Why the ‘M23 derby’ is one of the fiercest in the Premier League

Every time Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace play each other, questions arise over the origins of the intense animosity between teams whose 43-mile separation means they are in different counties.

When the clubs meet again at the Amex Stadium on Sunday (2pm GMT), it will be the first edition of the febrile fixture for Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler and Palace’s Oliver Glasner – a coach the Albion boss has immense respect for from their time in Germany.

Hurzeler was St Pauli boss and in the away end on a fact-finding mission when the sides drew 1-1 at Selhurst Park last season, while Glasner became Palace manager 16 days after their 4-1 defeat at Brighton on February 3.

Here are some of the history lessons the pair may have been told, as well as a look at some memorable showdowns between Brighton and Palace.

“There’s a lot of passion in it” 👀

Glenn Murray and Jobi McAnuff discuss the fierce rivalry between Crystal Palace and Brighton 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ODNIGql8VM

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 21, 2023

Brighton vs Palace rivalry: When did it start?

There had been trouble at games between the teams during the mid-1970s, as well as a subversion of Palace’s ‘Eagles’ nickname by Brighton fans that ultimately led to Albion assuming their own nickname – the Seagulls – in direct opposition to Palace.

During the 1976/77 season, the teams took part in a first-round FA Cup tie that required three instalments before Palace prevailed 1-0.

Two intensely charismatic characters were in the dugouts: Alan Mullery for Brighton, Terry Venables for Palace. The pair had been Tottenham room-mates as players, with Spurs manager Bill Nicholson choosing Mullery over Venables as captain.

Mullery was furious after Albion lost the cup tie. His captain, Brian Horton, had a penalty disallowed by referee Ron Challis before the retake was saved, and iconic Brighton striker Peter Ward also had a goal chalked off.

The manager produced an immortal piece of imagery when he flicked a ‘V’ sign at the celebrating Palace fans at full-time, complained to Challis and threw change towards the opposition squad, adding: “Palace ain’t worth that.”

LWT The Big Match
October 1976
Two Clubs That Don’t Get On!
Brighton 1-1 Crystal Palace
Commentator Brian Moore#BHAFC #CPFC pic.twitter.com/I4IE19UDdp

— TV Football 1968-92 (@1968Tv) November 14, 2022

Alan Mullery vs Terry Venables

Martin Hinshelwood, a Palace player at the time who would become a revered youth coach at Brighton and briefly manage the Seagulls in 2002, has observed that Venables “always seemed to outdo Alan.”

Palace finished two points ahead of Brighton as both teams were promoted from the Third Division that year, and an inexorable tale of promotion tussles, dramatic matches and hatred between sets of fans had been set in motion.

Among them, Palace beat Mullery’s Brighton to the title again in 1978/79 as both teams were promoted to the top flight, and five penalties were awarded inside 27 minutes of a 2-1 win for Palace in 1989, including a wayward spotkick by Ian Wright, who was rejected by Brighton as a youngster for being too small.

Palace had lost eight and drawn two of the 10 derbies between 1979 and 1986, but they had bragging rights between 1990 and 2001, spending three seasons in the Premier League and the rest in the second tier while Brighton teetered on the brink of oblivion at the other end of the EFL.

After almost going out of business and staying in the EFL on the final game of the 1996/97 season, Albion spent time at two temporary homes before finally moving to the Amex Stadium in 2011.

In 1976-77, Crystal Palace & Brighton played each other 5 times (including 3 FA Cup games!) & bad blood between managers Terry Venables and Alan Mullery spawned a club rivalry.
Here are the programmes from the initial First Round and replay games.#cpfc #bhafc #facup pic.twitter.com/D44dxen8Db

— Aaron Porter (@AaronPorter) May 27, 2020

Palace vs Brighton: Modern results

When their wait of almost 13 years to play Palace again ended, it came on a glorious day for the home fans at Selhurst Park, who witnessed a 5-0 thrashing in the second tier, with future England striker Andy Johnson bagging a hat-trick.

Palace lost only once in eight meetings with a 1-0 defeat at Selhurst Park in 2005 and became the first team to beat Brighton at the Amex Stadium, as well as defeating them there in the 2013 Championship playoff semi-finals.

