Address:

Withdean Stadium

118 Queens Road

Telephone:

01273 - 778855

North Stand Chat

BHAFC.net

Brighton & Hove Albion Weblinks

By Car:
IF away supporters must travel by car, then there are two Park & Ride sites active on match days. These are located at Mill Road, off A23/A27 (Please note that this site can only be accessed from the A23/A27 turn-off at Patcham, and by driving west up Mill Road), and at Mithras House, Lewes Road. Again, the travel vouchers included with the match day ticket can be used for bus travel.  

By Rail:
PRESTON PARK is the nearest station, although supporters can also travel by bus from Brighton station.

By Bus:
A travel voucher is included with the match ticket, which entitles you to discounted travel on Brighton & Hove buses.
Enquiries: 01273 886200

Parking:
THERE are no parking facilities at Withdean, or in the surrounding vicinity. Away supporters are therefore advised to use public transport.

THE twin towns of Brighton and Hove - vibrant, exciting, eclectic, seedy, showy - became a city in December 2000.

The city of Brighton & Hove.

Situated between the sea and the tranquil Sussex Downs, Brighton is one of the UK's most popular visitor destinations.

The resident population of just over a quarter of a million is swollen - particularly in the summer - by 5 million day trippers, conference delegates and overseas students a year. It's a far cry from the city's beginnings as two distinct and tiny Saxon fishing villages.

Brighton beach is one of the city's main magnets and when the sun comes out it's always packed.

Brighton's beaches.

The pebble beach stretches from beyond Hove to the nudist beach near the Marina. But don't let the pebbles put you off - Brighton beach has more to offer than simply working on your tan.

Between the two piers, the landscaped 'strip' is home to a plethora of outdoor cafes, watering holes and night clubs. It's very family-friendly - especially with a giant playground  - and has an atmosphere more readily associated with our Continental cousins.

Brighton Pier at night.

East of the Palace Pier, a more traditional English seaside experience is on offer with fish and chip bars, pitch-and-putt and the Peter Pan fairground.

Also along this stretch runs the tiny Volks Railway - the country's first electric railway.

Madeira Drive is the venue for a series of rallies from vintage cars, to motorbikes and, last year, even Land Rovers.

Brighton boasts two piers. The Palace Pier (recently rebranded as Brighton Pier) is brash and popular, while the West Pier is a derelict masterpiece of late 19th Century design.

For many, the Grade I listed West Pier sums up Brighton perfectly with its elegant past, recent history of disrepair and hope for a brighter future. Built in 1866 by Eugenius Birch, in its heyday it housed an ornate theatre and ballroom.

Since 1975 the pier has been derelict and today only structural engineering stops it crumbling into the sea. But ambitious plans to restore it to its former glory are in the pipeline and Brighton's seafront could once again sparkle under the lights of two piers.

Brighton's second pier was built in 1889 and today continues to be one of the city's most successful attractions. Deckchairs, candy floss, doughnuts, fish and chips, arcades, the waltzer - the Palace Pier is unashamedly number one for the traditional English holidaymaker. The pier is at its most impressive at night when neon lights up the whole structure.

For water sport beginners, the enclosed lagoon provides expert training facilities in water sports from windsurfing and canoeing to sailing, power boating and wakeboarding. At only a couple of feet deep and with trained tutors to guide you, even the most timid will feel at home on the water.

Beyond Kemp Town you'll find Brighton Marina with its shops, restaurants, pubs, apartments and the odd millionaire's boat. For the best view of the yachts and cruisers, take the Marina's breakwater walk - if the wind's up prepare for a soaking but enjoy the spectacular views. For a longer walk, come out of the Marina and follow the Undercliff Walk - as far as Rottingdean if you want an hour's stroll. Carved out of the cliffs, the walk is wide and flat - perfect for buggies and cyclists.

Pavilion Gardens.

Open all year, a visit to Brighton's most famous landmark, The Royal Pavilion, is a must. The flamboyant exterior is matched by its stunning interior design, which continues to wow visitors as it did guests to the Prince Regent's wild parties in the 1820s. And if you don't want to pay to get in, have a picnic in the Pavilion Gardens and simply enjoy the scenery.

Brighton is also a shopper's paradise. Between The Lanes, North Laine, Churchill Square, Western Road and Kemp Town, you'll be hard pushed to come away without a bag or two.

The Lanes are the most famous shopping area in Brighton. Hidden away between North Street and the seafront, the higgledy-piggledy streets are home to clothing boutiques, antique shops, jewellers and the odd restaurant, café and pub. It also has its fair share of history, and tales abound of smugglers and ghosts walking the narrow streets. Stroll down North Laine (a series of streets branching off the other side of North Street) and you'll find South American art, furniture, fabulous record shops, retro gifts and a whole host of junk. And with some of Brighton's best cafes and pubs, it's always fun to sit and watch the world go by in the city's trendiest district.

If it's high street names you're after, there's always the Churchill Square mall and shops along Western Road, which takes you right into Hove.

