It is common knowledge that Cardiff City FC unfortunately attracts a hooligan following.

A lesser-known fact is what the significance of Thursday is to a number of their more robust followers After a long, hard day working down the mines, they all walk back to their homes whistling Tom Jones numbers in anticipation of their tea being on the table before donning the slippers, sitting down in the armchair and watching the veritable trio of TV favourites in the shape of Emmerdale, Eastenders and Peak Practice.

If you believe that you'll believe anything!

I, along with a number of other people from Sussex, witnessed the scenes of terror and thuggery inflicted on Albion's travelling support when the team visited Ninian Park back in September.

As a result of those incidents, Albion would have been well within their rights to ban the entire Cardiff away support from the return fixture in February.

Such a step might have been followed by a number of other clubs in Brighton's division and forced Bluebirds chairman Sam Hamman to remove his head from the sand and finally admit that his club has a serious ongoing hooligan problem.

But it appears the Albion have chosen to take another route in the quest to have a trouble-free fixture when Cardiff roll up at Withdean in just over a month.

They have moved the match to the Thursday evening hoping that those 'naughty boyos' from God's country will not bother coming to watch the game.

Let's just look at the facts. Even allowing for a dip in form from either side, this game will still be looked upon as a promotion clash. There is the strikers duel to look forward to between Bobby Zamora and Robert Earnshaw. Remember, Alan Cork would probably walk from Wales to Withdean to secure Bobby's signature, not forgetting his alleged interest in another of the Albion's star players.

The match will finish at around 10.00pm, rather than 5.00pm, with a whole city full of pubs, clubs and numerous potential punch ups on offer, not to mention the bright lights of Worthing.

But don't worry, the aforementioned troublemakers won't come because it's a Thursday night!

I have the utmost respect for Martin Perry, he has done a lot for the Albion with much more to come. But on this issue I really think he has been ill-advised by the police which is the official reason for changing the date.

All this could have been nipped in the bud when the horrific tales of the September encounter filled a number of pages in this newspaper. Martin Perry should have struck whilst the iron was hot then, contacted Hamman and told him that the February 2 game would be for Albion fans only. If it's good enough for Millwall to do to Manchester City the other week for similar reasons, why can't the Albion?

As the festive season is upon us I'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone who reads these jottings a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.

I hope everybody gets what they want. Personally as it is my first Christmas as the manager of Worthing United under-7s I'm hoping Santa will make that all-important delivery for me.

What I'm really looking for is a 14-year-old Nigerian striker, around 5ft.10in, who can score 30 goals a season and has a birth certificate that says he's just turned seven!

I met up with Santa at the excellent Junior Seagulls Christmas party at Bowlplex last week. I was a bit heavy to sit on his knee but told him my requirements. He frowned, rubbed his beard and said he would get back to me. Never mind, there's always next year!