Former Albion striker Alan Biley used to love a laugh and a joke out in the middle.

But that renowned sense of humour is being tested to the limit these days as he tries to revive a club with one of the worst records in the country.

Biley has taken over as boss of Barton Rovers, who have won just one league game all season and are rooted to the bottom of Ryman division one.

He said: "It is a tough job but I'm hoping to bring a sense of humour, eternal optimism and a willingness to all do it together.

"We lost my first three league games but we've been unlucky. Our game with Walton and Hersham had 0-0 all over it until their keeper scored with a big kick.

"Then we were down to ten men for 82 minutes against Whyteleafe and they scored an offside goal. You get things like that when you are down but, if there is anything about you, you can turn it around."

This is a step up in standard for Biley the manager. He was in previously charge at Ely, Diss and Potton, inspiring a relegation escape at the latter.

He said: "Probably no one outside Norfolk knew I was at the club but I don't mind that.

"I'm not keen on being a 'name' in charge of a club. It takes the credit away from other people who have been managing sides just as well as you have.

"But I started getting recognition from other managers and that's the best sort of praise you can have."

Biley runs a health club in Biggleswade. His distinctive long hair has gone, though it was only chopped off a year ago, and, at the age of 43, he admitted he has put on a few pounds since he was banging in goals on the south coast.

The former Cambridge, Everton and Derby livewire was hugely popular at Portsmouth, scoring 51 times at an average of goal every other game, before moving to the Goldstone in March, 1985.

He said: "Everything was rosy when I first arrived but the change from Chris Cattlin to Alan Mullery as manager spelt the end for me.

"I loved the club and the place but it was never meant to be as long as Mullery was manager.

"I don't think people appreciated the job Chris did. He was a person who had worn the Brighton shirt and knew what the club was all about.

"He wanted to do the job because he loved Brighton.

"It's the same at Barton. I only want people here who really want to play for the club."

Biley's move away from Albion signalled the end of his League career, though he learned a few lessons at New York Express, Panionios, Brest, Twente Enschede and Waterford, where he was assistant boss to Andy King.

He confessed his time with the Seagulls, in which he played 40 League games and scored eight goals, included the most difficult afternoon of his career.

It came just a month after his move along the coast when Albion visited Fratton Park for a promotion six-pointer before 23,000 fans and the Match Of The Day cameras. Neil Webb's crisp right-foot drive and a Noel Blake own goal meant spoils on a bright and breezy Easter Saturday were shared.

But Biley said: "It was awful. It was totally unprofessional of me, but I was a waste of space on the day. I should not have played. I wasn't to know until I got there, but my mind was not on the game.

"That only ever happened to me twice. The other time was at Fratton Park as well, when I heard I had won player-of-the-year. It was overwhelming."