Mark Lawrenson
Image by: The Argus
PUBLISHED
07:00 28th March 2015
by Kuen-Wah Cheung
Representing your country at football is undoubtedly a proud moment in a player’s career. For those who get to play on the international stage, their caps are often amongst their most treasured possessions.Inside forward Charlie Webb became the first player to play a full international match while playing for Brighton & Hove Albion. However, his Ireland side suffered a painful 5-0 loss against Scotland in March 1909, and his other two matches for his country ended with the taste of defeat.
In the 1920s, the prolific Jack Doran also won three caps with Ireland as a Brighton player. However, it took until Jack Jenkin’s appearance for Wales in their 2-0 win against Scotland in 1924 for an Albion player to be on the winning side of an international match.
In February 1925, Tommy Cook became the club’s first-ever England international when he played against Wales, while Jimmy Magill became Brighton’s first Northern Ireland international with five appearances in the 1960s.
Speaking of Northern Ireland, Willie Irvine’s superb form for Brighton in 1971/72 helped him back into the international team. He even got an assist for his Terry Neill’s winner against England at Wembley in a Home Internationals match in May 1972.
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When his country played France a month later, the Republic of Ireland line-up was packed with Brighton club links. Robinson and Lawrenson were there while future Seagulls bosses Liam Brady and Chris Hughton were also in the starting eleven. Partnering ‘Robbo’ upfront was future Brighton striker Frank Stapleton. Once again, Robinson scored, as he ran the French defence ragged.
On 25th June 1982, Steve Foster and Sammy Nelson became the first-ever Brighton footballers to play in a World Cup game. ‘Fozzie’ helped England to a 1-0 success against Kuwait, while Nelson came on as a substitute in a shock victory for Northern Ireland against hosts Spain.
Gerry Armstrong scored the winner against Spain in Valencia and signed for the Seagulls four years later, after the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. His international teammate, Steve Penney, a Brighton wing wizard, had also played in Mexico ’86, against Algeria and Spain.
A year later, Penney fired this solo goal for Northern Ireland against Israel in Tel Aviv.
[h=3]ALBION V NORWICH
[/h]FRIDAY 3RD APRIL, KICK-OFF 3PM
[h=3]ALBION V BOURNEMOUTH
[/h]FRIDAY 10TH APRIL, KICK-OFF 7.45PM
[h=3]ALBION V HUDDERSFIELD
[/h]TUESDAY 14TH APRIL, KICK-OFF 7.45PM
Original article