THERE could only be one winner.

The Argus search for the all-time greatest Albion X1 has already caused debates and close votes in some positions.

Not so in the engine room as the defensive midfielder.

Predictably, Albion's bearded wonder was a runaway choice.

Brian Horton, the inspirational skipper of the Seagulls' glory era in the late 1970's and early 1980's, received an overwhelming 63 per cent of your votes.

He was way ahead of Liam Bridcutt, Steve Piper and, in joint-third place, Richard Carpnetr, Paul Clark and the late Tony Grealish.

Horton, 66 now and currently assistant manager to Paul Dickov at Doncaster Rovers in League One, still bleeds blue and white stripes.

Thanking readers for their votes, he said: "It will always be in my heart, Brighton. It was just a fantastic place to be at that time with the crowds - 34,000 piling into the Goldstone - and doing what we did.

"Promotion first year, missed out on goal difference, promotion the next year, two years in the top flight, it can't get better than that can it?

"To captain them and score the goal that got us there as well at Newcastle will always be probably the most important game for me and the club."

And yet it all could have been so different if, back in March 1976, Horton had been snapped up by Albion's arch-rivals rather than becoming probably the best value-for-money buy in the club's history for £30,000 from Port Vale.

"There weren't agents as such as that time and I'd had a shout that Palace were interested," Horton explained.

"It was a case of 'be aware of our intentions' but I was in the car down to Brighton and it was done and dusted. I signed on transfer deadline day with no regrets whatsoever.

"I was always grateful to Peter Taylor. He made me captain straight away when Ernie Machin was injured.

"Then Mullers (Alan Mullery) came in the next year and it absolutely took off."

When Horton returned as manager in February 1998 for 11 months before rejoining Port Vale, those gory days were a distant memory.

"It was always my ambition to come back," he said. "When I was coming to the end (as a player) the plan was I'd go player-coach with Mullers and Ken (Craggs) and hopefully stay there on the staff.

"That's what it was leaning to. Then I left and when I came back (as manager) with the Goldstone gone and playing at Gillingham it was just ridiculous.

"There was only Brighton and probably a few other clubs who would have taken so many people. It was the hardest decision I've ever had to make to leave the club that I loved and still do.

"It just wasn't a football club, it was only the fact that Dick (Knight) and his colleagues were rescuing the place.

"No soul, no offices, the training ground (Sussex University) wasn't ours, the ground at Gillingham and nothing foreseeable.

"I feel I played my part in turning it around, bringing Martin Hinshelwood and Dean (Wilkins) back in."

Now Albion have somebody of similar ilk at the helm in Chris Hughton. Horton, in the 45th year of his career as a player and manager with nine clubs, wishes he was still running that engine room at the Amex.

"I know Chrissy well and I think it's a really good appointment," he said.

"He's done well. He's a very quiet and unassuming man, gets on with his job, loves his football. I hope he does well, the fans deserve it and the owners.

"I've been back a few times to be part of teams playing at the Amex or to watch.

"My regret is I can't play there because to play in that stadium must be unbelievable. It was good at the Goldstone, 34,000 when we beat Sheffield Wednesday and averaging 26 or 27,000 people. It was just incredible. But the ground now - credit to the Bloom family - is second to none, absolutely fantastic.

"They really need to get back in the big time, don't they. It's the only place to be and it was great to have two years there with Brighton."