ALBION may not meet their target date for the move to Withdean.

The Seagulls announced before Christmas that the match against Barnet on March 27 would be their first back in Brighton.

Director Martin Perry has, however, now cast doubt over the club's chances of meeting that deadline.

Perry, who is spearheading the Withdean operation, revealed: "March 27 is still the target date, but we haven't yet got to a point where we can say hand on heart we are going to hit it.

"It's an extremely difficult and complex contract. Nothing is easy at Withdean, but we're not going to let it beat us."

Perry, meanwhile, has declared that the delay in Albion receiving money from Aston Villa for the £1 million plus Gareth Barry deal will not affect the Withdean timetable.

"The Gareth Barry money will be very welcome, but it doesn't have any implications on Withdean whatsoever," he said. "That money was going into other things."

Albion have written to Professor Sir John Wood, chairman of the independent tribunal which decided Barry's transfer value, demanding to know what is happening about the Michael Standing case.

Standing, the nephew of Albion chairman Dick Knight, joined Villa at the same time as Barry.

A decision on the compensation due to the Seagulls from Villa for him was deferred by the tribunal in October.

Albion have placed an amazing £2.8 million price tag on Standing, the same tactic they adopted for Barry.

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