A crowd of fewer than 5,000 for Tuesday night's visit of Walsall has certainly got alarm bells ringing in certain quarters — but what is the reason for the stay-away support?

I'm not sure the standard of football can really be blamed.

The Albion sit five points behind leaders Carlisle United in a league that, in spite of big guns Leeds United and Nottingham Forest, is there for the taking.

I shudder to think what kind of crowds would turn up at the Withdean if the Seagulls were five points off the bottom.

The smoking ban affecting the attendances doesn't wash with me: it's everywhere.

I'm afraid, to my mind, it all comes down to cost; the average adult ticket at the Albion now is approaching £25 — for what is Division 3 football and, unless you are one of just a few more than 1,500 sitting under some kind of cover, you are exposed to the elements.

In the current uncertainty over the economy and rising mortgage payments, people will pick and choose how they spend their leisure time.

Football was a big pull in days gone by, but it's now one of many other leisure activities.

To indicate times have changed, take the Walsall game.

Almost 31 years ago, the Albion played the Saddlers at the Goldstone in the old Division 3 and famously, after a goalless first half, hit seven past their opponents.

Peter Ward scored four and Ian Mellor grabbed a hat-trick.

The Goldstone attendance that night was a few hundred short of 15,000.

I know because my Dad took me and we sat in the West Stand.

It was £4 for him, £2.50 for me, with the programme costing 20p.

Had a father and son wanted to attend on Tuesday with comparative seats — i.e. main stand and under cover, it would have cost in excess of £40 for the pair and that's without a programme . . .

Are the Albion ultimately suffering from Falmer fatigue?

Talking to people, not only Albion, but local football fans, I hear them saying: 'Now Falmer is going to get built, I will go'.

But take a step back and consider this: ultimately Falmer is going to cost £70million.

As a business, the Albion will have recoup much of that £70million, and I would imagine that £25 will probably be one of the cheapest Falmer tickets.

Yes, fans will fill the stadium, but will it be on a regular basis?

Or will supporters saturated with TV football merely pick and choose their games?

That is still a few years down the line.

Now they have to put bums on seats at Withdean.

As someone who has paid a certain amount in advance as a season ticket holder, I would have no problem with the Albion going to youth football clubs all over the county and knocking out the spare seats for under a fiver for adults as well as children.

The loss of the Goldstone Ground and the rise of Premiership football has robbed the club of a whole generation of supporters.

If they don't keep trying to get the next generation back in, some matches at Falmer could be more akin to a Doris Stokes*** concert.

I realise that my jottings are read by all ages so just by way of explanation;

* Peter, Paul and Mary also sang it

** Dollar were a cheesy 70-80s chart act after which David Van Day ended up selling burgers in Churchill Square, Brighton.

***Doris Stokes was medium, looked more a "large" to me, who claimed she could talk to the "other side".

Was she a fraud? That's probably one for another column . . .