He has got the goals, he has got the Championship medals and now he has got the seven-figure price tag.

But where Bobby Zamora comes up short when compared with Peter Ward is in genuine folk hero status That is the verdict of former Argus reporter John Vinicombe, who saw first hand the fervour created by those soaraway Seventies Seagulls.

He said: "Wardy was intuitive and, if pressed, I would say he was the better player, but it's not really a fair question.

"In terms of popularity, though, I would say Wardy was ahead of Zamora, no doubt about it.

"He was playing in a higher standard of football and against better opponents.

"Fans' attitudes have changed since then. They were more picky in Wardy's day.

"He was a man for the big occasion. I can't remember him having what you would call a bad game.

"He had a certain flair. He was cheeky. He was elusive and could turn up in unexpected places. I'm not sure Zamora has that."

Of course most fans love Zamora. His departure was debated on the internet, but the real excitement came when it was revealed Ward would be playing in a local five-a-side game.

Ward scored against some great sides and made at least one would be international defender look silly.

Gary Stevens would not have scored his famous 1983 Cup final goal had it not been for Ward's strike in front of 32,000 at Newcastle.

He is grateful for it and for some training ground lessons.

Stevens said: "When I first came to Brighton in 1978, Wardy was scoring goals for fun.

"I can remember after training, us apprentices staying back to play as defenders against him.

"He was so elusive and quick of foot. It was a great learning curve for me.

"You knew he was always likely to score a goal.

"That night at Newcastle in the third round we were bombarded but we hung on and he scored the goal that got us past Kevin Keegan and the rest.

"That's how valuable he was. He proved himself in the top flight and Zamora has still to do that."

Howard Griggs, a lifetime Albion fan and sports reporter at The Argus, said: "Peter Ward was simply magic. He made dreams come true and he led Brighton into the top flight for the only time in our history.

"I remember going to home games in the Seventies, with my 'Peter Ward is Magic' scarf draped around my neck, so excited at the prospect of seeing my hero in action. That was the player he was.

"He had that knack of being able to make something out of nothing, of bringing a dull afternoon to life, not that there were many of those in the late Seventies. That said, Bobby could do similar things.

"It is a tough call to say who is best out of Ward and Zamora, two players so different in style yet so similar in what they have done for the club, but my vote would go to Wardy.

"History will judge whether I am right as Bobby has so much ahead of him in terms of his career. He could still turn out to be the better of the two but at the moment you can't say that.

"Is Wayne Rooney a better player than Alan Shearer or even Michael Owen? The answer is no. He could be but at the moment he isn't.

"If Bobby goes on to be a huge success in the Premiership, which I really hope he does, then an England career could beckon and you would have to say Bobby had the better career, but let time be the judge of that.

"What Bobby has done for Brighton in the 21st century will never be forgotten. He could score goals which Wardy, the predator, was not capable of.

"But Wardy did it over a longer period with Brighton and he did it in the top flight. At the moment, that still puts him slightly ahead in my book."