Ian Hart: Remembering the stories behind Dean Saunders and his Brighton and Hove Albion departure

Twelve months earlier we’d had the triumphant return of legendary manager Alan Mullery, but it later transpired that it papered over huge financial cracks and many felt it was a smokescreen to sell season tickets.

Mullery’s inevitable sacking came in January with Albion sitting 13th. They didn’t win another game until mid-April and were relegated in 22nd place on 39 points, 11 from safety.

His replacement, former Worthing manager Barry Lloyd, was like a little boy with his finger in the dyke, told there was no money – and his remit was to clear out the big earners and start again.

One such big earner was Dean Saunders, the subject of not one but two famous Albion stories, which nearly 40 years on I can shed light on.

No1: Barry Lloyd picked ex-Worthing striker Richard Tiltman over Welsh international Saunders.

As the Albion slid towards relegation to the old Division 3, the much maligned (unfairly, in my opinion) Tiltman was picked ahead of Saunders, to which the volatile Welshman threw every toy he had out of the pram.

But it was on the express instruction of chairman Bryan Bedson – with relegation a certainty, Saunders’ lucrative ‘appearance money’ was an expense they could save that particular week.

Richard Tiltman was a good, honest hard-working footballer. Claims by some Albion fans he’s the worst player ever to pull on a Brighton shirt are hugely wide of the mark.

I went to school with him and class him as a good friend to this day but anyone who watched the Albion between 1995 and 1999 know he’s light years away from any ‘worst’ title. Ashley Neal, Michael Mahoney-Jonson, Andy Ansah, Glen Thomas, I could go on...

No 2: Lloyd ‘gave away’ Saunders to Oxford Utd for £60,000.

Given that he moved to various clubs for fees totalling over £11m, it does seem on the low side, but Barry’s remit was to get the likes of Saunders, Terry Connor, Danny Wilson and Eric Young off the bill.

At one point the Albion were prepared to let Saunders walk out of the Goldstone for free, so 60 grand was a lot more than nothing.