Day the city turned blue

Repeated chants for a new ground reverberated around the streets from a sea of blue and white as the Division Two champions showed off their silverware.

Brighton and Hove City Council leader Ken Bodfish was greeted with a crescendo of boos and drowned out by shouts of "We Want Falmer" when he appeared on the balcony at King's House, Grand Avenue, Hove.

Mr Bodfish was left in no doubt what the fans, many of them voters, wanted as the club faces another season of playing at Withdean Stadium which holds less than 7,000 spectators.

Police estimated more than 10,000 people lined the seafront to cheer the players who proceeded slowly on an open-top bus, followed by family and friends on a second bus.

Some spectators climbed on to the top of vans to get a grandstand view of the occasion, cheering, clapping and taking photographs as manager Peter Taylor's heroes passed by.

Others who waved flags and scarves, singing and blowing whistles, followed the buses as they drove from Madeira Drive to Grand Avenue.

Cyclists joined in with the festivities, enjoying the sunshine and a stiff breeze.

Many youngsters had their faces painted and even Queen Victoria showed her true colours when her statue was adorned with an Albion scarf.

The crowd erupted into cheers as the players, led by Taylor and the Albion board and backroom staff, made an appearance on the balcony at King's House, where the city mayor Harry Steer had laid on a civic reception.

Fans gathered on the green in front of the balcony and spilled on to the road behind.

Traffic was brought to a standstill as more and more fans arrived.

There were huge cheers as each player was introduced to the crowd, with the largest reserved for star striker Bobby Zamora, Taylor and chairman Dick Knight.

Knight, accompanied by his four-year-old grandsons Max and Sam, said on the bus: "It's very emotional. I can't help shedding a tear at how far we have come in such a short time."

Albion's application for a new stadium at Falmer goes before the council's planning committee on June 12.

Knight said: "So many people came out who cannot get in to watch us at Withdean.

"The enormous following we have puts out a very clear message that this is a unique club with a unique role in the community. That is why we need a stadium."

Taylor said: "I know about the potential of this club. We need the council to get off their backsides and get a new stadium otherwise a lot of people won't be able to see us playing.

"That is dangerous because they could turn to other things."

People living in flats opposite the council offices had a great view of the colourful occasion and draped Albion flags from their balconies.

The mood among fans was one of cheerfulness and optimism for the future, with many people taking photos to capture the moment for posterity.

Tom Phillips, 39, of Carden Avenue, Brighton, and his two sons Ben, seven, and Jimmy, five, were in an ecstatic mood.

He said: "I've been a fan since I was a kid and I've supported the Albion through the good times and the bad.

"It's been a hard few years but now we are really going places. It's a fantastic achievement and something I know my boys are going to remember for a long time.

"It can only get better from now on."

Ben, whose face was painted with blue and white stripes, said: "It is great.

"The Albion are the best team. Zamora is my favourite player."

Laura Steward, 14, of Friars Walk, Lewes, came down for the parade with her two friends.

She said: "The team has been brilliant. To win the championship two years in a row is fantastic. Now we've got to do well in Division One."

John Whitehall, 39, who recently moved from Brighton to Maidenbower in Crawley, made the trip to the coast with his wife Amanda, 35 and son Oliver, 11.

He said: "There was no way I was going to miss this.

"Oliver says he's more of a Manchester United fan but I wanted to show him what supporting your local team is all about.

"The team and the fans deserve all this because it has been a bad few years. Now we are going places."

Older fans included 69-year-old widow Doris Johnson, of Sackville Gardens, Hove, who has been supporting the Albion for 30 years.

She said: "My husband was a big fan and he roped me into it. He would have been so proud of the team today."

Jason Cooke, 32, of Southover Street, Brighton, and his friend Phil Teale 34, of Coombe Road, Brighton, were looking forward to next season.

Mr Cooke said: "I can't wait for the Crystal Palace and Leicester games. They're going to be brilliant.

Mr Teale said: "All we need now is to get the stadium sorted out.

"Once we've got Falmer built there'll be no stopping us. The team has got the ability to go to the top."

Young fan Joseph Dwyer, seven, was there with sister Emma, 13, and his mum and dad Stuart, 39, and Amy, 38, of Crescent Drive, Woodingdean.

Emma said: "All our family are Albion fans and we've been looking forward to this for ages. It's brilliant."

Mr Dwyer said: "The atmosphere is brilliant. Everyone is so happy. We've really got something to celebrate here and let's hope it continues."

Along with the blue and white wigs and Albion shirts, several people got their message across with Falmer for All T-shirts.

Jill Morris, 25, of Whitehawk Way, Brighton, said: "Look how well we've done without a proper stadium.

"Just think what we could do with a decent place."

Albion chairman Dick Knight spoke to the crowd and said: "This is how much the Albion means to Brighton and Hove.

"We all know football is a community thing.

"It is a dream we can all share together. If you're young you'll remember this day as long as you live. If you are older you'll appreciate it as we have been waiting for it for a long time.

"The team did it because they had more class, more team spirit and more absolute determination than the rest of the league put together."

Mr Knight said the team's amazing revival against the odds had been a "remarkable renaissance" that had captured the attention of everyone.

He said success was all the more sweet after the club's battle for survival following the sale of the Goldstone Ground.

To resounding cheers Mr Knight said: "All we need now to go even further is that new stadium at Falmer.

"I know we can work together to seize this opportunity to build this city's reputation as a beacon of sporting excellence."

Kerry Mayo, Albion's longest-serving player, declared: "The turnout was unbelievable, definitely more than when we won Division Three last year.

"It was a great day out with everybody singing and having fun and the atmosphere was brilliant. We all milked it because it may never happen again in our lifetimes."

Mayo, who scored an own goal at Hereford five years ago which almost cost Albion their League status, said: "It's amazing, like a dream come true. The club was at rock bottom.

"The success we've had is unbelievable from that match five years ago to where we are now. We have come such a long way."

The celebration ended with a mass sing-along of Queen's We Are The Champions and Tina Turner's Simply The Best.

Chief Inspector Kul Verma, of Brighton and Hove police, said: "The crowd was good-natured and we estimate that 10,000 plus turned out to support the Albion.

"Although there was congestion along the seafront, no injuries or incidents were reported.

"The crowd behaved well and it was a superb day for the club and the city."

The fun isn't over yet. George Cohen, a World Cup winner with England in 1966, is guest speaker at Albion's end-of-season dinner at the Brighton Centre next Thursday.

The players, who are now only one season away from the Premiership, then fly out to Spain 48 hours later for a deserved three-night break in Marbella.