Knight’s generation game says it all

6:06am Wednesday 25th July 2007

Albion chairman Dick Knight was joined by his children as he stood in the Goldstone directors' box for the first and last time ten years ago.

When the team finally run out at Falmer, Mr Knight will be joined by the six grandchildren born in the decade that has passed.

It is a telling signal of how the lives of all Albion fans have changed from those dark final days at the Goldstone. But throughout the long struggle the club's determination to reach the promised land of Falmer has never wavered.

Mr Knight said: "I make the children analogy because the children are very much who this stadium will benefit - from youngsters using our community programmes to future generations for decades to come.

"Brighton could never be a true city until today.

Every great city needs a great arena - and that is exactly what Falmer will be.

"Today we are enjoying a celebratory glass of champagne but we cannot celebrate fully until we know there will be no more appeals. Now I just implore Lewes District Council and other opponents to accept the decision and work with us. To use a football analogy, we are now winning in extra time and we are just waiting for the final whistle.

"All the fans and campaigners, led so brilliantly by Paul Samrah, should be proud of themselves. Today is a triumph for football, community and democracy.

"The potential to unlock our community work is huge. It is clear the Government has taken all the benefits of the stadium into account." Mr Knight said the "wrong" decision would have spelt disaster for the club.

He added: "There simply was no Plan B. If there was I would have gone to it years ago.

"Falmer was the only viable choice for the club and without it we would have been condemned to lower-league football and possibly been driven out of business. It doesn't bear thinking about."

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