Preparing for a pre-Christmas cracker

Four weeks to go and most of us will be tucking into the turkey. In fact, last weekend's 3-3 draw at Norwich had everything and, in a fit of excitement, I said the match was like a Christmas dinner with everything on the plate: six goals, a penalty, and a red card.

This weekend the Albion take on another side relegated from the Premier League, Fulham. In essence, the game has all the ingredients for another cracker.

The Amex is expecting its biggest crowd of the season. Nearly 30,000 will head to the game tomorrow (Saturday). A new set of fans will taste their first mouthful of Amex action, which should make for a good atmosphere.

The Seagulls are three games unbeaten and some supporters feel Sami Hyypia's side have turned a corner. There's a new signing on show, with former England forward Darren Bent set for his debut. And it just happens to be against the club where he spent last season on loan.

Little by little, the club has benched the majority of summer signings who appear to fall short of the mark. They may now be heavily reliant on loanees, but the Albion hierarchy have finally assembled a side that can hurt teams.

In this column a few weeks ago, I said I was hopeful about the rest of the season, especially if they strengthen - and that is what they've done.

Injuries have not helped their cause this season, but it's great to see Solly March on the road back to action.

Sadly, there are always players who have to make way. At the time of writing, it seems Craig Mackail-Smith is set for a return to his spiritual home of Peterborough - where he scored nearly 100 goals. A lovely genuine guy, but a change of scene will probably help both him and Bent as they try to re-ignite their careers.

I think everyone is looking forward to tomorrow's game...so that'll be a 0-0 draw then.

Finally on a sad note, I think everyone who is involved in cricket - and those who aren't - feel numb after the news of the death of Phil Hughes. He was a huge talent, positive at the crease and will be missed - 63 Not Out.