Mitoma mania

Image source, Brighton and Hove Albion

Image caption, Brighton fans at the club's shop in Tokyo
  • Author, Simon Stone
  • Role, Chief football news reporter

At Fabian Hurzeler's unveiling as Brighton manager last month, technical director David Weir spoke about the club's pre-season trip to Japan and how it was a chance to grow the club's brand.

The venue is no coincidence given Kaoru Mitoma's popularity in the country.

The sight of Tokyo-based Brighton fans decked out in club colours is evidence of how far the club has come since the dark days of two decades ago, when it appeared it might go out of existence.

Brighton have an open training session tomorrow with 3,000 tickets sold.

They conclude their trip with a clash against J League side Tokyo Verdy on Sunday.

Image source, Brighton and Hove Albion

Image caption, Brighton fans at the club's shop in Tokyo