UPDATED: Former Albion chief executive David Bellotti dies

Mr Bellotti was at the helm of the Albion when the Goldstone Ground was sold, a decision which nearly put the club out of business.

He was also an MP before his involvement with football, taking the Eastbourne seat for the Liberal Democrat in 1990 following a by-election after the sitting MP Ian Gow was murdered in a car bombing by the IRA.

Mr Bellotti passed away yesterday morning after battling illness. 

Liz Costa, vice chair of the Brighton and Hove Albion supporters' club, said the irony of Mr Bellotti's involvement in the club was eventually positive in galvanising all fans against him and leading to the new stadium at Falmer.

She said: "His actions united Albion fans to get rid of the board and get a new stadium.

"A lot of other clubs don't have that unity, they all have different agendas, but we all hated him and wanted to get rid of the board and get Dick Knight in. 

"I hate to denigrate somebody who has just died but I can't say anything nice about him." 

Fans protested against the selling of the Goldstone Ground which was spearheaded by Mr Bellotti and then owner Bill Archer.

In an interview in 2001, Mr Bellotti said he had no regrets about the decision to sell Albion’s home for 93 years.

"We had debts of £5.7million that we had to clear by the following year or we would go under," he said.

"The problem was the Goldstone couldn't be redeveloped.

"On one side we couldn't add a roof and other restrictions meant we couldn't be given Football Trust funds.

"The site had no potential, so we couldn't attract a buyer for the club, who would have in turn cleared its debts.

"We were running out of time and no one had come forward to help us so we had to sell the Goldstone to keep the club alive."

Jimmy Case and David Bellotti

The £7.4 million sale of the Goldstone Ground in July 1995, exposed by the Argus in 1995, led to Albion playing 'home' matches at Gillingham for two seasons while the Goldstone became a retail park.

And the fans' fury was heightened when we revealed Chartwell had sold the site to Abbey Life Assurance for £23.86 million only two years later.

Mr Bellotti had a bodyguard for his own safety and was forced to flee from the directors' box as fans vented their anger. Two games at the Goldstone were abandoned after pitch invasions.

"I have a high regard for Brighton supporters, but there was a minority that went too far," Mr Bellotti said.

"I felt I was doing my best and doing it honestly and I could always see light at the end of the tunnel.

"I was happy to pass on a debt-free club to the new owners. It would have been disappointing to have gone through all I did to pass on a club in a worst state, but I didn't.

"History will judge me more fairly and as time goes on and the facts rather than emotions of the day remain, more people will realise what I did to help the club."

Branded David Baloney by fans after a series of public relations gaffes, he was ousted as Albion chief executive in September 1997 when Dick Knight's consortium took over the club.

Former Albion chairman Dick Knight has offered a measured response to news of the death of Mr Bellotti.

Now Albion’s life president, Knight told theargus.co.uk: “It is always sad to hear someone has died but I think we have to put the David Bellotti role into context.

“He will be remembered by Albion fans who were around at the time as someone who had influence in our club in the first half of 1990s, the consequence of which was a situation from which the club had to be saved.”

For the last decade Mr Bellotti has been living and working in Bath. He was a Liberal Democrat councillor in Lyncombe Ward of the city, until May 2015.

The Bath Chronicle report he was diagnosed with a serious illness six months ago.