ALBION supporters had waited 34 years to see their team in the top flight and nothing was going to stand in their way. For one fan that meant 10,000 miles and two gruelling long-haul flights.

Australian-based Seagull Alex Kelsey jetted in to the UK just four hours before the historic Premier League fixture at a packed-out Amex on Saturday.

He travelled from Brighton in Melbourne to Brighton, Sussex, to take in the big day with his relatives and more than 27,000 members of the Albion family.

Its not the first time the Seagull Down Under has travelled halfway round the world since emigrating at the turn of millennium, having made it back to see Albion clinch play-off victory against Bristol City in 2004.

After a memorable weekend, the 42-year-old will be jetting back to Melbourne at 9.30pm today so he can return to work on Thursday morning.

The cost of the flights has set him back about £3,000 but his memories will be priceless.

He said: “I came back for a game when we had play-offs at Cardiff. My wife and twin girls won’t let me come back again for a good few years but I’ll be back again if there is a chance we can stay up.”

Mr Kelsey, a former pupil at Mowden School in Hove and Lancing College, was an Albion season ticket-holder before moving to Melbourne to work as a financial recruiter.

He travelled as an eight-year-old with his father to Wembley in 1983, to see both FA Cup Final matches against Manchester United.

He was back again at Wembley for further heartache in 1991 when the club missed out on the chance to get back in the big time after a play-off defeat to Notts County.

He kept his seat from the Goldstone Ground, which he tore out after the club’s final game in Hove in 1997.

He is not alone in following Albion from half a world away – more than 200 supporters are part of The Seagulls Down under which was set-up in 2010 for Brighton and Hove fans living in Australia and New Zealand.

Mr Kelsey said: “Now we are in the Premier League, there is much more opportunity to watch Albion. Australia and Asia love the Premier League.

“They also like it that one of their own, Matty Ryan, is in goal for us. I’ve even found out that cricketer David Hussey is a big supporter of the Albion.

“We have a big support base in Melbourne with about 20 of us who meet up at a pub for games.

“But to come here for the first Premier League game was my big dream after all those years of pain at Gillingham and Withdean. I even used to watch reserve games at the Goldstone.”