IN THE TUMULTUOUS days after Albion dispensed with the services of Micky Adams in early 2009, virtually half the side was made up of loan players.
Away to Leyton Orient on 7 March 2009, five loanees were involved, including Al Bangura, a 21-year-old midfielder from Watford.
Goalkeeper Mikkel Andersen was on loan from Reading, QPR’s Gary Borrowdale was left-back and Lloyd Owusu, released by Cheltenham, was up front.
Colchester United’s Matt Heath scored Albion’s only goal in a 2-1 defeat, as well as conceding a penalty, while Bangura was considered fortunate to escape with just a yellow card for a high challenge on Charlie Daniels.
The game saw new boss Russell Slade take charge for the first time, inheriting signings authorised by caretaker manager Dean White, who said of Bangura: “Al is someone we have been aware of for some time. He is a lively, energetic and tenacious midfielder.”
Bangura was just grateful to be playing in the UK having come close to being deported back to his native Sierra Leone the previous year.
Six years later, he revealed to the BBC that he was originally brought to Europe from Guinea by a human trafficker in order to be used as a male prostitute.
He had a lucky escape but the experience prompted him to take action to work with the Premier League to prevent other vulnerable young people being similarly caught up.
Bangura was profiled in the matchday programme
Bangura started six games for the Albion, and he said: “It’s not bothering me that I’m dropping down a division because I want to make sure I help them out of trouble and do my best for them.”
In his third game, he was alongside Jason Jarrett in the centre of midfield when Albion thrashed Yeovil Town 5-0 at Withdean, threading through a pass for Nicky Forster to score.
However, at the expiry of his loan, he returned to Watford but was released at the end of the season and joined Blackpool who were in the Championship at the time.
Limited to just 10 games for the Tangerines, Bangura headed for Turkey to play for Mersin Idmanyurdu and then played five games for Azerbaijani team Gabala, managed by the former Arsenal captain Tony Adams.
His former youth coach at Watford, Dave Hockaday (left, who briefly managed Leeds United) signed him for Conference Premier outfit Forest Green Rovers in 2011, and he completed 91 appearances for them before getting a chance to return to league action with Coventry City.
The aforementioned Hockaday had become under 21 manager at the Sky Blues and Bangura won a short-term contract after a successful trial, although he didn’t feature in Tony Mowbray’s league side.
After spending time working with the Premier League on the issue of the growing number of African boys being tricked into leaving their home for the promise of a football career in Europe, he returned to playing in the National League, initially with St Albans City and then Nuneaton Town.
In October 2016, Bangura spoke to the Santa Marta Group – an alliance of international police chiefs, bishops, religious communities and NGOs – at an international conference in Rome to tackle human trafficking and modern slavery.
Born in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on 24 January 1988, Alhassan Bangura sensed trouble when his family expected him to get involved in some kind of secret society at the age of 14 so he ran away to Guinea where he met a Frenchman who promised to help him realise his dream of pursuing a football career in the UK.
That dream very nearly turned into a nightmare when he realised on arrival in England aged only 15 that he was being lined up as a male prostitute. Luckily, he screamed out, escaped the room where he was being held, and pleaded for help from a Nigerian passer-by who directed him towards the Home Office to get official assistance.
The ’system’ thankfully came to his aid and before long a Watford scout spotted him playing football in a park and signed him up to the Hertfordshire club’s youth academy, where he was nurtured by assistant academy director Chris Cummins, who was also recognised for helping Hameur Bouazza, Adrian Mariappa and Lloyd Doyley to make it through to the first team.
Bangura was just 17 when then Watford boss Ray Lewington, better known as Roy Hodgson’s loyal assistant, gave Bangura his first team debut in April 2005, away to Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium.
Eleven months later he scored his first goal. It came at Vicarage Road v Derby County – a right-footed 20-yard half-volley in the fourth of six minutes of stoppage time to earn Watford a point in a 2-2 draw.
Bangura was voted Watford’s Young Player of the Season in 2005-06, a year in which he made 37 appearances (24 of them as substitute).
After Watford won promotion in May 2006, Bangura made his first Premier League appearance against Man Utd in August 2006. He was still only 18, and came on as a sub for Gavin Mahon on 30 minutes.
While everything seemed to be going well, Bangura faced a bombshell in November 2007 when a deportation tribunal failed to extend his right to stay in the country.
Watford led a successful campaign for him to be granted asylum and, on 14 January 2008, Bangura won his appeal for a work permit, receiving support from FIFPro (world representative organisation for pro footballers), Watford MP Claire Ward, Sir Elton John, former Watford manager Aidy Boothroyd and former Home Secretary David Blunkett.
DUCK-loving Matt Heath didn’t shirk a challenge and came to Brighton’s rescue in 2009 when injury and suspension decimated Albion’s available defenders.
In parallel lines 