There was nervous anticipation as Albion fans waited to see who they would face in the club’s first ever Europa League campaign.
Fans watched at home and packed into pubs in Brighton and hundreds went to a viewing event at the Amex Stadium in Falmer.
Cheers rang out as the ball in pot three was unscrewed and Brighton and Hove Albion were the team revealed.
Roberto De Zerbi’s side were drawn against Ajax and Marseille, two European champions of the past, as well as AEK Athens.
The Argus went to the Caxton Arms in North Gardens, Brighton, which was packed full of Brighton fans drinking as if it was a match day.
Albion fans and content creators Ryan Adsett of Talk Seagulls and Adam MacDonald of Seagulls Central hosted the live watch along.
They had the likes of DJ Fatboy Slim, former Albion players Will Buckley, Andrea Orlandi and Peter Ward joining live or sending in video messages of support.
“From Hereford to here, ridiculous”, said lifelong fan David Thompson, who lives a stone’s throw from what was the Goldstone Ground in Hove.
“It’s a fantastic group, the opportunities to go to major grounds in major cities to watch Brighton. It’s almost incomprehensible from where we have come from to now where we can go to.”
Richard Ball, from Ditchling, said: “In De Zerbi we trust. He will get us through to the next rounds of the cup. The better the team, the better we play. It’s a historic day in Brighton’s history.”
Ruby Caines, ten, said she was going to hold her dad to a promise he made to her last season when Brighton beat Southampton to secure Europa League in May.
She said: “I want to go to Athens, my dad said if we win this I promise you I will take you to one of the away Europa League games.”
Andy Bass, 56, from Brighton, said he cannot wait to see Albion test themselves against “giants of European football”.
Paul Geoghegan, 58, echoed that statement and said he is excited to play two European champions in Marseille and Amsterdam-based Ajax.
Simon Levenson, 68, said: “I will buy Roberto De Zerbi whatever Italian dinner he wants in Brighton if he gets us through the group.”
Brighton and Hove City Council leader Bella Sankey said “Brighton is buzzing” for the Europa League games and said the city will be dressed in blue and white for the home matches.
The Royal Pavilion will be coloured in blue and white tonight to celebrate Albion’s draw.
Brighton’s Europa League fixtures are between September 21 and December 14.
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