With Brighton and Bournemouth set to do battle on the south coast, The Woodwork takes a look at some of the players to have represented both sides in their careers:
Glenn Murray:
Arguably the most prominent of players to have represented both Brighton and Bournemouth in recent years is Glenn Murray. The 39-year-old signed on for the Seagulls in January 2008, joining from Rochdale for a reported fee of £300,000. Murray would go on to make 118 appearances for the Albion in a three-year stint with the Seagulls, scoring 54 goals as he established himself as a fan favourite amongst the Brighton faithful. However, Murray’s hero status with the Albion would soon evaporate. In May 2011, with the excitement of promotion still prominent for Brighton, Murray would swap the south coast for South London, signing on for rivals Crystal Palace. Given such an apparent betrayal, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Glenn Murray couldn’t possibly return to Brighton. However, this would not be the case. Five years after his first stint for the Albion, a period of time which saw him depart Crystal Palace for AFC Bournemouth, Glenn Murray would return for a second stint in Sussex. Initially, Murray was only set to return on loan, joining the Seagulls in the Summer of 2016 from Saturday’s opponents. However, it soon became apparent why Murray was so dearly missed when he departed in 2011. The Cumbria born forward would find himself in fantastic form, aiding the Albion in yet another promotion charge as he did five years prior. Given such a run of form, the club would opt to make Murray’s move permanent in January 2017, bringing his short stint at Bournemouth to a close. Glenn Murray would go on to make 115 appearances in a second stint for the Seagulls, scoring 34 goals in the process. In 2021, having arguably earned the forgiveness of Brighton supporters, Glenn Murray would depart for the final time, before retiring from professional football at the end of the 2020/21 campaign.
Tommy Elphick:
Alongside Glenn Murray, in what is a handful of players to have represented both sides in the 21st Century, is centre back Tommy Elphick. As with Murray, it can be argued that Brighton is the side which helped to truly establish Elphick’s career. The Brighton born defender would make his professional debut aged just 18, coming on as a substitute in December 2005 away to Reading. Despite not making an instant impact in the first team, Elphick would go on to enjoy great success with the South coast side. The defender would join Glenn Murray in guiding the Seagulls to promotion in 2010/11, ending the Albion’s final season at the Withdean with a return to the Championship. However, the latter stages of Elphick’s time at Brighton would be blighted with injury. Elphick would pick up a serious injury in the final game of the 2010/11 campaign, a factor which would render him unavailable for the entirety of Brighton’s first season back in the second tier. In August 2012, Elphick would end a seven-year stint in his native Sussex, swapping Brighton for Bournemouth. The centre-back would enjoy a successful stint with the Cherries, earning the captain’s armband in the 2014/15 campaign as he guided Eddie Howe’s side to promotion to the Premier League. One year after earning promotion to the Premiership, Elphick would depart for Aston Villa, ending a spell at AFC Bournemouth in which he made 142 appearances. Following his retirement from professional football in 2021, Elphick would return to AFC Bournemouth, where he currently occupies a coaching role.
Jimmy Case:
Completing the list is a Brighton legend in the form of Jimmy Case. The Liverpool born midfielder would join the Albion in August 1981, signing on for a fee of £450,000. During his time in Sussex, Case would enjoy great success, notably in the 1982/83 campaign. The former midfielder would guide the Albion to their first ever FA Cup Final, having scored the winner at Anfield along the way in a famous victory for the Albion. Despite the disappointment of relegation at the end of the campaign, Case would remain at Brighton for another two years. During this time, Case would guide the Seagulls to yet another famous victory over Liverpool, a result that meant Brighton would become the second team to knock Liverpool out of the FA Cup in successive seasons. Case would depart the Albion in 1985, having made 127 appearances. Six years after his departure from the Seagulls, Case would sign on for the Cherries, for whom he would make 40 appearances in a stint lasting just one season. In similar fashion to Glenn Murray, Jimmy Case would return to Brighton later on in his career, returning as a player/ coach in December 1993. Less than two years later, Jimmy Case would retire from professional football, ending his career after a season which saw him become the oldest active senior player in England.
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