I have to admit that I am surprised the decision to hand over £15,000 from the Forty Note Fund to help pay Ben Roberts' wages has not been universally approved.

It was set up with the sole purpose of giving the fans an opportunity to do their bit and help the Albion in the fight against relegation.

I certainly don't share the view that the Albion board have got away with it by accepting the 15 grand from the fans towards the Roberts' deal.

Losing Michel Kuipers through injury does weaken Albion and to replace him with a goalkeeper of Premiership standard is certainly strengthening the side, which is what the fund is all about.

One supporter stopped me in the street and said that, regardless of the fund, the Albion had to get another keeper. But without the input from the 40 Note Fund would he have come from the top flight?

He possibly might have, but would that have tied up most of the money Dick Knight had available for Steve Coppell?

This way Albion get both Roberts and still have a chance to get someone else in to replace Steve Sidwell.

Martin Perry contacted both Mike Middleton and Doug Clarke and asked for the sum towards the loan deal, bearing in mind that the goalkeeper is quite an important position.

Did any Albion supporter, whether they donated or not, expect the Fund's trustees to refuse the club's request?

I cannot speak for the other people who helped set up the fund, but if any Albion fan is really that aggrieved about the way the money has been spent I'd be more than happy to refund them their original £40 if it was down to me.

The fund's coffers, now totalling more than any other independent collection by supporters in the Albion's history, should be further swelled on Thursday February 13 when the Coral Stadium in Hove kindly hosts a night of greyhound racing in aid of the fund.

The club are playing their part by donating framed signed shirts of Ben Roberts and Michel Kuipers which will be auctioned and the Argus girls will be on hand to sell tickets for a raffle where the top prize is a digital TV.

Tickets including a meal cost £25 and tables can be booked in multiples of four and six. For further details contact Chris Huet on 01903 211310.

As exciting as the advent of e-mail is, it certainly has muddied the waters when it comes to receiving hate mail.

No longer can a recipient categorise items of abuse by whether they are written in crayon or joined-up writing. With the information super highway the only thing you can really latch on to are the punctuation and the spelling.

But having co-edited a fanzine for nine years, they are not exactly things I haven't come across before.

I am indebted to Tim Hodges, who actually goes by the name of 'Albion Tim', who took the time and trouble to send me an e-mail entitled 'More seats for Brighton People.'

Tim begins by accusing me of muscling in on the Albion even though Worthing boasts two non-league football teams, invites me to attend Woodside Road instead of Withdean, likens me to a Manchester United fan living in Maidstone (I feel a solicitor's letter coming on) and says that only people from Brighton and Hove should be allowed to watch Albion.

Imagine if Tim had his way and next week's match against Wimbledon was restricted to Tim and his 'City Boys.' A full house? Somehow I don't think so, but build a stadium at Falmer and let the rest still come and it'll be packed week in week out.

As it is, back-to-back league wins against Walsall and the Dons could result in Brighton getting out of the bottom three and, wherever anyone lives, that truly would be, to quote a legend of the airwaves, "Great news for Albion fans everywhere!"