TWO Brighton and Hove Albion legends have praised a fan’s book about his love of the club.

Lifelong Seagulls supporter Nic Outterside details his 50 years of fandom in the book, Death In Grimsby.

Now Albion’s chairman and a former chairman have given him their backing.

Nic, who grew up in Shoreham but now lives in Wolverhampton, has received personalised messages from Tony Bloom, the current chairman, and Dick Knight, the former chairman and now life president of the club.

Tony said: “It’s great to have someone with such a long history supporting our club, and it’s wonderful that you’ve been able to document it in this book.”

Dick said: “I’ve started the book and an interesting read it is. I hope it all goes well and the book is a success.”

In addition, former Albion players, including 1983 FA Cup Final star Gary Stevens, have pre-ordered the book.

Death In Grimsby is dedicated to Nic’s own Albion hero Kit Napier.

Napier, who died earlier this year, played 256 times for Albion between 1966 and 1972.

Kit’s sons, Robin and Chris, have both sent Nic their messages of support.

The 62-year-old said: “I am overcome with the support I have received for this book. I never expected this reaction when I set out to write Death In Grimsby last October.

“To get support from former players, who I watched as a small child as Albion heroes, is breath-taking and to then get personal praise from the two men who saved our club from extinction and then moulded it into the Premier League giant of today is mind-blowing. I am so grateful.

“But for me the thing which leaves a huge lump in my throat is to have made good friends with the two sons of Kit Napier – my first and forever sporting hero.”

Nic will launch his book at two events this week. The first is from 7pm on Thursday at the Caxton Arms, North Gardens, Brighton. the second from 6pm on Friday at the Castle Ale House, Newland Road, Worthing.

Death in Grimsby is a collection of 21 short stories which charts the first 50 years that Nic supported his beloved Albion.

It starts with his first game at the Goldstone in 1967 and finishes with a match against Wolves at Molineux in April 2017, when the club all but mathematically secured promotion to the promised land of the Premier League.

In the book Nic goes into detail about the closest he came to dying at a football match, on a trip to Grimsby in 2004.