Albert Thorne had some good times at Lancing.

"I played with Billy Thew at Lancing and later Whitehawk. We used to call him Grizzle. He should have been a pro, he was that good. I was best man at his wedding. But I cannot emphasise how good a side we had in those early days at Lancing. There was Elwyn Price, Charlie Breden, Eric Houchin, who was a Jehovah's Witness, Roy Downing, Nana Bushby, Reggie Bowles, Ernie France and Ken Williams. Charlie Gatland kept goal and later Ken Swallow took over.

"After I left Lancing and later on there was a little bit of money to be had but everybody kept quiet about that. Billy Thew got suspended sine die when he played for Eastbourne and there was a big row at the time. When Ken Carter left Whitehawk I went with him to Lewes and managed the second team as well as playing. When Ken left, I took over as manager and in 1971 I became a Mason and that conflicted with the job and I got the sack. I couldn't complain so I went and trained Wigmore for a while. I was 43 when I played my last game. That was for Whitehawk Old Boys and I couldn't walk for days afterwards.

"Looking back, the game was so much more of a social affair. Lancing was a real family club. We'd go to an away match by coach with wives, girl friends and kids and it was a real day out. Today players turn up in their cars, but that's progress, of a sort."

Not content with playing on Saturdays, Albert turned out for Brihota, the taxi firm in the Brighton MidWeek League.

"We had some good fixtures, especially the Intelligence Corps. Everybody wanted to play at Uckfield as they put on a great spread afterwards. I particularly remember the devilled kidneys."

When Albion were in the First Division Albert had a season ticket. As their fortunes waned he gave it up after following them all over the country. He thinks Mark Lawrenson and Brian Horton were the best players he ever saw in an Albion shirt and wishes the present outfit all good luck.