What (if anything) will you miss about Withdean?

[The Face]

It's all I've ever really known as an Albion fan, some of my fondest childhood memories are from Withdean.

I'll miss the H Block camaraderie. Half-time analysis on the running track. The pubs in the local area. The August-September/April-May games in the sun. Little things like rapport with the subs etc.

But Falmer should be alright.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

What a pathetic, sad little man "Colin" must be! Probably only does it to fill up his sad little retirement. What will he do for an hour every other Saturday now?

An hour? an HOUR?!!!

You seriously underestimate Colin's dedication to to his selfless task of protecting the Croft from marauding invaders. He is up there by 9am to put out his cones and signs, then stood in place from 12.00

 

[Beach Hut]

Not really sure what I will miss, mostly the random community of the little place but times have to move on

 

[Notters]

An hour? an HOUR?!!!

You seriously underestimate Colin's dedication to to his selfless task of protecting the Croft from marauding invaders. He is up there by 9am to put out his cones and signs, then stood in place from 12.00

Where is this place? I feel I need to witness this man!

 

[chimneys]

Possibly the family/community nature of the club - this seems to have eroded somewhat.

One of the former inner circle Granny?!

I'm sure you appreciate this but TB cannot possibly run a club of the size we are about to become on a cosy/amateur family/community basis.

 

[Seagull1967]

I will miss the trees and people watching games from there. The sun blinding you when trying to watch the game. The running track which made it more difficult to insult the lino and ref!! The people around me during the game. The sponsor board of 1901.. Rockets going off when we scored!! All those memories of success and failure and the players like Zamora gracing the great turf of Withdean...

For a temporary ground it was our home and I for one will feel a little sad when it is all over and the sun goes down on it for the last time

Now for the future "AMEX", will it bring us all that we desire

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

All the new fans will be consulting this thread so they can pretend they're not newbies*.

* Not that there's anything wrong in being new.

 

[chimneys]

An hour? an HOUR?!!!

You seriously underestimate Colin's dedication to to his selfless task of protecting the Croft from marauding invaders. He is up there by 9am to put out his cones and signs, then stood in place from 12.00

Far, far sadder than I thought!!

Thank you for your contribution to the world Colin.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Where is this place? I feel I need to witness this man!

Two thirds of the way down Tongdean Lane, towards the bottom.

He has been ever present from the start, if I remember correctly. Come rain or shine, he is out there an hour before kick off to ward away cars attempting to park in his road. A total of c30 whole days spent loitering at the end of the road.

 

[Triggaaar]

Nothing

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

I will miss when it is REALLY REALLY sunny. Withdean is just LOVELY when the grass is LUSH, there is a slight breeze and the trees rustle slightly behind you in the South Stand.

I suppose the running track also but only for the ability to watch the last few mins from up close before making a dash for the bus on the final whistle.

And finally the extreme delay of the away fans reactions. Brilliant.

 

[CliveWalkerWingWizard]

leaving at 2:50 and still making kick off!

 

[Basil Fawlty]

I will miss Rocket man and the running track.

 

[Dave the OAP]

One of the former inner circle Granny?!

I'm sure you appreciate this but TB cannot possibly run a club of the size we are about to become on a cosy/amateur family/community basis.

No definately not...quite the opposite in fact...I was shouted down once at a Albion forum when I dared to suggest that Archer had in effect kept the club going when Dick and martin were sorting out gillingham etc...MP actually admirtted he was!

I just liked the whole family club ideal...you could go and chat with Dick or any of teh directors for that matter at games...I tried a couple of times when I did the radio with Harty and TB always seemed a bit aloof...that was all really

 

[krakatoa]

I'll miss being able to watch the end of the lunch time game on Sky and still be able to get to withdean in time for kick off. Going to be a tedious business getting to and from Amex next season. Withdean was absolutely dire in every other respect though.

 

[chimneys]

No definately not...quite the opposite in fact...I was shouted down once at a Albion forum when I dared to suggest that Archer had in effect kept the club going when Dick and martin were sorting out gillingham etc...MP actually admirtted he was!

I just liked the whole family club ideal...you could go and chat with Dick or any of teh directors for that matter at games...I tried a couple of times when I did the radio with Harty and TB always seemed a bit aloof...that was all really

Understood.

On the chatting with Dick thing, I did get the impression that a few felt themselves to be a part of this supporter inner circle "in the know" which now they are not, and are a bit miffed as a result (judging by comments on here about the way the club is now run!). For me, I much prefer the all supporters equal mentality of TB (even if there is now more "mushroom" syndrome!).

 

[eastlondonseagull]

Much as I dislike Withdean, it's been home for the last 13 years and has got us through the bad times.

I'm going to miss it, strangely. There's the ritual of packing waterproofs, wearing the right footwear to negotiate the lane up from Preston Park station; the fact you can actually go blackberry picking on the walk to the ground; pre-match pint of Harveys in the Railway; the pre-match carvery in the Sportsman; the friends I've made at Withdean, who I'll no longer sit with at the Amex; the hilarious look on opposition fans' faces when you talk to them after the game and they've realised how terrible the view really is; Millwall fans traipsing out, soaked, at half-time when we stuffed them two seasons ago; the fact that we've had the Football League's worst ground and yet produced some of the most successful football in the club's history; the effort we, the fans, have put in to get the club to where we are now – they're all brilliant things. So, although I can't bloody wait to get into Falmer, I will miss Withdean quite a bit!

 

[Djmiles]

End of season matches in May, or start of season matches in August, with the sun beating down. There is nothing better than enjoying an ice cream, in the sun, at the football.

They had better sell ice cream on hot days at the Amex

100 times THIS.

 

[tonymgc]

The balmy summer afternoons sitting in the sun,
The excitement walking through the Tongdean Lane tunnel on a Tuesday night & seeing the floodlights,
Buying my programme from the same bloke at every game,
The Lego Man steward,
Milling around on the running track before the game. A bit late now but why did no one ever consider setting up a little bar down there?

 

[Easy 10]

Therein lies the rub. It remains to be seen how much of an advantage this provides when compared to the luxury being offered to opponents at Falmers. Artificial grass indoor warmup areas for the away team I hear?

Nope.
The facilities have been built for both teams (they have to be for it to be a FIFA-endorsed stadium or something), but we are under no obligation to allow our opponents the use of those facilities, so apparentyl, we won't. It'll be locked. The articifical grass warmup area will be for our team only.

Presumably if the Amex is a neutral venue for anything not involving the Albion then both teams will have use of all the faclities. But we're not doing our opponents any favours !