Latest news with #AlexBurrows
New York Times
22-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Brighton's summer training camp: 34 players, two wins and a quiz night
Brighton & Hove Albion ended a 10-day training camp on Spain's Costa del Sol with a 2-0 win last night against Las Palmas. Victory against the side relegated from La Liga last season followed a 3-1 win against Championship outfit Stoke City last week. Ice baths and swimming pool recovery sessions at the Marbella Football Center resort provided welcome respite for the players from daily training sessions in temperatures that often climbed above 30C (more than 86F). Advertisement But it wasn't all serious business in preparation for Fabian Hurzeler's second season as head coach. The Athletic's Brighton & Hove Albion correspondent Andy Naylor spent time at the camp, and shares a few observations, including who was there, who wasn't, and why kit man Alex Burrows had players scratching their heads… Hurzeler used different XIs in each half against Las Palmas. Matt O'Riley, frustrated by injuries and irregular game time last season after a £25million ($34m) move from Celtic, was heavily involved in both goals. The Denmark international midfielder contributed to a sweet move by setting up Yasin Ayari for a tap-in after 16 minutes. O'Riley doubled the lead a minute later, intercepting a pass to stroke in a shot from a central position 25 yards out. Facundo Buonanotte faces a scan after rolling an ankle early in the second half. The Argentine attacker tried to continue but had to be replaced by Ayari. Buonanotte, loaned to Premier League rivals Leicester City last season, will qualify as homegrown if he stays in the UK until January, either with Brighton or if he has another domestic loan. Hurzeler told The Athletic after the match: 'The injury doesn't seem to be that bad, but there was no opponent near him. Hopefully, he is fine. He has performed well in training and in games, so let's see how the situation develops.' Although Hurzeler called time on his playing career with Bayern Munich in his early twenties, he still likes to keep himself in shape. After the game, he went on a solo run outside the secluded venue, which is surrounded by a high wall and fencing. The five signings made in this summer transfer window are being eased into action. Italian central defender Diego Coppola scored with a header four minutes into his first outing as a second-half substitute against Stoke on Wednesday. French central defender Olivier Boscagli had a run-out in the opening 45 minutes of a 6-1 victory against League One side Wycombe Wanderers, which was played behind closed doors at the training headquarters in Lancing the day before the camp started in Spain. Advertisement Belgian left-back Maxim De Cuyper made his first appearance in the opening 45 minutes against Las Palmas. Greek forward Charalampos Kostoulas and former Sunderland winger Tommy Watson have yet to play a part in any of the warm-up games. The same applies to Kostoulas' Greece Under-21 team-mate Stefanos Tzimas. The striker, signed at the end of the January transfer window, is recovering from a hamstring injury picked up on loan to Nurnberg in last season. As his Brighton team-mates rested after a morning training session in sweltering heat, Evan Ferguson arrived in Italy on Sunday to a raucous welcome from Roma fans. The club that knocked Brighton out of the last 16 of the Europa League in 2023-24 have an option to buy the 20-year-old Republic of Ireland No 9 as part of the loan deal. Squad trimming is ongoing to reduce a bloated group — 34 players made the trip to Marbella. They included Pervis Estupinan, who was pulled out of the game against Las Palmas as Milan push to sign the Ecuador left-back. In that position, Brighton already have De Cuyper, who signed this month from Club Brugge, and Ferdi Kadioglu, the Turkey international who was a non-playing member of the squad in Spain as he nears a return from a toe injury that has kept him out since November. Youngsters Malick Yalcouye and Caylan Vickers — who both impressed against Stoke — are going out on loan. Midfielder Yalcouye, 19, spent last season at Sturm Graz in the Austrian Bundesliga, while Vickers, 20, has joined League One side Barnsley for the season. The start of the Spain trip coincided with Joao Pedro scoring in Chelsea's 3-0 victory against Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final. The Brazilian forward's £60million move from Brighton puts a lot of responsibility on Danny Welbeck and Georginio Rutter to lead the line. Advertisement The pair have hit the ground running this summer. Welbeck, still in prime physical condition at 34 and as hungry as ever, scored four goals in the first half against Wycombe. Rutter was on the scoresheet against Stoke in the Frenchman's first appearance since an ankle injury sidelined him in March. Hurzeler estimates that first-choice goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen is two weeks away from returning to action after a knee injury, which hampered the Netherlands No 1 last season. 'He had an ongoing issue and he suffered a lot,' Hurzeler revealed to The Athletic in Marbella. 'Now it is about us making him pain-free, then I am sure he can bring himself to another level.' The knock-on effect of Verbruggen continuing his recovery in Spain is that Carl Rushworth, third choice behind Verbruggen and Jason Steele, has registered the most pre-season minutes of any Brighton player. The club are keen for Rushworth to sign a new contract before sending him out on loan to a fifth club in as many seasons. Championship side Coventry City and Scottish side Rangers are interested in borrowing the 24-year-old. Togetherness is a key feature of Hurzeler's management style. Squad bonding outside the environment of daily training sessions and two matches was evident in Marbella. After the Stoke game, players and coaches spent the rest of the evening at a sports bar for a bite to eat and to play games on Formula One, golf and multi-sports simulators. The following day was designated as a day off. On many such club trips, players split into small groups, often sticking with team-mates from the same country or region. The Brighton players enjoyed each other's company on and off the pitch. Around 20 played golf together, with another large group on the padel courts and others on a bike ride. Advertisement On Saturday evening, kit man Alex Burrows hosted a quiz that was well attended by players, testing their knowledge of football and other categories, including music and general knowledge, with questions such as, 'Which country has the most pyramids?' (You'll just have to read to the end of the piece for the answer.) To Hurzeler, unity counts for a lot in coping with the inevitable ups and downs of a Premier League season. Fans get their first opportunity to see the team during the pre-season programme when they visit Southampton on August 2. Relegated from the Premier League last season, Southampton have a new head coach. Will Still is only 32, the same age as Hurzeler. The Belgian-born Englishman helped Reims achieve finishes of 11th and ninth in Ligue 1 before steering Lens to eighth last season. The annual curtain-raiser at the Amex Stadium is against German Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg on Saturday, August 9 (5pm). Other games are in the pipeline behind closed doors before the club's ninth season in succession in the Premier League is launched at home to Fulham on Saturday, August 16 (3pm). (As for that question about the country with the most pyramids: it's not Peru, Mexico or Egypt. It's Sudan.)
