Back in March, I was invited to Melbourne in Australia for my cousin's wedding at the end of May.
I booked a flight for May 27 knowing that if there was a play-off final it would be while I was out there but was hoping Brighton would get promoted automatically.
When we reached the play-off final I was so happy but also distraught as the opportunity to watch them at the Millenium Stadium was a chance of a lifetime.
All my football friends were going and I felt isolated.
No worries, though, as I thought I could probably watch it on TV via satellite in Australia.
When I arrived I checked all TV schedules and found football out there is alien.
They are mostly into Aussie Rules football (played with an egg-shaped ball) and English football is not even newsworthy.
The kick-off at 3pm was midnight in Australia.
Leading up to the kick-off I was totally distraught as I had no access to the internet and no way to know what was going on apart from SMS messages from friends at the game. It was not good enough.
So I got my girlfriend, Terri, to telephone me in Australia and then put the receiver next to the radio on Southern Counties.
I then listened to the entire game live on the telephone from 12,000 miles away.
It was the weirdest way to follow the game but when we won it was incredible.
I was dancing around my family's house and explaining to them how important this was for the club and also how important it was we get a new stadium now we are in Division 1.
The phone bill is irrelevant as it was all worth it.
Brighton & Hove Albion are a giant club and we desperately need the new Stadium.
Come on, Mr Prescott, we need Falmer.
-Stephen Lewington, Brighton
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