The West Ham, Alan Pardew and Reading "Love Triangle" has again opened up the debate about managers and their contracts.

As a Brighton supporter, I'm not a big fan of Pardew. I remember the stroke he pulled by signing Steve Sidwell from under our noses and when Albion finished as Division Two champions in 2001-02 him claiming that Reading were still the best team in the division.

However, in this matter, I support his decision to resign after being refused permission to talk to the Hammers.

The reality is a large number of Football League chairmen can get carried away with their power. Don't worry, Mr Knight, I don't include you.

Reading chairman John Madjeski named a stadium after himself and was quick to sack managers Terry Bullivant and Tommy Burns.

It's the age-old chairman syndrome: he wants to have his cake and eat it. If Reading had lost their first five games off the season, would Madjeski have been so keen for Pardew to see out his contract?

No, he would have gone the same way as thousands of football managers before him and, even with his team at the foot of the table, the Reading chairman would have had his ego massaged by watching the number of established bosses clamouring for the position.

It is a fact of life that managers either get sacked or move on of their own accord. Pardew is only doing it on his terms and who can blame him? I had it put to me in the car travelling to Colchester how would I feel if Steve Coppell did the same and left the Albion for another club? To be honest, after an initial couple of minutes of disappointment, it would be back to business as usual looking forward to a new manager.

It has happened so many times in the past but the club survived after Brian Clough, Brian Horton and Micky Adams all left. In my younger days I might have got upset but I've learnt down the years that the only thing that will never change at any football club is the supporters. They are the lifers. Everyone else, players, managers and directors, are just passing through.

Madjeski talks about loyalty and doing things correctly, but what if 18 months down the line a Russian benefactor makes him an offer he can't refuse for the Royals? Would he think of the Reading fans or even his current manager then?

Although an innings defeat at Old Trafford was not at the top of Chris Adams' wish list, in a way I'm pleased Sussex will probably clinch their first County Championship at Hove in front of a healthy crowd of their own supporters rather than in an almost empty Test match venue 260 miles away.

Subject to the good old British weather, the crowds at Hove for the last four-day Championship fixture will be good judging by the number of people I have spoken to who want to go and see the coronation of the Champions despite only having a minimal interest in cricket. That can only be good for both the county's coffers and cricket.

But the real test will come next season with the defence of the crown. It is the Premiership of cricket but, unlike its footballing counterpart, there is no European adventure in the Champions League.

I hope that the new interest generated in Sussex as a result of their exploits this season will continue into next. How many new members will the county get as a result of this historic win? Hopefully quite a few. Without wanting to teach the commercial department at Hove how to suck eggs, with the champagne flowing this week, why not go round the ground on an impromptu membership drive? In the euphoria of the moment, I'd wager that the results off the field would mirror the ones on them this season.