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Seagulls march on Labour conference

Guido | 27.09.2004 19:36

Footie fans demand Prescotts attention over plight of homeless club.












In 1997 the owner of Brighton Hove Albion football club sold the stadium to property developers and made the 95 year old club homeless. The fans rioted at the final game. A ground share with Gillingham FC was distasterous meaning that fans had a 150 mile round trip to see home games. After this the club was brought back to Brighton where it currently resides at a council owned athletics track with a capacity of only 7,000.
The club wants to relocate to a site near the university but awaits the decision of John Prescott. Today's noisy demo saw more fans of the club turn out (on a weekday) than the present stadium actually holds. If the club don't relocate to somewhere bigger their chances of promotion are pretty much fucked. They sell out their present ground every week but due to it's size they still make a loss.
Over 100,000 local people have pleged their support to the proposed new location.
Today's demo was led by a local Samba band and the club's disabled supporters. Spotted in the crowd were Attilla the Stockbroker and Billy Bragg amongst others.

Guido

Comments

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downs

28.09.2004 15:51

the stadium which supporters want built is planned for the south downs - chalk grasslands that provide enjoyment for countless urban people as well as being one of the last remaining chalk grassland sites in northern europe, home to badgers rare butterflies and an eco-system unsurpassed for being species rich. build a stadium where it belongs, in the heart of the city. why attract more development to an area of land which is going to be close to a national park (in four years time the south downs are set to be grant nat park status.

jon

downs

28.09.2004 15:53

the stadium which supporters want built is planned for the south downs - chalk grasslands that provide enjoyment for countless urban people as well as being one of the last remaining chalk grassland sites in northern europe, home to badgers rare butterflies and an eco-system unsurpassed for being species rich. build a stadium where it belongs, in the heart of the city. why attract more development to an area of land which is going to be close to a national park (in four years time the south downs are set to be grant nat park status.

jon

downs

28.09.2004 17:48

Jon - the planned stadium site IS on the edge of the downs. It's also bisected twice by a bypass and affords a view over two universities. The only reason it's a designated AONB is that there is an out of date designation from the 1960s still in place. The land is earmarked for development anyway.

There is no other site in Brighton that is cost effective, environmentally sustainable, or big enough for a football stadium.

The city needs a football ground more than we need badgers, which nestle in many a sett all around the fringes of the conurbation.

callum