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Albion kit team completes 35-mile charity walk
The team walked 35 miles to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the club's charity foundation [Johnny Cantor/BBC] The team which looks after the kit for Brighton and Hove Albion's players has completed a 35-mile (56km) charity walk. Alex Burrows, Harry Wood and the club's media manager Matt Bishop set off from the village of Rustington in West Sussex on Wednesday and arrived at the Amex Stadium on Friday afternoon. Advertisement The event was to mark the 35th anniversary of the Brighton and Hove Albion FC charity foundation, with a fundraising target of £35,000. Mr Burrows said "the support was incredible all along the route". Known as Buzz, he is raising money for The Brain Tumour Charity after his son was diagnosed with a tumour. He said: "As a kit team, we work closely with the foundation and we all know the amazing work they have done in the local area to change lives through football over the last 35 years. "We're hoping to raise some money to help them over the next 35." The team members were joined on the first day of the walk by DJ and Seagulls fan Norman Cook, known as Fatboy Slim, and 2013 Masterchef: The Professionals winner Steven Edwards, a Hove restaurateur. Advertisement Mr Burrows told BBC Radio Sussex: "The first two and a half days were predominantly flat, but we hit some inclines on Friday which was tough. "I'm glad we got them on the last day rather than the first." Fatboy Slim (second from right) joined the team on day one of the challenge [Brighton & Hove Albion FC] Seagulls player Lewis Dunk joined the walkers on Friday. He said: "I've grown up here and I've always tried to get involved with the community and help as much as I can. "It has been a good day." The team handed out sports kit to local schools on the way. Fabian Hürzeler, Brighton manager, said: "It's a great opportunity to say thank you to the kit team. They do an unbelievable job." Advertisement Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. More on this story Related internet links
BBC News
28-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Brighton & Hove Albion kit team completes 35-mile charity walk
The team which looks after the kit for Brighton and Hove Albion's players has completed a 35-mile (56km) charity Burrows, Harry Wood and the club's media manager Matt Bishop set off from the village of Rustington in West Sussex on Wednesday and arrived at the Amex Stadium on Friday afternoon. The event was to mark the 35th anniversary of the Brighton and Hove Albion FC charity foundation, with a fundraising target of £35, Burrows said "the support was incredible all along the route". Known as Buzz, he is raising money for The Brain Tumour Charity after his son was diagnosed with a tumour. He said: "As a kit team, we work closely with the foundation and we all know the amazing work they have done in the local area to change lives through football over the last 35 years. "We're hoping to raise some money to help them over the next 35."The team members were joined on the first day of the walk by DJ and Seagulls fan Norman Cook, known as Fatboy Slim, and 2013 Masterchef: The Professionals winner Steven Edwards, a Hove Burrows told BBC Radio Sussex: "The first two and a half days were predominantly flat, but we hit some inclines on Friday which was tough. "I'm glad we got them on the last day rather than the first." Seagulls player Lewis Dunk joined the walkers on said: "I've grown up here and I've always tried to get involved with the community and help as much as I can."It has been a good day." The team handed out sports kit to local schools on the Hürzeler, Brighton manager, said: "It's a great opportunity to say thank you to the kit team. They do an unbelievable job."
BBC News
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Brighton and Hove Albion kit team begins 35-mile charity walk
The team which looks after the kit for Brighton and Hove Albion's players is setting out on a 35-mile (56km) charity walk on Burrows, Harry Wood and the club's media manager Matt Bishop will walk from Rustington to the Amex event is to mark the 35th anniversary of the Brighton and Hove Albion FC charity foundation, with a fundraising target of £35, will be joined on the first day of the walk by DJ and Seagulls fan Norman Cook, known as Fatboy Slim, and 2013 Masterchef: The Professionals winner Steven Edwards, a Hove restaurateur. Mr Burrows said: "This is our way of giving a little something back to the charity and highlighting the incredible work they've done over the last 35 years – all while hopefully raising vital funds in the process."I'm so proud to be helping the amazing Foundation and I can't wait to get started – and finish."The team will be handing out sports kit to local schools on the way, and hope to reach the Amex by Friday.
