Supporters and players at a football club are sending out 100,000 leaflets accusing the council of kicking them out of Withdean Stadium in Brighton.

Withdean 2000 is distributing leaflets and 60 posters around the city after being told their ground share agreement with Brighton and Hove Albion is over.

Club secretary Brian Davies said hundreds of players could be affected and he is furious at the move.

The senior side and the reserves formerly played at Withdean along with the Seagulls, but there were problems with the pitch becoming damaged by the extra use.

The team decided not to play at the ground and had not done so for a year, but were hoping to return to non-league action next season.

But they have now been told they cannot use Withdean in their bid for election to the Combined Counties League and have been asked to leave their home.

The club is now looking for a new pitch for their teams next season.

The posters are being delivered by some of the youth players throughout Brighton. They read: "Community Football Club Evicted after 18 years by Labour. How best to help your teams: 1. 300 youngsters out. 2. No notice. 3. No alternative pitch. 4. Is Athletics next?"

Mr Davies said: "Withdean Football Club used the stadium for a number of years and then Albion came into town on the basis that there was a groundshare facility. There were problems emanating from the condition of the pitch.

"We could not continue running the club as it was because there were three teams using it, Albion and us and our reserves. So for the last 12 months we have not been playing football.

"We applied for permission from the county football association to play football next year and we got it. Then we had a letter from the council saying they were withdrawing our use at Withdean.

"They said it was not practical to ground share with the Albion and it might affect the pitch with any further combined use. What the council have failed to realise is that it's not just the senior side, we also provide football for under eights and above.

"We can understand why the Albion want a ground of their own, but we are trying to create a club in Brighton for boys and girls from the grassroots upwards."

He said the club has no problem with the Albion and he said he hoped they performed well in the Second Division next season.

The club's youth sides had used Dorothy Stringer School's facilities but the teams might have to cease if the club has to fold because of losing the stadium.

It had secured National Lottery grants for an artificial pitch at the school but the plans could be in jeopardy if the club collapsed.

But Mike Middleton, lead councillor for recreation at Brighton and Hove City Council, said: "I've already said I regret that this move was necessary.

"But it's one of those impossible decisions councils sometimes have to make.

"It became obvious this season that, despite our best intentions, two senior teams could not use Withdean for a full league programme because the pitch was often a quagmire with just the Albion using it.

"So it was a stark choice - the Albion or Withdean 2000 - and we did what we felt best served the interests of the city as a whole, sorry as I feel for Withdean 2000.

"The leaflet is misleading. No children use the pitch for football and as such, none are being evicted from With-

dean.

"Also, athletics is not threatened and the athletics club has raised no concerns that it is."