Back To Nature - Some New Photos From The Theatre Of Trees

[Goldstone Rapper]

I miss Withdean!

 

[Silent Bob]

I remember when you could just walk out and get on the first train that came along, truly those were the greatest days.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

Life was simpler back then.

 

[Doc Lynam]

 

[Poyetry In Motion]

Wow. Remember the Man City game? That was there...

Now, that really is a world away. Amazing isn't it? We beat the (now ) Premiership Champions at that tiny, rundown place

 

[Steve Foster]

Now, that really is a world away. Amazing isn't it? We beat the (now ) Premiership Champions at that tiny, rundown place

That was a great evening. Sat in the family stand for that game. Later Tommy Fraser gave his match shirt signed by the players to my son. Still on his wall.

 

[Bean]

Shit hole of a stadium doesn't seem apt, really.

Compared to many stadia, the settings were delightful. How many stadia have leaves falling on top on them from a nature reserve, busy skies (birds and not pollution), wasps and bees aplenty.

Inappropriate for a professional team, but shit hole, it was not.

I referring more about the stadium itself and its facilities, granted it is a nice area.

 

[34064 Fighter Command]

There was definitely no grass on the pitch. Maybe they rolled it up and packed it off to the Open like they used to do with the South Stand .

Very odd to cut it that short as I thought we were still using Withdean for reserve games. Perhaps the groundman thought, 'sod it, I'm too busy at the Amex this summer to worry about Withers, lets just give 'er a grade 0 and let her look after herself for a couple of months'.

 

[34064 Fighter Command]

Shit hole of a stadium doesn't seem apt, really.

Compared to many stadia, the settings were delightful. How many stadia have leaves falling on top on them from a nature reserve, busy skies (birds and not pollution), wasps and bees aplenty.

Inappropriate for a professional team, but shit hole, it was not.

Huh? Delightful! You obviously don't remember the mudbaths that accompanied The Championship winning game against Cheaterfield, the state of the pitch against Southend on New Years day, and the regular drip, drip, drip, of persistant rain through each and every poncho......

I remember being huddled in the Sportsman before a game against Burnley and seriously considering not actually watching the game but staying in the bar for the duration, so heavy the deluge had become.......

However at around 2.55pm I very reluctantly donned my waterproof trousers, and ventured out, much like Captain Oates........

 

[Munkfish]

Very odd to cut it that short as I thought we were still using Withdean for reserve games. Perhaps the groundman thought, 'sod it, I'm too busy at the Amex this summer to worry about Withers, lets just give 'er a grade 0 and let her look after herself for a couple of months'.

Reserve games are played at Lancing, Talk was that Whitehawk would play there for a bit, but that didnt happen, not sure if anyone has been playing there this season. its a shame it wasnt looked after and used for School cup finals, rep games etc.

 

[34064 Fighter Command]

Perhaps B & H Council have re-employed Ecovert to look after the pitch then .................

 

[Hungry Joe]

Quite emotional looking at those pictures. As inappropriate as it was for a pro football stadia it will always hold many fond memories for me, as well as some pretty unpleasant ones. Standing under one of the crap loud tannoy speakers trying to work out what the team actually was whilst eating chips in the drizzling rain looking at the trees with my dad and brother springs to mind quite often. There was something almost romantic about the place.

 

[Tomnorthi]

My view at Withdean was pretty good to be fair.

 

[superpaw]

What's happened to the pitch in that photo? Looks like sand.

I walked past Saturday morning when they were doing this. Tractors were stripping off the old turf while followed by another tractor rotovating or aerating the soil. There was a huge pile of sand in the car park which it looks like they've then spread on the surface. So I'd guess they've either got grass seed mixed in with the sand, or they're gonna turf it later.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I walked past Saturday morning when they were doing this. Tractors were stripping off the old turf while followed by another tractor rotovating or aerating the soil. There was a huge pile of sand in the car park which it looks like they've then spread on the surface. So I'd guess they've either got grass seed mixed in with the sand, or they're gonna turf it later.

That would be my guess, as they didn't play any reserve matches there this last season. I know the team trained at the Amex a couple of months ago because the training ground was bad and Poyet said the Withdean pitch wasn't suitable any more. It's probably being relaid.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

I miss Withdean!

So do I. In a few years time, we'll be a Premier League team and all of Brighton and Hove will (rightly) be supporting the club and we'll be one of the elite clubs in the country, and it's fantastic to be associated with Brighton and Hove Albion. But a lot of them weren't interested when we were at Withdean, playing awful football with awful players in a modest league. I sort of miss the days when we weren't expecting much because we weren't up to much. Football supporting is a funny old game.

 

[Storer 68]

It really was a shithole of a stadium wasn't it...but so many memories

better than four hours on a bus to the armpit of kent tho

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Fantastic pic. I wonder if [MENTION=249]edna krabappel[/MENTION] still has her winner's medal?

 

[Questions]

I competed there at The Schools county championships about that era. Ok maybe a little later.

 

[John Bumlick]

i* did a lap of the track with Steve Ovett - memories.

*and quite a few other students from my school.