Withdean Stadium

Withdean Stadium lies in the Withdean suburb of Brighton, an athletics venue built in 1930. Before becoming a stadium it served as playing fields and a lawn tennis club with a 2,000-seat centre court used for a 1939 Davis Cup tie. In 1955 the mayor opened Brighton Sports Arena, which later gained lighting and squash courts. In 1980 Olympic athlete Steve Ovett opened an all-weather running track resurfaced in 1997. The stadium became Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.’s temporary home in 1999 after the club’s Goldstone Ground was sold. For twelve seasons the team played on a pitch surrounded by scaffolding stands, portable cabins and limited parking. The Observer once ranked it the fourth worst football ground in the UK. Concessions included banning amplified music except for the local anthem and offering free public transport vouchers with every ticket. Today the complex belongs to Brighton and Hove City Council and Freedom Leisure. Squash and tennis courts, a gym and a rock climbing wall share the site with the remaining North Stand seating about 1,300. The athletics track and sports facilities continue to serve the community after the football club moved to a new stadium in 2011.