Brighton appoint Coppell in place of Hinshelwood

Steve Coppell, the most successful manager in Crystal Palace's history, last night joined one his former club's greatest rivals when he agreed a one-year contract with Brighton.

Coppell replaces Martin Hinshelwood – himself a former Palace player – after a run of 10 successive defeats left Brighton bottom of the First Division. Hinshelwood, who had been appointed in the summer after the departure of Peter Taylor (yet another former Palace man), has been offered the post of director of football, while Bob Booker has been asked to remain as assistant manager.

In recent weeks Coppell had been working as an adviser to Andy King, Swindon's manager, having left Brentford in the summer. Brentford reached the Second Division play-off final under Coppell last season despite having to sell key players. Knowing that Brentford's limited resources would lead to the departure of more players, Coppell resigned at the end of the season.

Dick Knight, the Brighton chairman, told the club's official website last night: "The poor run of results has had a destabilising effect even on key players, which needs rectifying quickly if we are to stand a chance of survival in Division One."

He added: "Much has been made of the playing budget available [to Hinshelwood], but the fact is that, in this new era of financial reality in football, the increased playing budget we allocated this season to the playing side is not the smallest in Division One."

Knight said that Coppell was aware that no extra funds would be available to strengthen the playing staff.

One of Coppell's first matches in charge at Brighton will be away to Palace later this month. The two clubs were deadly rivals in the 1970s and early 1980s but had not been in the same division for 15 years until Brighton's promotion from the Second Division at the end of last season.