After our lads played Millwall off the pitch last week, I was reminded of my previous, less than kindly, words about the very man who sealed their fate.

Namely, Anthony "Rah-rah-rah" Rougier, who made his lightning strike on the goalmouth within three minutes of coming on.

Without going into the sorry detail, it's fair to say that I should have ordered a slice of humble pie rather than the cheese and onion pasty that I wolfed down at Withdean on Saturday.

Whether Rougier can keep up the good work remains to be seen but his debut performance made an excellent first impression on the fans. It wasn't just the newcomers who got a good reaction from the Brighton stands on Saturday.

Steve Gritt left a lasting impression from his time with the Albion and he received an almost rapturous welcome when he came on to the pitch.

Whatever the finer points of Steve's time as manager, he has gone down in legend, with Robbie Reinelt, as one of the "Hereford Heroes" and for that, he will always have a place in our hearts.

Thinking back to those days, and with a visit to the Priestfield jogging the memory, I found myself recalling a different assortment of "legends". In particular, those players, the Unlikely Lads, who are still fondly remembered for their unique interpretation of the game despite this creativity often being reflected in the dire results that the team notched up.

Who could forget Smiffy cantering up and down the sidelines at Gillingham like a demented spider? Or Richie Barker's crowd-pleasing donkey impressions which almost made up for his own ability to play like an ass.

Peter Smith and Barker had a rapport with the crowd and are remembered with affection. But equally remembered, although perhaps in disbelief rather than with undying affection, is Damien Hilton who must surely qualify as one of the least competent players to turn out for the Albion in their recent history.

Hilton's services were secured free of charge and he was only a few minutes into his first game when a shout of "You were robbed!" was directed at the dug-out! Of his mercifully few outings, perhaps the most notorious was his performance at Barnet where his apparent allergy to the ball resulted in him either running backwards or falling over in order to avoid coming into contact with it.

I don't know whether adversity made the fans more tolerant of hopelessness or whether, in those post-Hereford days, we were still recovering from an uncomfortably close encounter with the Conference. Either way, I remember coming away from what seemed like endless games at Gillingham with only a cup of railway tea to sustain the spirits on the 75-mile journey home yet still coming back for more of the same a fortnight later.

The persistence of all those exiled Albion fans paid off in the end and nowadays the team are playing a whole new ballgame which is why the fans will question the value of players who don't seem to be making much of a contribution. We couldn't tolerate another Hilton and, as much as you couldn't help liking Smiffy, we couldn't afford to take a risk on his erratic style.

This is why Paul 'sicknote' Kitson's recent complaint about the way he's being treated by the supporters hasn't been received with a deal of sympathy. Rightly or wrongly, Kitson is perceived as a luxury the club can't afford and, as his injury list lengthens, he's rapidly turning into a Fantasy Footballer - an invisible player who's only guaranteed appearance is on the wage bill. Rougier made an impressive start which was well received. Kitson, unfortunately, has yet to make any sort of impression, and this is reflected by the reception he is getting from the fans.

Roz South edits Brighton Rockz fanzine. Email roz@southspark.co.uk