Crossing the divide: playing for both Palace and Brighton

Club

13 Dec 2024

It’s a fierce rivalry and always a nail-biting encounter, but through the years there have been some players who have represented both Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion – with some even earning legendary status at both clubs. Here, we look at five of the best…

Gary O’Reilly

O’Reilly only had a brief spell with each club, but made a significant impact.

Beginning his career at Tottenham Hotspur – winning the UEFA Cup in 1984 – he joined Brighton in 1984 and stayed for almost three years, before signing for Crystal Palace in 1987.

He is best remembered in south London for his integral role in the FA Cup campaign of 1990, scoring in the legendary FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool at Villa Park, which Palace would win 4-3 in extra-time.

In the final against Manchester United, O’Reilly once again popped up from the back to open the scoring.

He left Palace in 1991, re-joining Brighton for a final year before retiring.

Simon Rodger

Beginning his career with non-league Bognor Regis Town, Rodger was plucked from obscurity in true Steve Coppell style to become a crucial cog in the Palace machine for the next 12 years.

He made his debut as a 20-year-old against Sheffield Wednesday, making 328 appearances and scoring 12 goals, including during Palace’s inaugural season in the Premier League.

Rodger spent time out on loan with Manchester City and Stoke City during his period at Selhurst Park, before joining Woking in 2002.

A year later he reunited with Coppell at Brighton, finishing his league career on the south coast.

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Eric Young

Nicknamed ‘Ninja’ in no small part down to his brown headband designed to protect damaged scar tissue, Young endeared himself to Palace fans with his brave and commanding performances in defence.

He had got his big break at Brighton in 1982 while training as an accountant, staying there for five years before joining Wimbledon, where he formed a defensive partnership with Andy Thorn – the two started the famous FA Cup final against Liverpool in 1988, with John Motson declaring that ‘the Crazy Gang have beaten the Culture Club’.

Palace manager Steve Coppell reunited him with Thorn in 1990 to strengthen the defence, following a first season back in Division One, ignoring critics who questioned a fee of £850,000 for a 30-year-old.

He scored on his debut at Kenilworth Road, becoming a key part of the side to finish in third place and win the Full Members’ Cup at Wembley; in 1992/93 he was Palace’s third-highest scorer.

Consistently reliable, Young was ever-present in the club’s inaugural Premier League campaign and repeated the feat in the Division One-winning season, this time alongside new partner Chris Coleman.

He moved to Wolves in the summer of 1995, having made more than 200 appearances at Crystal Palace, winding down his career before returning to where it all began – accountancy, that is.

Glenn Murray

What else can be said about Glenn Murray that hasn’t already been said? It takes some career to be loved by both sets of supporters on either side of the divide.

Murray initially joined Brighton in 2008, scoring 57 times over four years before leaving for Crystal Palace.

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His first season in South London was nothing special, scoring seven goals in 43 games, but then he exploded into life. In 2012/13, his 30 league goals fired the Eagles towards promotion, and he would have featured in the play-off final and the early Premier League campaign had it not been for a serious knee injury that would keep him out for almost a year.

Murray left for Bournemouth in 2015, before re-joining Brighton for a further four seasons, and ending his career at Nottingham Forest.

John Humphrey

Humphrey joined Palace from another rival: Charlton Athletic. Arriving in 199, he quickly became an integral part of the first XI, making 203 appearances and scoring twice.

He returned to Charlton in 1995, before heading to Brighton in 1997 for a single season. He finished his career in non-league football with Dulwich Hamlet.

And some you may not have remembered:

Matthew Upson joined Palace on loan from Arsenal at the beginning of his career, before heading to Brighton in 2012 and facing the Eagles in the play-off semi-finals at the end of that season. In the same year, Paul McShane arrived at Palace for a short-term loan, having represented Brighton in 2005.

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Calvin Andrew has the unusual distinction of joining Brighton on loan from Crystal Palace, a move that would seem unlikely today. He was at Brighton for a year in 2009, before returning to Palace and playing a part in the club’s survival in 2010.

Paul Dickov played for both clubs on loan at either end of his career: Brighton in 1994 and Palace in 2007.

The full list:

Kemy Agustien
Ade Akinbiyi
Calvin Andrew
Gary Borrowdale
Paul Dickov
Stephen Dobbie
Scott Flinders
Felicity Gibbons
John Humphrey
Paul Kitson
Paul McShane
Glenn Murray
Jonathan Obika
Simon Rodger
Steven Thomson
Matt Upson

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