Albion's player liaison manager Steve Gibbon, who is often ribbed as a Redknapp lookalike
INSIDE ALBION: DELAYS, FIVE-DAY STAYS, AWAY DAYS AND HOW TO STAY IN TOUCH ON DEADLINE DAYTHE TRIP HOME
from Burnley was a gruelling one for fans and players alike, largely due to a road closure on the M6 and a further diversion on the M40. The two-hour delay on the M6, coupled with an extra hold up on the M40 made for an early morning arrival time for the team coach, which arrived back at the Amex at 4am after drivers re-routed to the M1; it was a slightly later arrival time for Albion's media team, player liaison manager Steve Gibbon and many supporters who opted for the M6. Gibbo and the media team arrived back home just after 6am.WHILE THE JOURNEY home couldn't have been much worse - Inside Albion can't recall a later arrival time in the last 20 years - the four-day stay at St George's Park, plus a one-night stop in the north west, was a major success. As well as further enhancing an already strong team spirit within the squad, Nathan Jones told reporters he felt it noticeably helped Albion against high-flying Burnley, who were fresh from a ten-day break which included a warm-weather training camp in Spain. The assistant head coach felt fresher legs enabled Albion to finish the game strongly.
HEAD COACHOSCARGarcia, Bruno and Andrea Orlandi were also impressed with the stay and set up at St George's Park; with the gaffer particularly impressed by the Wembley replica Desso pitch. An immaculate surface, the team trained on it on Sunday and Monday. The first-class pitches and facilities at the National Football Centre also gave Albion's players a flavour of what they can expect on a daily basis when the club's new training complex opens this summer. Look out for another Seagulls Player update with executive director Martin Perry, later this week, on the progress being made at the training ground.
Oscar with the team at St George's Park
THE SURFACE AT Burnley was pretty good too; looking pretty impressive for mid January. The Turf Moor pitch is often rated as one of the best in the Championship - and it's certainly up there with our own at the Amex. The welcome received by the media is also one of the best: local, national and visiting press are always exceptionally well catered for by Burnley's media team, led by Darren Bentley. A poacher-turned-gamekeeper, prior to joining the Clarets in 2006 Bentley covered the club for the Lancashire Telegraph and also worked as a reporter for Sky Sports News.
ALBION'SAWAY FOLLOWINGof 248 at Burnley on Tuesday night also deserve a special mention and drew praise from chief executive Paul Barber. Braving freezing conditions, wind and rain - not mention terrible traffic delays both on the way up and back - the trip was about as tough as it can get on the road with the Albion and didn't go unnoticed by the club's hierarchy. Thankfully the team rewarded those efforts with an excellent performance and a decent result.
Former teammates Barnes and Ulloa share a joke at Turf Moor
ASHLEY BARNES WAS a welcome visitor to the Albion dressing room after the draw on Tuesday night. The striker - who received a standing ovation from the Albion fans at the final whistle and a hug from Leo Ulloa - popped in to see his former team-mates after the match and enjoy some banter with his ex-colleagues. Some of it centred around the cut Keith Andrews suffered just above his eye in a clash of heads Barnes - who joked with Albion's on-loan Irishman, telling him, "I told you not to mess with me!"
IT WAS ALSO a case of old friends and familiar faces at Vale Park on Saturday, as Albion faced Micky Adams' Port Vale in the FA Cup. None of the playing squad featured during either of his spells in the dugout, but Nathan Jones, physio Paul Watson and BBC Sussex radio summariser and Albion scout Warren Aspinall all played under Adams during his first spell at the club, and joined their former boss for a drink after the match. Life president Dick Knight, former shop manager John Gold and accountant Edward David were also at the match and popped into reminisce with Adams about old times over a glass of wine.
ADAMS ALSO TOOK the time to pop up to Vale's hospitality suite to see a number of Albion's 1901 Club members who travelled to the game. The Odds N Sods group were regulars in the old Withdean hospitality Portakabins throughout the club's 12-year year tenure at the temporary stadium. Adams popped in to pose for photos, sign autographs and chat about old times with the group.
ROHAN INCE'S FIRSTgoal for Albion was a case of perfect timing in many ways. The training ground set-piece worked to perfection to give Albion the lead; Ince had spoken that week about how he wanted to add goals his game, and seagulls.co.uk tipster the Ferret - real name Andy Heryet - had tipped the midfielder to score first at a price of 25/1.
March celebrates scoring at Port Vale
AS FOR ALBION'S second, it sparked the typical question as to whether Solly March was shooting or crossing; and Andrea Orlandi who spoke to the media post match revealed the answer when he told journalists it was also something that the team had been worked on in training, but March's role in the set piece was to cross to the far post... it was the second time that week Albion had benefited from a wind-assisted cross, after Brennan Dickenson's cross-shot ended in a goal to see off Eastbourne Borough in the Sussex Senior Cup last Monday.
WITH TRANSFER DEADLINE day almost upon us, Albion's official website, Seagulls Player, our @OfficialBHAFC twitter feed, YouTube channel and Facebook page remains the place to get all the news as it happens - or if you want it all in one place, visit The Wall section of the website - which will also pull in various external coverage too. We will bring extensive coverage of any deals as they happen, with behind the scenes access to any deals which might occur in the next few days. And if you're on the move, and want the news direct to your mobile, don't forget the club's official SMS service - in this day and age of social media it is still the best way to receive breaking news.
FINALLY, QPR BOSS Harry Redknapp has yet to give one of his famous car-window interviews during the current transfer window - but Albion's player liaison manager Steve Gibbon, who is often ribbed as his lookalike, showed what a good sport he is when he posed for this snap for club photographer Paul Hazlewood. The pair met for real at Loftus Road earlier this season, and QPR visit the Amex on Tuesday 11th March - Redknapp's second visit after bringing Spurs for the stadium opener.
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