Prior to heading to Brighton for our Johnstone’s Paint Trophy match we thought we would reflect on our experiences of Withdean Stadium last season.
Atmosphere – 7/10
Brighton fans got behind their team very well and despite their being no roof on the stand they were still able to make a fair amount of noise. The away end is incredibly poor and has a long jump pit behind it.
View – 2/10
Being an athletics stadium the view from the away end is incredibly poor. The away fans are housed miles away from the pitch and you cannot see anything that is happening at the other end. The stand is open air so you can see the whole field but will need binoculars if you want to see what is happening down the other end of the pitch.
Stewarding – 3/10
Brighton fans are very strict on fans taking part in homophobic chanting, so you have been warned. The stewarding seemed a bit harsh and they asked you to sit down. Not being funny at all but you couldn’t see standing up let alone sitting down.
Food – 6/10
Food is served from a burger van to which there was a massive queue as there is only 2 people serving.
Getting In and out – 5/10
The ground is well sign posted if you go by Train. The nearest train station is Preston Park. Your match ticket actually includes travel by train to the ground within a limited area. It is about a 15 minute trek from the train station to the ground and then it is near impossible to find the away end.
Overall
It was a terrible place to watch football. Not to mention it rained and snowed on our visit and was incredibly cold. You can’t blame Brighton for their poor ground though. The sale of the Goldstone Ground the clubs former home was implemented by majority shareholder Bill Archer and his chief executive David Bellotti. Fans had protested against the sale to no avail and moved to Gillingham for two seasons before returning to the Brighton area and being stuck at the Withdean. For Seagulls fans it is better the team plays in a rubbish ground at home than a normal ground away. The club are looking to start work on a new stadium at Falmer next month.
Have you been to the Withdean what were your thoughts, Send us your review to swindon@vitalfootball.co.uk
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