When Albion met Brentford in the 1998-99 season there was a familiar feel about the Bees' line-up.

Micky Adams may have moved on but that season was a glorious one for Brentford as they won the Third Division championship.

Their squad, essentially put together by Adams, included five players who have subsequently moved south to join the Seagulls.

Paul Watson, Danny Cullip, Charlie Oatway, Darren Freeman and Warren Aspinall were all members of the Bees' squad that year.

One blip in their season came on Boxing Day, 1998, when Brentford visited The Priestfield, where Albion were then playing.

Brentford were second in the table then but Albion were resurgent under Brian Horton and a 3-1 success that day gave the Seagulls their seventh win in nine games.

Rod Thomas gave Albion a 26th minute lead and Jeff Minton doubled the advan-tage seven minutes later.

Freeman pulled a goal back for Brentford in the 61st minute but Andy Arnott's first goal for Albion, from Minton's corner, sealed victory for the Seagulls.

Albion's line-up included Gary Hart and Kerry Mayo, as a substitute, but no other current players.

Ron Noades said at the time: "They have a good spirit here."

Horton added: "It is halfway through the season and we have got 34 points. If we do that again we have got a chance of making the play-offs."

Less than a month later Horton had departed for Port Vale, Jeff Wood was put in temporary charge and Albion slipped down the table.

Adams arrived later in the campaign and the rest, as they say, is history.