and his displaced colleague Sammy Nelson at Gatwick Airport and agreed terms to buy the pair of them; £200,000 the fee for the young Gatting.

Albion offered Gatting the chance of regular first team football and, although the expectation was for him to occupy a midfield spot, he quickly stepped in alongside Steve Foster in the back four and completed 45 appearances that season.

Aside from a rare couple of spells back in midfield, he remained a defender for the rest of his career, often slotting in at left back – apart from when he played right-back in the Cup Final replay.

Gatting had a terrific game alongside Gary Stevens in the 2-2 drawn first game against Man United, but Jimmy Melia unwisely chose to play the left-footed Gatting in place of injured Chris Ramsey (he should have put Stevens there) and the back line was noticeably unbalanced as they went down 4-0.

The Paul Camillin / Stewart Weir book Albion The first 100 years said: “Played out of position at right-back in the replay, he endured an uncomfortable evening in an unfamiliar role.”

Even so, interviewed three years later in the Albion matchday programme, Gatting spoke fondly about his memories of the whole occasion.

“The helicopter flight to Wembley was a new experience. We flew over the stadium and saw all our fans below,” he said. “That was a great moment. We landed and drove to the ground and went straight out onto the pitch to get a taste of the atmosphere. I met my brother Mike out there and to be honest he was more nervous than me!

“The greatest part of the whole day was walking out of the tunnel and seeing all the fans and being deafened by the cheering. That is an ambition every footballer has, to play in the Cup Final at Wembley. It was a dream come true for us and I think it lifted our game.”

Gatting had made only eight first team appearances in the 1984-85 season before, in November 1984, he sustained a serious pelvic injury which threatened his career. After five months, it was decided the only solution was a bone graft to the pelvis.

He had to remain motionless in hospital for a month and then rest on his couch when he was allowed home.

His wife Joy told Tony Norman in March 1986: “I felt sorry for Steve. He’s usually such an active person but suddenly he just had to sit there. It must have been very difficult. But Steve never got into self-pity. He stayed very positive and I respected him for that.”

Norman reported: “It was a long hard road for Steve. He started taking long walks in July, to build up strength and that progressed into jogging, light training and finally full training. He made his comeback game in the Reserves on 26 October.

Gatting told the interviewer: “When you are playing regularly, you tend to take things for granted. But when something like a serious injury comes along, it makes you realise how lucky you are to be fit and playing the game you enjoy so much. When you’re sitting on the sidelines week in week out it brings it home to you.”

The injury restricted him to only 17 appearances in the 1985-86 season but he was restored fully to the side in 1986-87 when financial issues clouded Alan Mullery’s return to the manager’s chair and successor Barry Lloyd couldn’t stop the inexorable slide to relegation from the second tier.

In a League Cup game replay away against First Division leaders Nottingham Forest, Gatting had to take over in goal when Perry Digweed was forced off with a broken cheekbone. Gatting completed 45 appearances that season and said: “Dropping into the Third Division was far worse than going out of the First.

'keeper Gatt - webb on ground

Makeshift ‘keeper Gatting claims the ball with Nottingham Forest’s Neil Webb grounded

“All the players at the time felt they were good enough to stay up, but it didn’t happen and we gave a lot of silly goals away.

“The whole club was unsettled, too, but things became better again. Getting back into the Second Division was a boost for everybody.”

Gatting was ever-present in the 1987-88 promotion-winning campaign, even though in July 1987 Lloyd had given him a free transfer! The defender had other ideas and managed to play his way back into contention to such an extent that he ended up the season as captain, taking over from Doug Rougvie.

“It was nice to know I was wanted, particularly after relegation the year before,” he said.

Having made his 200^th league appearance for the Albion against Chester on 12 December 1987, it was no surprise he viewed with some relish a FA Cup tie against his old club.

“Quite honestly, as a Third Division club, we don’t expect to go all the way, but I think we have the ability to scrape a result against Arsenal,” he said. “It gives me the opportunity to renew old friendships with Kenny Sansom, David O’Leary, Graham Rix and Paul Davis who were all members of the Arsenal staff when I was there.”

