Brighton & Hove Albion does not live up to the English cliché and is therefore perhaps extra great to visit: the Seagulls have a modern stadium and Brighton is one of the nicest and sunniest coastal towns in England.
Brighton & Hove Albion may not have the name of England's most flashiest club, but it could be worse for Seagulls supporters. The club, which has played among the lower levels for almost its entire history, has managed to sustain itself without too much effort after promotion to the Premier League in 2017. And the away fans of the Premier League are happy about that, because a trip to the coastal town of Brighton offers opportunities for a few beautiful sunny days on the British south coast in this cosmopolitan city.
The stadium with its long sponsored name, is referred to by most as 'The AMEX.’ It is located a little outside of Brighton in Falmer, near the university. Unlike most British stadiums, it is in a fairly rural area. No picturesque stadium here where you have to plow through people's backyards to get to the stands. The keyword here was probably 'accessibility', because the stadium is located right next to an exit from the A27 and Falmer train station.
Aesthetically, we don't get an overly warm feeling from looking at the outside of The AMEX, which is barely decorated in club colours or football club-related frills. The best part is its location in a hilly area, so you can grind right along the eaves along Village Way at street level.
The stadium can fit just over 30,000 people, but it feels smaller and cosier. The chairs are padded in a beautiful Brighton blue, with a nice detail being the white seagulls that are incorporated in the seats.
If there was one club that needed a new stadium, it was Brighton. The club had to leave their beloved Goldstone Ground due to bad owners leading to financial problems and even played two seasons at Gillingham, an hour and a half away. It then found a temporary home in the Withdean Stadium, a small athletics stadium crammed with outdoor emergency stands. Although Brighton is one of the cities with the most hours of sunshine in the whole of Great Britain, it was still a bit of a struggle here at times, especially as most stands were uncovered.
When Brighton played at Withdean Stadium it was by far the ugliest stadium in the Football League. It still exists, although it has resumed its old function of an athletics stadium with various non-league clubs playing there. You'll find the stadium in the north of Brighton on Tongdean Lane, near the intersection with Withdean Road.
Although Brighton & Hove Albion now plays football far outside the city, the club's roots are certainly in the middle of the city. In the centre of town is the beautiful Seven Stars Pub and this is where the club was founded in 1901. The pub sits at 27 Ship Street, not far from the sea, and you can recognise it by its striking red awning.
How does an little-known Spanish footballer become a hero on the English south coast? Perhaps he also asks this himself, but Bruno, who ended up at Brighton at the age of 31, had a fairly anonymous career in Spain. Not only will it have been his credit, but from the moment the Spaniard came in, things started changing at Brighton, leading to promotion to the Premier League.
After his career came to an end, a mural of Bruno with a crown, was immediately created by the locals. The anger was immense when it disappeared to make way for a dull advertisement.
Everyone in Brighton agreed that there had to be a new one made. And it came. On the side of 85 Ditchling Road, is the captain with the text 'Once a Seagull, always a Seagull'. El Capitán himself came by to give his approval to the artwork.
Due to the stadium's location, you do not immediately have a choice of a few good pubs as you do other English cities. You do have Dick's Bar, in the stadium itself, in the North Stand.
Dick's Bar refers to honorary president Dick Knight, the saviour of the club in the late 1990s. Next to the bar is the club museum in which a lot of attention is paid to the fan experience around the club, now and in the past.
There are still quite a few matches at Brighton that go in the general sale. However, this is not the case for large matches and the match is often already sold out a month or two before, in the phase where only members can buy tickets. So if you don't want to miss out, it's best to become a member of the club, which costs 30 pounds per season for international fans.
Tip: don't sit too high up on the first tier. This runs quite far under the second ring, so that you can hardly see anything of the other stands from those places. It is better to sit in the main stand (the West Stand), because this stand is a bit higher than the rest and you get a beautiful view of the hilly Sussex Downs from the loftier places.
Brighton’s stadium is easily accessible via train and bus. The price of your match ticket includes travel to the game from various areas within Sussex, meaning you can travel freely from 3 hours before the game up until 3 hours after the match has ended. Take the train from Brighton or Lewes station to Falmer and you’ll be there in 10 minutes. Alternatively, there are multiple buses to the stadium from the centre of Brighton. Bus 25 drops you off just outside of the South Stand.
Alternatively, there are multiple park and ride schemes all over the city.
Images: Shutterstock, BSR Agency
