Seagulls’ skipper delighted with new base

Gordon Greer pictured at training this week. Picture by Paul Hazlewood

Albion club officials had a look at St George’s Park and other top Premier League training grounds to gather ideas for the Mashbarn Lane complex.

The new 40-acre site is home to five first and development team pitches, seven pitches for (under-nine to under-18) and a pitch for local clubs and schools.

Albion’s club captain is delighted with how the site has taken shape and said: “To come from the university at Falmer to here, it’s night and day.

“The club have done a fantastic job preparing the whole facility for us. All the players are really relishing training here week in, week out.”

It proved to be a difficult end to last year’s campaign for the Seagulls as they suffered play-off heartache at the hands of Derby County.

But Greer is hopeful of a successful season this time out and said: “It was disappointing to lose out in the way we did.

“But I keep saying it’s such a tight league.

“As a side we will give everything that we have got and, hopefully, we can go further than we did last year.”