Gordie Howieson's dreams of becoming a league pro with Albion were shattered the day Billy Lane took him aside and said he wouldn't make the grade.

The pint-sized inside forward had not long finished National Service with the RAF and had played for the Reserves in the Combination. It was a case of being so near and yet so far.

After the heartbreak, Howieson composed himself and, in time, realised that the manager had done him a favour. A substantial favour as it turned out.

Billy Lane didn't just give Howieson the bad news. He offered sound advice, reminding him that he should make the most of a good education.

Gordie, like the sensible fellow he was, learned the art of selling insurance, rising to high managerial rank.

And, after a ten-year association with Albion there were still plenty of opportunities to shine in non-league Sussex football. But before becoming a big fish in a little pond, Gordie was not entirely surplus to requirements at the Goldstone.

The hopefuls of his generation who came through with Brighton Boys had inevitably made a way into Albion Juniors and a happy band they turned out to be with Norman Foot as father figure. At Hove Grammar, Gordie was in the same class as Jim Parks and Don Bates. For three seasons Gordie played for Brighton Boys and among his contemporaries at the Goldstone were Peter Martin, Nick Taggart, Don Bates and Steve Burtenshaw - all local lads striving to achieve a boyhood ambition and play for the Albion.

Don Bates and Steve Burtenshaw made it, but there was not a great difference when, by rough rule of thumb, decisions were taken firstly by manager Don Welsh and then his successor Billy Lane. However, before Gordie's footballing life took a decisive turn there came a series of matches which remain deeply etched in his memory and those of his colleagues in the Sussex youth side of 1951.

It was then that Sussex stormed to victory against all the odds in the FA County Youth Cup. Now defunct, it was the third highest ranking competition behind the Challenge and Amateur cups.

Gordie rolled back the years at his Shoreham home, leafing through a carefully documented scrapbook.

"We had a tremendous side of which I was easily the smallest. In the first round we beat Hampshire 3-0 at Winchester and then, at Lewes, we knocked out Berks and Bucks 4-0. Middlesex, the holders, came to Worthing and we put paid to them by 2-1 and this gave us a trip to Middlesbrough against North Riding. Going to Ayresome Park looked difficult on paper but we went through 6-0 to a semi-final at Eastbourne where we beat Essex 3-0."

Sussex's opponents in the two-legged final were Liverpool County and a 12,000 Goodison crowd could not believe the size of the Sussex players, especially goalkeeper John Cragg who towered over everybody at 6ft 5in.

Size indeed mattered as Sussex won 2-1 and followed-up by scoring the only goal in the return at the Goldstone which was watched by a 6,000 crowd. Of that Liverpool side the only player to go on and make a name for himself was centre-forward George Kirby with Everton.

"I'll never forget that season," said Gordie. "I had a good game in the first leg but didn't play so well at home where I wanted to. When we were up at Liverpool I was asked to sign for them but I was already on amateur forms with Albion.

"Alan Arnell, however, did go to Anfield and after joined Tranmere. He was a marvellous centre-forward with a tremendous shot in both feet. I think Alan was one of the best players to come out of Sussex football. At his age there weren't many better in the country."

Nevertheless, the name of Howieson had been jotted down in the notebooks of many scouts and he had trials with Walter Winterbottom's emerging England youth set-up.

"I had such hopes for myself but shortly my eyes were well and truly opened at a match at Durham University when Johnny Haynes, who was 18 months younger, came on and scored four goals and we all know that he finished up as an England player."

And not only Haynes caught the eye as Gordie strove to make his mark. In the 20-odd squad were David Pegg of Manchester United and Wolves' Norman Deeley. "I thought I was doing alright," said Gordie. "But you find your place eventually."

At the Goldstone, Gordie's services did not go unrewarded. As a part-timer he was on £8.50 a week with a £1 win bonus in the reserves and £6 during summer.

Decision day wasn't the absolute cut-off that Gordie dreaded. "Billy Lane was very kind. After telling me that I couldn't really kick a ball properly he said I should make my way commercially. Later he offered me £6 a game to play on a match basis. Some of the senior pros were not easy on the likes of us. I used to knock around with Peter Martin and Don Bates and we were resented for using the courtesy facilities available at Brighton Tigers matches.

"At the Albion nobody did any real coaching. Joe Wilson was alright but he was chiefly concerned with players doing their quota of laps to stay fit. I was fit and would have benefitted with the others of tactical advice. But there was none. I had a lot of respect for Joe, but he didn't like new people coming in."