Withdean has been a godsend to Brighton and Hove Albion.

Yes, it is too small, open to the elements and just not good enough. Roll on Falmer. But where would we have been in the short term without Withdean?

The stadium has quite a history. Over the years in addition to being a temporary home for the Albion, it has also hosted a zoo, tennis tournaments, military tattoos and, of course, athletics.

I have been an Albion fan since 1954 and have watched them play at the Goldstone, Gillingham, Wembley, Cardiff, away grounds and at Withdean.

However, my favourite memory of the Withdean Sports Arena relates to athletics. It is, after all, the track where local Olympic medal winners Steve Ovett and Mark Rowland did most of their training.

Sally Gunnell also trained here on occasion, as did Mary Rand, the 1964 Olympic long jump and Pentathlon champion.

When I was a young lad, I saw Herb Elliott run here in 1961. He was a special guest at the factory sports day for CVA, an engineering company based in Crowhurst Road, Hollingbury.

Australian Herb Elliott was the biggest name in world athletics at the time. He was the reigning Olympic 1500 metre champion and was never beaten over four laps (one mile or 1500 metres).

He ran in a specially arranged invitation 880 yard race (roughly 800 metres) but it was out of season for him and he finished well down the field. But I saw him race.

The main programme of events included a 100 yards veterans' handicap. Competitors were given advantage of a certain yardage depending on their age. My recollection is that the winner had been given a 30-yard start and nobody could catch him. Other events were tug-o'-war, employees' children's races, egg-and-spoon and a sack race.

The other big attraction was the invitation two miles, which featured Derek Ibbotson who once held the World One Mile record, well-known athlete Ken Wood and local runners Ray Roseman and Hugh Foord.

Foord was the 1956 UK champion over six miles. He still takes part in road races today and is as much a hero as Elliott.

It is a pity we do not see as many world class athletes at Withdean nowadays. I am happy to watch the Albion play there until they go to Falmer. Let's hope that will be soon so we can build memories around the new stadium.

-Reg Richardson, Steyning