It doesn't usually take long for the theme of experience to crop up in one of Chris Hughton’s pre-match press conferences.

Someone tends to ask whether the fact most of his players have been around the block a few times will help them in the potentially nerve-testing weeks which lie ahead.

It can be done in two ways. You specifically suggest the cruel experiences of last May will stiffen the squad’s resolve.

Or you look at the ages and track records of Hughton’s players and ask on a more general level. Either way, the Seagulls have experience on their side.

Now the numbers have surfaced which underline just how Hughton builds his sides around veteran know-how.

Albion sent out the oldest line-ups in the Championship last season.

They were particularly rich in years when Bruno, Bobby Zamora, Gordon Greer, Uwe Huenemeier and Liam Rosenior all started in the 2-2 draw at Bolton.

Not much has changed. Apart from the players still at the club are now more than a year older.

The Seagulls are, once again, officially the oldest team in the Championship. Their average age across the season so far comes out at just a little older than 28-and-a-half.

They are closely followed by Norwich, Birmingham and Sheffield Wednesday the only other teams who average is more than 28.

The Argus: Bruno is going strong at 36

Figures compiled by stats wizard Ben Mayhew, who works for Press Association and whoscored.com, also show the contrast of the top two.

Newcastle’s average age is 25.7. The only teams younger are Wolves, Brentford and finally Barnsley, who have yet to field a 30-year-old this season.

All of which underlines that age, or youth, guarantee nothing.

There is no pattern when comparing average age of players used to current league position.

But it also emphasises that Hughton has clearly gone for experience across his season-and-two-thirds of contending for promotion.

Bruno is the oldest outfield player in the division, at 36 and almost five months, to have played 700 minutes or more.

Birmingham defender Paul Robinson is 38 but his red card at Wolves last night left him on 495 minutes while 37-year-old Bristol City striker Aaron Wilbraham has 688.

Blackburn defender Wes Brown, at 37, is among the veterans to have played very limited minutes.

Bruno is 12 days older that Scott Parker and has played more than twice the minutes of the Fulham midfielder.

Greer, now with Blackburn, is also 36 but two and-half months younger than Bruno. The ex-Albion skipper has amassed a respectable 1,701 minutes for Rovers with potential to add more under new boss Tony Mowbray.

Two of the division’s small band of 35-and-overs will oppose the Seagulls today in Reading goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi and forward Yann Kermorgant, both 35.

Although Kermorgant was left on the bench against Huddersfield on Tuesday, he is another to have passed the 2,000-minute mark in the league this term.

Wigan full-back Stephen Warnock is ever-present at the age of 35 but Rickie Lambert has been a bit-part player at Cardiff and Jonathan Douglas in and out for Ipswich.

Jiri Skalak, at 24, has generally been the youngest player in the Albion side although 22-year-old Solly March is now fit and available to lower the average age.

However, when Albion opt for 27-year-old Jamie Murphy down that flank, their age range is 36 to 25.

There are generally three 25-year-olds in the side but even they offer valuable experience, according to their boss.

Anthony Knockaert has learnt the hard way at times in this division while Shane Duffy and Lewis Dunk have piled up appearances.

Duffy in particular comes across as older than his years.

The Argus:

Reading goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi

Hughton said: “Of course you draw upon your experienced players but that doesn’t have to be an age thing.

“You look at our captain (Bruno) at his tender years who is still playing every game. But we also have younger players in the squad like Shane Duffy and Lewis Dunk who have played a lot of Championship football.

“Yes, you look for experience. Your Steve Sidwells, your older players. You use all of them.”

Compared to last season’s most usual line-up, Glenn Murray (33) has generally replaced Tomer Hemed (29) and Sidwell (34) has played more often than Beram Kayal (28).

As a footnote, the stats also show how former Albion development boss Luke Williams is giving youth its head at Swindon Town in League One. They are the youngest team in all three divisions of the league with an average age of 23.3.

Swindon have yet to field a player older than 26 this season.

That emphasises that Rohan Ince, who turned 24 last November, can gain experience by playing a senior on-field role at the County Ground during his stint on loan from the Seagulls.

But Albion will be happy if it is a case of ‘the older, the better’ in the second tier.

Ben Mayhew can be followed on Twitter via @experimental361.