Albion pushed the Gunners all the way in front of a packed house and Garry Nelson rifled a memorable goal, but Arsenal prevailed 2-1.

Evening Argus Albion reporter John Vinicombe profiled Gatting warmly in a piece produced for a pre-season supplement ahead of the 1989-90 season, headlined “ice-cool Gatt”.

He described Gatting as “surely one of the most laid-back of individuals, whose natural personality is quiet and reserved”.

The report continued: “He shuns being the centre of attention, but the fact that he stays cool, even in nerve-wracking situations, is an important consideration when assessing leadership qualities.

“Leadership runs in the family, and many would say that older brother Mike was unlucky to lose the captaincy of England’s cricket team.”

On another occasion, Gatting said of his brother: “I’m proud of what Mike has achieved and I keep up to date with the latest news and enjoy watching the highlights on TV.

“We are close, we always have been, but the funny thing is I hardly ever go to see Mike play. When I do go, he never seems to make runs. So I think it’s best to stay at home and watch the Tests on TV.”

As mentioned previously, Steve was a good batsman in his own right and played for Middlesex Second XI. In Sussex, he enjoyed a summer tour with Brighton Brunswick as well as making runs for Preston Nomads.

Vincombe wrote: “Gatting occupies a special niche in the affections of Albion regulars. They see in him a thoroughly decent and well-behaved person whose standards on and off the field are high. Albion have been good to him and Gatting, after not a few periods of uncertainty, has been good for Albion.”

Gatting for his part said: “I’ve seen a lot of changes since arriving here, and I’ve played under five managers who have all had different ideas.”

A cut glass decanter and glasses from chairman Dudley Sizen at Gatting’s testimonial

He was granted a testimonial for his long service and a curtain-raiser to his 10^th season with the club saw Albion draw 2-2 with Arsenal in front of a crowd of 5,517. The Gunners included their recent big money signings David Seaman, Andy Linighan and Anders Limpar.

Injury niggles continued to plague him towards the end of his 10 years at the club but he worked his way back into the side in 1990-91, slotting in at left-back and culminating in that 1991 play-off final against Notts County at Wembley.

Long after all the other members of the Brighton 1983 Cup Final side had departed, Gatting was still pulling on the stripes, and, but for those injuries, he would surely have made many more appearances than the 366 + three as sub (21 goals) that stand as his record.

Given another free transfer in 1991, he departed for Second Division Charlton Athletic along with Garry Nelson, linking up with former Albion teammate Alan Curbishley who at the time was joint manager with Steve Gritt.

Charlton only narrowly missed out on a play-off place while Albion were relegated!

By the end of the following season, when Gatting retired, he had played a total of 64 games for the Addicks.

He then turned his attention to coaching and spent seven years at independent school Christ’s Hospital, Horsham, before returning to Arsenal in 2007 to work as an academy coach. Gatting was working as Arsenal’s under-23s coach until May 2018 when he and his assistant Carl Laraman were suspended after accusations of bullying were made against them, and neither returned to their roles.

Gatting subsequently joined League Two Stevenage as assistant coach under Dino Maamria just before Christmas 2018 but he left the Hertfordshire club shortly before the end of the 2018-19 season.

• There have not been many father-son combos during my time watching Albion (Gerry and Darragh Ryan were the first that spring to mind) but it must have given Steve great pride to see his son Joe make it through the youth ranks at Brighton and go on to play for the first team. He made 44 appearances and I recall an away game at Carrow Road when Steve and Uncle Mike were both watching the youngster in Albion’s forward line. Eventually, after he left the Seagulls in 2008, he turned to cricket and was good enough to play at county level for Sussex and Hampshire.

Barry Lloyd’s turbulent time as Brighton boss

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HISTORY may have judged Barry Lloyd’s reign as Brighton manager unfairly: while bleak times cloud the memory, the former Fulham captain did chalk up some successes.

For instance, it’s worth remembering he put together two of the most entertaining strike partnerships in Albion’s history.

However, when managers start getting involved in the boardroom, it’s probably not going to end well and that certainly proved to be the case after Lloyd was handed the role of managing director.

