Strong Albion side to tackle Sidley

Blues welcome the second string of the Coca-Cola Championship outfit to Gullivers on Wednesday December 1 for a second round tie in a SCFA Senior Cup competition the Seagulls won last season.

White, a former Sidley player who has also delivered training sessions at the club, said: "Without doubt there will be players that have played for the first team. I would say there will be a couple of first team players there and it could be quite a young team. But I don't really know what the team will be - I can't even give you a squad."

Of the Brighton players with local connections, Paul Watson, younger brother of Sidley's Jimmy, has a slight hamstring strain which was expected to keep him out of Albion's match on Wednesday night but should make it. Bexhill-based youngster Lee Carey "could" feature but first team regular Dean Hammond, who lives in Hastings, is considered less likely and Chris McPhee, like Hammond a former Spartan player, is injured. But whoever White fields "will be expected to do a job and if they don't they will be in for it"!

So what does Little Common-based White make of a Sidley side he saw defeat Eastbourne United Association 3-2 after extra time in the previous round and win 2-0 against Worthing United in Sussex Division One three days prior to that?

"I've watched them a couple of times and they've done well. I thought they did very well to win that in the last round. The referee was atrocious and I'm pleased they got through. It's nice for Dickie (Sidley chairman Dickie Day) and Pete (joint manager Peter Heritage) to play against Brighton. I know the (Sidley) players will be up for it and they will go out there and have a go. We will approach it in the same way because these games are potential banana skins.

"It will be nice to go back to Sidley because it's where I started playing as a young lad. I'm pleased for the club. Hopefully there will be a big crowd there and hopefully they will make a bit of money from it. We know it's a huge game for them."

Sidley will be close to full strength but Dave Ward and Lee Wood remain some way short of fitness. Kick-off is at 7.45pm.