Crystal Palace vs Brighton is a derby? Im not having that! Ally McCoist stunned by not-so-local rivalry

Crystal Palace vs Brighton is a derby? Im not having that! Ally McCoist stunned by not-so-local rivalry
Ally McCoist reacted with disbelief when he was told about Crystal Palace and Brightons unlikely rivalry, ahead of their derby on Saturday.Brighton fans the 45 mile trip to Selhurst Park this weekend in the latest edition of the battle of the birds – with LIVE and EXCLUSIVE commentary on talkSPORT!2

Crystal Palace and Brighton’s last meeting in the Premier League in December ended in a 3-1 win for the Seagulls

Most of footballs great rivalries feature teams fighting for local supremacy or involved in long years of intense competition for trophies.You think of Liverpool vs Manchester United, Arsenal vs Tottenham, Barcelona vs Real Madrid and Celtic vs Rangers.Neither is true for Palaces rivalry with Brighton – born from just one season in 1976/77 when the clubs appointed rival managers Terry Venables (Palace) and Alan Mullery (Brighton) and went head-to-head for promotion from the then-Third Division.Both sides achieved their goal, although Mansfield actually won the league that year, but the two clubs were bitter enemies by the end of the season.2

Terry Venables (second left) and Alan Mullery (second right) apparently fell out after Mullery was named Tottenham captain ahead of Venables by manager Bill Nicholson

Palace and Brighton were also drawn together in the first round of the FA Cup that season which after two draws and the second replay being delayed twice due to bad weather and eventually being played at Stamford Bridge Crystal Palace won 1-0 after Brighton were controversially denied a late penalty.Even Mullery has admitted he didnt quite understand why the two clubs became such fierce enemies: I used to find it very difficult to understand what their problem was, he told the Guardian in 2011. Portsmouth and Brighton are 20 miles apart, Arsenal and Tottenham are about three miles apart. When you’ve got clubs 45 miles apart it does sound a bit silly.“I don’t think it was just the Cup run that started it off, I think it was the rivalry between their manager and me. That’s where the rivalry came about. Because we were in the same league, doing the same thing trying to get into the First Division at the same time.And Rangers legend McCoist who certainly knows what a derby is all about says hes not having it!

"I'm not having that as a derby!" "Have you seen Quadrophenia!?"It's #CPFC v #BHAFC tomorrow……but Ally refuses to believe it should be seen as a derby!Does your side have any non-derby derbies? pic.twitter.com/LHJoxm5ecr— The Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast (@SportsBreakfast) March 8, 2019

LISTEN LIVE: Tune into talkSPORT for Crystal Palace v Brighton, Saturday March 9, Kick Off: 12:30pm

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