Frankly, there is probably not enough space in one blog post to cover the various off-the-field shenanigans that were an ugly backdrop to the Lloyd era.

From an outsider’s perspective, it appeared he was the unfortunate public figure put up to deal with a huge amount of flak generated by others wielding power in the background.

Inheriting the hotseat at a time of financial turmoil, from a distance it could be said he did well to win promotion as well as coming mighty close to restoring the elite status lost in 1983.

But fans who had seen huge success under high profile bosses were not best pleased to see their club’s fortunes put in the hands of someone who had previously only managed outside of the league.

Let’s look first at Lloyd’s playing career because, from early on, he was obviously a shrewd observer who made contacts he would be able to call on in later years.

Born in Hillingdon on 19 February 1949, Barry’s early footballing ability was rewarded with selection for the Middlesex and South of England schoolboy sides. He was signed up by Chelsea and was in their 1964-65 youth team alongside former Albion right-back Stewart Henderson in defence and future England international and Chelsea legend Peter Osgood up front.

In an extended interview with Fulham’s club historian, Dennis Turner, Lloyd recalled: “I chose Chelsea because under Tommy Docherty’s management they were an exciting team, with the likes of Osgood, Charlie Cooke and Bobby Tambling.”

Former Albion player Dave Sexton was the reserve-team manager – “a really nice man and terrific coach” – and Lloyd says in his four years at Stamford Bridge he learned a lot.

He made his debut in the top flight in April 1967 aged just 18, but competition for places was tough and, after only 10 first team appearances, in January 1969 he moved to neighbours Fulham with their centre half John Dempsey moving in the opposite direction.

lloyd-fulham-goal

Fulham were struggling for survival in the old Second Division having been relegated from the top flight and the man who signed him, Bill Dodgin, was their fourth manager in a year.

They dropped down into the old Third Division but as part of his rebuilding, Dodgin made Lloyd captain in succession to the legendary Johnny Haynes, who was coming to the end of his career.

Lloyd is pictured below getting in a header against the Albion at the Goldstone, watched by John Napier (left) and Stewart Henderson. The packed East Terrace never looked like that by the time Lloyd was sitting in the Albion manager’s chair.

Lloyd at Goldstone

Fulham regained their tier two status in 1971 when they went up from Division III as champions. Manager Dodgin was sent packing in the summer of 1972, though, and Alec Stock took over, famously bringing in a number of top name players nearing the end of their careers – notably one Alan Mullery, along with Bobby Moore.

Lloyd remained part of the set-up but when Fulham surprised everyone by reaching the FA Cup Final against West Ham in 1975, he had to be content with what in those days was the single substitute’s berth on the bench, and didn’t get on.

Nonetheless, he chalked up 290 games for Fulham, before having brief spells at Hereford and Brentford (where Dodgin was the manager) and ending his playing days with Houston Hurricanes in the United States.

“I lived in Texas for a year. The league was never going to last but I learnt a lot about how the game can be promoted. They were very good at that over there,” he said in a matchday programme article. “Everyone was made to feel part of the club. It was an interesting experience; I’ve never regretted going.”

During his brief time at Hereford, Lloyd had an eye to the future and took his full coaching badge at Lilleshall, which wasn’t far away.

After his time in America came to an end, he got his first managerial experience with Yeovil Town (then a non-league club) and then headed to Sussex where he took Worthing from the Second Division of the old Isthmian League to runners-up in the Premier Division.

It was in 1986 when he got the call from Mullery to become reserve and youth team manager at the Albion. Dodgin was also on the staff.

lloyd desk

In January 1987, Mullery was unceremoniously dumped and Lloyd came out of the shadows to take charge. Perhaps what fans didn’t know at the time was that the day after Mullery left, Lloyd was summoned to a meeting with chairman Bryan Bedson and told to “get rid of everyone” because the club was going bust.

Against that backdrop, it was 15 games before the side managed to register a win under Lloyd and, unsurprisingly, Albion were relegated. Some of the mainstays of the side, like Danny Wilson, Eric Young and Terry Connor were sold. Fortunately, Lloyd was able to re-invest part of the proceeds from those sales in some buys who gelled together to form a promotion-winning team.

