Chris Beaumont's claim (Letters, May 2) that Brighton and Hove City Council does not want a professional football club in the city isn't supported by the evidence.

Why does he think the council was happy to let the Albion use council-owned Withdean? I have supported the club for 50 years. Of course I want a permanent home for them in the city as soon as possible.

The suggestion the council is a fair-weather friend of the club means Mr Beaumont has forgotten recent Albion history. When the council rescued them from Gillingham, things were not going quite so well, as I remember.

None of us knows what went on behind the scenes so nobody outside the club can know exactly why Peter Taylor left. So Mr Beaumont is being very unfair to blame the council based on a few public statements from a departing manager.

I have to tell Brian Donnelly and Colin Haworth (Letters, same edition) there is no comparison between the complexity of deciding to bid for Capital of Culture and building a football stadium. The first can be done quickly for a few thousand pounds. Building football stadiums takes much longer and costs multi-millions.

Everyone predicted these problems as soon as the club's previous owners decided to sell the Goldstone with nowhere to go.

We are fortunate the people currently running the Albion seem to have more skill and ambition.

-Coun Mike Middleton, Chairman, Albion Task Group, Brighton and Hove City Council