It's the third round draw for the FA Cup, the greatest knockout competition in the world.

The Albion's "ball" is the velvet bag, along with the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Horsham and Havant & Waterlooville.

It's a series of "what ifs" from Hart junior, "How long would it take us to get back from Manchester?", "Would we have to fly to Newcastle?", and "Is Middlesborough as dismal as everyone makes out?".

Then the moment arrives. BBC's Ray Stubbs, live from Harrogate Railway's ground, hands back to Sir Trevor Brooking at FA headquarters.

Sir Trevor, a person my son once didn't recognise at Upton Park and told him so to his face, introduces fellow cup winners Kevin Beattie, himself trying to recapture his youth with a glistening diamond ear ring, and Sammy Nelson, to make the draw.

Alas no velvet bag, replaced by a large perspex goldfish bowl. Progress? I think not.

The wait is over. Kevin tips the balls into the bowl and gives them a stir.

It's nearly time, and Sir Trevor adjusts his notes and invites Kevin to draw the first team out.

It's Preston North End. As Sammy dips in for the first away team, I almost shout out loud "please, no".

I've been to Preston once and once is enough.

Thankfully, Sammy pulls out Scunthorpe, which actually means the first tie rules out, not one, but two nightmare away trips.

Another eight sides are pulled out before Kevin pulls out ball number 52. Sir Trevor announces "Brighton & Hove Albion".

A home tie, no away trip, nearly 9,000 hanging off the rafters at Withdean.

As Sammy reached into the bowl, all the big guns were still available, and my mind raced.

How would Fergie find the Withdean dugouts? Would Wenger's men like getting changed in pre-fabricated buildings?

Sammy pulled out his ball, number 54.

Trevor confirmed "Mansfield Town".

Time to pull out a thesaurus to see how many variations there are on anti-climax.

Despite the comfort of a home draw, I was still gutted.

With all due respect to the Staggs, most of their players aren't even household names in their own households.

As Soul to Soul once sang "Back to life, back to reality". As well as home advantage, consolation is in the fact that if the Albion don't win this one, they deserve shooting.

The fourth round beckons.

The last time the Albion got there, Gary Glitter was still a student icon, and with the problem of the stay away fans in mind, perhaps there is the chance for the club to get a few more bums back on the Withdean seats.

A gamble I know, but isn't that what life is all about?

But should the club now state that anyone with a used ticket stub for the Mansfield game, which takes into account the rights of season ticket holders, have priority for round four, be it home or away?

Yes, it's been a long time since Brighton and the words round four have been used in the same sentence.

But it's the last 32 and the chance to hook a big fish.

Then again, another winnable home tie and it's round five.

Almost the time to dust off the Jimmy Melia white disco shoes.

With some of the most atrocious conditions in recent memory, almost all of Sunday's football programme was washed out.

Please spare a thought for Steve Hoare.

He took his Worthing Town Under-13 team over to Oliver's Meadow at Barnham, to discover it's had to be renamed "Oliver's Paddy Field".

Now call me old fashioned, but surely the pitch would have been unplayable long before Steve's squad left Worthing.

Obviously all the phone lines were down as well.