I was brought up in Brighton between 1941 and 1969 and, although I now live in Hampshire, I continue to be a loyal Albion supporter and season ticket holder.

My mother still lives in Brighton and saves me The Argus. I have followed the correspondence about the proposed new stadium at Falmer with a mixture of amusement, incredulity and frustration. Many of the arguments put forward by the opponents of the stadium are bizarre and irrelevant, which suggests there is an element of clutching at straws. This can only harm the credibility of their case.

A few years ago, I attended a public meeting at Hove Town Hall when Dick Knight and Martin Perry were outlining plans for Withdean and Falmer. A few Withdean residents were in attendance and their objections were greeted with some scorn by the rest of the audience. But one man got up and said he didn't want a league football ground on his doorstep because it would affect the value of his property. For his honesty, he actually received a round of applause. Instead of bringing up fatuous arguments, why don't the Falmer residents just come out with the honest answer?

Incidentally, I very much doubt whether there would be such an outcry if the proposals were for a cricket ground, golf course or even a rugby ground. We happen to follow football and our beloved Seagulls so, of course, we must be trouble.

Clive Wilkin

-Cowplain, Hants