[Football] Withdean visit

[gripper stebson]

Went along to see Newhaven play Old Varndenians this morning (5-0 win - Come on you Dockers!)

Incredible to think Championship football was played here not so long ago.. Found our old seats in the North Stand - many happy memories of sitting with Hanksy, Phil and Little Nige.

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

I love that there are six rows in the North Stand. Six!

 

[Mustafa II]

Legendary stadium.

Fond memories.

In terms of silverware, by far the most successful period in the history of the club.

 

[amexer]

Why dont our women play there ?

 

[London Irish]

Yes I still sit in my old season ticket seat whenever I go and watch the V's. Happy times really there

 

[Questions]

Went along to see Newhaven play Old Varndenians this morning (5-0 win - Come on you Dockers!)

Incredible to think Championship football was played here not so long ago.. Found our old seats in the North Stand - many happy memories of sitting with Hanksy, Phil and Little Nige.

View attachment 165596View attachment 165597View attachment 165598

I bet you bought your tickets unlike Nige.

 

[jonsey]

Why dont our women play there ?

I can’t imagine it would get anyway near the ground grading. Plus the facilities aren’t great tbf

 

[stewart12]

brilliant stuff

I've been meaning to go along and watch Varndeanians. A few years ago the saturday league team I managed were an extra time defeat away from playing a cup game at Withdean as a team in the league above us called it home. I had images of patrolling the same touchline once graced by the likes of Mark McGhee and Martin Hinshelwood but alas it wasn't to be

wonder what would need to be done to the old girl to get it up to scratch in order to get our women and u23's there or is that a mere PIPE DREAM?

 

[amexer]

I can’t imagine it would get anyway near the ground grading. Plus the facilities aren’t great tbf

Why grading not good enough when we played championship there

 

[stewart12]

Why grading not good enough when we played championship there

pretty sure we were only allowed to play there because it was very much temporary. No way could a club rock up to the football league and be like "yeah this is our permanent ground" and that was BEFORE two ninths of the capacity was taken away. Nothing about it in it's current state is appropriate so it would need tarting up. But much like the film "she's all that", anything is possible. Stick a bit of lippy on it, short skirt and Womens Super League here we come!

 

[VAL1850]

OP thanks for posting, a realty check and trip down memory lane.....

 

[TheCheekyBlinder]

Despite the club’s obvious recent success, my fondest football memories are still from that ground.

“The 30 minutes are almost up Swindon fans, but you’re not there yet…”

 

[stewart12]

Withdean has to hold the record for most amount of stands at a football league ground

six. SIX STANDS

Like many I have so many fond memories

from our early years with Adams' collection of hard nut lads and Bobby Zamora, to our first season in the second tier where we came so close to survival, to McGhee's play off promotion season with Leon Knight banging them in, to STAYING IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP, to our relegation and league one years (including finishing 7th), narrowly surviving under russell Slade, to promotion with the best football that division has ever seen

all whilst playing in the shittest ground in football league history

 

[junior]

To think that we once beat Manchester City there. I think they might have had Elano and Robinho in their team.

I have some crazy memories there. Zamora against Torquay. His screamer against Halifax. Freeman's Hat trick. Brown envelopes against Chesterfield. Phil Stant. Virgo against Swindon. 4 - 0 against Barnet getting Cottee the sack. Being on the running track for Lee Steele's last minute winner. It's endless...

 

[TheCheekyBlinder]

To think that we once beat Manchester City there. I think they might have had Elano and Robinho in their team.

I have some crazy memories there. Zamora against Torquay. His screamer against Halifax. Freeman's Hat trick. Brown envelopes against Chesterfield. Phil Stant. Virgo against Swindon. 4 - 0 against Barnet getting Cottee the sack. Being on the running track for Lee Steele's last minute winner. It's endless...

They’d just signed Robinho - he was on the front cover of the programme but didn’t feature. They had the likes of Kompany, Sturridge and Schmeichel in the starting XI.

 

[zamora the merrier]

They’d just signed Robinho - he was on the front cover of the programme but didn’t feature. They had the likes of Kompany, Sturridge and Schmeichel in the starting XI.

Lee Steele last minute winner v Bristol c was one of my fav Withdean memories- not sure why. Went home had some beers and one of rivals lost can’t remember who almost guaranteeing promotion

 

[portlock seagull]

What a shit hole, STH for entire time there and boy could I don’t wait to see back of. Passage of time does not alter that!

 

[zamora the merrier]

What a shit hole, STH for entire time there and boy could I don’t wait to see back of. Passage of time does not alter that!

But our shit hole some of my fav Albion memories there - after the last 10 years at thé Goldstone

 

[Giraffe]

I love that there are six rows in the North Stand. Six!

We were fifth row back of the six! That extra height made all the difference

 

[Nitram]

My kids had their Sports days at Withdean, we also took them along in the family stand to watch the football games. Good memories.