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Brighton & Hove Albion: Seagulls fans vie for Europa League win

BBC/Daniel Sexton The Tipple family in the VaticanBBC/Daniel Sexton
The Tipple family said they were not very prepared for their trip to Rome, but they do have match tickets

Brighton & Hove Albion fans are gathering in Rome for the next leg of their European adventure.

The Seagulls will take on Italian side Roma in the city's Stadio Olimpico on Thursday night.

Ahead of their first ever knockout game in the Europa League, fans were keen to savour the atmosphere.

However, the build-up to the match was marred after two Albion fans were taken to hospital after being stabbed.

Mikey Farr Mikey Farr and his friend Thor on a trainMikey Farr
Mikey and Thor have travelled via Budapest for the match

So far, Brighton's fans have watched their team play in Marseille, Amsterdam and Athens.

Mikey and Thor travelled to Rome from Sussex by the scenic route.

They left Brighton in the early hours of Wednesday and arrived in Rome the following morning, travelling via Budapest and taking a sleeper train to the Italian capital.

Mikey said: "Direct flights to Rome were very pricey, so we decided to use it as an opportunity to explore places we wouldn't have initially considered visiting along the way.

"We are loving our European journey so far. It still doesn't really feel real, but we're looking to make the most of it and most importantly, get behind the team!"

'Enjoy ourselves'

Ray Tipple has travelled to Rome for the match with his two sons, Chris and Simon.

He said: "You don't often get to go to the Vatican before a football match! It is amazing that I get to share these moments with my children."

Simon added: "We aren't very prepared and we don't have tickets to get into the Vatican, but we have match tickets which is the most important thing!

"We are here to enjoy ourselves. We saw the Colosseum yesterday and we will see the inside of some pubs later on today as well."

BBC/Daniel Sexton Andy Cooper and Tom Gilligan in RomeBBC/Daniel Sexton
Andy and Tom went to the Vatican for some pre-match prayers

Andy Cooper is in Rome for the game with his friend Tom Gilligan.

Mr Cooper told BBC Radio Sussex: "I've been watching Albion for 55 years, but this is the biggest game of our lives."

Tom added: "We've came down to say a few prayers before the game - I think we will need it as well! We've gone from Rotherham to Rome - it's a dream come true."

The game will kick off at 17:45 GMT, with live commentary on BBC Radio Sussex.

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