THE victory is resounding. The people of Brighton and Hove have called for the Albion to come home.

Now what better way to welcome them than for everyone to work together to build a community football stadium at Falmer that's fit for the 21st century.

The fight has been vociferous on both sides and passions have run high. It has been tainted by unhelpful allegations and misinformation.

But the arguments for and against have been debated vigorously and now the people of Brighton and Hove have left no doubt about what they want.

Amassive 84 per cent voted for the Seagulls to come home, and an overwhelming 68 per cent said the best place for the field of dreams was at Falmer.

They want to see their team, now languishing near the foot of the League, riding high again.Pressure from the fans has helped to bring them to Withdean Stadium for next season and put an end to the 70-mile trip to Kent to roar them on.

The club has done marvellously to survive in its exile. But the only way to get them back to their their proper place among the big boys of soccer is to have them playing at this state-of the art stadiumn.

Dick Knight, chairman of the club, must deliver his promises to everyone, not just the fans but the people of Falmer too. And Brighton and Hove Council, which owns the land, must play its part to ensure the club's homecoming is a triumph.

That fold in the Downs was always the best available site for the future and the people's vote is not only confirmation of that fact but also a sure sign that it is now time to bury the hatchet.

Let's make sure that if the new sports stadium is built (there is still a public inquiry to come) it is a jewel in our splendid crown but also causes the minimum disruption around Falmer.

We must all ensure that everything is done to minimise traffic and noise nuisance and harm to the environment. We must not let this be a monstrosity scarring the landscape.

If everything is done right, as we are confident it will be, the worst that most of the villagers at Falmer will suffer will be the sounds of cheering when the Seagulls score.

There is not another league ground within 40 miles and the potential catchment area has more than two million people.

It only needs a good cup run or a serious promotion bid and the Seagulls could comfortably fit 25,000 fans into this sparkling new stadium. Just the thing for the club to start to balance the books.

And the stadium must not be just for football. It must be a true community stadium, creating local jobs during and after construction. It must be a magnet for investment, linked to the nearby universities.

And it must serve as a multi-purpose facility with a sports hall that can be used by local schoolchildren and students. We all cheered when Albion reached the Cup Final back in 1983.

Now rejoice in the heritage ofalmost a hundred years of the Seagulls, put differences aside and welcome the stadium that can serve us all well and, hopefully, bring again the glory days. It's in everyone's interest - and everyone must work together to achieve the dream.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.