Falmer v Goldstone debate.

[Green Cross Code Man]

Thoughts?

It's taken a year of having Falmer as our home but now i am glad that we are not at the Goldstone. Loved it to bits but when you look at just how good the Amex is, we are extremely fortunate. Also, although terrible at the time, the long years of protest and fight have made our club like no other. Those experiences have made the Falmer experience all the sweeter.

 

[Martin Lambert]

Personaly on the day we play our first game at Falmer, i will raise a glass to Dick Knight, without who Falmer would be a dream still. At the same time i will publicly be sticking two fingers up at Archer, for his attempt to distroy our club.

Very much this.

Love Falmer but still hate Archer & Bellotti with every bone in my body. Always will.

 

[u'vebeenamexed]

The Goldstone was a shithole, but it was OUR shithole, and where I began the roller-coaster ride. The memories (good and bad) will always be there, just as I'll remember the trips to Gillingham, the Withdean years and finally FALMER.

As for it's viability as a modern football stadium I think we all know we're in a much better situation now. In the long-term the sale and move away was GOOD for the club. With a permanent but unsuitable home in Brighton there was no political will for a different, better one. There wouldn't have been the will from the fans. At the very best you could've redeveloped the Goldstone with a small single-tier East Stand and 2-tier, full length West Stand. The North and South would be single-tier too. As an all-seater stadium it would've been worse than Selhurst.

Interesting - I thought the South Stand could have been made into a large double decker stand with the purchase of the old factories behind and with clever planning we could have had a stadium of similar capacity to The Amex - obviously without the plush seats.

The great advantage of the Goldstone was its position - close to Hove Station, pubs, bus routes, major roads, street parking and a great many of our followers (including me) could walk to the games. I love the Amex but part of me wishes that the Goldstone could have been kept and redeveloped. Plus we wouldn't have lost a generation of fans.

 

[Curious Orange]

Thoughts?

Only that 2004 was a long time ago

 

[Albion Rob]

I guess if we could have kept the North Stand terraced plus the South East terrace (for away fans) then we could have had something of the Peterborough about us and been an awayday that everyoe looks forward to. However, if we'd had to just bolt seats on to all the terraces we'd have basically been sitting in a Fratton Park-alike and that would have been rubbish and would have tainted a lot of great memories.

Overall we're better off but we should not have had the 14 years between the Goldstone and Flamer.

 

[drew]

Interesting - I thought the South Stand could have been made into a large double decker stand with the purchase of the old factories behind and with clever planning we could have had a stadium of similar capacity to The Amex - obviously without the plush seats.

The great advantage of the Goldstone was its position - close to Hove Station, pubs, bus routes, major roads, street parking and a great many of our followers (including me) could walk to the games. I love the Amex but part of me wishes that the Goldstone could have been kept and redeveloped. Plus we wouldn't have lost a generation of fans.

But it would have looked crap (or should I say crapper!). We could ony develop two sides, south and west. East terrace was too narrow at the south end and there were, I believe, restrictive covenants limiting the height of the north stand to something like about 50ft.

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

My Goldstone days 1988 onwards will be cherished forever-

She was fitting for the time and great but the Amex is the now and the future,change happens and i love both but in different ways.......

Falmer will allow us to become the club we ALWAYS SHOULD HAVE BEEN.