Withdean Stadium

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	Capacity		7,950
	Opened		1936
	Pitch Size		110 x 75 yards

Withdean Stadium is an athletics stadium in the Brighton suburb of Withdean which is currently the home ground of football team Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.

The capacity of the ground is 9,000 all seated. The stadium is intended as a temporary home for Brighton before a new stadium is built, with the Falmer Stadium the club’s preferred option. The clubs former stadium, the Goldstone Ground, was sold for redevelopment in by their then-board, none of whom have any involvement with the club anymore, in 1997 and for two years played their home matches at Gillingham’s Priestfield Stadium, over 100 km from Brighton, before moving to the Withdean Stadium.

The temporary nature of the stadium is obvious – The stadium is primarily used for athletics, so the pitch is not exactly the right shape; there is a single permanent stand along one side, with the other stands (one on the opposite side and two at one end) are assembled from scaffolding and are located some distance from the pitch, due to the running track; the other end is left completely open. Changing and hospitality facilities are provided with Portakabins placed haphazardly around the site, and there is very limited onsite car parking.

There was considerable opposition in the community to allowing the club to use the stadium. After some unique concessions were made, the club was allowed to move into Withdean in 1999. Amplified music was banned during football matches (except for the traditional “Sussex by the Sea”), and matchday parking restrictions were imposed within a one-mile radius of the ground. After a year, the music restrictions were eased, but the parking limitations continue in force. The price of each match ticket includes a public transportation voucher allowing free bus or rail travel throughout the Brighton and Hove area.

For Albion’s match against Sheffield United on 2 October 2004 the stadium was temporarily renamed Palookaville as it hosted the launch party for Fatboy Slim’s album of the same name. The album was released on Skint Records, the club’s shirt sponsor, and for that match the team wore shirts bearing the name Palookaville instead of Skint. The name Palookaville was also considered appropriate by fans because it reflected the inadequacy of the club’s temporary home.

The Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, finally gave permission on 28 October 2005 for Albion to build Falmer Stadium.

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

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