Besides all the pubs and restaurants it has to offer, Brighton is renowned for its club scene. From the famous Zap and Concorde clubs to the Jazz Rooms, the city's nightlife moves to pretty much any rhythm you can think of. There are nightspots scattered from Kemp Town, along the seafront, through the Lanes and into Hove.

Carved into the heart of the Sussex Downs, just outside Brighton & Hove, you'll find a 300ft valley, and, on a good day, a lot of people.

Devil's Dyke.

A popular starting point for a number of great walks, Devil's Dyke - the deepest, longest and widest dry valley in the south - offers stunning views of the Downs and across the Weald.

It's height makes it a great spot for kite flying and it is one of the best sites for hang gliding and paragliding in Sussex.

There is a pub/restaurant at the beauty spot, and a few others if you bring your walking boots and find the neighbouring villages.

The Dyke's unique features are a product of the last ice age but a number of myths abound to explain its association with the Devil - the grandest tale has it that Satan wanted to flood the Weald by carving out a valley to the sea but was halted before he made it to the coast.

A fair old walk to the foot of the Downs will bring you to the village of Fulking and one of the most popular pubs in the area. The Shepherd and Dog serves a range of real beers and has an Egon Ronay listed menu all served in beautiful surroundings.

One of the most popular beauty spots along the South Downs, Ditchling Beacon offers fantastic views as far as Ashdown Forest and the Weald.

Owned by the National Trust, the area is also a nature reserve.

It gets its name from its past as a beacon site where fires were once lit to warn of invasions or spread news of victories in battle.

A walk down the hill will take you to the peaceful country village of Ditchling and one of the oldest pubs in Sussex, The Bull.

Opposite the Palace Pier, inside a beautiful Victorian building, is Brighton's aquarium, The Sea Life Centre. Stroke the rays, see the seahorses or brave the shark tunnel. If it's raining and the kids are bored it's the perfect hideaway for an hour. Disconcertingly, they also serve a mean plate of fish and chips.

The Booth Museum of Natural History is home to an amazing number of stuffed birds, the Booth's gloomy interior provides an odd and slightly creepy experience. It has over half a million specimens and natural history literature dating back over three centuries.

Brighton Museum and Art Gallery was reopened May 2002 after a £10 million redevelopment as part of a larger regeneration scheme to create a vibrant cultural centre in and around the Royal Pavilion Estate in the heart of the city.
Dynamic and innovative new galleries provide greatly improved access to the museum's nationally and locally important collections utilising the latest interactive technology.  And following collaboration with community groups, exhibits now include a Hindu shrine created with the local Gujerati community and oral histories of local people.

The Brighton Dome was reopened in February 2002 as part of the multi-million pound Brighton Museum facelift and boasts a fabulously refurbished Concert Hall complete with fully restored original 1933 ceiling. The Dome incorporates the Pavilion Theatre and Corn Exchange. Refurbishment includes an installation of the latest audio-visual equipment to stage concerts, conferences, art exhibitions, dance and opera.

When it's not home to the annual party conferences and a host of other functions, the Brighton Centre is the place to see Kylie, Tom Jones or the latest teenage pop sensation. Situated along the hotel strip next to the Grand and Metropole, the Centre is also the stage for the Holiday on Ice extravaganzas.

When it comes to the match, The Withdean Stadium is situated in a residential area, and therefore pubs and restaurants are at a premium.

However, for some of the best eateries, pubs and bars in the country, away supporters would be better off arriving a little earlier and venturing into the city centre, before using their travel vouchers to get to the ground. 

You can search and book hotels located right near to Brighton & Hove Albion's Withdean Stadium by clicking HERE.

Steve Foster.

STEVE Foster captained Luton Town to their greatest-ever moment – a 3-2 Littlewoods Cup Final win over Arsenal at Wembley in 1988.  Foster was an integral part of that great Hatters side.  A no-nonsense and loyal player, Foster joined Luton Town in November 1984 for £150,000 from Aston Villa, another of the superb signings made by David Pleat, who surely would have been the supporters’ choice had we been running a ‘Greatest-ever Luton Town Manager’ poll.  Foster, renowned for wearing a headband during his time at Kenilworth Road, made 163 League appearances for the Hatters, scoring 11 goals during a 4-year spell with the club.  In 1988, Foster joined Oxford United for £175,000, but left Bedfordshire a hero and one of the greatest-ever Luton Town players.

He had begun his career with hometown club Portsmouth, making 109 League appearances and netting 6 goals at Fratton Park before a £150,000 switch to Brighton & Hove Albion in July 1979.  A massive favourite with the Goldstone Ground faithful, Foster went on to help the club reach the Old First Division (now the Premiership), but in March 1984, he was sold, making the move to a bigger club as he joined Aston Villa for £200,000, having made 172 League appearances for the Seagulls, and scored 6 goals.  He made only 15 appearances, scoring 3 goals, in just eight months at Villa Park before his switch to Kenilworth Road.

In August 1992, Foster was on the move again as he joined Brighton & Hove Albion once again in the final move of his playing career, joining the Seagulls on a free transfer.  He made 115 League appearances, scoring 7 goals. Once again a popular figure with the supporters, he retired from professional football as big a hero with the Brighton fans as he was with the Hatters faithful.