Brighton & Hove Albion fans’ European joy cut short by tear gas

Brighton & Hove Albion supporters' joy was short lived after fans were inadvertently affected by tear gas.

The Seagulls booked their spot in the knockout phase of the Europa League by beating AEK Athens on Thursday night.

However, flash bangs and tear gas were used towards the home supporters after the final whistle, a Sussex Police representative said.

"The gas wafted through to the away end, and a few fans were left feeling distressed," Darren Balkham said.

"It's not a nice feeling, especially if you have respiratory problems. And if you've not had that before, it is quite scary."

The Sussex Police Football Officer said he hoped the trouble after the match would not dampen the spirits of supporters.

"There has been quite a lot of frustration," he added. "The fans will reflect quite angrily with what's happened, but hopefully tomorrow and going forward they will remember the win."

An Albion spokesman said the away supporters were "a credit to the club", despite a "small number of minor incidents" in the home section of the Opap Arena.

"We understand this resulted in police clearing the home area with the use of tear gas. None was directed at the away section," he said.

"We will investigate further and seek clarity from AEK Athens, who as a club were excellent hosts, and from UEFA."

Despite the aftermath, supporter George Batchelor "never thought it possible" he would watch his side qualify for the knockout stages of a European competition.

"I never imagined 10 or even five years ago we'd play in Europe, let alone qualify for the knockouts," he said.

"It did turn a bit sour between fans, and the match was stressful at times, but it was all worth it.

"The celebrations will go on long into the night."

Super-fan Sue Challen, who is a member of the Seagulls Over London supporters group, said visiting the Greek capital was the "perfect reward" for attending every match last season.

"We saw a dad at the Acropolis with his little kid, and [my son] Jimmy said, 'he's having a very different Brighton experience to me'," she said.

"I used to drag him to Leyton Orient, and now we're here."

Jimmy said the experience was "something I've been dreaming of since I was a kid".

"And we've bumped into people we know from Albion matches up at the Acropolis, which is a sentence I never thought I'd say as a Brighton fan."

Earlier this week, Hollingbury pub landlord Pat Matthews returned Joel Veltman's missing GPS tracker.

The Albion defender threw his shirt into the travelling supporters after Saturday's victory at Nottingham Forest, but it was not until he had returned to the changing room that he realised his tracker was still inside.

The club invited Mr Matthews to meet Veltman, and to receive a signed shirt in exchange for the device.

"One of our locals died from Parkinson's disease, so we will auction the shirt off for a Parkinson's charity and hopefully raise a few quid for that. And I'll hang up the other one in the pub," Mr Matthews said.

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