Albion today appealed to their most loyal supporters to help them through a mounting financial crisis while they are still playing at Withdean.

Renewal letters have been posted to just over 5,000 season ticket holders this week, much sooner than normal.

The Seagulls are hoping supporters respond positively to incentives for early lump-sum payment and a three-year ticket offer, linked to priority for a seat at the proposed new stadium at Falmer.

Prices have been frozen for the second year running for payment in full by March 1.

A "moderate" increase applies for renewals from March 1 to April 30.

After that date all season ticket applications will be charged at the same full rate effective from April 1 last year for the current season.

The three-year deal offers an annual saving on the prices applying to renewal by March 1 and the promise, together with existing ten and nine-year ticket holders, of "first priority" for seats at Falmer.

Chairman Dick Knight, the directors and shareholders have invested a total of £7m since taking over the club in 1997.

Around £2.5 million has been spent to bring Withdean up to Football League standard after the inherited groundshare with Gillingham.

More than that has been spent on the planning application and Public Inquiry for Falmer.

Knight said: "This club in the last six years has spent over £5 million trying to resolve the disgraceful legacy we inherited of a football club without a home, in addition to enormous ongoing match costs.

"To help the club over this difficult financial period while we are still at Withdean we are offering some very good incentives to renew your season ticket a bit early."

It currently costs Albion £40,000 per game at Withdean. That represents more than half of ticket revenue, compared to a Football League average of five to ten per cent.

Taking over the match day operation from Ecovert from April 1 will be worth £500,000 per season to the club in savings and extra revenue opportunities, but there is no Bobby Zamora to sell this summer.

Albion will shortly announce an increased loss for last season, when they were in the First Division.

Costs rose while gate receipts barely changed and they were badly hit by two media-related blows.

Knight said: "The collapse of ITV Digital cost us around £600,000. Before their demise First Division clubs received on average nearly £2 million a year."

The Premium TV website deal was also renegotiated. Martin Perry, Albion's chief executive, said: "We suffered very badly there because we were one of the top three clubs in the League in terms of revenue in the first year of that deal.

"It has been a very tough period for football generally and for us in particular."

It is not getting any easier for Albion as they wait, with bated breath, for the result of the Falmer Inquiry.

The Argus understands another £170,000 was paid in last month by a mystery benefactor, believed to be Norman Cook alias Fatboy Slim, to help pay wages and other bills.

Knight stresses Albion are nowhere near as badly off as a lot of clubs.

"To put it into perspective, Queens Park Rangers, a club in the same division with a similar profile to us, have reduced their trading losses from over £5 million to £2 million. Our figures are way below that.

"You cannot open The Argus or any other newspaper without learning about some other clubs that are in financial trouble.

"When this Board took over we pledged to reduce the huge debt we inherited, which we have, and to control operating losses to a reasonable level, which we have, while remaining competitive on the field.

"The message now is to look at the big picture. The club was saddled with a horrendous burden when we took it over of being without a ground and we have to get the club a decent ground. Everything we have done has been with that in mind."