Latest TV news: Sussex World reporters preview Brighton's hectic festive schedule
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00:00 (dramatic music)
00:02 (dramatic music)
00:05 (dramatic music)
00:08 - Hello and welcome to Latest TV News.
00:35 My name is Sam Morton and I'm going to be speaking
00:37 to reporter and Brighton fan, Henry Bryant,
00:40 about Albion's 1-0 win at Ike Athens in the Europa League
00:43 before we reflect on their 3-2 defeat against Chelsea
00:46 at Stamford Bridge.
00:48 We will also look ahead to the upcoming matches
00:50 as the hectic festive football calendar gets underway.
00:53 First, here are the top stories from across the county.
00:56 A 99-year-old woman has died in hospital
01:00 following a suspected arson attack at a house in Bexhill.
01:04 Police and firefighters were called to a blaze
01:06 at a first floor masonette in St. Mark's Close,
01:08 which also affected the roof space
01:10 at around 11 p.m. on November the 13th.
01:13 A 99-year-old woman, a neighbor, was taken to hospital
01:16 for smoke inhalation treatment.
01:18 Sadly, she later died in hospital.
01:20 The cause of her death is under investigation.
01:23 A 26-year-old man from Hastings was arrested
01:25 on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life
01:28 and was released on bail pending further inquiries.
01:31 Anyone with any information is asked to report it online
01:34 or via 101, quoting 1457 of the 13th of November.
01:38 Hundreds of residents gathered
01:41 to get into the Christmas spirit
01:43 as they enjoyed all that was on offer
01:44 at the Little Chelsea Christmas Market.
01:47 Little Chelsea's free annual Christmas Spectacular
01:50 returned for its sixth year
01:51 with a host of festive activities
01:53 to get residents in the Christmas spirit.
01:55 The popular event kicked off at 3.30 p.m.
01:57 with an appearance from Father Christmas.
02:00 There was also a DJ, street food, stalls,
02:02 and a variety of music and entertainment performances
02:05 from Natalie Roberts Performing Arts,
02:07 Prince's Playhouse, Community Choir,
02:09 Longman Morris Dancer.
02:11 Grove Road and South Street played host to their fun fair
02:13 to keep all ages entertained,
02:15 and there was also some friendly competition
02:17 with a Christmas-themed best dress contest
02:19 for adults, children, and dogs.
02:21 Meanwhile, a taxi driver and a Bexhill pub owner
02:25 teamed up to offer free rides to Christmas events
02:28 for families with disabled children and adults.
02:30 Jay Jones and Lewis Collins from the New Inn in Sidley
02:33 said they decided to set up the venture
02:35 to help struggling families amid the cost of living crisis.
02:39 They have also set up a fundraising page on GoFundMe
02:41 as part of their campaign,
02:43 which is also to help take struggling families
02:45 to any Christmas-themed events in the area at no cost.
02:49 Jay said, "I started doing this at Christmastime last year,
02:52 "offering to take struggling families
02:53 "or families with disabled children or adults
02:55 "just as a kind gesture
02:57 "and to give something positive to the people at a time
02:59 "when a lot of struggling."
03:01 So far, more than 600 pounds has been raised
03:04 on the GoFundMe page.
03:05 Jay and Lewis's fundraising page
03:07 can be found at gofundme.co.uk.
03:09 Ancient woodland in the part of Hastings
03:15 is under threat by a proposal to build up to 140 new homes.
03:19 The woodland at Sandrock Bends,
03:21 opposite Conqueror's March on the ridge
03:23 adjacent to Cooper's Vets
03:24 and behind Sir Helen's Church
03:26 has been earmarked for development.
03:28 East Sussex County Council published an advert
03:30 in the Hastings Observer
03:32 as a notice to advertise its intention
03:34 to dispose of the site.
03:35 The purpose of doing so is to engage with the public
03:38 so that any comments can be taken on board
03:40 and used to shape the plans for the site.
03:43 They have not identified a purchaser for the site yet.
03:46 Any future sale of the land will be fully considered
03:48 with views expressed as a result
03:49 of the recent advert taken into account.
