[Albion] Where’s the strangest place you’ve bumped into a Brighton player?

[London Irish]

Kayal at the Marina playground. Charm itself and my son took a selfie

Bong and his GF at the Komedia outside cafe tables towards the end of his time here when he wasn’t making the team much. I said I hoped to see him getting more games but by the look on his face he didn’t want to be reminded of his plight, so mental note never say that again to any squad player

McGhee in seats across from me on train to London. But was in a never meet your heroes mood so let him be

My son has a fair few sightings as his barber is the same place as the players. Waited patiently behind Veltman getting shorn recently

 

[Man of Harveys]

I feel this one needs some context

Not least the bumping into him bit. I mean I love the guy but if I caught him burgling my knife drawer…

 

[Insel affe]

One Sunday afternoon at the Whitehorse in Rottingdean we saw Óscar García and family having a meal. His was not happy, she had a face like thunder, so I thought better of bothering him.​

(we have all been in the doghouse and know when to let a man just get on with it) ​

 

[Thunder Bolt]

ASDA Hollingbury?

I saw Glen Murray and Adam el Abd in there years ago.

 

[Charles 'Charley' Charles]

John Keely and Perry Digweed in my Nan’s flat, although not unsurprising as John owned the flat above my Nan’s and they were discussing freeholds before training, not my Nan training I add.

 

[tricky]

Michele Kuipers in Crawley town centre doing some shopping with his family.

 

[Hamilton]

I have never met a Brighton player in person, but...

Dale Stephens walked past me in North Road
Glenn Murray and Lewis Dunk were having Sunday lunch in the Royal Oak at Poynings
Inigo Calderon said hello to me when he popped he head into PBOBE's office when I was at Lancing
Mark Lawrenson used to walk his dog in Buckingham Park when I was a kid

And PBOBE, who while not a player is probably one of TB's best signings and without doubt (even if we all can never agree on the best way to run things) the best CEO of a football club anywhere. And an incredibly nice guy.

 

[Toongull]

Bobby Zamora in Currys off the Old Shoreham Road.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

One Sunday afternoon at the Whitehorse in Rottingdean we saw Óscar García and family having a meal. His was not happy, she had a face like thunder, so I thought better of bothering him.​

(we have all been in the doghouse and know when to let a man just get on with it) ​

Did he ever not have a face like thunder?

 

[seagulls99]

Glenn Murray in Habitat Churchill Square c. 2009... Have seen Potter, Bruno, Zamora, Sidwell on multiple occasions nearby my office

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Pascal gross in my kitchen

Fair play. This trumps my sitting-next-to-me-on-a-flight.

 

[backson]

Spanish Dave walking his tiny dog along Dyke Road.

 

[London Irish]

Pascal gross in my kitchen

with the lead piping

 

[Casper18]

Not a strange location, but I saw Gary Hart on his own in the Seagulls Club Shop back in 2003.

 

[papachris]

Most random one...Jiri Skalak at Royal Sussex County Hospital, with his partner for a pregnancy scan.
Thoroughly decent bloke, said hello to him and thanked him for getting us promoted to the Premier League.

Danny Welbeck's daughter was in the same nursery as my daughter. Used to speak to him on the afternoon pick ups, my partner was on first name terms with 'Daniel'.

Solly March and Joel Veltman at kids summer camp at Easter. Both picking up their kids. Solly very shy and quiet to talk to.

Loved Jiri, scored one of the best goals I've ever seen live

 

[elwheelio]

All in Waitrose in Hove: Facundo Buonanotte doing a big shop with his mum one evening. Danny Welbeck in front of me at the checkouts, he was buying lots of spinach and oat milk. Neal Maupay, he was selecting loose onions which, as a Frenchman, I felt was a bit on the nose.

 

[papajaff]

Jiri Skalak at Prague airport. Before he'd even played for us. He was impressed I recognised him. "I don't even get recognised here!"

And Stuart Storer in THE Market Diner on the evening of that goal against Donny.
He was slaughtered.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

Some years ago (probably about 25) I arranged a presentation evening for junior seagulls fc at the university of Sussex. On my way to the room I walked along a corridor past a cleaner who was Derek Leck. He was a top midfielder for Northampton in their rise to Div 1 in the early 60s before signing for us. Our older fans will remember him well. Sadly he died locally some 14 years ago. To my shame I didn’t approach him and invite him to the evening which in hindsight I think he would have appreciated.

At a Christmas party at my mate’s parents house, his brother dragged Harry Wilson in from a club in town. Nice unassuming guy, unlike on the field.

 

[Lincolnshire Seagull]

Eric Young on the platform of Portsmouth railway station after we lost there. I think he was waiting for a frain to London (we had signed him from Wimbledon)

 

[Klaas]

When I saw the thread title I thought I've never met/seen any player outside of the stadium(s), but then a long forgotten memory resurfaced. I saw Nicky Rust and maybe Ross Johnson in a chippy on West Street. Not that bizarre but what was weird was the bloke talking to them. He looked like a nutter and was was telling the boys how he'd use a razer when he hit people to really mess them up.
NIcky Rust was looking VERY uncomfortable.

Oh and I served Junior McDougal in a shop once too.