Brighton have revealed their masterplan for an £80million new stadium that will be attached to their current ground, the Amex.
It will be home to the Seagulls’ women’s team, hold a minimum of 10,000 fans and be accessed from a walkway connected to the bigger arena adjacent to it. When constructed, it will be the first purpose-built women’s stadium in Europe.
The club want the stadium to be ready for the 2030-31 campaign and work is underway for a planning application.
Bennett’s Field is where the women’s ground is to be built and the plan is to ‘provide a permanent home and identity’, say the club.
A mocked-up image of how the grounds will look alongside each other shows an ultra-modern stadium just a stone’s throw from the Amex.
Spaces in the new arena will accommodate female players and fans more than existing stadiums around the country.
A mock-up image shows where the new women’s ground will be located next to the Amex
Brighton will put in breastfeeding rooms, baby changing areas and places for prams to be parked.
The Premier League side view it as a huge opportunity for growth and have designed the space to be ‘especially welcoming for families and first-time attendees’.
Brighton’s WSL side have occasionally played at the Amex but more often than not run out at Crawley Town’s Broadfield Stadium, about 20 miles away so their new home will be a welcome change.
‘The prospect of a bespoke stadium, built exclusively for women’s players, staff and supporters, is incredibly exciting,’ said the club’s managing director of women’s and girls’ football, Zoe Johnson.
‘It is a project that is the first of its kind in the UK and Europe, and one of only three in the world, and will capture the imagination of stakeholders across the women’s game, not just here, but globally.’
Brighton chairman and owner Tony Bloom said at a press conference: ‘I’m extremely excited. We’ve been discussing those plans for quite a long time. We knew we wanted to bring women’s football, our team, back to Brighton.
‘We had to work long and hard to find exactly the right location to make it work.
‘It’s a really exciting time for the club and the women’s team, particularly for the young players because it’s for them and the many generations that will come after them.
Brighton’s WSL side have been predominantly playing at Broadfield Stadium (above)
‘We massively believe in women’s football both in Sussex and nationally and across the globe.
‘Being the first designated stadium in the UK helps raise the profile in this country and abroad.
‘It’s a big moment, I’m proud that Brighton are at the forefront of women’s football and I’m excited for the future.’
