In order that our city football club does not have another administrative disaster similar to losing the Goldstone football ground ("Des Lynam accuses council of stadium slacking", Argus, April 19), it must be borne in mind the Withdean stadium, once a zoo, is a custom-built athletics community stadium on which UK gold medallists have trained.

Athletics is still a non-commercial sport, as is junior football, therefore Brighton and Hove City Council can provide sport provision.

League football today is commercial and so has to provide its own stadiums and sport provisions, security, etc, which at Goldstone was sold for £7 million.

As a council spokesman said, "but for the council's action the club would still be at Gillingham". Brighton and Hove at present is a sport desert. The city needs a local city sports council to advise the city council.

-John Stanaway, Lorna Road, Hove