Albion fans have been quick to respond to the story in last night's Argus about the condition of the Withdean pitch. Read some of their views.

Gareth Glover, Hove: Micky Adams and the players deserve a better pitch to play on. I believe Adams wanted to play to keep the momentum going and that's why they played Southend. I considered Chesterfield and Cardiff the main obstacles to promotion, now it's the Withdean pitch.

Why was it that one man was working 30 minutes before kick off with an ancient piece of equipment? I for one would come to the ground before kick off if needed and I'm sure hundreds of other supporters would too.

Jonathan West, Brighton: The pitch is a disgrace. Players like Brooker, Hart, Freeman and Jones use wide areas but against Southend they had to withdraw and the team had to play a long ball game. It could affect promotion, it's too dangerous to depend on having a good pitch.

Alan Nunn, Hove: It was a mistake to play on the pitch on Monday, but I don't think there's enough effort made by the groundstaff.

John Adams, Brighton: Ecovert are contracted to maintain the pitch and they are not doing a good job. The remedy is to cover the pitch with plastic sheets and put in low pressure heaters which would raise the plastic allowing the heat to dry the surface and the grass to grow.

Danny Warren, Whitehawk: I am a gardener and I know the pitch problem can be cured. The water's got nowhere to go. It is like a sponge.

I would suggest sinking three or four rain butts on each side and digging a 5x3ft hole. Put some holes in them and a backfill of fine stones for the water to soak through and then use a fish pond pump to pump it out and away down a drain. I've cleared a 30 yard square garden with that method.

I can do it for them if they want, but I suppose they will want their people to do it.

Brian Burgin, Mile Oak: They should put a tarpaulin cover when heavy rain is forecast. There's a torrent expected tomorrow and if there's no cover the pitch just won't stand up to it on Saturday. It is the only answer.

Cllr Mike Middleton, Chairman Albion task group, Brighton & Hove City Council: The Argus inviting people to phone in to apportion blame for the state of the pitch at Withdean is not a terribly constructive exercise.

Doubtless the ensuing mudslinging will make Withdean seem like a bowling green in comparison. So can I please remind people how this all started?

The Albion had nowhere to play locally. Fans were making 160-mile round trips to Gillingham for home games. The club's performance was suffering and is certainly worse than it is now.

The council and Ecovert bent over backwards to find a solution, coming up with a unique, imaginative, traffic free scheme to use Withdean. We all knew the ground was not ideal. The pitch was never intended for league football, but it's the best we've got.

Nobody is forcing the club to use Withdean. But we know what the alternatives are and we don't like them either.

Hopefully the club will continue to play outstanding football. But if they don't, I sincerely hope people will remember that it's the fault of neither the council nor Ecovert that the Seagulls don't have a proper ground.

Ecovert and the council have done everything humanly possible to make Withdean work despite record rainfall. If we must do something as pointless as apportioning blame, I nominate the gentleman who sold the Goldstone.