On occasions it has seemed Dale Winton had more chance of marrying Pamela Anderson than Albion did of submitting a planning application for Falmer stadium.

But on Monday afternoon the wait was finally over, the plans are at last at the council offices and another important chapter in Albion's history begins.

All credit to Martin Perry who has worked so hard on this project. It has at times affected his health, he has gone a long way to silencing his critics and detractors, but would be the first to admit that the saga has only really just begun.

Back in the dark days of the late Nineties, the Albion had to fight tooth and nail to move back from exile in Kent to Withdean Stadium.

But that was merely a skirmish, the road to Falmer will be the ultimate battle.

That battle will be made so much easier if the anti-Falmer brigade take a step back and look at the facts.

Brighton and Hove Albion have the ambition, potential and catchment area to gain, and more importantly maintain, a place in English football's elite.

But in order to do that they must have a stadium at Falmer.

I hope common sense will now prevail and the objectors realise that trying to stop this project will effect thousands of people in this county for generations to come.

Great to see the extremely enjoyable Vintage Vinners back in the Sports Argus.

This week's subject was former Albion inside forward Ian McNeill. However, I was somewhat surprised when the piece touched on McNeill's scouting duties.

He told John: "It was last October at Mansfield that I saw the Albion play. I was working for Wigan and they wanted Bobby Zamora. Brighton were asking £500,000."

First up it was December actually, but let's not split hairs, but the last sentence is the one that had me choking on my Frosties on Sunday morning.

I sincerely hope that McNeill had at that time been given incorrect information by Wigan, because I cannot even begin to explore the possibility that at any time last season Brighton were prepared to make a miserly £400,000 profit on Zamora.

More's the point, had they sold him, after the ensuing riot had finally subsided in early March, would the Albion have won the League? Surely it is all a wind up?

Gulls Eye 2, a fanzine more famous for nicking a name of one of its predecessors than anything else, passed a comment in its latest issue on how "reactionary" the staff at the original Eye had now become.

Having flicked through and sampled the content of the latest edition and learned what the current circulation figure of the magazine is, perhaps the editors should put their own house in order before having a go at Messrs Baine, Kennard, Samrah, Camillin and the rest.

Hartlepool boss Chris Turner now finds his Monkey Hangers propping up the rest of Football league.

Morally they should be playing in Division Two. Last season they played out their 46 league fixtures within the rules, came fourth and were eliminated in the play-offs by Blackpool.

Chesterfield, however, did not play by the book, they cheated and when the football authorities had the ultimate opportunity to punish them, they bottled it.

Then again, if the dreaded axe does fall on Turner he will not be the first honest manager to get the boot.