9 YEARS, 4 PROMOTIONS, 3 APPROVALS AND 2 RELEGATIONS: BRIGHTON FINALLY MOVE INTO THE AMEX STADIUM

After their 12 year 'temporary' stay at the Withdean stadium Brighton and Hove Albion FC are moving into their new home in Falmer.

 

Throughout their stay at the Withdean, The Albion gained 4 promotions, including two back-to-back promotions between 2000-02 (being named Division Three champions in 2001 and Division Two champions in 2002) and promotion this season after being named the Npower League 1 champions for the 2010/11 season. This means that they will move into their new stadium being just one division away from the Premier League. However they also suffered two relegations during their stay at the Withdean with the Seagulls being relegated in the 2002/03 season and the 2005/06 season.

 

Due to the move to the new 22,000 capacity all-seater stadium, which they have already sold 15,000 season tickets and now have a growing waiting list, there is optimism around Brighton and Hove Albion FC that they are now competing at the level they should be at and maybe that they are ready to press on and try to reach the Premier League, England's top division, which they have not competed in since 1982/83. They competed in the top flight for three seasons between 1980-83, and now believe that they are setting the foundations for a return.

 

The capacity they currently have at the Withdean is 8,500 and the new and improved capacity at the American Express Community Stadium will help the club generate more funds that they can use to improve the side.

 

Brighton's original home ground was the Goldstone Ground, which was where Brighton and Hove Albion played their matches between being founded in 1902 and 1997, since the club left the Goldstone Ground they have played in two other stadiums Gillingham's Priestfield Stadium 1997-99 and the athletics stadium in Brighton, the Withdean 1999-2011.

 

After Brighton left the Goldstone Ground in 1997, due to financial reasons, the club has been looking for a long-term home since. They failed in a bid to share grounds with Portsmouth at Fratton Park and eventually shared with Gillingham for two seasons at the Priestfield Stadium.

 

The Seagulls then moved again in 1999 moving to the Withdean, which meant they were back in Brighton as Priestfield was 50 miles away in Kent. In the 1998-99 season Brighton had indentified the Falmer site and hoped they could move in by the mid-2000s. Although they were granted planning permission in 2002 and hoped they could move in by the 2005-06 season, however the neighbouring Lewes District Council opposed the plans and put the plan in jeopardy. John Prescott (then Deputy Prime Minister) approved the plans and became the second person to give approval to the stadium in October 2005. Once again the Lewes District Council mounted a legal challenge to the stadium plan.

 

The issue was resolved though in July 2007 when Hazel Blears re-affirmed the approval on 27th July. The building began on 17th December 2008, six years after the original proposal was approved and was confirmed to finish in May 2011.

 

Which means that this summer after their 12 years stay at the Withdean stadium, Brighton and Hove Albion are finally going to move to the American Express Community Stadium.

 

 

Brighton will return to the Npower championship after a 5 year absence and have been given odds of 16/1 for promotion, meaning they are expected to finish their first season in their new Falmer stadium in mid-table and maybe even push for a play-off position.

After their impressive year in League 1 last season, gaining 95 points, in which time they recorded a club, post-war record of 8 wins in a row the seagulls have begun the task of building their side for next season.

They were unable to agree a new 3 year contract with top goal-scorer Glenn Murray, who has joined rivals Crystal Palace on a free transfer. After he scored 53 goals in 118 games for Brighton, 22 league goals last season, they moved quickly to replace him with Will Hoskins of Bristol Rovers who scored 20 goals last year from 47 games in a team that got relegated.

 

Gus Poyet has also moved quickly to sign Watford's young player of the year 2010/11 Will Buckley for a club record £1million, but has said that the club record maybe broken again as he looks to strengthen. Brighton have also been linked with a move for Newcastle's Kazenga Lua Lua, who had a loan spell at Brighton last season, where before he broke his leg scored 4 goals from 11 games. As Brighton look to strengthen the squad they risk losing key man in midfield Elliot Bennet, who is a reported £1million target for Premier League new boys Norwich.

 

No matter what happens next season for Brighton and what happens over the summer they will finally start the new season at their new home they have waited so long and so patiently for and will enjoy the challenge, hopefully they can end up with success, after all they they've waited long enough!