Who should pop down to revisit old haunts during the summer than Ian McNeill to spend a couple of days with his old chum Jack Bertolini.

They chewed the fat as retired footballers will and Ian was pleased to see Jack looking bonny after a worrying time with heart trouble.

It was 40 years ago when they played together for Albion under Billy Lane and to have been a fly on the wall in Jack's Portslade lounge would no doubt have provided rich entertainment.

The Goldstone dressing room in the late Fifties comprised two camps: those who got on with the manager and those who did not. Maybe there was a middle ground but it is difficult to imagine that all regarded the boss without having an opinion one way or another.

Whatever the rights and wrongs of his ten-year reign, there can be no argument about Albion's success in that period. Not only did Billy achieve the distinction of being the first manager during the club's membership of the Football League to gain promotion, but there were enough near misses before winning the third division title in 1957-58 to give the public splendid value for money.

Why, in 1961 Billy, then the fourth longest serving manager in the League, resigned and later joined Southern League Gravesend and Northfleet, has never been explained. In those days there was nothing like the pressure on public figures to reveal all and Billy, for all his colourful career in the game, faded into obscurity following such a monumental step-down.

Ian McNeill says he got on well with Billy and that is easily understood as Lane signed him from Leicester City for a reported £7,000 in March, 1959. After the turn of the year, Albion reeled off six home wins on the trot plus victories at Charlton and Barnsley. From 20th on Boxing Day after losing 3-1 at Fulham, the team revived and, with nine games left, Lane introduced McNeill, a clever inside forward, for much nearer £10,000 than the publicised fee. At least, that is McNeill's understanding today.

From a dodgy position halfway through their first season in division two, Albion finished a praiseworthy 12th, plus the satisfaction of having played to half a million Goldstone spectators. By this time McNeill and his family were installed in a club house in Frith Road and opposite Charlie Webb, the famous former manager then in retirement.

Until transferred in the summer of 1962 to Southend United, McNeill made 128 first team appearances, scoring 12 League goals and making a stack for others. In the three years, Ian was a major influence and fully justified Lane's judgment. But when George Curtis arrived events took a totally different turn.

In Curtis' case there was no division of opinion among the players. None of them saw eye to eye with a manager who landed the club into the Fourth Division in a headlong plunge from the Second and Third. Curtis, then coaching Sunderland, came on a recommendation from the highest quarters so no direct blame attached to the board. The story goes that Gerald Paling, Albion's chairman, and a legal eagle, found himself side by side with an FA official at adjoining urinals at Lancaster Gate. Allegedly, Paling mentioned casually that the club was looking for a manager. Curtis' name came up from the other party and the rest is a dark chapter in Albion's history.

McNeill said: "I loved Brighton, loved it. Our daughter was born there. But George Curtis ruined the club. Yet he was the best coach I worked under. He kept saying he wanted youngsters in the team but they weren't good enough. He'd coach one style during the week but, on a match day, would be calling for distance balls over the heads and all the preparations went out of the window."

Firm crowd favourite was Bob McNicol who had played in practically every game until Curtis brought in David Smith from Burnley.

McNeill chuckled: "At training we'd form up in opposing sides and, after being left out, Bob really clattered into George. Next time out on the training ground George made sure he had Bob in his team."

Like most Scots, Ian possesses a quick wit and being on the small and stocky size, knew how to give as good as he got on the pitch. After all, he come through the hard way in his native Glasgow progressing from Boys' Brigade football to playing for Scotland Youth. The clubs lined up and Ian went to Aberdeen and, while on the books, spent two years on National Service in Kenya. He left the Army a man and joined Leicester City in 1956. He can rightly claim to have been a major factor in City winning the Second Division championship in his first full season.

With further success at Brighton it was galling for McNeill to be listed by Curtis at the end of the 1961-62 campaign when Albion were bottom of the Second Division. Southend paid £3,000 for his services and, after a year, he returned to Scotland as player-coach of Ross County. He couldn't settle. There was a brief spell with Dover and then back to the Highland League.

After that, Ian had two spells managing Wigan Athletic. It was while McNeill was manager that Wigan entered the Football League.

That did his reputation no harm at all and, in 1981, he was made assistant manager at Chelsea. He stayed until late 1987 when appointed as Shrewsbury Town manager and that is where he and his wife live now.