Falmer v Goldstone debate.

[Cadiz Seagull]

I seem to remember that the houses behind the chicken run had rights to prevent the club from developing that side so we would never have been able to have had a decent stadium. And parking and access generally would always have been an issue.
Ironic though it is, the homeless situation we found ourselves in (for whatever reason) probably did concentrate people's minds in a way that wouldn't have happened if we'd still been at the Goldstone.

 

[perseus]

When did the Goldstone show signs of not being suitable.

For my mind back in 1971, the consensus was it was NOT big enough. Not with the huge crushes in the games against Bournemouth and especially against Rochdale.

In those Third Division days, there was a definite resentment against not paying on the day, a crowd of just 28,000+ against Aston Villa compared to the 34,000+ against Rochdale (the latter was full up with thousands not able to get in).

I think in the eighties it was the crash barriers and poor view and high prices put people off.

Oxford did not sell their family silver. They nearly went bankrupt building their new stadium but they survived.

 

[whitelion]

When did the Goldstone show signs of not being suitable.

The Goldstone was ok ish as a "standing" stadium but for me it has to be the Taylor report on all-seater stadiums.

http://www.uefa.com/magazine/news/Kind=128/newsId=171576.html

 

[BensGrandad]

I seem to remember that the houses behind the chicken run had rights to prevent the club from developing that side so we would never have been able to have had a decent stadium. And parking and access generally would always have been an issue.
Ironic though it is, the homeless situation we found ourselves in (for whatever reason) probably did concentrate people's minds in a way that wouldn't have happened if we'd still been at the Goldstone.

Peter TAYLOR No 1 wanted the club to buy those houses and let them rent free to the players to induce them to come to Brighton the idea being that they could rent their own housees out until they left us and also we could have applied for permission to build a high stand on that side with the knowledge that nobody living there could object. All pipe dreams I am afraid.

 

[dougdeep]

Imagine how tall the weeds would be in the chicken run by now.

 

[Scotty Mac]

you could've redeveloped it - bolt seats onto the east terrace, rebuld the north, south and west stands

 

[berkshire seagull]

The goldstone had great potential for redovelopment as the corners could easily have been joined on all corners.
You will see this was an easy option if we had the dosh and reckon 20k no probs all seated.

Northstand would get demolished for a bigger stand as would that awful looking main stand,so to think it was an impossible task is ridiculous as it had great potential for a big transformation.

 

[Brighton till i die]

who reckons there may one day be at least one side of terracing come back in the stadiums?
as per that taylor report, they have this in germany still now even at the top flight!

 

[ditchy]

The goldstone had great potential for redovelopment as the corners could easily have been joined on all corners.
You will see this was an easy option if we had the dosh and reckon 20k no probs all seated.

Northstand would get demolished for a bigger stand as would that awful looking main stand,so to think it was an impossible task is ridiculous as it had great potential for a big transformation.

Wasnt there some law preventing development too close to the then A27 .. i seem to remember plans to build stand over the road ..

 

[whitelion]

Wasnt there some law preventing development too close to the then A27 .. i seem to remember plans to build stand over the road ..

I recall that crazy scheme. It descended to Blue Peter-type plans at times. Lansdowne Road in Dublin has a similar arrangement.

 

[Turgid]

You say Bellotti
I say Bastard
You say Archer
I say Bastard
Bastard, Bastard
Bastard, Bastard
Lets burn the whole damn lot.

 

[berkshire seagull]

Wasnt there some law preventing development too close to the then A27 .. i seem to remember plans to build stand over the road ..

Your probably right as whats new grrrr,but still could have made it all seats with limited capacity.

 

[London Calling]

The Goldstone could have been redeveloped easily, would have save this travesty of justice we've been through

If you look at focus land and the wholescale ripping away of our ground.

I am certain we could have built a modern stadium to meet uor needs.

Whilst we were Gillingham we gave money away.

Withdean costs the club money.

PLayers don't want to come here.

Managers want to leave as soon as they can.

There are no positives about Archer ripping us off and selling our stadium, and and our future.

LC

 

[The Large One]

It was always going to be pie in the sky, with a hell of a lot of investment, but if the money to build Falmer was available to the present chairman to re-develop the Goldstone, it could easily have been done.

The land to the south could have been bought. Newtown Road behind the west stand could have been 'moved'. i.e. send it 30 or metres to the west. Buy and demolish those light industrial units if necessary. Behind the east, buy up all the houses in Goldstone Lane, lose them and hey presto, you have room to manoeuvre.

Like I said, a lot of money, but it would still have been cheaper than building Falmer. Water under the bridge though now, innit?

 

[Yorkie]

I very much doubt that permission would have been given for any re-development. Hove council weren't the most cooperative people.

Even in the 60's when a lot of us travelled by bus to the game there were complaints about car parking from the local residents.

Sound familiar?

 

[perseus]

I wouldn't done it, but the easiest way to redevelop the Goldstone would be to change the alignment of the pitch.

 

[whitelion]

On the day of our first game at Falmer, I will raise a glass to Bill Archer, because we would never have got there without him.
If however we don't get Falmer ,I will continue to hate his guts.
The futures' history will decide.

Did you?

 

[whitelion]

Come on people, if we were still at the Goldstone we wouldn't NEED Falmer.

Thoughts?

 

[drew]

I saw my first game at the Goldstone when Clough was manager. Didn't go regularly until Mullery was manager and saw that great 7 year period when we got to the 1st Div and FA cup final, two things I never dreamed of when I first started going. There were some great nights at the Goldstone, Ipswich and Derby in the League Cup, getting promoted against Sheff Wed and of course Fans Utd. However, as much as I enjoyed those times, the Goldstone was a dump, poor facilities, poor terracing poor concessions and the main stand didn't even go the length of the pitch!!!! Falmer is a totally different experience and now only needs the success on the pitch to surpass the Goldstone memories.

 

[teaboy]

The Goldstone was a shithole, but it was OUR shithole, and where I began the roller-coaster ride. The memories (good and bad) will always be there, just as I'll remember the trips to Gillingham, the Withdean years and finally FALMER.

As for it's viability as a modern football stadium I think we all know we're in a much better situation now. In the long-term the sale and move away was GOOD for the club. With a permanent but unsuitable home in Brighton there was no political will for a different, better one. There wouldn't have been the will from the fans. At the very best you could've redeveloped the Goldstone with a small single-tier East Stand and 2-tier, full length West Stand. The North and South would be single-tier too. As an all-seater stadium it would've been worse than Selhurst.