03:52 Concerned resident Peter Bailey said,
03:54 "Our biggest concern is not only the loss
03:56 "of valuable wildlife and habitat and recreational space,
03:59 "but also the fact that all the vegetation
04:01 "and trees on the site absorbs all the rainfall."
04:04 Paul and a group of residents in the area
04:06 are now setting up a Save Sandrock Bends campaign group
04:09 to fight any housing development plans for the site.
04:12 Holidaymakers plans for a Christmas break
04:16 were thrown into disarray
04:17 when Pontins and Canberra Sands
04:19 and its other holiday park in Pristain
04:21 were closed with immediate effect.
04:23 The firm, which is owned by Britannia Hotels,
04:26 placed a statement on its website last week,
04:28 which read, "We regret to inform you
04:29 "that our parks in Pristain and Canberra Sands
04:31 "will be closed with immediate effect.
04:34 "Customers whose bookings will be affected
04:36 "by these closures will be contacted by the team
04:38 "and refunded.
04:39 "We apologise for any inconvenience caused."
04:42 Holiday park in New Lyd Road, Canberra,
04:45 was built in 1968 and covers 32 acres.
04:48 I have Henry Bryant here with me now
04:51 to speak about everything Brighton and Hove Albion.
04:54 As we record this, Albion have just lost to Chelsea
04:56 in a fiery game at Stamford Bridge.
04:59 At the end of the week,
05:00 which saw them seal progression to the knockout rounds
05:02 of the Europa League
05:03 with a hard-fought 1-0 win at Ike Athens.
05:05 But Henry, looking back at the win over Ike Athens,
05:09 how would you assess that one?
05:10 - Well, I think it was a poor performance,
05:12 but a good result overall for us.
05:15 I think that we started really poorly.
05:17 More shaky defensive actions going on,
05:20 especially with Lewis Dunk,
05:22 that we have seen before from him,
05:24 especially in the Marseilles game when we were away.
05:27 So I think that at the end of the day,
05:30 for us to get that result was massive.
05:32 I think that we were able to kind of cool ourselves down
05:36 and sort of play the game in a way that aside,
05:40 that is kind of lacking that strength up top,
05:44 but can still get the victory did.
05:46 So it was okay for us.
05:48 It was okay.
05:49 I think there was a lot of room for improvement,
05:51 especially if we want to advance to the later rounds
05:53 of this competition.
05:55 So I think overall from a brighter performance,
05:59 it wasn't our best,
06:00 but players like Jal Pedro really did shine through.
06:04 So that's all you can say about that.
06:06 - Yeah, 'cause it was probably one of those games
06:07 that the result was more important
06:09 than the performance, I guess.
06:11 'Cause as you say, that first half was extremely poor
06:13 and even Jal Pedro, who did come to life in the second half,
06:16 had a particularly poor first half.
06:18 And I wouldn't say really anyone shone that first half
06:21 and they were very lucky to have gone into the breaker
06:23 at nil-nil, but that was a positive to take on
06:26 and to know that they weren't playing well,
06:27 but the score was still goalless
06:29 and they could go on and win the game.
06:31 And obviously that's what they did
06:32 with the penalty that Jal Pedro slotted away.
06:34 And obviously life was made a bit easier
06:35 with the red card that Athens got as well.
06:37 So yeah, was it just one of those,
06:39 just so important to get the result
06:41 to seal progression into the next round?
06:42 - Well, I think, yeah, every first half almost
06:46 that we've played in the Europa League,
06:47 we've been a bit nervy and have been a bit shaky
06:49 and that's fair enough because it's our first ever time
06:53 in a European competition like this.
06:56 In terms of the way that we did play,
06:58 it wasn't our best, like we've mentioned,
07:01 but to be able to compete and to be able to get a win,
07:06 three points in quite a hostile Ajax stadium,
07:10 I mean, Ajax, Athens, apologies, stadium,
07:12 I think is great.
07:14 - Yeah, and how brilliant was Louis Dunck?
07:16 He got my amount of the match in the play-off ratings I did
07:18 and brilliant in the first half to defend
07:20 against everything Athens were throwing against them.
