More than 7,000 people have signed an online petition backing Brighton and Hove Albion's plans for a new stadium.

The form has been running for less than two weeks but has drawn messages of goodwill from around the world.

Football fans from as far as Spain, Denmark and Canada have added their names to the list.

These have now been printed and sent to Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, who has the final say on the club's application for a 22,000-seater stadium at Falmer.

Last week, supporters sent Mr Prescott dozens of bouquets of flowers plus a giant Valentine's card to demonstrate how strongly they feel about the issue.

Petition organiser Pete Salmon said he hoped his initiative would have a similar impact.

Mr Salmon, 46, from Tenterden, Kent, said: "I posted it off on Monday morning with 7,218 signatures on it. We'll then send a weekly update until Mr Prescott comes to a decision."

Meanwhile, the Falmer For All committee has published 15 "irrefutable facts" about the scheme to convince John Prescott of its virtues.

Among them are:

Trains: The site is next to a main railway line and a railway station.

Roads: It is adjacent to a main trunk road - the A27 dual carriageway.

Buses: It is adjacent to main bus routes to and from Brighton and Lewes.

The site: Comprises a muddy field and some university buildings from the Sixties.

The site: Is closer to the University of Brighton than Falmer village.

Sight lines: The site is not visible, nor will the stadium itself be visible, from Falmer village.

Neighbours: Neither the University of Sussex nor Brighton University has objected.

Availability: The site is available now.

Employers: Two of the city's biggest employers - the Universities of Brighton and Sussex - will immediately benefit financially from the stadium development.

Public approval: In a city council referendum in May 1999, 67 per cent approved Falmer as the site.

Council approval: Brighton and Hove City Council's planning committee approved the application by 11 to one in June 2002.

To sign the petition, log on to www.petitiononline.com/Falmer/petition.html