Albion stars past and present gathered this week for a novel autograph signing session.

The illustrious dozen were at Borders in Churchill Square, Brighton, for the official launch of the book which celebrates the club's centenary.

Boss Micky Adams and assistant Bob Booker were joined by players from the current and erstwhile eras to sign copies of Albion The First 100 Years.

Adams had with him five of the squad which returned to the top of the table by beating Stoke the previous night: Paul Rogers, Charlie Oatway, Bobby Zamora, Nathan Jones and Michel Kuipers.

They were accompanied by Robbie Reinelt, now with Braintree, who of course came on to score the equaliser which preserved Albion's League status at Hereford five seasons ago.

The older generation were represented by a quality quartet of Eric Gill, Johnny McNichol, Glen Wilson and Denis Foreman from the Fourties, Fifties and Sixties.

Gill, one of Kuipers' goalkeeping predecessors, made an amazing 247 consecutive appearances between 1953 and 1958.

Scot McNichol, an inside forward, is widely regarded as one of the finest in Albion's history.

Wilson served the Seagulls for 12 years as a player and a further 18 in a variety of roles including trainer, kit man and caretaker manager.

Foreman, a South African-born forward, was a key member of the 1957-58 Division Three South championship winning side.

Fans formed long queues during the two-and-a-half hour signing session for the book, which has been written by Albion's press officer Paul Camillin with pictures by freelance Stewart Weir and Argus photographers.

It charts in 266 colour pages the club's colourful story, from humble origins in a backstreet Brighton pub, right up to last season's poignant title triumph.

Camillin started work on the book two-and-a-half years ago. "It was daunting at times, but not as daunting as when I first started doing the programme," he said. "That was really scary.

"I had so many people around me to help this time, from designers and proof readers to club historian Tim Carder, who was one of the consulting editors.

"We have to thank Micky and the team as well. We couldn't have wished for better, with the team winning the night before and going back to the top of the Second Division.

"The club is on the crest of a wave at the moment, which will probably double or treble the sales."

The book, first available ten days ago, has a print run of 5,500 and retails at £29.99.

Ben Parker, from Brighton-based publishers Pavilion, said: "Sales are going really well. Bookshops in Sussex have between them ordered about 2,500 copies.

"It has gone so well that we are definitely going to do some more Albion-related books."