If a County League club have ambition of higher-grade non-league football, they will require to pay cash to players and they will be the better players.

Together, that will guarantee winning a league where others pay nothing, or very little.

Without ambition of higher-grade football what the hell are clubs paying their players for when money could be better spent?

People forget that the county have a rare commodity here, or could have.

Howard Griggs mentioned competing on a level playing field. I like to hear that in today's world and you have to remember our County League players play in a league where playing football is a long way second to having a full time job to do.

I agree with Mr Griggs that the standards have slipped and remember, but for the few, attendances are at an all-time low.

Players are changing clubs at an alarming rate, maybe three clubs a season in the quest for higher payments. County clubs lose some identity because they lose local players for money and who can blame the players?

Personally I could see fans returning if local teams fielded more local boys, competing on a "level playing field" - myself for starters.

Players can play without payment at this level and winning games would be more of a achievement, winning games at present with no payment is the greater achievement.

Rod Ralfe, Brighton.

BRUCE SAYS: Do any other readers have views on money in Sussex football?

Albion are certs I am an exiled Albion fan who was forced to leave Sussex.

My work was in London and I lived in Hertfordshire for 30 years after leaving Sussex at the age of 34. My association with Brighton and Hove Albion began just after the war, having been evacuated to Lancing from London in 1939.

My first support for Brighton was against Trowbridge in the FA Cup which Brighton won, I believe the score was 6-0. From that day they have been my team. This was, or though I can't be sure, in 1946-47. Although I have 500-600 Brighton programmes in my possession, that one is not among them.

I am now 71 years old and retired to Grimsby, where my family live and have been a season ticket holder for seven years at Grimsby Town.

Before I moved here I was on holiday with my son, obviously that week was by arrangement as Grimsby Town were playing Brighton and Hove Albion and I was well pleased with Clive Walker's goal that won the game for Brighton.

To earn a living you have to go where the money is and my biggest regret is not being able to have been to as many games as I would have liked at the Goldstone. Nevertheless, I saw quite a few over the years at the Goldstone, even though it was a 150 mile round trip to see them play at home. As far as I was concerned, I still had a choice of teams to see Brighton play, Watford, Leyton Orient, Luton, Arsenal, Spurs, Cambridge and Millwall were all 30-40 mile round trip. Whenever I could, I would be there.

My claim to fame was playing at the Goldstone Ground at the age of 15-16 in the Sussex Minor Cup replay for Lancing Boys Club v Rye Boys Club which we lost 3-2. We had played at Hastings Pilot Field in the first game and drew 1-1.

My regards to all that remember me in the Worthing, Lancing area and if there is anybody that remembers me at the Southern Publishing Co, where the Evening Argus was printed. I was often involved with working on the Brighton and Hove Albion programme, being a rookie compositor.

My congratulations to the Albion, I think they are a cert for promotion. My first wish is that Grimsby Town stay in Division One and hopefully Brighton and Hove will be looking forward to playing Grimsby the following year.

My greatest wish is that I will be around to see it happen, a further wish a draw home and away. Also I must add further congratulations to the way the Albion supporters have followed and supported their team at Gillingham and at Withdean. I only wish Grimsby Town could muster the same keenness as you are getting and I hope your new home at Falmer happens soon.

Frank Salter, Exiled Supporter of Brighton and Hove Albion.

BRUCE SAYS: As Andy Naylor's piece in this week's Seagull Scene shows, Albion's supporters are something different.

Fletch the marvel It was a tremendous performance and very exciting for all sport and cricket lovers with England winning the Test series 2-1 in Sri Lanka.

Our cricket and cricketers have been in the doldrums for a long time. At international level we have been beaten continuously by teams who, a short while ago, were not considered strong enough for five days of Test cricket.

It is a long time since we have beaten any of the top teams in world cricket. The times I have made excuses for our lads - it's cloudy, the wicket's taken spin, the others have had the best of the wicket, lost the toss again, the sight screens have not been painted this season. I made a million reasons why the England side were being beaten.

We have had coaches that I have had great confidence and respect for, but unfortunately they could not mould the England side into a fighting unit.

And now we have a coach, Mr Duncan Fletcher, who has managed to get the England side into playing as a team. And, as in most sports, team spirit and let's all pull in the same direction, is very often a winner.

The basis of the England cricket team has not changed a great deal over the years regarding players, they are all very experienced players.

Duncan Fletcher has moulded them into a team. You can see the difference in the way they work together, it's great, it's marvellous.

So congratulations to you sir.

Duncan Fletcher has had his application for British citizenship turned down. I wonder if there is someone at Westminster who could, or would, possibly help him in this situation?

Councillor Peter Willows, Hangleton Valley Drive, Hove.