Albion manager Micky Adams has declared: "Our season starts now."

Adams' battle cry comes as the race hots up for the three automatic promotion places.

Table-topping Chesterfield and Alan Cork's Cardiff are both in action tonight.

Two more promotion rivals meet each other at the weekend, when Albion travel to relegation-haunted Exeter.

The Seagulls also face fifth-placed Rochdale and Cardiff in swift succession next month.

"Our season starts now really," Adams said. "January has been a bit of a washout for us so far and February is a very important month.

"Everybody is playing everyone else and we can't all win."

Chesterfield, nine points clear of the Seagulls from three more matches, could increase their lead at York tonight.

Albion will slip out of second place, where they have been since October, if Cardiff win at Shrewsbury.

But victory at Exeter on Saturday would open an eight-point gap on the chasing pack.

Rochdale and fourth-placed Leyton Orient do not play until Sunday, when they clash head-on in a noon showdown at Spotland.

"Footballers are only human. They read newspapers and look at League tables like every supporter does," said Adams.

"If we were to get a result at Exeter the silly footballers of Roch-dale and Orient will put themselves under pressure to get a result.

"But regardless of what happens on Saturday or Sunday nothing is decided. That is the message I will be giving my players before the Exeter game.

"If we get a win great, but it won't be the end of the world if we don't."

Bobby Zamora has a key role to play in the promotion push.

Adams also revealed yesterday that Zamora had turned down the chance of a World Cup call-up for Trinidad and Tobago.