Your article "Maradona eyes up Albion" (The Argus, October 4) made a great front page story but Albion fans may be a little sceptical to learn that Diego Maradona and Ossie Ardiles are "keen to invest" in the club.

Most people invest in a venture with a view to making a profit, although there are some notable benefactors in the world of football, such as Jack Walker at Blackburn and Roman Abramovich at Chelsea.

On the other hand, there are investors, such as the Glazer family, now the owners of Manchester United. Having supported the Albion for 50 years, I have witnessed most of the club's post-war history. During that period, the best chairmen have been Mike Bamber and the present incumbent, Dick Knight.

The reason is not hard to find. Both combined considerable business acumen in and outside football with being a lifelong Albion fan.

By contrast, the most infamous chairman, Bill Archer, had no apparent interest in football and no apparent connections with Sussex.

To the best of my knowledge, he never stood on the terraces at the Goldstone ground in his youth.

I am not suggesting the Albion Board should reject out of hand any potential investors who do not have such credentials.

The club operates in a commercial environment and billionaire

benefactors are somewhat thin on the ground. Substantial funds for either Falmer or team strengthening would be most welcome, whatever the sources.

However, supporters will want to be assured the long-term interests and potential of the Albion are not jeopardised by short-term opportunism or publicity stunts.

It follows, therefore, that any future investors have to be the right people with the right motives.

-Brian Venables, Hove