By Cian Duffy
May 5 2002

According to The Argus, Brighton’s local paper, former Chairman Bill Archer, subject of the song ‘Build a Bonfire’, has agreed... According to The Argus, Brighton’s local paper, former Chairman Bill Archer, subject of the song ‘Build a Bonfire’, has agreed to sell his remaining stake in the club, approx. 33%, to current chairman Dick Knight, and has also agreed to cancel the debt of £1.4Million owed to him by the club.

While this report is as yet unconfirmed, it is very good news for the fans that tirelessly worked to get Dick Knight’s consortium in as owners of the club during the dark days of the mid-1990’s.

Bill Archer is the chairman of leading DIY group, Focus, and was chairman of the club for a time after Greg Stanley, another Focus executive, left the position.

It was under Archer that the club made the descent from the 2nd Division down to the very bottom of the Football League, only being saved from playing Vauxhall Conference football on the last day of the 1996/1997 season. After Archers departure form the Chairman’s spot, the club eventually managed to improve, and eventually secured promotion to the 2nd Division, and recently, promotion to the 1st Division