“HE’S fat, he’s round, but he gave us our ground.”

They were the words John Prescott fondly remembers Seagulls fans singing to him on his first visit to the ground he commissioned.

The former deputy Prime Minister was the man who gave the green light to the construction of The Albion’s Falmer home, and he was in awe of The American Express Community Stadium yesterday.

He sat in Chris Hughton’s chair in the press room fielding questions from Newhaven’s primary school students who were there as part of an Albion in the Community programme.

He said: “To be here with the children just proves how, as with many clubs these days, they are reaching out into the wider community and it becomes more of the family feel.

“When I come here and look at something like this, it’s a beautiful facility, and I don’t want to say it, but it’s like a new church – it’s the centre of the community.”

Mr Prescott spoke to The Argus about important race to win parliamentary seats around Brighton and Hove.

He said: “I’m going around a lot of the marginals and I’m doing the environmental side of it.

“We have to find an environment agreement in Paris.

“I negotiated the Kyoto one in 1997 and it’s important that Britain plays its part in negotiating one this year – and the reality is it will be a Prime Minister.”

He added: “For people who really want green, and I think the people here really want that, you’ve got a choice between Cameron or Miliband.”