After finally securing promotion from the Championship last season, few football fans could have assuredly known who Brighton & Hove Albion's most fierce Premier League rivals were.
With a small selection of fans perplexed that BT Sports had not decided to air this unusual derby, vouching instead for Manchester United's visit to Watford, the 0-0 that played out between Brighton and Crystal Palace did little to leave a general watching public feeling aggrieved.
Yet, amid the general confusion as to the origins of the rift between two clubs situated almost 50 miles apart, reports regarding the conduct of certain traveling fans illustrates a darker edge to this tie.
Arriving in Brighton with no tickets, a number of Crystal Palace fans attempted to enter the stadium by force.
Documenting the events that transpired outside Brighton's stadium, a statement released by the club outlined their policy in dealing with a situation that left two steward hospitalised:
In the interest of public safety, a group of about 150 fans - some with tickets - were ... escorted back to Brighton station, before being placed on a train back to London.
While some genuine fans were left extremely disappointed and unable to get into the stadium, the correct decisions were made.
Video footage documenting one portion of Crystal Palace fans trying to breach a group of steward to enter the ground have began circulating as one would expect.
From fairly nondescript beginnings, it quickly becomes clear that the physical strain being put on the stewards is too much - a large swell of fans rushing over them into the stadium.
Simon Nelson, Chief Inspector of the Sussex Police, outlined how "groups of masked people ... [carrying] pyrotechnics, knives and knuckledusters" were apprehended throughout the stadium also.
For Nelson, the scene resembled a "return to the dark days of football".
Crystal Palace have been quick to condemn the "antisocial and criminal behaviour ... in the strongest possible terms".
You can watch a video of a group of fans rushing the stadium below.
This is pretty tough to defend...#CPFC pic.twitter.com/Ej4okrSHe8
— CPFC HQ (@CPFCHQ) November 29, 2017
