# 2009–10 Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. season

During the 2009–10 English football season, Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. competed in Football League One.

## Season summary

After a run of three wins from the opening fifteen games, Albion found themselves in 20th place and above the relegation zone only on goal difference. As a result, boss Russell Slade was sacked on 1 November 2008, to be replaced by former Chelsea midfielder Gus Poyet, after Steve Coppell had rejected the chance to manage the club for a second time. Poyet guided Brighton away from the relegation zone, finishing the season in 13th place.
Brighton reached the fourth round of the FA Cup, being beaten by eventual semi-finalists Aston Villa. In the League Cup, Brighton were eliminated in the first round by Championship side Swansea City. The Seagulls were also knocked out of the Football League Trophy at the same stage they entered; in the Southern area second round they were defeated by Leyton Orient.

## Competitions
### Football League Cup

As with all League One sides, Brighton & Hove Albion entered the Football League Cup in the first round.

### Football League Trophy

Brighton & Hove Albion received a bye to the second round, where they competed in the Southern section.

### FA Cup

As Brighton were playing in League One, they entered the FA Cup in the first round proper.

## Players
### First-team squad

    Squad at end of season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | NED | Michel Kuipers |
| 2 | DF | ENG | Andy Whing |
| 3 | DF | SCO | Jimmy McNulty |
| 4 | DF | ENG | Tommy Elphick |
| 6 | DF | EGY | Adam El-Abd |
| 7 | MF | ENG | Dean Cox |
| 8 | MF | ENG | Alan Navarro |
| 9 | FW | ENG | Nicky Forster |
| 10 | FW | ENG | Liam Dickinson |
| 11 | MF | COD | Kazenga LuaLua (on loan from Newcastle United) |
| 12 | DF | ENG | James Tunnicliffe |
| 13 | GK | ENG | Mitch Walker |
| 14 | MF | URU | Diego Arismendi (on loan from Stoke City) |
| 15 | FW | ENG | Gary Hart |
| 16 | DF | IRL | Colin Hawkins |
| 17 | FW | ENG | Glenn Murray |
| 18 | MF | IRL | Gary Dicker |
| 19 | DF | ESP | Iñigo Calderón |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 20 | MF | WAL | Andrew Crofts |
| 21 | MF | FRA | Sébastien Carole |
| 22 | DF | IRL | Marcos Painter (on loan from Swansea City) |
| 23 | DF | SCO | Adam Virgo |
| 24 | MF | ENG | Jamie Smith |
| 26 | MF | ENG | Elliott Bennett |
| 27 | DF | ENG | Gavin Hoyte |
| 28 | FW | ENG | George Barker |
| 29 | GK | SVK | Peter Brezovan |
| 30 | DF | ENG | Steve Cook |
| 31 | GK | ENG | Josh Pelling |
| 32 | MF | ENG | Steve Brinkhurst |
| 33 | FW | ENG | Chris Holroyd |
| 34 | MF | ENG | Lee Hendrie (on loan from Derby County) |
| 35 | GK | ENG | Danny Naisbitt (on loan from Histon) |
| 36 | FW | AUT | Ashley Barnes (on loan from Plymouth Argyle) |
| 37 | DF | ENG | Lewis Dunk |
| 38 | MF | ENG | Jake Forster-Caskey |

### Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 5 | DF | ENG | Jake Wright (on loan from Oxford United) |
| 11 | MF | ENG | Kevin McLeod (to Wycombe Wanderers) |
| 14 | MF | ENG | David Livermore (to Barnet) |
| 19 | MF | ENG | Mark Wright (to Bristol Rovers) |
| 19 | MF | WAL | Arron Davies (on loan to Yeovil Town) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 21 | MF | ENG | Matt Thornhill (on loan from Nottingham Forest) |
| 22 | GK | SCO | Graeme Smith (to Hibernian) |
| 25 | FW | WAL | Craig Davies (on loan to Port Vale) |
| 33 | MF | ENG | Lewis Ide (to Bognor Regis Town) |

## Kit

Brighton's kit was manufactured by Italian supplier Erreà and sponsored by It First.