07:22 And he stayed so solid in that second half.
07:24 So once again, coming back from injury,
07:27 how fantastic is he as a player
07:29 and how important is he going forward for Brighton?
07:31 - Well, I think as a player,
07:32 he's just someone that you rely on in and out,
07:35 through and through, someone that can not only defend,
07:38 but get the ball forward and enable our midfield and attack
07:41 to actually make use of the ball and of our positions,
07:45 because I feel like he is just the Brighton boy,
07:48 the player that you do rely on in these big games.
07:52 In the first opening minutes,
07:54 he did give the ball away a few times,
07:57 forced Verbruggen into a save that was quite comfortable,
08:00 but could have been a lot worse.
08:01 But to see Louis Dunck playing, the Brighton boy,
08:05 local boy, helping us and guiding us to that victory
08:09 was really nice to see.
08:10 But like I previously mentioned,
08:12 I think that a lot of improvements will need to be made
08:16 if we are to be successful in this competition.
08:19 And I think personally, it's just nice as a Brighton fan
08:23 to be able to say that we're definitely going to be
08:26 going through, whether that's first or second in the group.
08:30 - Jack Henshaw Wood started against Athens,
08:33 18 years old, born in Worthing.
08:35 And now that, as you say, a local boy,
08:37 how brilliant was he,
08:38 playing a little bit out of position in left back,
08:40 but he was so solid, wasn't he?
08:41 And he really helped to secure that victory on Thursday.
08:44 - He did a really good job of that on that night.
08:46 It's a hard, hard place to be out of position.
08:49 And there was so many crowd noises,
08:52 loads of booing going on and whistling as we had the ball.
08:55 And to play under that condition
08:58 at an 18 year old's sort of perspective is crazy, crazy.
09:02 And the talent that that boy's got
09:05 is limitless really at the moment.
09:07 - The result means that Brighton are guaranteed
09:10 to get through to at least a playoff knockout round.
09:14 That will all depend on how the final game
09:16 goes against Marseille.
09:17 They know that only a win will be enough to top the group,
09:20 which will avoid a two-legged playoff tie
09:22 against the team dropping down from the Champions League.
09:25 If they would finish top, they would avoid that
09:27 and go straight into the round of 16.
09:29 So on those two scenarios,
09:31 who would you like to see Brighton play
09:33 if they finish second in the group?
09:34 What is the only Champions League team
09:35 you'd really like them to face?
09:36 Or if they were to finish top,
09:38 any of the teams in the Europa League at the moment,
09:40 you'd really like them to get in the next round?
09:42 - Well, I think in terms of if we do finish first,
09:44 I think someone like Roma would be brilliant
09:47 because having them at home would be astounding
09:52 just for the fans to experience.
09:54 And it would be another team that we've played against
09:57 and the opportunity to beat them
09:59 and progress would be amazing.
10:02 - Moving on from that game,
10:03 they face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
10:06 We expected it to be a lively game
10:08 against players that they had last season,
10:10 including Moises Caicedo, Levi Colwell, Robert Sanchez.
10:14 Obviously, Mark Kukare was suspended on the day.
10:16 So we knew that coming up against some familiar faces,
10:19 it might be a bit of a fiery one
10:21 and Chelsea came out on top in a 3-2 win.
10:24 So how would you assess how that game went?
10:26 - It was a tough fixture,
10:27 especially after that victory at Athens.
10:30 I think that it was a hard one for us
10:32 to go straight into another game
10:34 with just a few days to recover, replenish,
10:37 and get back on the horse if you must.
10:40 So yeah, I think that a 3-2 result
10:45 was something that I didn't expect, actually.
10:48 I thought we were gonna lose quite convincingly,
10:51 but you've got players like Giselle Pedro
10:54 that stepped up again for a penalty.
10:56 Buonanotte was able to slot a goal back for us,
11:00 which was great.
11:01 And it's just a shame that we weren't able
11:04 to get the advantage after Chelsea did go down to 10 men.
