Who remembers the 1980s Waterhall stadium proposal?

[Lady Whistledown]

Anyone remember back in the Barry Lloyd era, the Albion produced lots of exciting drawings of a proposed new stadium to be built at Waterhall?

I can still recall how exciting the pictures seemed at the time, particularly when you consider this was pre Taylor Report, when new stadia weren't exactly ten-a-penny. And despite the fact that the council were about as likely to approve a football stadium at Waterhall as Danielle Lloyd is to announce she's giving up sleeping with footballers.

Are there any pictures still in existence of those old designs? I'm trying to imagine how dated it must look now, or not, as the case may be.

 

[murraymints4brighton]

I would really like to see pictures.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Trawling back through the dim mists of my memories, I seem to recall it was a four stand design, set in a magnificent area of outstanding natural beauty...

At the time, the Albion produced some kind of newspaper thing, I'm sure (or am I imagining that? Seagull News springs to mind), and the designs were plastered all over the front page and centre spreads.

If only we knew how unrealistic it all was, and that after the horrors of the late 1990s at the Goldstone, and the Pissfield and Withdean years, we'd still be waiting for a new stadium in 2009.

 

[clapham_gull]

Trawling back through the dim mists of my memories, I seem to recall it was a four stand design, set in a magnificent area of outstanding natural beauty...

At the time, the Albion produced some kind of newspaper thing, I'm sure (or am I imagining that? Seagull News springs to mind), and the designs were plastered all over the front page and centre spreads.

If only we knew how unrealistic it all was, and that after the horrors of the late 1990s at the Goldstone, and the Pissfield and Withdean years, we'd still be waiting for a new stadium in 2009.

Its been posted on here or was that a redesign of the goldstone ?

 

[Ex Shelton Seagull]

Talking of stadium proposals, are there any drawings of Barry Lloyds pet project at Beeding Cement Works? I'm sure he's still convinced that it was a winner. He maintains that it was all set to be built until Archer pulled the plug on the thing.

I do know that there's a picture of Bellotti's Toads Hole Valley stadium proposal. It's in "Build A Bonfire" and shows a map of the valley with three different shaded rectangles superimposed over it. How on earth did that not get planning permission?

 

[Easy 10]

Those stadium designs were drawn on the back of a beermat, and reproduced in a matchday programme. Perry would have pissed himself laughing at them.

 

[GT49er]

I don't remember this, but I'm sure that if we'd had the internet and chat rooms at the time, there would be bezillions of posters saying, "NOOooooh, we don't want to move from the Goldstone".

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

I have a Seagull Magazine lurking somewhere with information on the plans.

They were featured in the programme and in the argus not that long ago. Fairly sure there's a picture on the Argus image archives somewhere.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

I don't remember this, but I'm sure that if we'd had the internet and chat rooms at the time, there would be bezillions of posters saying, "NOOooooh, we don't want to move from the Goldstone".

No doubt at the time


Times have changed, however, and if we were still at the Goldstone now, we'd probably be faintly embarrassed by it.

Even though I have nothing but good memories (my mind conveniently filters out the shit facilities, rainy days on the East Terrace, crap football and defeats to useless teams).

 

[GT49er]

Talking of stadium proposals, are there any drawings of Barry Lloyds pet project at Beeding Cement Works?

Beeding Cement works could have been AWESOME - a stadium built into the pre-excavated side of the hill.
To be honest, that would have been my preferred choice over Falmer, but that's all history now. Same way as I'm not shouting for Wilkins or McGee back either.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

I don't remember the Beeding job ever getting to the pretty drawing stage, as it was considered even more pie in the sky than Waterhall (too far outside Brighton).

 

[Easy 10]

Beeding Cement works could have been AWESOME - a stadium built into the pre-excavated side of the hill.
To be honest, that would have been my preferred choice over Falmer, but that's all history now. Same way as I'm not shouting for Wilkins or McGee back either.

Without re-opening the whole public enquiry saga, it was an absolute non-starter, primarily due to the complete lack of sustainable transport links.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

I have a Seagull Magazine lurking somewhere with information on the plans.

They were featured in the programme and in the argus not that long ago. Fairly sure there's a picture on the Argus image archives somewhere.

If you find it, let us know. I've searched for Waterhall Stadium in the NSC archives and I can only find a link to a deleted website.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

I've got the pics in a mag somewhere at home. If memory serves it would still look like a fantastic stadium today (not to mention it having a decent capacity - none of this tinpot 21k malarky that massively undersells this club's potential blah blah blah)

 

[GT49er]

Without re-opening the whole public enquiry saga, it was an absolute non-starter, primarily due to the complete lack of sustainable transport links.

Not wanting to go back over old ground either, but whatever might have been a difficulty with Beeding, transport wouldn't have been one of them; widen the road from the A27, and re-lay rails on the track bed of the old branch to Steyning (still intact) and Brighton could have been the only club in England (apart from Arsenal) with its own station. (Derby used to have one when they were at the Baseball Ground, but not any more).

However, the arguments are long since dead and gone, so long live Falmer.

 

[Cian]

Brighton could have been the only club in England (apart from Arsenal) with its own station. (Derby used to have one when they were at the Baseball Ground, but not any more).

Watford has one too, but its on a closed line: Watford Stadium railway station - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Why the f*** do I know that...

 

[Lady Whistledown]

According to the defunct link on the NSC archive, it was supposed to be a 30,000 capacity.

 

[Easy 10]

Not wanting to go back over old ground either, but whatever might have been a difficulty with Beeding, transport wouldn't have been one of them; widen the road from the A27, and re-lay rails on the track bed of the old branch to Steyning (still intact) and Brighton could have been the only club in England (apart from Arsenal) with its own station. (Derby used to have one when they were at the Baseball Ground, but not any more).

However, the arguments are long since dead and gone, so long live Falmer.

All at absolutely VAST expense.
Whereas Falmer is already situated adjacent to a dual carriageway, with a fully operational rail link right next to it (abeit the station needs expanding). It boiled down to which site was the most viable, and in that respect, Falmer beat Beeding hands down.

 

[Billy the Fish]

From The Argus - 7 July 1995: The Albion are moving to Portsmouth next summer.

Seagulls Migrate - Albion will play home games at Pompey ground.

The Albion are moving to Portsmouth next summer.

The debt-ridden Division Two club will share Pompey's Fratton Park for home games in the 1996-97 season.

And it revealed that after that it hopes to move into a 30,000 seater multi-purpose stadium at Waterhall playing field in Brighton.

In a statement from the board, Albion said the 'exciting new venture' would allow them to sell the Goldstone Ground to meet their debts and provide the local community with much needed facilities.

The new stadium would include:
* An ice rink
* A running track
* A 5,000-space car park.

The statement says the club's plans will leave it debt-free for the first time in 30 years.

HHmmmmm, I can smell bullshit

 

[portlock seagull]

I remember them well and have copies of drawings in Seagulls News; the monthly paper you could buy around Sussex in the very early 1990's, somewhere in the loft.