Albion will hope for another joyous anniversary when Liverpool return to the Amex.

But the manager who plotted the Reds’ cup downfall 39 years ago this Sunday says the current team have no need to rely on lucky omens or happy coincidences.

Chris Cattlin makes the Seagulls slight favourites to win the fourth-round tie at the Amex.

Albion beat Liverpool recently on the 62nd anniversary of their only previous home league win over the Anfield outfit.

Bizarrely, the cup tie comes on Sunday, January 29 - as was the case when Albion won 2-0 at the same stage of the same competition in 1984.

Gerry Ryan and Terry Connor, within a couple of minutes of each other, scored for the mid-table second tier outfit early in the second half against opponents who went on to win a treble of First Division title, League Cup and European Cup in the weeks and months to come.

Cattlin remembers the cup tie vividly – as well as the planning.

He said: “I went on the train to watch Liverpool play Sheffield Wednesday and I realised we had to stop the full-backs Phil Neal and Alan Kennedy coming forward.

“We had to stop Graeme Souness running the show and obviously keep Ian Rush quiet.

“We had (wingers) Neil Smillie and Steve Penney and we pushed them further forward than they normally played.

“We pushed their full-backs back, stopped them coming forward.

“And I literally man-marked Tony Grealish on Graeme Souness.

“Graeme came off after 30 minutes.

“Steve Foster did a good job on Ian Rush.

“We had too much enthusiasm and too much pace for Liverpool on the day.

“It was a great Liverpool team.

“But even Mark Lawrenson and Alan Hansen were upset by Terry Connor and Gerry Ryan’s pace and running ability.

“All in all it worked like a dream. We were the better team.

“This Sunday, things are different because Brighton are possibly slight favourites to win this game.

“Liverpool have got a lot of key players out.

“For Brighton, with Tony Bloom’s stewardship and the money he has put into the club, the recruitment has been excellent. That is well-documented.

“And, one to 11, I feel Brighton have got better players than Liverpool.

“Liverpool have one or two glaring weaknesses that I’m sure this Italian coach of ours will have spotted.

“You have got to be able to defend away from home in a cup tie.

“If he (Jurgen Klopp) plays Alexander-Arnold at right-back, Mitoma will run riot.

“He doesn’t seem to have the ability to defend away from home.

“He has lost a bit of confidence.

“So we will see what happens.

“It’s great for the Brighton supporters. I hope they really get behind the team.”

Back in 1984, Albion had come down in the previous season but had a talented side with the motivation to prove they could still mix it with the best.

They went into the game on the back of three consecutive wins.

Cattlin said: “Obviously a Championship side against a Premiership side, you have got a lot to prove.

“But I thought we had good players.

“If you nullify certain strengths of the opposition, you have got a chance.

“Graeme Souness was the orchestrator in midfield and Grealish did a great job on him.

“We ran out worthy winners on the day and I would expect Brighton to do the same on Sunday.”

Back then, as with Roberto De Zerbi now, Cattlin was a candidate for manager of the month.

League and cup results were all lumped in together at the time and this win clinched the Bells’ prize – which was a giant bottle of whisky - for the Albion boss.

Back then, as now, the game was televised live on ITV.

Brian Moore commentated with Ron Atkinson as his summariser and young Martin Tyler in the tunnel for interviews.

But one wonders what the TV crew thought when they read Cattlin’s column in the match programme He wrote: “I don’t like live football on the box and don’t think it’s good for the game. In fact, I think it will have an adverse effect.”

It was the only thing Cattlin got wrong all day and he still recalls those words.

He said: “I thought live television would kill the game and I’ve been proved wrong.

“But I didn’t expect all this Sky money to come in.

“What we have got now is a fantastic product.

“Absolutely fantastic and it’s watched throughout the world.

“Television has done it no harm at all.

“In fact, it is bringing a lot more of our kids and women into the game.

“It has been a massive plus.

“The way Brighton have done it is an example to everybody in English football, with Tony Bloom’s money and the acquisitions they have made, the recruitment.

“It’s about the players on the pitch.

“If you’ve got better players on the pitch than the opposition, you have got half a chance.

“And Brighton have got some excellent players.

“Everything went to plan on the day for us and it was great.

“We beat an exceptional Liverpool side.

“That side that we beat was much better than the one Liverpool can put out this weekend.” Albion: Corrigan; Hutchings, E.Young, Foster, Gatting; Penney, Wilson, Grealish, Smillie; Ryan, Connor. Sub: A.Young.

Liverpool: Grobbelaar; Neal, Hansen, Lawrenson, Kennedy; Lee, Johnston, Souness (Whelan 64), Nicol; Robinson, Rush.