Football: Brighton to pursue lost points

Brighton are to challenge the Football Association over the two- point deduction they made after a pitch invasion at the club's home game against Lincoln on 1 October.

The Seagulls, five points adrift at the bottom of the Third Division, have issued instructions to solicitors to start proceedings. In a statement, the directors say the punishment was, and remains, unfair. The club will take action through arbitration under the FA's rules or take the FA to court.

Brighton were docked the points in December, having gone into this season with a three-point suspended sentence hanging over them following the riot which caused the home match against York City to be abandoned last April.

The Lincoln match was held up for 15 minutes during the first half when home fans invaded the pitch in a peaceful protest against the club's directors.

The club's appeal against the sentence was turned down in February, but Brighton's chief executive, David Bellotti, then made it clear Albion would seek to pursue the matter if at all possible.

Albion said that while spectators came on to the pitch, their argument was that they had the full numbers of police and stewards according to the safety certificate, and that the peaceful demonstration was well handled.

Meanwhile, the consortium set to take control of Brighton have promised fans that the deal will go through whether or not the the club is relegated from the Football League at the end of the season.