I cannot think of a single challenge that could have more far reaching consequences for the Albion than Danny Stone's on Bobby Zamora last Saturday.

Aside from the ineptitude of match referee Brian Curzon and the fact that it was clearly a foul worthy of at least a booking, Zamora's dislocated shoulder is possibly the worst thing to befall the club since the asset strip of the Goldstone Ground.

Before that tackle, Albion were heading for a comfortable victory and, due to Reading's result against Oldham, joint leadership of Division Two. But with Zamora out for at least three matches, the only thing before Albion appears to be uncertainty.

It is an often quoted fact that when Dick Knight took over, Albion were 92nd in the Football League and 90 minutes away from not having a home ground. All credit to the chairman for everything he has done.

The club are on the threshold of Division One and well on the way to a permanent home at Falmer. But, whether Dick likes it or not, in the eyes of a large number of supporters he will be judged, at least in the short term, on the events of the next 48 hours.

The extent of Albion's ambitions will be indicated by which striker they sign on loan before the transfer deadline tomorrow evening.

The prospect of not signing anyone is no longer an option after Lee Steele was sent off for the reserves on Monday afternoon. The club need an additional forward for the remainder of the season, however much it costs.

No new striker followed by failure in the play-offs is something I cannot even begin to think about and the conspiracy theories will start.

"Did the Albion ever really want to go up?" will reverberate around Sussex, the answer is of course they did. Any board that does not want promotion should not be running a football club and that is one charge that can never be levelled at Dick Knight.

Albion have to think big. I am told that when the club signed Bobby Smith from Spurs back in the mid Sixties it was the equivalent of getting Alan Shearer now. Peter Taylor has the contacts and reputation to go out and get a striker, if only on loan, that will make everyone step back and say: "Brighton mean business!"

Finance? Well last week I mentioned a number of genuine Albion fans prepared to invest in the club. Even an initial outlay of about £200,000 would be some of the best money, aside from Ward, Lawrenson and Zamora, the club have ever spent if they win promotion. If Albion get a quality goal scorer they will go up, it is as simple as that.

So who fits the bill? Well, working on the theory that for Premiership loans a Football League club do not necessarily have to pay all of a player's wages, anything is possible.

Bobby Smith, Brian Clough and Liam Brady were all Albion acquisitions which made not only Sussex but also the rest of football sit up and take notice.

I hope Dick Knight shows the rest of football that Brighton truly are back.

To quote Clint Eastwood, "Go ahead, Mr Chairman, make my day!"