11:08 Potentially, if we had a player like Louis Dunck
11:11 in the side, then those sort of goals
11:14 could have been eliminated completely
11:15 and it could have been a completely different game
11:17 and a completely different chat that we're having now.
11:19 So a lot of factors played into that defeat,
11:22 but overall I think there was a lot of good performances
11:25 on the pitch for Brighton.
11:27 - Thank you for that, Henry.
11:28 And stay tuned to latest TV news,
11:29 as after the break, we discuss Albion's upcoming matches.
11:33 (upbeat music)
11:36 Henry, there's obviously no respite for Brighton
11:48 as we look forward to the upcoming games.
11:50 As we mentioned, they were due to face Brentford
11:52 on Wednesday night and they've now got Burnley
11:54 at the weekend before they're back in European League action
11:57 and they've got multiple games coming up
11:59 for the end of the year and two games every week
12:02 up until January.
12:04 So how do you see that going?
12:05 We've mentioned about the injuries they've had,
12:07 the suspensions they've had.
12:08 So how do you see them coping
12:11 with the number of games in December?
12:13 - Well, with around 12 players injured,
12:15 it just shows that we really are on the back foot.
12:19 The fact that we've been able to get results
12:20 in the Europa League against Ike Athens, for example,
12:24 has been really positive for us.
12:26 Looking forward, it seems like it might be a struggle
12:30 and a tough winter and new year for us, to be honest,
12:34 in terms of games.
12:36 We've just got to hope that players can come back,
12:39 players can get fit again,
12:40 and players like Matoma can find their form.
12:44 We need players like him to get their electric pace,
12:48 speed, movement, dribbling, and passing,
12:51 and hopefully improve shooting
12:53 to kind of get us out of trouble, to be honest.
12:56 We need players like him to step up.
12:59 We need players like Van Gecke to keep performing
13:02 like he has because he's been a rock at the back in defence.
13:05 So for me, it seems like we just need to keep pushing,
13:10 keep fighting, and hoping that players can find their form
13:14 and come back from injury.
13:15 - Yeah, and De Servi has mentioned before the Chelsea game
13:18 that Danny Woerbeck could return before the end of the year.
13:21 He's been out since the Manchester City defeat
13:23 on the same day that Soddy March was injured two months ago,
13:27 as well as Julio Insisto might be back early January,
13:30 so you probably won't see him this month.
13:32 But how important will those two players be coming back?
13:35 Because De Servi did mention they've really been suffering
13:37 without Danny Woerbeck in particular,
13:39 with Evan Ferguson missing games from injury.
13:42 Having that experienced striker to stand in,
13:44 they've really missed.
13:46 And obviously, Jair Pedro has stepped up,
13:48 but having someone like Woerbeck back,
13:49 how important would that be in these coming games?
13:52 - Well, his Premier League experience
13:54 is unmatched to most of the Brighton players
13:57 that we've got in the squad,
13:58 nigh on a few like Milner and Lallana.
14:01 So for him to be in the team
14:03 and him to not only help us individually
14:06 as a striker himself,
14:08 but also help guide some of the younger players
14:10 could be brilliant and sort of build more of
14:14 sort of characters in the dressing room, I think,
14:17 'cause he is one of those characters.
14:19 I've seen him on Buzz's Boot Room,
14:21 which is one of Brighton and Hove Albion's
14:23 own sort of TV sort of shows that they do.
14:26 He's an absolute character, he's funny,
14:28 and off the pitch seems like a lovely lad.
14:30 So also having that sort of momentum in morale
14:34 in the dressing room to boost everyone up
14:36 and think, yes, we've got a player like Danny
14:38 back in the squad could be brilliant as well.
14:40 - Excellent, and how important will the academy be?
14:43 We've seen with the suspensions and injuries lately,
14:46 we've seen some young players make some appearances
14:48 in the Europa League
14:50 and obviously the Premier League as well.
14:51 So we've mentioned Jack Hunterwood
14:53 and Joshua Dufus had an appearance
14:55 in the Europa League game as well.
14:57 So how important will the academy be going forward
15:00 and who are you kind of looking forward to seeing more of?
