The man who said “Yes” to Falmer said the stadium was one of the biggest decisions of his careers – but claimed it got him in trouble with his wife.

John Prescott’s “battle bus” rolled into Falmer for a tour of the grounds with Brighton and Hove’s Labour Party election hopefuls Simon Burgess, Nancy Platts and Celia Barlow.

The former deputy prime minister, who is standing down as an MP after final tour of the country’s 50 most important marginal constituencies, visited Brighton and Hove as party of Labour’s election campaign.

He said he was delighted with the stadium’s progress, but claimed the campaign to get it built had got him in trouble with his wife, Pauline.

Mr Prescott gave the plans the go-ahead in 2004 and issued the club the final “yes” it needed in 2007 so work could start.

But describing a giant Valentine’s he was sent by campaigners in 2004, Mr Prescott said: “I did have to convince my wife that it really was from a football ground.

“This has been one of the main things of my political life and what I see here today confirms that the decision was right.