The most popular player in Brighton and Hove Albion history will travel thousands of miles to take part in Monday's march for Falmer.

Seventies goalscoring sensation and Albion legend Peter Ward has lived in Tampa Bay, Florida, since the end of his playing career in 1989.

He told The Argus: "I'm coming back just for the march. It's a long journey but it will be worth it. It's the least I can do to try and help the club."

Ward won a landslide 49 per cent of the vote and coasted into The Argus's all-time Albion dream team this summer.

The striker's budding talent was unleashed on March 27, 1976, in a game at Hereford United.

And what a start it was.

In front of the Match of the Day cameras, he scored after only 50 seconds of a 1-1 draw.

A hero to Seagulls fans of a certain age, the centre forward scored 95 goals in 227 appearances between 1976 and 1983.

In the 1976/77 season he scored a record 36 goals and netted 37 times for Brighton in the old first division.

Speaking from his home in Florida, Ward said: "I can't wait to come back. I'm delighted I got in the Albion dream team. I love the Brighton fans and it's a real honour.

"I feel very strongly that the club must have this stadium to survive.

"It it was in the States it would have been built years ago and the club would be getting 20,000 a game.

"Over here we have magnificent sporting facilities and most of them are not only given the go-ahead by the state, they are funded by the state.

"We used to fill the Goldstone with 32,000 to 33,000 at home games and that was a long time ago and we were playing in division three.

"There is no doubt, with the right facilities, Albion would be a massive club .

"With that extra money, they could really invest in players and in three to five years they would be challenging for the Premiership.

"I've been to Withdean a few times. Big clubs like Leeds must think it's a joke when they step off the coach."

Ward will be joined by former team-mate Gary Stevens and former Albion manager Micky Adams at Monday's march.

The club is hoping to persuade at least 5,000 fans to meet at the Sea Life Centre at 5.30pm.

It is the final chance to remind John Prescott of the massive public backing for the 22,000-seat stadium plan.

The Deputy Prime Minister will give his final verdict before October 31.