Steve Parish, the Crystal Palace chairman, owned up last week to a "massive regret" and "mistake" that Glenn Murray was sold to Bournemouth in 2015.

His Albion counterpart, Tony Bloom, must feel Parish's pain and some, although it has been rectified now.

Murray runs out at the Amex tonight an Albion player again in the first top flight derby between the clubs since 1981.

It is bound to remain a matter of regret to Bloom that the first goal Murray scored at the stadium was for Palace, not the Seagulls - even if his departure was not down to him.

Gus Poyet, the manager whose own exit ended in acrimony the following season after losing in the Championship play-offs to Palace, has to take the blame for that.

Murray was on crutches then, in May 2013, after suffering knee damage in the first leg at Selhurst Park (below).

The Argus: Turn the clock back to May 2011, Poyet let Murray go on a free transfer, an odd decision after his goals spearheaded Albion's promotion from League One.

Poyet bought Craig Mackail-Smith, a different type of striker. That did not work out, primarily because Mackail-Smith's strengths were not utilised.

To compound what must rank as one of the most bemusing transfer decisions in Albion's history, Murray scored on his return with Palace in September 2011.

He did not celebrate. "It was quite an emotional night for me, coming back to the Amex," he explained in a revealing interview with seagulls tv. "I'd been at the club the previous three and-a-half years and all during my time we were having tours around it, so it was something we were all looking forward to playing in together. Unfortunately that wasn't to be for me.

"So coming back that night meant a lot. The reason I didn't celebrate was because I had no issues with the Brighton fans. I didn't want to upset them, I had a great time at the club.

"It finished in success and I wouldn't want to rub salt into the wounds like that."

The same logic will prevent Murray celebrating again this evening if the ball is on the other foot.

He said: "I had some great years at Palace, got supported really well by the fans. They were patient with me in my first year and throughout my injury. They welcomed me back with open arms when I had been out on loan at Reading.

"Through having four or five fantastic years there, I wouldn't celebrate, no.

"When you move clubs you think about every scenarios but in my situation with both transfers, going up to Palace and, in a round about way coming back to Brighton, neither Brighton or Palace wanted me.

"So it was the decision of the hierarchy really. If I had been wanted by Brighton before I left I wouldn't have signed for Crystal Palace and if I had been wanted by Crystal Palace I would never have left for Bournemouth and ended up back here.

"As far as I am concerned I just want to play games, score as many goals as possible, where ever that may be."

The Argus: Murray has been doing that at all levels throughout his career, which made Poyet's choice (above) all the more baffling.

Murray said: "It was a great season. We managed to win the league but I realised my future wasn't at the club some time before that, unfortunately.

"It was tough. It had been a good season, I was playing with a good group of players, scoring a lot of goals and going into a level I had never played at, in the Championship, and going into a new stadium.

"It was a real tough decision for me and a disappointing one that it wasn't to be.

"Not long after the end of the season there were a few clubs interested but Palace was one I took a liking to and the rest is history I suppose."

History which still rankles with some Albion supporters, in spite of his goal-laden return since rejoining from Bournemouth 16 months ago, initially on loan and then permanently in January.

Murray, 34, said: "It's difficult to change people's perception of you. I would like to think the goals have done it but there are still the people out there that still doubt me and just don't like me for that one reason - that I joined a rival club."

Tonight Murray plays in his first derby for Albion against Palace. He knows what to expect now.

"In my first spell at Brighton I had obviously heard about the rivalry but, with there being such a distance between the clubs, I never understood how fierce it was," he said.

"Now I do understand it. It's actually a fantastic derby, fuelled with a lot of passion from both sides and I know from experience playing in these games it's just a fantastic night."

As long, of course, as you win.