Our report for Day Five is written by CrabtreeBHA...

Get some coffee, this may take sometime:

I wandered into Brighton Town Hall like a Sheep walking into a pack of Cardiff Fans - Nervous and not quite sure what to expect!
Mr Lee/Leigh the BHAFC Transport Expert was in the box answering questions from some NIMBY bloke (didn't catch his name and he wasn't Mr White). I entered part way through the Train conversation at Shoreham Port, the NIMBY bloke said "London trains stop at Aldrington..." virtually everyone shook their head knowing this to be false. More conversation on Shoreham Port trains such as Portslade being able to take 12carriages compared to Falmers 6, before that was dropped in favour of the Buses, now things started to get interesting.

The NIMBY bloke had "evidence" from various local Coach/Bus companies who said they would supply motors for Events, Mr Lee responded with hard evidence that he consulted various Bus/Coach companies and NONE of them could agree to lay on a number of motors for only 22 Saturdays per year, one of the Companies even said that Saturdays they use many for Weddings and such like activities. The only form of Buses to be used (as it seemed to me) would be that in the form of a Park And Ride facility, not by just "upping" the usual bus numbers on certain routes for the proposed sites (including Falmer).

It was at this point the lovely secretary bird got up and wandered off to the powder room, her blonde/brownish hair in a pony tail swinging back and forth and back and forth..................aahh yes the Inquiry.
I also noticed the FPC Crew on the far side, one old dear was fast asleep with her head tilted right back over her chair, her bloke gave her a nudge and she awoke from her dream of feeding the ducks and elephants at Falmer Pond. I then too, like Easy, wished the Lanterns above would come crashing down...but alas they stayed put.

Then the Falmer "Expert" brought up a Map of Ashburton Grove (Arsenals new ground) with various coloured areas signifying Residential Parking Parameters or such like. It looked as though a 5year old had got loose with the crayons as Mr Lee couldn't make out a "Green Area" and the Inspector had to find it himself, eventually the Falmer bloke got onto the Parking and saying how it was going to work. Irrelevant as Mr Lee pointed out that the Secretary Of State, in his letter, wanted answers on a 22,000 stadium NOT a 60,000+ stadium. Also that Arsenal would be able to afford the admin costs of £2.5m+ and various other aspects in getting a Parking Scheme of that nature underway, and that it was far too expensive each year for a 22,000 stadium to do.

Waterhall was then brought up with ping-pong match about the possibility of a station, the Falmer bloke reckoned it would cost about £5mil but Mr Lee had stated that he spoke to some Train Authority (forget the name, WSP or something) and that quote was miles off his of £30mil and that the main London-Brighton route would not withstand building an extra station for just 22odd Saturdays a year and a few night games. The impact of that was too much and worthless is the way I read it all.

Then Walking to Waterhall, NIMBY bloke quotes its under 2miles from the nearest station (Preston Park).....in a straight line yes, but as Mr Lee pointed out, once you take into account walking routes (i.e. down proper roads and not through peoples houses) it goes well over 2miles. Obviously Falmer wins this area with the station being so close, then the argument of How to get to Waterhall by foot anyway, with just a small tunnel at one end and a dangerous A road either side!

"15% of the conurbation could cycle to Waterhall" was the next side splitting comment from the NIMBY, again General Lee put him in his place saying that's a possibility but how would they all fit through the tunnel!?! I just hope the Inspector or JP at best understand that a very very small percentage do actually cycle to matches, if not then this could go against us.
It seemed as though the NIMBY bloke had done his homework more thoroughly in Waterhalls case than Mr Lee had done, maybe we are concentrating on putting THV & Sheepcote down more realising that Waterhall and the two shoreham sites are just pointless additions, who knows!?

It was at this point that just after an hour my brain began to cease up, after all the years of hating the NIMBYS and laughing at their arguments, all the anger that's vented up inside me - sitting there listening to their complete drivel - it all built up even more, and now having come away I feel even more hard done by, even more hatred than I ever have before.

But the best was saved for last, the NIMBY bloke said in relation to walking to Events "Football fans are not like other people" (or words to that effect) basically stating that we went further out of our way to go to games, yes True in some points but its the way he said it that made me just wanna crush his head like the mouldy grape of a brain he must have, many others around me also couldn't believe what they had just heard. I mean many of us go out of our way to get to work on time...does that make us any different from other people?!

He wanted another 30mins on the Cement Works & Airport sites but the Inspector called lunch.

I left with a feeling of hatred and anger that i have never felt before, its not like hating coldplay, its more than that, its more in the heart and soul - thinking my 2 year old godson might never get to see BHA if this never gets resolved - thinking of the look on my 75 year old grandads face as I tell him this weekend that the Stadium is still not closer...all he wants is a stadium to watch BHA in, its all we want too!

But after the brief trip I felt like Gillingham Fan walking into a Trailor Park - Excited and pleased with what I had just witnessed, because for me we won that hour at least. I shall return tomorrow and Thursday so I hope you join me for more exciting tales form the darkest depths of Brighton Town Hall.

Any questions just shout, I'll remember to take a notepad & pen tomorrow!