Adrian Thorne gave Albion fans one of their greatest evenings at the Goldstone.

But the man himself always believed he had more satisfying matches – against stars like Johnny Haynes and Billy Liddell.

The former Albion forward has died at the age of 84.

He will be most fondly recalled as the local boy who scored five goals in a 6-0 win over Watford which secured the Third Division South title in 1958 and took the club to the second tier for the first time.

He made only his seventh Football League start due to an injury to Dave Sexton and had a hat-trick inside ten minutes.

Footage shows packed terraces, and neighbouring front gardens, cheering Albion on a sunlit evening.

Thorne, who was born in Hove, scored 44 goals in 84 appearances for Albion and topped the goal charts with 14 in 1960-61.

He moved on to Plymouth for £8,000 and later had another promotion success with Exeter City.

He then moved into teaching, having begun training during the later years of his playing career.

Thorne once told Argus reporter John Vinicombe he did not recall too much of his great evening against Watford.

He remembered it as one of those games when “I happened to get on the end of everything that came my way”.

But he added: "The following season against tougher opposition, I scored four goals in the match against Bristol Rovers and that was a more satisfying performance.

“Also, when we beat Fulham at the Goldstone that season, the opposition again was that much greater than we had encountered the previous season.

“For a young and inexperienced player like myself it was quite something to play against a side like Fulham who had England internationals like Johnny Haynes and George Cohen.

"Also, I will never forget the thrill of playing against Liverpool who had Billy Liddell in their side and when we went to Preston in a cup replay they had Tom Finney.

“The players I have mentioned were household names whereas Watford was a Third Division club like us.”