Two seasons on found Brighton back in Division Two, Palace had narrowly missed the play-offs again were now generally regarded as a class act. The Palace fans looked forward to laying the ghost of the Goldstone in a another Boxing Day encounter. Yet again, Palace departed from the script, played like horses and lost 3-1. In the words of Alan Pardew "Ian Evans was distraught. He was going mad, I'd never seen him like it ... I thought 'Christ what have we done here'". The Palace crowd added their own sentiments booing the team from the pitch.

The return match still holds a place in the English League record books thanks to a certain referee named Kelvin Morton:

5 penalties, 4 to Palace, 3 missed, 2 scored 1 man sent off.

Eagle Eye caught the mood perfectly although we managed to win 2-1 against 10 men, we had missed a golden opportunity to inflict a modern-day hiding on our most hated rivals. Early in the game, Wrighty scored the goal he later claimed was the best of his Palace career, that was before Mr.Morton stepped in. Brighton's midfielder Trusson was dismissed and Bright converted the first of three penalties given before Half Time. Bright and then Wright contrived to miss.

Kelvin calmed down in the second half, only managing to award two spot-kicks the first of those was to Brighton which gave them an undeserved consolation, but Pembo stole the show, his rocket up and almost over the Holmesdale reduced both sets of fans to hysterical laughter. It is perhaps fitting that this to date is our last League meeting with them, nothing will top it and the game can still be found in a surprising number of fans video collections. That season Palace escaped Division Two via the play-offs, whilst Brighton finished 19th.

The end of the following season saw us at last sample the delights of an F.A. Cup Final. and with that the Seaweeds could never again sing to us their favourite taunt of the eighties: "You'll never get to Wembley". Midway through the following season and Brighton were languishing in the lower regions of Division Two, whilst Palace, enamoured with life at the top, were sitting pretty - third in Division One. The chances of either side meeting again in the near future seemed remote, Eagle Eye gave their back page over to a "6 Months Notice of Termination of Rivalry"

The joke began to take on a more sinister tone when, a few days after publication, the Zenith Cup draw provided us with an unexpected return to the Gallstone. Then their League form began to pick up and, having drawn Liverpool away in the cup, they managed to earn themselves a Replay. Had the Brighton players got wind of the wind-up?

The evening of the Zenith game arrived via several postponements and the IRA Bombing of Victoria station earlier in the day. Despite the travelling difficulties around 2,000 Palace fans made it onto an icebound away terrace. Palace took it upon themselves to play their usual role here and Brighton forced extra-time without too much difficulty, but there they crumbled. A devastating two goals in two minutes one each for Bright and Wright sent Palace home with a Police helicopter escort and a quarter-final place in the bag. Strangely both Palace and Brighton made Wembley that year, Palace in the Zenith, whilst Brighton, their promotion push having faltered in April, made it through to the play-off final, which was now being staged there. Notts County ran out easy 3-0 winners. The scoreline meant Brighton had now let in 9 goals at Wembley, a useful statistic when faced with the ubiquitous 9-0 chants from the North Bank non-entities.

The following season, Brighton, with money troubles really beginning to mount, were relegated, although they would still compete in a Division "Two", due to the creation of the Premier League of which Palace in tenth place became founder members.

Since then there have been a number of pre-season friendlies staged between the sides, all away. The first in August 1992, saw an injury-struck Palace side once more deliver a below par performance, although still managing to win 1-0. Former Brighton player, Eric Young, silencing the "Reject" taunts when he rose to head home a corner. A new terrace chants got an airing by Palace fans based around Brighton's Wembley ineptitutes: "You'll never win at Wembley", although at one point in recent times the FA Trophy looked a distinct possiblity! This game was originally scheduled for a Saturday afternoon, when it would have attracted a much larger crowd, but was eventually played on Friday night. Possibily the only friendly fixture ever to have been moved on Police advice!

After the game, however, it was Palace fans getting back on the train with tears in their eyes, when they were subject to a CS gas attack at Hove station. That season ended with Palace's relegation from the Premier League, whilst Brighton having survived a number of High Court actions maintained their Division Two status.

In August 1993, the second friendly took place, the game was to have been a Testimonial for Gary O'Reilly, but row apparently about Gate receipts scuppered that. Once again, some Palace fans were subjected to another Tear gas attack, this time in a Pub, before the game. Just for once, Palace really turned on the style, even though both Armstrong and Rodger were out injured. A 2,000-strong Palace possee saw Southgate, Osborn and Bowry grab three goals, without reply. A performance that underlined the major difference in class that now existed between the sides.

Onto Part 4