ALBION'S move to Withdean has survived another legal scare, the Argus can reveal today.

The club plans to use The Sportsman pub for hospitality packages and has been negotiating a deal with brewers Whitbread.

But in a letter from Whitbread's solicitors to Albion's legal team, obtained by the Argus, the brewing giants threatened the club with legal action.

Dated May 11, the letter said Whitbread was concerned to hear that "a game is likely to be played there in the next two or three weeks".

It said Whitbread would "take action against the council to restrain the use of the stadium" unless an agreement was finalised first or the club guaranteed it would not play at Withdean so early.

But Albion were surprised to learn of Whitbread's concern because their first match at Withdean is still ten weeks away, a friendly against Nottingham Forest on July 24.

After being contacted by the club's solicitors yesterday, Whitbread's representatives wrote back: "I have spoken to my clients who are reassured.

"Both I and my clients are quite confident that there is plenty of time between now and 24 July to resolve any outstanding issues. There is no question of proceedings being issued at this juncture."

Club director Martin Perry said Albion and Whitbread had agreed a formula by which the club paid to use the pub for hospitality on match days.

He said Whitbread had still to provide information enabling the figure to be calculated, but he was confident a deal would be finalised shortly.

Mr Perry said the club's legal advice was that Whitbread had "absolutely no chance whatsoever" of stopping matches through legal action, which would in any case harm their reputation throughout Sussex and beyond.

Tony Allen, of Albion's Brighton-based solicitors, Donne Mileham & Haddock, said: "We are close to an agreement. They were only concerned because they thought there was a match coming up.

"We are back on an even track, discussing the terms of the agreement which we expect to complete well before the first match."

AWhitbread spokeswoman refused to comment.

Albion and the council saw off the threat of legal action last year when Withdean residents' group SWEAT withdrew their action for judicial review, citing the cost of going to court.

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