15:03 - Well, I think that Joshua Dufus did well,
15:06 even though he was only on for a few minutes
15:08 against Athens, I think that he was able
15:11 to get a few clear-cut chances.
15:13 And although he didn't take them
15:14 and although they were eventually offside,
15:16 one in particular that just went over the bar,
15:19 he was able to get some confidence, get some minutes
15:22 and having your debut for the Albion like that,
15:26 in a game like that, just shows the sort of confidence
15:29 and the attacking mindset that Deserby's got.
15:33 He's not afraid to put young players out there in big games
15:36 when we need to see out a few minutes of a match
15:39 as important as that in Europe.
15:40 So I think that the academy is gonna be pivotal,
15:44 especially if we get even more injuries
15:47 and are unlucky in that aspect.
15:48 I think having players that have played some matches
15:51 under the lights in big atmospheres like that
15:54 will do us more than justice if we are under the cosh.
15:58 - Yeah, absolutely.
15:59 And unfortunately, Antti Fati is likely to miss
16:01 the rest of the month.
16:03 We're not sure on Tarek Lamptey, Adam Webster.
16:06 So what players do you feel are important
16:10 to stand in for these players
16:12 and to maybe play twice a week
16:14 and players that you really need to rely on
16:16 as these games come thick and fast?
16:18 - Well, I think players like James Milner,
16:21 just 'cause of how quality he is
16:23 and the experience he's got of playing matches
16:25 in these sort of circumstances
16:27 and playing that amount of matches consistently
16:30 will be really important for us.
16:32 We need players like Van Hecker,
16:34 who are young but also hungry
16:36 and also making a lot of progress.
16:38 De Serby said the other week
16:40 that Van Hecker is one of the most improved players
16:43 he's ever seen in his coaching career so far.
16:45 So you've got players like that
16:47 that will be a massive gain and advantage for us
16:50 that just need to keep ticking away,
16:53 keep on being consistent, keep on getting results
16:55 and eventually become regular starters
16:58 when they already are already because of injuries,
17:00 but making themselves that number one
17:02 in their position at the Albion.
17:04 I think that João Pedro,
17:06 he needs to keep performing the way he is
17:09 and potentially getting himself
17:11 into a few more dangerous areas.
17:12 He's got a lot of goals from penalties this season,
17:15 but I think that if he was able to kind of finish a few
17:19 of his more clear-cut chances,
17:21 he'd be able to bag us a few more victories,
17:24 to be honest with you,
17:25 and be able to change a few more games,
17:27 more than he is already,
17:28 which he is doing brilliantly for his age.
17:31 So I think it's those key players in defence
17:34 and also attack.
17:35 I think you can always talk about midfield,
17:38 but I think that, yeah, most importantly defence and attack
17:41 because we need to defend goals
17:42 and we also need to get goals.
17:44 The truth of the matter is at the moment
17:46 is we're playing a lot of games
17:48 with not a lot of players.
17:49 - And how important is versatility?
17:51 I guess, obviously we've had Pascal Gros
17:53 play in multiple different positions.
17:54 Jack Hinshaw, we've mentioned, playing at left-back.
17:57 And Gros, in particular,
17:58 it was a surprise that he didn't start against Chelsea.
18:00 And when he, I suppose he deserves a rest
18:02 because he barely gets one really,
18:03 but when he came on,
18:04 he had a really big impact on the game
18:06 and had, I think, three shots on target
18:08 and he just had an all-round really positive influence.
18:11 So players like that,
18:12 that can play in different positions
18:13 and have such experience in these kinds of moments,
18:16 how important will they be going forward?
18:18 - Well, I think versatility
18:20 is the name of the game at the moment.
18:21 You've got De Zerbe trying his coaching,
18:24 you know, really testing his coaching ability
18:27 to make sure that we can actually get some results out.
18:30 We're eighth in the table right now.
18:32 We're second currently in the Europa League,
18:35 hoping to get that victory when we're at home to Marseille.
