Season 1991-92 was largely forgettable for Brighton and Hove Albion.
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The club was relegated from the second division, was close to losing its home of 90 years and, perhaps most concerning, sported what was regarded at the time, and remains, one of the worst kits in English football – and there’s some seriously tough competition for that prize.
There were few positive signs for the Seagulls.
But one of the longest trips of the season produced one of its greatest hopes of salvation.
Appropriately enough, the ray of hope came from a team called Sunshine, hailed from the sun-drenched climes of Australia and even had sun-bleached blond hair to match.
Midway through the second half of an otherwise forgettable loss at Sunderland, striker John Byrne was replaced by a substitute none of us Albion supporters had heard of or indeed knew anything about.
The 23-year-old midfielder could not prevent either the 4-2 defeat or the team’s subsequent relegation, but showed enough composure and technical ability to suggest he had a role to play.
In a global coincidence right up there with Shane Jurgensen playing for the two major cricket teams I have reported on as a journalist (Horsham and Tasmania), David Clarkson is now bringing exactly the same attributes to Tasmania’s push for a team in his home country’s national soccer competition.
No offence to my current employer, but in 1991-92 I was doing my dream job.
I had landed a position providing freelance media reports of Brighton, the team I had supported all my life.
It was like Molly Meldrum reporting on St Kilda. I was happier than Silvio Berlusconi at a bunga bunga party.
That season I travelled throughout England charting the team’s progress, or lack of it, and was among the 15,119 at the now-defunct Roker Park to see Clarkson’s debut.
He went on to make 13 appearances, eight off the bench and five starting in place of regular number 10, the somewhat enigmatic Robert Codner.
In the club’s programme for the glamorous midweek fixture against Grimsby, Clarkson was afforded a player profile – surely the pinnacle of any professional footballer’s career.
It described how the English-born, Tasmanian-raised talent had signed a 12-month contract after spells with Brisbane Lions (the round-ball variety), Adelaide City and Sunshine-George Cross who had accepted a £5000 transfer fee.
“He was born in Preston but his family emigrated when he was a toddler,” the profile explained. “His father, Brian, went on to become one of Tasmania’s leading referees.”
Three months later, Clarkson scaled even greater heights when he was pictured fronting The Seagull programme, proudly wearing the infamous kit which featured stripes down both shirt and shorts and was referred to by opposition supporters as a deckchair, quite appropriate given Brighton’s seaside location.
Clarkson made his final appearance for the club in a 3-0 loss to Blackburn, much to the disappointment of the Seagulls fans who had warmed to both his midfield industry and flowing locks.
Eight years later, FIFA decided to stage an inaugural club world championship, doubtless one of many bright ideas of its since-disgraced boss Sepp Blatter.
Staged in Brazil, the competition featured the winners of eight global confederations including Manchester United who controversially became the first team in 129 years not to defend their FA Cup title – a decision which prompted Nottingham Forest manager Brian Clough to famously comment: “I hope they all get bloody diarrhoea.”
Joining the Red Devils in Group B were reigning Oceania club champions South Melbourne, featuring one Dave Clarkson in midfield with current Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou in charge.
Although South Melbourne lost all three games, including to United at Rio’s famous Maracana stadium, the tournament probably trumped appearing on the Albion programme cover in Clarkson’s well-travelled career.
Sixteen years on from Brazil and the 48-year-old is back in the town where he grew up helping Tasmania try and shake the tag of being the only state in Australia without a professional football club.
Clarkson has emerged as the public face of the push to see FC Tasmania join the party as Football Federation Australia goes through on plans to expand the A-League beyond 10 clubs.
Melbourne businessmen Harry Stamoulis and Robert Belteky represent the financial foundations of the operation, but Clarkson is bringing the same methodical organisation and efficiency that he demonstrated in a playing career across four continents.
Traditionally, governing bodies of assorted football codes have been able to fall back on the easy get-out that Tasmania does not have the financial clout to merit a place at the national table.
Even New Zealand gets a look in before Tasmania in what is supposed to be an Australian competition.
But with the bankrolling of Stamoulis, one of Victoria’s wealthiest property investors, FFA is having to look harder for a reason to say no.
The consortium claims to have political support at both state and federal level and intends to play games at Bellerive Oval and Launceston’s UTas Stadium while exploring the possibility of a purpose-built rectangular stadium in the capital.
The bid appears to be mirroring the fortunes of Clarkson’s English club, which has bounced back from near oblivion to rise back through the divisions, move to a stunning 30,000-capacity stadium and be vying with Newcastle to secure promotion to the Premier League.