Prescott holds key to Albion's future

The club is fighting for its life after a planning inspector said a site at Falmer, near Brighton, was not big enough for its proposed new community stadium.

If that verdict is supported by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, the Seagulls face possible extinction.

That is why The Argus, the Seagulls and their supporters are once again banding together to fight for the future of league football in Sussex.

We broke the news almost a decade ago that the Albion's then owners were selling the Goldstone Ground and proposing a ground-share with Portsmouth.

We joined forces when the Seagulls almost dropped out of the Football League following a disastrous run of results in Division Three and were then forced to spend two seasons sharing a ground at Gillingham in Kent.

And we won the fight to bring the club back home to Withdean. That spirit must now be harnessed once again.

Supporters must bombard Mr Prescott with letters and emails urging him to support the Falmer application.

All Albion's hopes could be dashed if Mr Prescott follows the lead of Local Plan inspector Charles Hoile, a man who clearly knows as little about football as he does about the city.

How could he say the Albion, who only last season were in Division One and who have appeared in an FA Cup Final, are a provincial city's club not worthy of national consideration?

What could have possessed the inspector to conclude Sheepcote Valley, with its appalling access, could possibly be considered for a community stadium when Falmer is so much better?

Surely Mr Prescott - who has the final say after a public inquiry into the Falmer plans - will not want to go down in history as the man who put a famous football club out of existence?

Albion fans should lose no time in telling him that would be the effect of kicking out the Falmer stadium.

How to be heard:

Lobby John Prescott at Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, 26 Whitehall, London SW1A 2WH, or email planning.general@odpm.gsi.gov.uk