Struijk cleared for the M23 derby as Brighton begin their Conference League campaign
Thursday 15 October 2026 · By Olivia Bennett
Pascal Struijk will be available for Sunday’s derby against Crystal Palace now that his Sunderland dismissal has been overturned on appeal.
An independent Regulatory Commission upheld Brighton’s claim of wrongful dismissal on Wednesday 14 October, according to the club and the Premier League, and removed the one-match suspension. The BBC’s football issues correspondent, Dale Johnson, wrote that referee Thomas Bramall should have rejected the VAR’s advice, because it was far from clear that Isidor would reach the ball before Bart Verbruggen.
Struijk will not feature tonight. Fabian Hürzeler told his press conference he would rotate for the Conference League opener against Kauno Žalgiris, and that the defender would be rested for workload reasons.
The European campaign begins at a busy time. Brighton are third on 13 points, and their goal difference of +13 is the best in the division. Only Manchester City and Arsenal are above them.
Hürzeler used his press conference to issue a challenge to supporters before the derby. He wants the Amex to be a “dirty place” for opponents, the Sussex Express reported, and Palace are the first visitors to test it.
The derby will be a different game to the one it might have been a week ago. Palace have won their last league match, beating Nottingham Forest 3–1 to end a 14-year wait for a league win over them, and Pierre Sage’s side are also in Europa League action tonight, away to Lyon. The derby kicks off at 14:00 on Sunday.
After Palace, Brighton travel to Liverpool later this month, and then to Manchester City on 31 October. That is three high-profile league games in a fortnight, with European fixtures in between.
Rotation will be central to how Hürzeler manages it. His squad has depth, and resting Struijk tonight suggests the manager is already thinking about Sunday.
The appeal result was a relief. Losing a first-choice centre-back for a derby on a disputed decision would have been hard to accept.
Now Brighton must make the most of it. A win against Palace would keep them in touch with the top two before the toughest month of their season.
Falmer Stadium — officially the American Express Stadium, and still called the Amex by almost everyone — sits in a fold of the South Downs at Village Way, Falmer, BN1 9BL. Opened in 2011 after Brighton’s long exile from the Goldstone Ground, it holds just over 31,800. The pitch is 105 metres by 68 metres and is sunk into the hillside so the arched roofs read as part of the Downs rather than a tower block. For a visiting supporter it is one of the more comfortable Premier League grounds: padded seats, no pillars, steep stands and a clear view from the away end.
The four stands are simple to learn. The North Stand is the single-tier home end, closest to Falmer railway station, and is where Brighton’s loudest support gathers. The South Stand sits behind the opposite goal and is the usual home for away fans — typically blocks behind that goal, with an allocation of around three thousand for a Premier League fixture. The West Stand is the three-tier main stand: tunnel, dugouts, media and hospitality. The East Stand is two-tiered and includes the family area. Goals sit in front of the North and South stands, so from the away seats you look straight down the pitch toward the home end and the station.
Getting there is the part that needs planning. Falmer station is beside the north of the ground. Visiting supporters then walk around to the south — roughly 600 yards either way. Match tickets often include free local rail and bus travel in a defined window, but trains from Brighton are packed on the way out and the queue back at Falmer after full time can take the best part of an hour. Many away fans stay on the South Stand concourse (usually open for about an hour after the whistle) or use the North Stand bar, which has often been open to both sets of supporters while the platform clears. Lewes, one stop east, is a calmer place to park and drink beforehand; extra trains run on match days.
Do not rely on street parking. There is none worth the risk near the ground. Official car parks sell out and should be booked through the club. Coaches drop by the south side, which is convenient for the away turnstiles. Gates typically open two hours before kick-off. Entrances are numbered rather than labelled North or South, so use the number printed on your ticket. Bags larger than A4 may need the paid bag drop on the east side; travel light if you can.
Inside, the South Stand is single-tier and steep enough that even the back rows feel close. Sightlines are good; the far goal is the usual compromise of any end seat. Food and drink on the concourse are standard stadium fare, with local ales often available around the ground. The Terrace fan zone by the station end has, in practice, been welcoming to away colours even when originally billed as a home space — still read the fixture notes, because rules can tighten for bigger games. Accessible seating for visiting supporters is provided in the South Stand, including wheelchair bays on a raised platform; request this when tickets are issued.
Atmosphere at the Amex is driven from the North Stand and held in by the curved roof. Brighton crowds are generally civil; the usual advice applies on a night when the table is tight. From 2027–28 the club intends to move away fans into the south-west corner and turn more of the South Stand into a second home end, so treat current maps as current, not permanent. Check the club site and your own ticket for the latest gate, bag and allocation detail before you travel — then enjoy a modern ground in an unusual setting, with the Downs above the roofs and the train waiting, eventually, on the far side.