The Manchester City scandal has provoked debate over wider ownership issues in English football. Where once it was common for clubs to be controlled by a boyhood fan, that has become much rarer in an era of nation-states and American private equity. Only four of the Premier League’s 20 teams are led by people known to have grown up supporting them.
Two are Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace, the arch-rivals who will renew hostilities at the Amex Stadium on Sunday (the others are Manchester United, where Sir Jim Ratcliffe runs football operations despite owning just over a quarter of the club, and Brentford).
Tony Bloom has been the chairman and majority owner of his beloved Brighton since 2009, while Crystal Palace have been run by lifelong supporter Steve Parish since 2010. Parish remains responsible for day-to-day affairs at Selhurst Park despite having seen his stake diluted to around 10 percent in recent years.
"Brighton’s rise feels deliberately engineered, honed by algorithms and dispassionate decision-making"
Under Bloom and Parish, Brighton and Palace have enjoyed the most successful periods in their respective histories. There is no love lost between the two teams, whose unusual rivalry dates back to the 1970s.
Yet for all the hostility, Brighton and Palace have reason to admire what the other has achieved. Catch their fans at a quiet moment and you might even detect a flicker of envy.
Brighton have attracted admirers far and wide. Despite consistently losing some of their most important players, they have finished in the top half of the Premier League in four of the last five seasons.
In recent years Brighton have been forced to sell the likes of Alexis Mac Allister, Marc Cucurella, Moises Caicedo, Joao Pedro and Carlos Baleba, yet they have continued to go from strength to strength. The club’s use of cutting-edge analytics has helped the Seagulls assemble the most eclectic squad in England. In a 5-0 thumping of Coventry City last month, they broke a Premier League record by fielding 15 outfielders of 15 different nationalities.
Brighton have not only replaced players without missing a beat, but managers too. Chelsea poached Graham Potter a few weeks into the 2022/23 season. No matter: in came Roberto De Zerbi, who took the team to sixth place, the club's best-ever finish. He left in 2024, and despite a rocky spell last term, Fabian Hurzeler has proved an able successor. You suspect Brighton already have a shortlist of contenders to replace the German should he leave.
If Brighton’s rise feels deliberately engineered, honed by advanced algorithms and dispassionate decision-making, Crystal Palace’s approach is a little more chaotic. Brighton have not sacked a manager mid-season since 2014; Palace have done so five times since then.
You are more likely to see deadline-day deals at Selhurst Park than at the Amex. While Brighton appeared to know exactly what they wanted when they appointed De Zerbi and Hurzeler, Palace cast a much wider net following Oliver Glasner’s summer exit. Pierre Sage ultimately got the nod, but Palace looked at Andoni Iraola, Frank Lampard and Thomas Frank - three quite different managers - before that.
Like their adversaries, Palace have unearthed some gems in the transfer market. They made profits on Ebere Eze, Michael Olise, Maxence Lacroix and Daniel Munoz, all of whom made significant contributions in south London. Marc Guehi, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Adam Wharton were excellent additions too.
However, all those signings were made when Dougie Freedman was sporting director. Since his move to Saudi Arabia in March 2025, Palace’s recruitment has been much more mixed. Whereas Brighton’s model kept delivering the goods even after Chelsea prised key staff away, Palace have struggled to replace the man who was the most important figure in their backroom operation. The systemic continuity Brighton have cultivated would be welcome at Selhurst Park.
Yet the lessons do not run in only one direction. Brighton have finished above Palace in four of the last five seasons, yet it is the Eagles who have claimed the more tangible rewards. Between May 2025 and May 2026, Palace won three trophies under Glasner: the FA Cup, the Community Shield and the Conference League. That was painful to witness for Brighton, who are yet to win major silverware. The Seagulls have the model, but the Eagles have the medals.
Back when Bloom and Parish were still new in their jobs, Brighton appeared to have more momentum behind them. They moved into the Amex in 2011, a year after Palace almost went out of business. Yet it was Palace who triumphed in the first ever meeting at Brighton’s new ground. In 2013, they won 2-0 at the Amex in the Championship play-offs on their way to promotion, a feat they achieved four years before Brighton. Palace have won three of the last four meetings between the pair, while Brighton have triumphed just twice in the last 14.
Palace have shown that you do not always need the neatest process to thrive. Sometimes, it is about seizing the moment. Brighton should bear that in mind as they target a trophy this season. And if Palace want to ensure the Glasner era was not a glorious one-off, they could do worse than study Brighton’s ability to sustain success over multiple managerial regimes.