Jordan Ayew scored the only goal of the game in Palace’s first Premier League win at Brighton in 2020, and exquisite drama became a hallmark of the game during the four subsequent encounters, three of which were decided by 90th-minute goals.

Brighton’s resounding win more than 10 months ago is the only time either team has won by more than a goal in the last 11 games between them, with Hinshelwood’s great-nephew, Jack, among the scorers on that occasion.

Palace’s last two defeats to Brighton have also prefaced their managers departing: Patrick Vieira’s last game in charge was a 1-0 defeat at the Amex Stadium in March 2023, while their loss in the same setting last season proved to be Roy Hodgson’s final away match of his tenure.

.@DeJesusOfiicial finishing things off with our fourth v Palace… 🥶 #AlbionAdvent #⃣1⃣4⃣! 🎄 pic.twitter.com/4UOeyeiqno

— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) December 14, 2024

Why is Brighton vs Crystal Palace called the M23 derby?

Reports tend to call the game the ‘M23 derby’ to signify the path between Brighton and London. The actual road providing a direct connection is the A23.

Brighton vs Palace: Five episodes in the rivalry

Brighton 1-1 Palace, October 2 1976

In the spirit of even-handedness, let’s start with a draw at Brighton’s original Goldstone Ground home, watched by a crowd of more than 27,000 in Division Three.

Mullery reputedly joked about Venables arranging for smoke bombs to be thrown on the pitch, feeling that the interruptions by fans had hindered his team’s momentum.

As has frequently been the case in favour of either side, Palace took the lead against the run of play through Jim Cannon. Brighton swiftly levelled through Kenny Sansom’s own-goal.

Palace 2-1 Brighton, March 27 1989

A superb early Ian Wright goal, a red card for Brighton’s Mike Trusson and a successful Mark Bright penalty put Palace 2-0 ahead and seeminly on course for a routine win despite Bright and Wright then missing penalties in swift succession.

Alan Curbishley replied from the spot after the break before defender John Pemberton fired a penalty over the bar for the hosts. Palace reached the top flight via the play-offs that season, while Brighton flirted with relegation but survived.

Ian Wright on one of his best ever goals for Palace in a classic win over Brighton. 💥🔴🔵 @IanWright0 #cpfc #cpfcfamily pic.twitter.com/GLmBmrWoKk

— Screaming Alice (@screamingalice1) December 15, 2019

Palace 5-0 Brighton, October 26 2002

Steve Coppell had been Palace manager for that game of five penalties, and his task when the sides met again after a 13-year breather was to rescue Albion from a desperate start to their Championship season.

Sadly for Brighton, Coppell’s first away game in charge only cemented his status as a Palace legend, with Johnson scoring twice in the first half. Current Palace sporting director Dougie Freedman then netted, as did Julian Gray after Johnson had completed his hat-trick.

While Palace finished 14th, Coppell showed his considerable expertise to revive Brighton’s season, taking their unsuccessful relegation battle to the final day of the season.

Brighton 3-0 Palace, March 17 2013

This was Brighton’s first win over Palace for more than seven years, first at home for 25 years, first at the Amex Stadium and only victory in the fixture in eight attempts between 2005 and 2017.

Spanish midfielder David Lopez scored a spectacular free-kick in between goals by targetman Leo Ulloa. Brighton were chasing a play-off place in the Championship at the time, while Palace were hoping for automatic promotion.

🎥 Here’s your second favourite moment at the Amex Stadium so far…

👏🏻 step forward @David_Lopez_7#BHAFC 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/mx9SnjuMt4

— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) January 22, 2018

Brighton 0-2 Palace, May 13 2013

Palace had the last laugh that season in the Championship play-off semi-finals.

Following a 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park, two Wilfried Zaha goals inside 20 second-half minutes gave the visitors a 2-0 aggregate win, with the manager who had masterminded Brighton’s promotion from League One and led them to their new home, Gus Poyet, leaving The Seagulls two days later.

Ian Holloway led Palace to victory over Watford in the play-off final, and they have been in the Premier League ever since.

Brighton vs Crystal Palace head to head

The extremely tight overall record between the teams reflects the seesaw nature of their games and results against each other over the decades.

The exact figures are the subject of debate, but Brighton have 42 wins to Palace’s 38, according to 11v11.com, with 31 finishing as draws.