On May 13, in the Championship play-offs, Brighton hosted Crystal Palace, and the match ended in a 0-2 victory for Crystal Palace. However, before the game, the Crystal Palace players were met with an unpleasant surprise in their locker room – someone had spread excrement on the ground.
The distasteful prank did not amuse Crystal Palace coach Ian Holloway, who was visibly shocked. Holloway informed Brighton’s coach, Gustavo Poyet, expressing his dismay through statements reported by Le Sun: “When the Crystal Palace players and staff arrived at the Amex and entered their dressing room, they found themselves in a very uncomfortable situation… For some reason, someone entered the locker room and did something terrible, to inconvenience the opponents. To put it in plain English, someone ‘pooped’ everywhere outside and around the toilet… I am angry that someone in this club could endanger our good reputation and fall so low. I would like someone to accept responsibility and resign immediately.”
In response, Gustavo Poyet, the Brighton coach, was equally displeased. He expressed his frustration in an email to his staff, stating, “For some reason which is not yet clear to me, someone, during the course of the day, gained access to the dressing room and did something terrible to annoy Palace. To put it clearly, someone ‘excreted’ outside, on and around the toilets… I am angry because someone within this club could endanger our good reputation and stoop so low.” Poyet even suggested that the incident might have worked to lift the spirits of the Palace players, indirectly insinuating that it may have contributed to Brighton’s loss: “If he thought it could affect the Crystal Palace players, well, maybe he’s lifted them up.”
