Thank you very much Waterstones Cardiff - one copy on the shelves is better than none. First come, first served folks!

True story. Martin Keown's first appearance as a professional football player was for Brighton & Hove Albion, away to Manchester City in Feb 1985 while on loan from Arsenal.

And here's something else. He's also my interviewee in today's Brighton v Arsenal match day programme.

Bees MDS + Calde Interview Special

👍⚽️🎙️💙🤍💙

#BHAFC #Seagulls #Bees #BrentfordFC ブライトン & ホーヴ・アルビオン Brighton & Hove Albion Spencer Vignes INIGO CALDERON

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/bri…

Happy 60th Birthday to Nicky Bissett, #BOTD in 1964 – defender from Barnet to the Football League with Brighton BeesPod Barnet FC Supporters’ Association North Stand Chat Seagulls Programmes Spencer Vignes @TweetingSeagull Pro Set Daily

Scenes from the oldest surviving film of an international football match in the world - Wales v Ireland, played 118 years ago yesterday at Wrexham's Racecourse Ground, commemorated with a plaque (unveiled in 2006 by John Toshack) featuring the great Welsh goalie Leigh Roose.

As much as it's portrayed as the devil, Amazon reviews can make a huge difference to a book's fortunes. If you've ever read 'Lost In France', 'Bloody Southerners', 'Eric & Dave' or any of my other books, and enjoyed them, then please take time to give it a 👍. Thank you.

'Before you go to war, say a prayer.
Before going to sea, say two prayers.
Before marrying, say three prayers.
Before deciding to become a goalkeeper, say four prayers.'

Leigh Roose
Football's first superstar

#LostInFrance
Really enjoying reading this Spencer Vignes

Still time to check out my feature on street names in today’s Daily Express.

Happy Birthday Cloughie. Over 50 years on, it's still difficult to comprehend that Brian Clough managed our club. #BHAFC

This book is a fantastic account of those times

Happy birthday Brian Clough, born on this day in 1935, from one of your many biographers.

The #BHAFC programme from our first game in the #PremierLeague looked back to August 1979 and our first-ever top flight fixture, against #AFC . The brilliant Spencer Vignes looked back to that day, in the company of Albion skipper Brian Horton

Review ~ Bloody Southerners: Clough and Taylor's Brighton & Hove odyssey by Spencer Vignes

'The greatest football story ever told always bears retelling, even when it's merely a footnote'

wsc.co.uk/reviews/61-Man…

Some sad news to relay from my contacts in Belarus - Sergei Gotsmanov, the ex-Brighton & Hove Albion striker, is struggling with his health having been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. If you have a message for Sergei, reply to this tweet, and I'll ensure he gets to see them.

With football, to fully appreciate the present, it helps to have an understanding of the past. Of how we, us, your club, got here. Which is why this stunning mural celebrating 144-years of Clevedon Town FC is so important, not to mention extraordinary.
#football #Somerset

Celtic fans, this is Leigh Roose who, 114 years ago today, made his only appearance for the club in a Scottish Cup semi v Clyde. Officially, the Welsh international goalie is still missing in action, having last been seen charging German machine guns at the Somme on 7 Oct 1916.

How appropriate that in the week Gary Williams - scorer of the best Brighton & Hove Albion goal EVER in the 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest in March 1980 - turned 70, Brighton & Hove Albion go and beat Nottingham Forrest 1-0.
#BHA #BHA NFO

#OTD 1980, #AVFC fight out a 1-1 Mon. night draw at #BHAFC . On 33', Allan Evans equalises Ray Clarke's 26' goal for the home side, but is later ​dismissed (47') by Darryl Reeves for a second bookable offence and will miss #Villa ’s #FACup R6 tie at #WHUFC on the Sat. Att: 23,077.

Leigh Roose made 24 appearances for the Blues in the 1904/05 season. Killed in WW1, he is remembered in his home village of Holt, on the banks of the River Dee. His biography by Spencer Vignes is well worth seeking out. He is also covered on our website: efcheritagesociety.com/rest-in-peace/…

Barry Rees signs for Brighton from Everton in January 1965 under the watchful eye of BHA manager Archie Macauley. Just three months later the talented Welshman would die in a car crash, aged 21. You can read my extensive piece about him in today's #BHAEVE match programme.

It's 124 years to the day since legendary goalkeeper Leigh Roose won his first Wales cap in a 2-0 win v Ireland in Llandudno. He was playing for Aberystwyth Town at the time having just completed a science degree at Aberystwyth University. Well, they say goalies are different.