Withdean Stadium

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The site was opened as a lawn tennis club venue in 1936, having been used as playing fields before this. The centre court had seating for 2,000 and was used for the Davis Cup match between Great Britain and New Zealand in the spring of 1939. Later developments included a zoo and miniature railway. In 1955 the then mayor of Brighton, Walter Dudeney, opened Brighton Sports Arena as a new athletics arena. In 1980 Steve Ovett opened an all-weather running track, which was resurfaced in 1997. In 1999 the stadium became the temporary home of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.

In Their Own Story

The 2000–01 season at Withdean was transformative. Micky Adams had been appointed manager in 1999, and the team, playing on a converted athletics track, began to find its footing. The Seagulls were crowned champions of Division Three, securing promotion to Division Two. Adams left in October 2001 to work as Dave Bassett's assistant at Leicester, being replaced by former Leicester manager Peter Taylor. The transition was a plus point for Brighton, who maintained their good form and ended the 2001–02 season as Division Two champions, winning a second successive promotion. The roar of the crowd at Withdean, a stadium that had been a temporary solution, now echoed with the sound of a club defying the odds. Brighton's final season at Withdean was 2010–11, in which they won League One under the management of Gus Poyet, a fitting end to an era defined by resilience.

Reader's Guide

Withdean Stadium was voted the fourth worst football stadium in the UK by The Observer in 2004. The stadium had a single permanent stand along the north side, while the other stands were assembled from scaffolding. The largest was the South Stand. The east end contained two medium-sized and one small stand. The West Stand was the designated away stand. Changing and hospitality facilities were provided with portable cabins. There was very limited on-site car parking. Amplified music was banned during football matches (except for 'Sussex by the Sea'), and matchday parking restrictions were imposed within a one-mile radius. After a year, music restrictions were eased. Each match ticket included a public transport voucher. For Albion's match against Sheffield United on 2 October 2004 the stadium was temporarily renamed Palookaville. Additional seating was added at the East and West Ends in November 2005. The club played their last game at Withdean on Saturday 30 April 2011 against Huddersfield Town. Since the club moved out, temporary seating has been removed, with only the original North Stand remaining, seating around 1,300. Today the stadium is part of the Withdean Sports Complex leisure centre, with facilities including squash and tennis courts, a gym and rock climbing wall.

Did You Know?

• Withdean Stadium was originally a lawn tennis club venue opened in 1936.
• The stadium hosted a Davis Cup match between Great Britain and New Zealand in spring 1939.
• Steve Ovett opened an all-weather running track at the stadium in 1980.
• For a friendly match on 2 August 2003, the stadium hosted Palookaville FC, but it was not officially renamed Palookaville.
• The only permanent stand at the stadium is the North Stand, which seats about 1,300.