Withdean Stadium
Encyclopedia
Withdean Stadium is an athletics stadium in Withdean
, a suburb of Brighton
. Between 1999 and 2011 it was the home ground of football team Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
.
The capacity of the ground was 8,850 people, all seated. The stadium was temporary home for Brighton whilst a new stadium
was built in nearby Falmer
. The club's former stadium, the Goldstone Ground
, was sold for redevelopment in 1997 by the board of the time, none of whom any longer has any involvement with the club. This resulted in the team playing their home matches for two seasons at Gillingham's
Priestfield Stadium
, over 70 miles (112.7 km) from Brighton, before moving to Withdean Stadium. The only other local option for Albion had been to play at Sussex CCC's County Cricket Ground, Hove
.
Withdean Stadium has been voted the fourth worst stadium in the UK by The Observer
. The temporary nature of the stadium is obvious - the stadium is primarily used for athletics; there is a single permanent stand along the north side, while the other stands are assembled from scaffolding, some of which has also served as temporary seating at the British Open
golf tournament. The largest is the South Stand, running the entire length of the pitch. The east end of the pitch contains two medium sized and one small stand. One of the larger stands here is designated as the family stand. The West Stand was the designated away stand. Changing and hospitality facilities are provided with portable cabins placed haphazardly around the site, and there is very limited on-site car parking.
There was considerable opposition in the neighbourhood 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 continued in force. The price of each match ticket included 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
, then 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.
Additional seating was added at the East and West Ends of the ground in November 2005.
The club played their last game at Withdean on Saturday April 30th 2011 against Huddersfield Town, where Brighton lost 3-2 but the result didn't actually matter because Brighton and Hove Albion were already League One champions. The last ever goal at Withdean was scored by Danny Ward
in the 90th minute for Huddersfield Town. After the match the Brighton players were presented with the League One trophy.
The staff responsible for the leisure facilities of the stadium complex including the gym, squash and tennis courts, spa and the stadium on non-match days are still employed and managed by D C Leisure.
Withdean
Withdean is a former village, now part of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex. The area was originally named in the 12th century, when it was called Wictedene. The area was historically farm land but has been developed, mainly in the 1920s and 1930s, with a mix of detached, semi-detached and mid-rise...
, a suburb of Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
. Between 1999 and 2011 it was the home ground of football team Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
.
The capacity of the ground was 8,850 people, all seated. The stadium was temporary home for Brighton whilst a new stadium
Falmer Stadium
Falmer Stadium, known for sponsorship purposes as the American Express Community Stadium, or The Amex, is a football stadium near the village of Falmer in Brighton and Hove and is the home of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.. The stadium was handed over from the developers to the club on 31 May 2011...
was built in nearby Falmer
Falmer
Falmer is a small village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England, lying between Brighton and Lewes, approximately five miles north-east of the former. It is also the site for Brighton & Hove Albion's new stadium....
. The club's former stadium, the Goldstone Ground
Goldstone Ground
The Goldstone Ground was a football stadium and home ground of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. between 1902 and 1997. The club currently plays at American Express Community Stadium, a stadium on the outskirts of the city, following the move from their temporary stadium in the Brighton suburb of...
, was sold for redevelopment in 1997 by the board of the time, none of whom any longer has any involvement with the club. This resulted in the team playing their home matches for two seasons at Gillingham's
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
Priestfield Stadium
Priestfield Stadium
Priestfield Stadium is a football stadium in Gillingham, Kent...
, over 70 miles (112.7 km) from Brighton, before moving to Withdean Stadium. The only other local option for Albion had been to play at Sussex CCC's County Cricket Ground, Hove
County Cricket Ground, Hove
The County Cricket Ground, also known as the Probiz County Ground for sponsorship reasons, is a cricket venue in Hove, England. It is home to Sussex County Cricket Club. It is one of the few county grounds to have deckchairs for spectators - which are in the colours of Sussex CCC - blue and white....
.
Withdean Stadium has been voted the fourth worst stadium in the UK by The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
. The temporary nature of the stadium is obvious - the stadium is primarily used for athletics; there is a single permanent stand along the north side, while the other stands are assembled from scaffolding, some of which has also served as temporary seating at the British Open
British Open
The British Open is the Open Championship men's golf tournament.British Open may also refer to:* Women's British Open of golf* British Open Show Jumping Championships* British Open Squash Championships...
golf tournament. The largest is the South Stand, running the entire length of the pitch. The east end of the pitch contains two medium sized and one small stand. One of the larger stands here is designated as the family stand. The West Stand was the designated away stand. Changing and hospitality facilities are provided with portable cabins placed haphazardly around the site, and there is very limited on-site car parking.
There was considerable opposition in the neighbourhood 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
Sussex by the Sea
Sussex by the Sea is a song written in 1907 by William Ward-Higgs. It became popular during the First World War, having already been adopted by the Royal Sussex Regiment as an unofficial "nick" march. It may well have come from a poem written by Rudyard Kipling in 1902 entitled Sussex, the final...
"), 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 continued in force. The price of each match ticket included a public transportation voucher allowing free bus or rail travel throughout the Brighton and Hove area.
For Albion's match against Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
on 2 October 2004 the stadium was temporarily renamed Palookaville
Palookaville
Palookaville may refer to:* Palookaville , a 1995 comedy film* Palookaville , a 2004 electronic album by Fatboy Slim* Palookaville , an alternative comic book* Palookaville, a former concert venue in Santa Cruz, CA....
as it hosted the launch party for Fatboy Slim
Fatboy Slim
Norman Quentin Cook better known by his former stage name Fatboy Slim, is a British DJ, electronic dance music musician, and record producer. He is a pioneer of the big beat genre that achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s...
's album of the same name. The album was released on Skint Records
Skint Records
Skint Records is a Brighton based dance music record label owned by JC Reid, Tim Jeffery and Damian Harris. It was created as a sublabel of Loaded Records, also founded by Reid and Jeffery...
, then 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.
Additional seating was added at the East and West Ends of the ground in November 2005.
The club played their last game at Withdean on Saturday April 30th 2011 against Huddersfield Town, where Brighton lost 3-2 but the result didn't actually matter because Brighton and Hove Albion were already League One champions. The last ever goal at Withdean was scored by Danny Ward
Danny Ward (footballer)
Daniel Carl "Danny" Ward is an English footballer who plays for Huddersfield Town, as a forward and winger.-Bolton Wanderers:...
in the 90th minute for Huddersfield Town. After the match the Brighton players were presented with the League One trophy.
Stadium management
The stadium was managed and maintained under contract from Brighton and Hove city council by D C Leisure Management. The staff responsible for the preparation and maintenance of the stadium on match days used to be employed and managed by D C Leisure (when the company was called Ecovert Management Limited) until the 2003/2004 football season when responsibility of match day stadium staff was handed over to Brighton and Hove Albion F.C..The staff responsible for the leisure facilities of the stadium complex including the gym, squash and tennis courts, spa and the stadium on non-match days are still employed and managed by D C Leisure.