Most rivalries between clubs in England exist due to geographical proximity. Arsenal and Tottenham’s stadiums are three miles apart, Manchester City and United are four miles away from each other, Brighton and Crystal Palace are almost 50.
So why does this peculiar derby, a contest which is only around 40 years old, exist between the Seagulls and the Eagles? After all, it can take longer to drive to Brighton than it does to Reading for Palace fans…traffic depending of course.
The Venables v Mullery rivalry
The managerial pair were enemies prior to Terry Venables’ arrival at Selhurst Park and Alan Mullery’s at the Goldstone Ground within a month of each other before the 1976-77 campaign got underway.
In that season Brighton lost 1-0 to Palace at Stamford Bridge in an FA Cup first round replay in controversial circumstances – with Brian Horton made to retake a penalty which was saved by goalkeeper Paul Hammond.
Mullery had to be escorted off the pitch by police after swearing at Palace fans and having boiling hot coffee thrown over him.
Allegedly, Mullery entered the Palace dressing room post-match, threw a £5 note on the floor and said "Your team's not worth that" to Venables - Mullery was charged £100 for bringing the game into disrepute.
Mullery goes to Palace
The former Spurs skipper was controversially appointed as Palace boss in 1982. Crystal Palace’s attendances dipped hugely after his arrival at Selhurst Park, he lost both M23 derby fixtures during his tenure and departed the south London club in 1984.
A 1985 clash was marred by widespread violence and Brighton’s Gerry Ryan broke his leg in three places after a challenge by Palace player Henry Houghton.
Five penalties in 27 minutes were awarded in a 1989 encounter - which featured goals from Ian Wright and Mark Bright.
Glenn Murray - the M23 prince
Murray has yo-yo’d between both M23 sides since joining Brighton in 2008, later going on to join Palace on a free transfer in 2011 - It took just a few weeks for the prolific goalscorer to net against his old team in a 3-1 win at the AMEX.
Murray then scored twice in the same fixture in December 2012, thereby denting the Seagulls' promotion prospects and propelling the Eagles to the top of the table that day.
Murray re-joined Brighton in 2016 and has since scored 29 goals for the club in 65 matches.
Wilfried Zaha bursts onto the scene
Ian Holloway’s Palace defeated Gus Poyet’s Brighton 2-0 in the 2013 Championship play-off semi-final at the AMEX Stadium before going on to beat Watford 1-0 in the final itself.
The then 20-year-old Wilf Zaha shone in a sublime performance for his boyhood club against Albion after scoring a second-half double.
‘Poo-gate’
In a bizarre event, human excrement was found smeared across the away dressing-room floor at the AMEX Stadium when the Palace squad arrived for that 2013 play-off match.
Brighton boss Poyet was furious and wrote emails to his staff demanding an explanation and the Uruguayan was later suspended by the Seagulls for an unrelated breach of contract.
But in a later twist to the tale, Eagles defender Paddy McCarthy revealed months later that "the dressing room scandal at Brighton was thanks to our coach driver who couldn't control himself."
