1) How things could have been far worse. 47 points is not generally considered enough for safety. Wolves achieved 51 when relegated in 2013. When Huddersfield were relegated from the Championship in 2001 they managed one more point than Albion did this season. Astonishingly Tranmere Rovers were relegated from the second tier at the same time and are now in the Conference.
2) Young James Tilley making his league debut at just 16 and replacing Jake Forster-Caskey who remains Albion’s youngest ever player at 16 years and 13 days. Tilley, 17 next month, did not touch the ball in his eight seconds on the pitch.
3) Leo Ulloa’s two goals for Leicester and Albion’s distinct lack of fire power. The Seagulls scored only one more time after Bruno’s strike against Wolves on Saturday 14 March. The win at Blackburn came courtesy of an own goal.
4) Craig Mackail-Smith’s Albion record. The club’s record signing played 82 fewer games for the Seagulls than he did in his previous four years while with Peterborough United but scored four times as many goals for the Posh, albeit at a lower level.
5) It’s been a poor season and Albion’s lowest points haul since 2006. Technically, Albion finished lowest of the non relegated teams and only claimed 20th place by virtue of Rotherham’s points deduction. The Seagulls had similar poor seasons at the same level in 1988-89 and 1989-1990. They made the play-off final 1990-91 which was the season Barry Lloyd’s scouting network scoured Europe pre-season and found Mike Small and John Byrne.
