Sad good bye to The Withdean.

[Deleted User X18H]

My very last blog. Thank gawd eh.
Brighton From The Argus)

 

[Return of the Rev]

Would rather have stayed at the priestfield and put money into players tbo.

 

[Hillian1]

My very last blog. Thank gawd eh.
Brighton From The Argus)

I enjoyed that.

 

[Stinky Pete]

When i think how much my life has changed in the time we have been at Withdean, it really puts into perspective just how long we really have been there.
I'll certainly miss that community feeling about the place, not a lot else though.

 

[severnside gull]

you saved your best 'til last HB&B

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Excellent blog my old fruit.

 

[Gully]

I'll remember sitting in the SS and seeing bright sunshine on one half of the pitch while it was pissing down on the other!

...and surely snowing on the away fans!

 

[Barrel of Fun]

It was seven in five for BZ at Bath.

 

[Lord Bamber]

My very last blog. Thank gawd eh.
Brighton From The Argus)

Very enjoyable read.

It will be sad to say goodbye to Withdean for she has given us an enjoyable stay. If I am not mistaken the only teams in the Premiership/Football League to have 3 league titles in the time we have spent at Withdean are Man Utd Chelsea & Brighton & Hove Albion.

 

[libra-gully]

Would rather have stayed at the priestfield and put money into players tbo.

I understand your sentiment, but I cannot agree.
Everything at and about Gillingham was wrong and tested our support on many occasions.
I believe that it was only ever the promise of returning to the city, that just about kept us going through those dark days.
As Gus said on 'Goals on Sunday', it was the promise of Falmer, that kept the current crop of players happy for at the time.
I honestly think that if we had stayed out in Kent for one more season, without the carrot of returning 'Home', the club may well have folded.
Thankfully, we will never know!

 

[alofbrighton]

The lack of 'top quality' facilities has been endured well enough - the players we've had must take a lot of credit for going away and seeing proper stadiums, but then playing Withdean with a fairly consistent interest in the game at hand. Loads of teams probably came down and thought "we'll teach this tinpot outfit a lesson" only to get their arses kicked.

At times it's been called a fortress, it's been cursed and praised in equal amounts and at various times. Great games is shit weather, shit games in great weather. All in all, we have done way better than survive as a club - we have even managed to thrive compared to many out there.

Withdean could be called Dick Knight's era, and we should all keep respect for the man who kept us in business only to have to hand over the coveted prize to keep us in the races. And how! I would LOVE to see a tribute to DK on the opening league match fixture at The Amex.

What has mattered most was to have us stay in the leagues as a competitive concern, and that's been achieved. Whatever we say in praises for TB and Gus - Withdean has been the path laid down before them to get the club to the future rich seam.

Personally, I'll remember it with a picture from the many sunny days first in my mind, but then also maintaining an appreciation for the dark wet afternoons with dark clouds blowing in, even when it was bombing down in bucketloads and the rain dripped from my nose. It's about the football after all, and there were never any guarantees that we'd do well or even survive the years there.
In the face of adversity, we now finally know where we are going at last, and it's probably even better than many of us dreamed.
That was forged at Withdean. Respect.

God bless you NMH, couldn't have put it better myself.

 

[Uwinsc]

I will be very sad to see it go for all that i'm excited about the Amex.

 

[Braders]

My very last blog. Thank gawd eh.
Brighton From The Argus)

your most enjoyable one yet , and spot on too - *doffs cap to you*

 

[black & white seagull]

If we'd gone straight from Gillingham to a new stadium, I'd have been sat round a bunch of strangers. Thanks to Withdean, at Falmer I'll be part of a dozen or so friends who I wouldn't have known otherwise.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Withdean was a lifebelt thrown to a drowning man.

Dick Knight threw that lifebelt.

Total and utter respect to the bloke

 

[SirElliotBennett]

Farewell Withdean

 

[Gully]

Withdean was a lifebelt thrown to a drowning man.

Dick Knight threw that lifebelt.

Total and utter respect to the bloke

...and he rowed the lifeboat out into the middle of bloody nowhere to find him!

 

[Silverhatch]

I'll miss Withers as well but it's also worth noting that the club has saved the old girl from what was surely a long lingering death into the hands of property developers. There still might be houses on the site one day but for now the ex-Zoo, miniature railwyay line, tennis club and home to a million Brighton school sports days is actually a 9000 seat fully monetisable facility that has served the Albion brilliantly and will hopefully go on serving our great city (if the politicians and Nimbys don't f*** it up).

 

[MrShaun15]

miss so much about it! i only went to the Goldstone once or twice as a kid so this is my first proper stadium watching our team! so am sad to see it go!

everything from the tacky looking green red and yellow balloons on the family stand to the firework over the south stand when we scored!

fun times but cant ruddy wait for next year

 

[Seagull on the wing]

Did my school sports there 1947 so will always be "Good Ol Withers" for me.