Colin Calderwood has done the dirty on Chris Hughton.

But the timing of the Albion assistant's exit to Aston Villa, although not ideal, could have been a lot worse.

The placid Albion manager is "very disappointed" and "very surprised" by Calderwood's departure, "particularly at this stage of the season".

In Hughton speak that amounts to withering condemnation. He clearly feels let down - and he is entitled to feel that way.

It is not surprising that Calderwood had no loyalty towards Albion. He has only been at the club for 21 months.

Hughton? That is a different matter. Their paths first crossed 23 years ago, when Calderwood joined Spurs as a player and Hughton was on the coaching staff.

They were on the same course for their A license coaching badges and Hughton played a part in Calderwood becoming reserve team coach at White Hart Lane during Glenn Hoddle's reign.

Hughton appointed the Scot as his No.2 at Newcastle, which by Calderwood's own admission was the "real breakthrough" for him in management.

They took Newcastle straight back up to the Premier League together, steered Birmingham into the Championship play-offs and kept Norwich in the top flight, all before last season's near-miss with Albion.

 

That is a lot of history with a lot of clubs and a lot of success.

Where was Calderwood when the call came from Hughton again to rejoin him at the Amex? He had been out of work for ten months, uncomfortably his longest break from football, after they were sacked by Norwich.

He told me when he landed the post: "Within that period there are jobs that I have applied for and I've spoken to clubs at various levels and in various positions, from manager to under-21s.

"The most frustrating thing was not having the offers you thought you might have or the ability to say no to anyone, so that's just a reminder that when you are in the job enjoy the time that you come to work and try to make the most of it. It's probably grounded me a little bit."

Really? He has a funny way of showing it. Then again, Calderwood has previous.

He left Hughton's Newcastle to become No.1 at Hibernian. A year ago, in another interview with The Argus, Calderwood made no secret of his desire to become a manager again, a position he also held at Nottingham Forest and Northampton.

He said this: "Chris would probably understand but I wouldn't leave him again like I did once before. That was the wrong decision at that time but going forward at some time I would like to try that slippery rope."

Calderwood has not left for another crack at management. He has left to join a promotion rival.

Villa are a bigger club than Albion and he will be on bigger money. He may have other valid considerations such as family - he still lives in Northampton - but is there any justification for treating Hughton the way he has?

To suddenly walk out on him with little or no prior warning - Calderwood resigned, don't forget, to force the issue before Villa eventually coughed up appropriate compensation.

Hughton, dignity personified, deserved better than that.

The Argus: As for the timing, what if Calderwood left for another job deeper into the season, by which stage his successor-in-waiting Paul Trollope (above) might have been fixed up elsewhere?

Instead, conveniently, Trollope is in the right place at the right moment to bring his promotion-winning mentality as both a player and manager into the camp after Cardiff axed him last month.

Trollope has also worked with Hughton before, at Birmingham and Norwich. Let's hope he demonstrates more loyalty than Calderwood.