Albion chief executive Martin Perry has pledged that pitch problems at Withdean will not be repeated at the club's proposed new stadium.

An expert has been employed and funds set aside to produce a good quality playing surface at Falmer. The Seagulls may also now re-consider undersoil heating to reduce the risk of postponements in cold weather.

Albion have been dogged by drainage problems at Withdean. The pitch resembled a swamp against Southend on New Year's Day and was waterlogged five days later, when they were due to play Lincoln.

Steps have been taken to ensure similar difficulties are not encountered at Falmer.

"We have a specialist contractor and consultant who has advised on the specification," Perry revealed.

"A modern pitch is built up with a series of drainage layers to a top surface so that water goes through it.

"The lowest part of the site is actually at pitch level. In other words it is all on a solid base so that we can deal with prolonged periods of rainfall.

"We have a large sum of money set aside purely for pitch construction."

Tomorrow's Withdean sell-out against Barnet has been frozen off after the freeze delayed emergency re-turfing.

Perry said: "Undersoil heating is something we can build in at Falmer.

"Up until last Sunday the number of teams suffering from frozen pitches in the south was relatively few, so there is a balance as to whether the additional cost of undersoil heating is justifiable.

"The advice we received was it probably isn't worth it. That is a decision we may review."