Screen Shot 2021-05-03 at 20.37.12 He returned to former club Chelsea to secure the signing of centre back Doug Rougvie who was made captain and he paired left winger Garry Nelson, a £72,500 signing from Plymouth, with tenacious Scot Kevin Bremner, from Reading, to lead the line. Nelson in particular was a revelation, scoring 32 goals and voted player of the season.

Lloyd reckoned the backbone of the side were two other shrewd signings: Alan Curbishley and Gary Chivers. “Alan was a very level-headed guy, an excellent passer and really disciplined,” he told Spencer Vignes in a matchday programme article. “Chivers was exactly the same, and a real joker at the same time. But there were a lot of great individuals in that side.”

The following two seasons saw Albion maintain their status with lower half finishes but, with the Goldstone Ground crumbling and debts mounting, there was little investment in the team and Lloyd had to use all his contacts to try to find some gems.

One was former England international winger Mark Barham, another was a former Soviet international, Sergei Gotsmanov, a real crowd-pleaser obviously capable of playing at a higher level (as was proved when he opted to join Southampton the following season).

Then, in 1990-91, he rescued two forwards languishing with also-ran clubs in Europe and together John Byrne and Mike Small were superb in attack as Brighton made it to the play-off final at Wembley only to lose 3-1 to Neil Warnock’s Notts County.

No-one had been expecting Brighton to get a tilt at promotion, particularly as the season had once again begun with big money departures of players like Keith Dublin and John Keeley.

But with Byrne and Small on fire and former Fulham and Chelsea winger Clive Walker added to the squad they clawed their way into contention and famously clinched the play-off spot on the last game of the season, courtesy of Dean Wilkins’ curling free kick past Ipswich Town’s Phil Parkes.

Another crucial signing that season was thanks to one of Lloyd’s old Chelsea teammates, George Graham. The Arsenal boss loaned cultured central defender Colin Pates to the Seagulls and he proved a mainstay in the final third of the season. Pates would later sign permanently.

Even though they were clearly beaten by the better side on the day, looking back now, I don’t think anyone could have realised what bad news it was for Albion not to win the final against County.

Starved of the funds promotion would have delivered, Lloyd was forced to sell star performers Small and Byrne and, 11 months after appearing at Wembley, Albion were relegated back to the third tier.

Lloyd had tried to repeat his previous successful European scouting mission with two former league players, but the hapless Mark Farrington turned out to be one of the worst buys ever, managing to score one solitary goal while former Arsenal youngster Raphael Meade fared slightly better but only just got into double figures.

Mark Gall, a £45,000 signing from Maidstone, arrived towards the end of October and ended up top goalscorer and was player of the season, but his 14 goals were still not enough to spare the team from the drop.

In the following season, the very survival of the club was under serious threat with the taxman chasing an unpaid bill. Lloyd rescued the club at the 11^th hour by managing to secure a £350,000 fee for goalkeeper Mark Beeney (bought two years earlier from Maidstone for £25,000), former Albion winger Howard Wilkinson buying him for League Champions Leeds United.

With the financial issues continuing in the background, a run of only two wins in 18 league games in the first half of the 1993-94 season eventually brought the Lloyd era to an end – the axe wielded by chief executive David Bellotti, who had arrived only a month earlier.

Fans who were euphoric to see Lloyd go might well have felt differently if they’d known what would eventually transpire, but that’s a story for another day.

The record books show Lloyd made a total profit of £1.2m in his seven years at the helm and he certainly knew his way around the transfer market, particularly in Europe, when it was a lot less fashionable than it is today.

Another of his discoveries was Dean Wilkins, playing for FC Zwolle in Holland, and in 2007 – 14 years after he had left the Albion – Lloyd returned as chief scout during Wilkins’ reign as first team manager.

Also part of the set-up then was director of football Martin Hinshelwood, who had been Lloyd’s assistant during his time in the dugout. Lloyd later returned to the club to assist in the recruitment department but retired in 2021.

He died aged 75 on 28 September 2024 and players in the Chelsea v Brighton game that afternoon wore black armbands in tribute to him.