But as a result of his "win", the face of the transfer system has changed forever.

Under the freedom of contract rules, any player over the age of 24 can move without a fee at the end of his contract.

The Albion have already had their fingers burnt.

Back in 1999, when the highly rated ex-Tottenham midfielder and then Albion skipper, Jeff Minton, walked away from the club at the end of his deal and joined Port Vale
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Almost a case of déjà vu. Now, current Albion captain Dean Hammond, aided and abetted by his agent, has refused all offers from the club in ongoing negotiations.

And through the said agent, he has revealed to the media his desire to play in the Championship, which, for the uninitiated, is one league higher than Brighton.

The Albion are in a quandary. The transfer window closes at midnight a week today (January 31), so there are now three different scenarios.

One, which is almost as unlikely as Richard Amey being named the next James Bond, is that Hammond relents and signs a new long-term Albion contract.

The second is that they don't sell him in the next seven days, and he walks out of the Withdean on July 1, and joins a Championship club for free. A deal which could already have been struck.

Or finally, the Albion, having turned down one bid from an unnamed Championship side, sell him before Thursday.

But preferably within the next few days, and they then use the money to bring in a couple of new faces, which could still salvage the season.

As much as I like Dean as a person, it has to be Option three every time.

I would go to far as to say that it would be best for all concerned if he went before the weekend.

Clearly, with his agent working for him, he has sorted something out. On one hand, I don't blame him, as being a footballer is a relatively short career.

But, in my Albion mode, I am disappointed it has to come to this.

Contracts have always been a problem. Older fans recall that in the heady days of Division 1, in the early 1980s, some of Albion's brightest stars were on 10-year deals.

All well and good until relegation came, and a number of those players were sold without asking for a transfer.

One player left, by then, the cash-strapped Albion in the mid-1980s with seven-years' wages — and top-flight ones to boot.

In his pocket was a figure that wasn't covered by the incoming transfer fee.

With business acumen like that, was it any wonder the Albion found themselves with seven-figure debts?

Mr Bosman may have "won" his case. But as a result, did football and the likes of the Albion, and everyone outside the "elite", actually lose?

TWO positives to finish on.

I had the privilege of watching my first girls' football match last Sunday — an Under-13 encounter between Worthing Town and Worthing Minors.

Without wishing to sound patronising, I was impressed with the standard.

But, more importantly, the level of sportsmanship from both teams and their parents, which as we all know, can sometimes be lacking in boys' football.

AND "thank you" to Dick Knight and everyone at the Albion who looked after a party of youngsters from the Chestnut Tree House on Saturday.

The boys were given a tour of the ground, including the dressing rooms, and dined before the game with Knight and the rest of his directors in the board room.

Shame about the result, a 1-1 draw, but the Albion have five new fans they can count on.