If someone had offered Martin Perry the opportunity of having a 'Falmer free fortnight' at the beginning of 2001 he probably would have snapped their hand off.

However, I doubt he could have imagined that the year would start with him getting it in the neck over the state of the Withdean playing surface.

I appreciate that we have had some severe weather in the last couple of months but I can recall doubts about the state of the pitch as far back as when the Albion played Nottingham Forest in July, 1999 and it certainly didn't rain that day or the week beforehand!

The pitch was always going to be a problem.

Ecovert themselves freely admit that it was not designed to cater for the rigours of professional football. Having said that, I still can't work out why they played the Southend game on New Year's Day.

When I arrived at the ground it was a mudheap, looking more like the Somme than a football pitch and that was 45 minutes before kick-off. Every Albion supporter I have spoken to say that the game should never have been played. This is not a case of being wise after the event because in the ground prior to kick-off, fans were saying it should not start.

I firmly believe that if Micky Adams and Dave Webb had both come out and announced on the PA as late as 11.45 that the pitch was unplayable, whilst being disappointed, spectators would have understood the situation and accepted it.

And before anyone retorts about it being too late to call it off, what about Man City-Ipswich the other night? They started but called it off after half an hour.

Urgent repairs in January smacks of shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted, however I sincerely hope they do work. But what happens if they don't?

Micky Adams to sign Alan Titchmarsh! Stranger things have happened, like playing on New Year's Day!

I have lost count of the number of times I have seen the words 'Junior McDougald' closely followed by 'Spurs reject'. But what happened to the two words we came to associate with the pint-sized striker, 'Albion underachiever'?

I'll never forget the day he signed for Brighton. It was the night of the Gulls Eye dinner in Hove, David Bellotti received a standing ovation from the 100 or so diners (well it was a long time ago) and the food was so bad that we ended up in court contesting the bill. Well, they say bad luck comes in threes!

In short, he was a former Premiership player who on arrival very soon found his level. The problem was it was below that what was required at the Albion.

I have been much maligned for my opinions on Charlie Oatway's disgraceful sending off at Chesterfield but a couple of months on it turns out that I have an ally in none other than Sir Desmond Lynam.

Doing the voice over for the excellent club highlights video, 'Halfway between the gutter and the stars', the broadcasting legend describes Charlie's second caution at Saltergate as 'dubious'.

If that is what the 'Grey God' thinks then I know that I have been truly vindicated.