“Brighton’s Best: From Historic Heroes to Modern Icons – Cast Your Vote!”
Mail Sport, with the assistance of our readers, is on a quest to identify the greatest player of all time for each of the 20 Premier League clubs.
Today, we focus on Brighton’s legends, ranging from 1920s record scorer Tommy Cook to the current captain, Lewis Dunk.
After deciding who you believe is the best ever, it’s time to vote…
This is the best era in Brighton’s history. Though the club has never secured a major trophy—coming closest in the 1983 FA Cup final—and lacked a dedicated stadium between 1997 and 2011, they’ve climbed through the ranks to firmly establish themselves in the Premier League.
Tommy Cook was Brighton’s first star and still holds the record as the club’s top goalscorer with 123 goals in the 1920s. His hero status was further solidified by the bravery medal he received during the First World War for saving a comrade’s life while serving in the navy.
Though Bert Stephens scored more goals for Brighton than Cook, many of his goals occurred in non-official matches during the Second World War.
Kit Napier was also a prolific scorer, becoming Brighton’s top scorer five times between 1966 and 1972 and aiding in the club’s promotion to the Second Division.
Arguably the most skillful player to ever wear a Brighton shirt was Mark Lawrenson, although he became more famous after transferring to Liverpool. Lawrenson spent four years at the old Goldstone Ground and was crucial to their first top-flight promotion in 1979. Liverpool paid £900,000 to acquire him, a significant amount for a defender at the time.
The highlight for the club in the 1980s was reaching the 1983 FA Cup Final, where they held Manchester United to a 2-2 draw before losing the replay. It was unfortunate that their inspirational captain Steve ‘Fozzy’ Foster, recognizable by his white headband, was suspended for the first game at Wembley.
Until Alexis Mac Allister won the World Cup with Argentina, Foster was the only Brighton player to have ever played in the world’s biggest tournament, representing England in 1982.
Despite their years without a home between the Goldstone Ground and The Amex from 1997 to 2011, Brighton still had their heroes. Kerry Mayo gave 14 years of outstanding service between 1995 and 2009, maintaining a high level of performance over more than 400 games.
As Brighton began their ascent from the bottom of the league, Bobby Zamora’s goals were crucial. Zamora had two spells at the club, the first of which saw him score 75 goals, securing consecutive promotions before moving to Tottenham.
Once they reached the Premier League, Glenn Murray was the forward who helped them stay there during the challenging early years. Like Zamora, he also had two stints at the club and was so effective in his second period that fans forgave him for initially leaving for bitter rivals Crystal Palace.