Saturday 30th July is a day that will forever be etched in the mind of us Brighton & Hove Albion fans, for this was the day that the Seagulls finally had a place to call home.
And what a home it is! The new American Express Community Stadium is one of the most strikingly beautiful football grounds in the country. The design is first-class and the comfort of the stadium for supporters is second to none.
17,000 odd fans turned out for the second of two ramp-up events which saw Premier League Tottenham Hotspur come to town, big names included in what was a very strong Spurs line-up.
This was the official opening of the stadium with plenty going on in the build up to kick off. There was a full brass band, an opera singer and a chance for Brighton legends to be paraded on the pitch.
The day was very special for every single Albion fan, and especially for me as I made my debut as a matchday announcer. As a lifelong Brighton fan, to get the chance to announce Ashley Barnes as the scorer on 11 minutes gave me goosebumps like you wouldn't believe!
It was a busy match with five goals and numerous substitutions owing to the fact it was a friendly fixture, so I was kept well on my toes throughout. Sometimes I think being thrown in at the deep end is the best way to do these kind of things and I was happy with how it went.
I owe particular thanks to our explosive winger Kazenga Lua Lua for scoring an absolute screamer in the second half. The reason for this is because in the weeks leading up to the game I would quietly rehearse to myself what I would have to say over the microphone during a game. The most frequent line of my rehearsals went along the lines of; "Goalscorer for the Albion, number 26 - Kazenga Lua Lua!". And I got to do exactly that - so thank you Kaz!
Spurs just about edged the game 3-2, but the signs from the game were positive. The result on the Saturday 30th July was irrelevant anyway, it was all about the fans and the club coming home after 14 long years. This Saturday 6th August is a different matter as we get our league campaign underway against Doncaster Rovers. The irony will not be lost on the Brighton fans that attended the final game at the Goldstone on the 26th April in 1997, when our opponents that day were (guess who) Doncaster Rovers.
On that day we won 1-0 staring an entirely different future flush in the face. This time round our future is looking not perilous, but prosperous. Although I'll take the same scoreline again quite happily.
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