ALBION chairman Dick Knight was last night battling to keep hold of Seagulls boss Brian Horton.

Port Vale want Horton to be their new manager and they have made an official approach for him.

Knight was locked in crisis talks with Horton at the chairman's Hove home late into the evening.

"There has been an approach and I am talking to Brian about it," he said.

"I am sure we are going to be burning some midnight oil.

"We are at my house talking. That is all I can say at the moment."

The Argus revealed on Tuesday that Horton is favourite for the Vale job following the sacking 24 hours earlier of long-serving John Rudge.

Knight said then: "If they want to talk to him and he wants to talk to them I will allow him to do that.

"It's only fair and right that I should, but he has a contract with Brighton and a tremendous affection with the club, so I am confident he would stay."

Horton, 50 next month and under contract until the end of the season, began his playing career with Vale, currently struggling against relegation from the First Division.

Born in Hednesford, Staffordshire, he made more than 200 appearances in six years with the Potteries club before joining Albion for 27,000 in March 1976.

Horton skippered the Seagulls as they soared from the old Third to the First Division.

He returned to the club 11 months ago to take over from the sacked Steve Gritt following spells with Hull, Oxford, Manchester City and Huddersfield.

Albion were next-to-bottom of the Football League then, but they are now in ninth place and pushing for promotion to the Second Division.

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