MICKEY Adams will rule Albion with a rod of iron.

That is the inside information from Seagulls goalkeeper Mark Walton on the man who is expected to be named the new manager.

Walton's career was resurrected by Adams when he was in charge at Fulham. The big Welshman, fit-again following a hernia operation, had been out of the pro game for two and a half years when Adams signed him on a free transfer from Fakenham in August 1996.

"He rang me up and gave me the chance to get fit and play," Walton revealed. "I can assure you fitness levels will be dramatically increased as soon as he comes in.

"He is very committed. He doesn't take any nonsense off anybody and will rule with a rod of iron, but he is very fair. His main motto was 'if you are playing keep the shirt' and to be fair to him he was as good as his word.

"If you didn't do the business you were out, it's as simple as that really. He wants men and unfortunately if you are not up to the job there will be casualties. People will either fall in or fall out with him."

Andy Arnott was another of Adams' signings when he was at Fulham. He took the Albion midfielder to Craven Cottage from Leyton Orient for £23,000 in June 1997 before he became a victim of the Al Fayed takeover and the appointment of England coach Kevin Keegan.

"I don't know if he had an inkling that he was going to get the boot when Al Fayed took over," said Arnott. "But it was obvious they were going to bring in a big name so he stuck by his players who won promotion from the Third Division, then he went and I didn't really get a chance under him.

"He knows how to get out of the Third Division and I think he's a good manager. He's a hard man with a certain way of playing, which he sticks to. Everybody knows what they are doing.

"He is organised and gets players fit, which I think we need a bit more of, but he is fair which is all you can ask for."

Derek Allan, one of the 19 in Albion's 29-strong first team squad out of contract at the end of the season, knew Adams as a team-mate at Southampton.

"He was wholehearted as a player, a 100 per cent man, and I am sure that is what he will have taken into management," said Allan. "He got promotion with Fulham, so he must know what he is doing.

"It struck me straight away that he was going to be a coach or a manager. He always put his point across well. He was in his thirties when I was there as a young lad and he was always helping us out.

"I think it is a good appointment. He will get the club going. It needs a kick up the bum and hopefully he will be the man to do it."

Adams will bring in Alan Cork, his assistant at Fulham and Swansea, as his No. 2.

Cork took over from him at Swansea when Adams left after just 13 days and the ex-Wimbledon forward is currently in charge of Ryman League club Chesham.

Walton said: "Corky is brilliant with the players, but he again doesn't suffer fools gladly.

"He started with the fairystory at Wimbledon in their non-League days and went all the way through to the FA Cup final.

"He knows the lower divisions inside out and he will be a major acquisition for the club."

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