I was very disappointed by the article "Fury Over New Arena" which appeared in the Guardian last week.

I should declare an interest in the matter by stating that I have been a season ticket holder with Tooting & Mitcham FC for a number of seasons and began watching the team back in the 1960s.

There are no plans for what your correspondent called a 'massive 3,500 seater stadium'. The total capacity of the new ground is 3,500 with seating for 800.

When I saw the plans at the beginning of May there was certainly no two-storey residential building, only clubhouse facilities including function rooms which would be available to the local community if they wished to use them.

Your article goes on to quote a Mr Keetch, described as a spokesman, although of what it does not say, alleging that there would be a 'huge influx of people'. Please Mr Keetch, and whoever you represent, come along to Sandy Lane one Saturday afternoon and show me this huge influx.

We rarely get large crowds now and if you can be bothered to take some time to get to know us you will discover that we are a nice friendly bunch of people who local residents and traders do not want to see go.

Most of our supporters are locals who either walk or travel to games by public transport and the new Tramlink will enable those who come from further afield to leave their cars at home as well.

The all weather pitch will be available for use by local schools and youth clubs, so young people in the community will benefit from the proposals by having somewhere safe to go rather than get mown down on the roads as Ms Marriot seems to think will happen.

I am sure that shopkeepers in the area will welcome the extra trade the new stadium will generate and will gradually build up the same friendly relationship that we have with those in the Sandy Lane area.

Please come along to a home game and see for yourselves that you have nothing to worry about.

Our home campaign kicks off against Witham Town on Saturday August 29 at 3pm and I am sure that you will all be made most welcome. Support your local team!

NICK BARNES

Winterbourne Road

Thornton Heath

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.