18:39 But I think the versatility to move players around
18:42 and also communicate with the players and say,
18:43 "Look, we are in a situation right now
18:46 where we might need you to play in multiple positions,
18:49 you know, every other week almost,
18:51 and maybe even more,"
18:53 will be something he needs to balance as well.
18:55 It's not just getting those players
18:57 to play in that position,
18:58 it's also getting them to understand
19:01 that the situation we're in right now means
19:03 we need to sort of adapt very quickly.
19:07 So players like Milner,
19:09 that's been able to play at the back
19:11 and also midfield as a centre,
19:13 defensive midfield at times
19:15 has been really important to us.
19:17 - And not only are the games coming thick and fast,
19:18 but they're really tough games as well.
19:20 You think they're playing Marseille,
19:21 really tough game,
19:22 a must win if they want to finish top.
19:24 And they've got away games,
19:25 Arsenal, Crystal Palace,
19:28 obviously arch rivals Crystal Palace,
19:29 that's obviously going to be a fiery one.
19:30 And I've got Tottenham at home as well,
19:32 all this month, as well as Burnley.
19:34 So how tough is that, having to travel a lot,
19:38 play really big games against tough opposition
19:41 while kind of contending with the players
19:43 they've got missing?
19:44 - I think that it's going to be a difficult one,
19:47 to be honest with you.
19:48 And I think that Albion fans
19:50 might have to be a bit forgiving
19:52 to some of their players,
19:53 because like we mentioned,
19:55 the players that are out right now and at sick bay,
19:58 the players that need to sort of get fit again
20:02 and on the cusp of getting back into the squad,
20:05 whether that's as a substitute
20:06 or potentially even starting in a few weeks' time
20:11 that we spoke about.
20:12 I think that it's going to be a few tough results.
20:17 And I think that this is going to be a challenge for us
20:19 that we've not really faced before
20:21 because of the amount of games that we're playing
20:23 that we've never had previously.
20:25 And also the amount of players that we've got out,
20:27 because we didn't have this sort of luck last season.
20:30 We were able to keep the majority of our class players
20:34 and the only ones that really were missing
20:37 were ones that got sold.
20:39 So it seems like this is a new situation for us,
20:43 but one we're dealing with quite well.
20:45 So I think we're dealing with it quite well right now.
20:49 - I just want to ask about the goalkeepers as well.
20:50 It's been a contentious one
20:52 where De Serbi has obviously favoured
20:55 two first team goalkeepers.
20:56 He's constantly rotating between
20:59 Jason Steele and Bart van Bruggen.
21:00 And I personally felt that van Bruggen was very unlucky
21:03 not to start against Chelsea
21:04 after he was brilliant against them, like Athens.
21:08 And it does seem to be the case
21:09 where it doesn't matter how well a goalkeeper performs,
21:11 they're replaced in the following game.
21:13 Do you think that's sustainable going forward?
21:15 I think Jason Steele did have a good game
21:17 against Chelsea, all things considered.
21:19 Couldn't really have done anything
21:20 about either of the, all three of the goals.
21:22 But going forward, do you think De Serbi needs to pick one
21:25 to kind of favour for his biggest games
21:28 and needs to maybe rotate in certain games?
21:30 Or do you think it's okay what he's doing at the moment?
21:32 - Well, like you said, it's almost every other week
21:35 that he's changing goalkeepers.
21:37 We've also seen a pattern with van Bruggen playing
21:40 quite a few of the Europa games as of recent.
21:42 And Jason Steele being left out
21:45 and kind of being saved sometimes
21:46 for the Premier League fixtures that we've got.
21:48 I think for van Bruggen,
21:51 he's someone that is looking for experience,
21:55 someone with limitless talent in that respect,
21:58 a real quality player to have in the side.
22:00 So to have him and also Steele,
22:04 who's a experienced veteran in the game,
22:06 to be honest with you,
22:07 and also finding some of his best form right now
22:10 at the ripe old age of something like over 30 years
22:13 right now is really, really cool to see.
22:16 So there's a mixture of new talent and seasoned experience.
22:21 - Thank you for watching Naces TV News.
22:23 For more stories from across the county,
22:24 please visit sussexworld.co.uk.
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