Sacking still hurts Hinsh

Hinshelwood was ditched two months into the season after a sequence of ten straight League defeats.

Hinshelwood, now rebuilding his reputation in the newly created role of director of football, said: "It will be with me for the rest of my life that I failed as the manager of a football club, so it still hurts.

"It still hurts because of the position I left the club in. You are always judged on results at that level and if you look at results then there was only one way unfortunately.

"I'm pleased Steve (Coppell) has turned it around. A lot of credit has got to go to him but also the players.

"I think Steve would be the first to say what a good bunch they are on and off the pitch. They give 100 per cent in games and in training.

"I'm just pleased that I am still at the club and hopefully playing some sort of part in keeping us in the First Division."

Hinshelwood remained an integral part of the coaching team at first team games until January, when he made a conscious decision to catch up on the important task of overseeing Albion's youth set-up.

He was director of youth before chairman Dick Knight promoted him to the top job last summer following the resignation of Peter Taylor.

"It was after the Coventry game," Hinshelwood explained. "There were a lot of decisions to be made with boys coming up for scholarship and the different age groups for next season and lots of cup finals.

"We've got one or two boys that big clubs are looking at so I felt it was important that when they are playing I was there. We have worked for four and a half years to get things right.

"We've had the luxury of some money, but it's still difficult. It can take four or five years to build a youth policy up and it can then easily go downhill quickly.

"I just felt I had to put some input back into the youth side and the schoolboys and centres of excellence. I needed to be hands on again.

"The gaffer said to me you've got to do what you've got to do. When I took the job he said to me then it's a blank piece of paper, because what does a director of football do?"

In Hinshelwood's case a lot of hard work behind the scenes. On the day Albion played at Reading he watched Dorothy Stringer school reach a national final.

Then it was on to Brighton Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College, where the club's young scholars study, to attend the opening of their new gym before returning home to Selsey in time to watch his injury-plagued first signing Paul Kitson come on to head the clinching goal at the Madejski Stadium.

"I enjoyed the result," Hinshelwood said. "It's been difficult for Paul because he's had injury after injury. If you are looking at it from the outside you are thinking does he want to play?

"But if you are here working with him you know he wants to play and he has got that bit of quality about him. He showed that with the goal he scored.

"I texted Deano (youth team coach Dean Wilkins) and said 'I told you he would score goals.' I got a polite message back! We have a little bit of banter and that is what the game is all about. If you can't smile about things then you shouldn't be in it."

It has been a difficult couple of weeks for Hinshelwood and Wilkins, who were brought back to the club to take charge of the youth section by Brian Horton.

Four of the boys at the end of their scholarships have been offered professional contracts, including Hinshelwood's highly rated nephew Adam. The other two, Phil Bartholomew and Chris Greatwich, are being released at the end of the season.

"We've decided to give Adam and Dan Harding two years," Hinshelwood said. "Dan Beck has got one year and Nicky Bridle a three-month deal starting in July.

"He had an ankle injury earlier in the season which ended up with an operation. He hasn't had the opportunity to impress the coaching staff as much as the others.

"It's difficult because you have the joy for those boys, but then you have the disappointment for Phil and Chris.

"They have been a credit to their themselves, their families and the club, but you have to make that decision about the next step up.

"I have been in that position myself when I was 15 and so has Dean when he was younger, so we can understand it. There is no easy way of telling somebody, especially as this is now our fifth season at the club.

"We have known all the boys at the club for that length of time and some have been here longer than that, so it's hard when they have given everything. You hope they come back and haunt you. That would be great.

"We will keep playing them because they have got a good attitude. It is also an opportunity for other clubs to see them play. They are in the shop window to a degree and we wish them well where ever they go."

Hinshelwood is confident about the quality of Albion's new quartet of pros.

"I go back with Adam Hinsh to the first game of the season at Burnley when he was magnificent. It was my first game in charge and he was on a hiding to nothing.

"He showed a lot of people that day the maturity he has for an 18-year-old.

"When Steve came in he saw him play in the youth team. He started against Derby home and away and he has been on the bench for a lot of games.

"I think he has got a great future. I still think centre half is his best position, but he has done well in the reserves when he has played at rightback.

"Dan was unlucky. When I was in charge we had a few injuries and he came on against Grimsby. Unfortunately he hurt his back after that and by the time he got himself fit I had left the scene.

"He's got a very good brain and again he's a boy that can play in two or three different positions. He never gets flustered, he's a good user of the ball and we have got very high hopes for him.

"Dan Beck is a strange one. He was here until 14 and as we came he left for Bristol City. He stayed there for seven or eight months but didn't really enjoy it. I think we had to pay £300 compensation for him. He's the only player I've bought!

"He has got quick feet and can play up front or wide. He has done enough but not as much as the other two to earn two years so he's got that year and an oppportunity to be offered more if he does as well as we believe he can.

"Nicky can play rightback or centre half so we have got boys who are quite happy to play in different areas. The club felt he at least deserved three months to show people what he can do. It's entirely up to him now to earn a longer contract."