[Football] Withdean visit

[Dick Swiveller]

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

No even close- The Manor Ground had 7, 8 or 9 depending on your definition of a stand.

 

[Bodian]

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

I had my Sports Days at Withdean.

 

[cheesy77]

Is the North stand the only stand that is still there? Know most stands were very temporary but the away end looked a bit more permanent in style. Looks as though that may have also gone from the pics

 

[AK74]

Rocketman.

 

[Weststander]

Millets branches in Sussex must’ve sold extra thousands of waterproof trousers over the 12 seasons, each autumn/winter seemed incredibly wet.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Millets branches in Sussex must’ve sold extra thousands of waterproof trousers over the 12 seasons, each autumn/winter seemed incredibly wet.

Only time in my life I ever bought waterproof trousers. There was always a distinct sound when walking towards the ground of Goretex legs rubbing against each other

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Millets branches in Sussex must’ve sold extra thousands of waterproof trousers over the 12 seasons, each autumn/winter seemed incredibly wet.

It turned my son off football song with the view from the family stand..... terrible. That and he discovered girls.

 

[Weststander]

Is the North stand the only stand that is still there? Know most stands were very temporary but the away end looked a bit more permanent in style. Looks as though that may have also gone from the pics

It’s still there, 840 capacity.

 

[BN9 BHA]

Millets branches in Sussex must’ve sold extra thousands of waterproof trousers over the 12 seasons, each autumn/winter seemed incredibly wet.

I didn’t have a waterproof coat or trousers until we started playing at Withdean, both also came in handy when my sons started playing junior football on Sunday mornings.

 

[BNthree]

Why dont our women play there ?

This is why:

https://www.thefa.com/~/media/9C4378B1C5094F07A835E192A27329AE.ashx/5

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

My best memory from the Withdean years, apart from the two back to back promotions when Zamora was banging in goals, was the party we had at the Preston Brewery Tap after avoiding relegation in 2009. We had a virtual lock in there, with countless bottles of prosecco and other various beverages, along with the free food the pub used to lavish on us (no wonder they virtually went bust at one point). I remember leaving very happy, then falling asleep on a bench at Preston Park Station and missing several trains back to Haywards Heath. I also don't think I've celebrated a goal so madly as I did Nicky Forster's that day. Perhaps one by Kerry Mayo against Derby in the season we nearly survived under Steve Coppell. But my abiding memories are of one soaking after another, usually along with a defeat, then a load of coats steaming away on the Tap's radiators. Any fire officer going in there would have had heart palpitations.

 

[Sirnormangall]

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!

Unless they’ve cleaned it up over the summer, it’s become pigeon shit hole. Still brings back happy memories and better than travelling to Gillingham for home matches!

 

[jonny.rainbow]

This is why:

https://www.thefa.com/~/media/9C4378B1C5094F07A835E192A27329AE.ashx/5

150 more seats to meet the capacity requirements.

I still think working the University of Brighton to build a small stadium on some of their land at Falmer is the way forward.

The University can use it for their sports teams and the Albion for the Women’s teams.

 

[Hovegull]

I had my Sports Days at Withdean.

I also had my sports days at Withdean! It was obviously a very Brighton thing to do!!

I lived at bottom of Tongdean Lane, so Withdean was always great, location wise.

 

[herecomesaregular]

It's been ages since I thought of the Freeman hatrick (cued to get a bunch of tickets for that game). We had so many brilliant results at that place. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[jackalbion]

Why dont our women play there ?

I presume you haven’t been there recently, it’s full to the brim with Pigeon crap

 

[Blinkers]

I had my Sports Days at Withdean.

I also had sports days there. Spent 6yrs unbeaten in Brighton, Hove, Portslade & Newhaven schools 400m events. Ran for B&H Athletics Club up to 18yrs old and was coached by 800m Olympic runner and once 880y European record holder, Chris Carter. Biggest regrets, never breaking 50 seconds for 400m (50.3) and getting the thread back on track, not watching B&HA there.

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

I used to speculate, right from when we went to Withdean, but particularly when we were having trouble getting permission for the Amex, whether it would have been possible to turn the pitch round, demolish the Sportsman pub (and presumably include it within any hospitality areas of a new stadium), then build, say, a 20,000 capacity stadium (Tim Humphrey wrote an article wondering about this in the second Gull's Eye). Of course, we would have had to relocate the athletics track, but that might have been a lot easier than getting permission for the stadium, especially if a facility that both universities could have shared, along with the athletics clubs, could have been built. I don't think athletics has ever been that popular in Sussex, at least not as a spectator sport (I know a lot of people take part), but you might have built a 7000-8000 capacity venue and possibly attracted the odd British Championships.

I think the main obstacle to expanding Withdean was the Tongdean Lane railway bridge, wasn't it? And local residents would have complained on the basis that the Albion's use of the stadium was only meant to be temporary. However, I wonder whether Dick Knight and Martin Perry ever considered the idea. Of course, I'm glad that no such plan ever got off the ground and that the Amex was built.

Actually, athletics may now get a higher profile in Sussex, given that Hove athlete Amber Anning (albeit that she is normally based in the United States) was part of the women's 4 x 400 metre relay team that won a bronze medal in the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, and that our second best 800 metre runner, Jemma Reekie, is now coached by Sally Gunnell's husband Jon Bigg, and has moved to Brighton.

 

[Justice]

I didn’t have a waterproof coat or trousers until we started playing at Withdean, both also came in handy when my sons started playing junior football on Sunday mornings.

 

[lasvegan]

I also had sports days there. Spent 6yrs unbeaten in Brighton, Hove, Portslade & Newhaven schools 400m events. Ran for B&H Athletics Club up to 18yrs old and was coached by 800m Olympic runner and once 880y European record holder, Chris Carter. Biggest regrets, never breaking 50 seconds for 400m (50.3) and getting the thread back on track, not watching B&HA there.

I had a sports day there once, representing HGSB in the 100 meter hurdles (that I had never once tried before, or since). I got beaten by about 75 meters, one of the most humiliating days of my life. I did get a nice applause from some cute girls on my way back to the dressing room though. Athletics is way overrated…

I did watch BHA there though…Charlie Oatway broke his leg.