Injury forces Brighton and Hove Albion striker to miss Euro 2024 qualifier
against France and the Netherlands.
The 18-year-old picked up a knee injury during Brighton’s 3-1 win against Newcastle United at the Amex on Saturday (2 September).
Ferguson scored all three of goals for Brighton but took a knock late on in the game.
He reported for international duty but, after being assessed by the national team’s medical staff, has withdrawn from the squad.
He joined up with the team on Sunday but it has been decided that he will not be fit to feature in either match during the current international window.
One of the players who could take Ferguson’s place is former Albion team-mate Aaron Connolly who recently joined Hull City.
The Republic’s squad was due to travel to France late yesterday (Tuesday 5 September).
Stephen Kenny’s team have three points from their first three matches in Group B.
They need a positive result in Paris on Thursday and against the Dutch in Dublin next week to keep alive realistic hopes of reaching next summer’s finals.
The manager has Norwich’s Adam Idah, Preston’s Will Keane, Hull’s Aaron Connolly and Chiedozie Ogbene of Luton available as his other forward options.
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On Saturday we took our seats for the Brighton game, in the home end adjacent to the away supporters.
I wrote an article on The Mag on Sunday about our experience at Brighton and thought it a whimsical reflection.
However, I was dismayed at the number of empty seats in the Newcastle United section.
I was unable to get Newcastle United away tickets as the new rules on ticketing meant my sound reliable mates who are season ticket holders and lifelong Toon fans, would have normally got tickets for me and my son (we live in London).
In the past I have acquired tickets for games here in the South, Brighton, Southampton etc. because my mates would not be able to make it to the game.
Well how many people can do a round trip from Tyneside to Southampton on a Wednesday evening?
Throw in live TV games and a Monday night in London is not as appealing or doable for many people, compared to a Saturday 3pm kick off.
The points system for away games throws a level of complexity into the conundrum of who and how supporters get tickets for away games.
Pre-takeover there was no problem for me and my son getting Newcastle United away tickets (Even up North), nor for home matches.
Post-takeover is a different world and last season was phenomenal, there are no complaints from me about what’s happening on the pitch.
I know for a fact that people are buying seats purely to gain valuable points and then not attending the game. The fear factor of losing points or even a season ticket has spooked people into not forwarding Newcastle United away tickets on.
The outcome of this, is that me and my son unable to get tickets in the Newcastle end and paying for tickets in the Brighton end.
I wholeheartedly agree that the system as it was, was open to abuse and needed to be changed to make the system fairer for everyone, but…
When I did get Newcastle United away tickets, courtesy of my friends, they were always at face value. So, accusations of touting are rubbish in this instance. Last season I looked for tickets online and was astounded by the asking price for tickets away at Brentford.
As the system was, I accepted that we would never get to go to the big games in the North and consoled myself that games like Brighton, Southampton and possibly the odd London game was our lot. But not anymore.
Yesterday I registered with the West Ham United website so I could purchase tickets in their end for me and my son.
There are thousands of fans like me who do not live in Newcastle but would love to get tickets for away games. The technology is there to create a fairer system for accessing Newcastle United away tickets.
Those empty seats at Brighton are the visual statement that things are not right and something needs to change.
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