Superstars at Withdean

[Lush]

Anyone remember "Superstars" - late 80s I think? I used to live on Wayland Avenue so would trot down to Withdean regularly for events like this.

Bring back the East Stand I say - although it was a bloody long way from the running track. Did that many people really watch the long jump?

Sports "personalities" featured are (L to R) Alan Pascoe, Martin Peters, , Ian Callaghan and Nigel Starmer-Smith.

 

[Dunkstar]

Those seats look gnarly!

 

[Herne Hill Seagull]

Brian Jacks always used to win, didn't he? I never heard of him in any other sporting arena, in fact. Think he was a judo fighter, if that's the right word, but I never saw him do anything except Superstars.

 

[Muzzman]

I wonder if a charity 'Superstars' can be arranged for next summer featuring Brighton players. Could be a nice little earner for the REMF.

 

[Lush]

Those seats look gnarly!

I never saw seats in that stand, just big concrete steps. Maybe the seats were taken out - or maybe they never had any? We used to do running training up and down them.

Ladies event that year had Suzanne Dando, Verona Elder (I think?) and some blonde 400m hurdler - Jill somebody

 

[Johners]

I remember going to that event, with all us boys following Suzanne Dando - she was a Sussex girl after all!!!

 

[Man of Harveys]

I think those seats in the background were once around a tennis court - I dimly recall read that they played a Davis Cup fixture there once but I could be mistaken. Will have to consult the oracle that is Tim Carder's indispensable Encyclopedia Of Brighton later.

 

[REDLAND]

Butters doing squat-thrusts, its gonna be brilliant

 

[Kugull]

Herne Hill - Judo Player I believe the phrase is.

 

[Brovion]

MOH you are correct, Withdean Stadium was originally built as a tennis venue.

 

[Italiaseagull]

I remember the old East Stand from School outings. Why did they demolish it?

 

[Lady Whistledown]

They look like they should all be wearing vests with 118 on the front!

 

[bigc]

i think they demolished it to put in a car park

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I think those seats in the background were once around a tennis court - I dimly recall read that they played a Davis Cup fixture there once but I could be mistaken. Will have to consult the oracle that is Tim Carder's indispensable Encyclopedia Of Brighton later.

Originally posted by bigc
i think they demolished it to put in a car park

Quite right. They were part of a national tennis stadium that was purpose-built in the 1930s specifically to host the Davis Cup.

When I worked for East Sussex County Council, I was responsible for the Withdean shoppers' Park and Ride service. We needed to expand the car parking capacity and had to apply for planning permission to demolish the old tennis stadium. I was amazed that no-one tried to get the building listed on the grounds that it was an important part of Britain's sporting heritage. I guess people had just forgotten.

 

[Mr Popkins]

i thought withdean was built as a Zoo .then the sports facilities came later.

i see Channel 4 are doing somthing similar to superstars a programme called "The Games" staring soon.

 

[Safeway]

i thought withdean was built as a Zoo

Well the QPR players seemed to act like they were in a zoo! Eh? EH?!

then the sports facilities came later.

What sports facilities? Eh EH?!


I thank you.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

I wonder if a charity 'Superstars' can be arranged for next summer featuring Brighton players. Could be a nice little earner for the REMF.

Can we have an assault course like they had on the Krypton Factor or Gladiators please?

My money would be on Oatway and Cullip to take it really seriously.

They should do it in vests like the 118 118 guys or anyone who had a school PE lesson in the 1980s. Butters would be the
Ro-land Browning figure at the back!

I really want to see him do the aerial high wire slide...

 

[bigc]

Quite right. They were part of a national tennis stadium that was purpose-built in the 1930s specifically to host the Davis Cup.

When I worked for East Sussex County Council, I was responsible for the Withdean shoppers' Park and Ride service. We needed to expand the car parking capacity and had to apply for planning permission to demolish the old tennis stadium. I was amazed that no-one tried to get the building listed on the grounds that it was an important part of Britain's sporting heritage. I guess people had just forgotten.

ah i missed it. it was demolished around 1996, i remember that before we turned it into the theatre of dreams.(lol) you could just get onto the running track straight from the sportsman garden and i went and started poking around the old stand, i was a bit worried it would fall down so i didnt stick around long
lol

 

[bigc]

Can we have an assault course like they had on the Krypton Factor or Gladiators please?

My money would be on Oatway and Cullip to take it really seriously.

They should do it in vests like the 118 118 guys or anyone who had a school PE lesson in the 1980s. Butters would be the
Ro-land Browning figure at the back!

I really want to see him do the aerial high wire slide...

if Packham was still around, he'd lose grip on it and fall straight down

 

[Mr Popkins]

one of the reasons superstars was stopped was that
after kevin keegan,s fall of the bike (funnest moment in TV history) sports clubs were very reluctant to let their players compete as they feared they might get injured.

imagine what would happen half the albion team got injured taking part!