Former Albion boss Jeff Wood has urged the Seagulls not to shy away from making an internal appointment.

Wood believes his own unfortunate experience after he was promoted to the post should not rule out Martin Hinshelwood and Bob Booker.

Wood was upgraded from assistant to manager when Brian Horton left for Port Vale in January 1999.

Chairman Dick Knight put him in charge for the rest of the season following a successful stint as caretaker, but Albion's form dipped and Micky Adams took over with five matches left.

Wood, back in the country after steering Maltese club Sliema Wanderers to two domestic cup triumphs, second place in the League and a UEFA Cup spot, said: "Wimbledon and Brentford have gone that way and I don't think there is any reason why Brighton shouldn't.

"A lot of internal appointments work and that's how a lot of people start their careers.

"It was a different set of circumstances when I was there. There were all sorts of restrictions and I wasn't able to change things around.

"It's at the start of the season now and they will be able to bring in players they want."

Current No. 2 Booker and director of youth Hinshelwood took caretaker charge for two matches last season. They are holding the fort again as the exhaustive hunt for Peter Taylor's successor continues.

Hinshelwood was also effectively in control of team affairs towards the end of Barry Lloyd's seven-year reign in the late Eighties and early Nineties.

Lloyd was upgraded from reserve and youth team coach to Albion manager when Alan Mullery was sacked and the Worthing boss has pinpointed the benefits of an internal appointment.

"They know the players extremely well and one assumes there is not a huge budget," Lloyd said. "It all adds up.

"Hinsh has good quality. He has been in the game for a long time and he knows the club inside out."

Knight updated his fellow directors on the managerial search at a Board meeting yesterday.

Meanwhile, the Seagulls are still talking to goal king Bobby Zamora about another new contract.

Chief executive Martin Perry said: "We are in discussions with him. He is one of the players that we will be talking to now that Dick is back from holiday."

The Argus revealed in April that Albion were lining up a third new four-year deal for Zamora, which Taylor suggested would include an opt-out clause to join a Premiership club.

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