Amex Stadium

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The stadium serves as the home of Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion, and was handed over from the developers to the club on 31 May 2011. The first competitive game played at the stadium was the 2010–11 season final of the Sussex Senior Cup between Brighton and Eastbourne Borough on 16 July 2011. The first league game was against Doncaster Rovers, who were also the opponents in the last game played at Brighton's former stadium, the Goldstone Ground, 14 years earlier. Falmer Stadium hosted Premier League football for the first time in August 2017, following Albion's promotion at the end of the 2016–17 season. Falmer Stadium hosted European football for the first time on 21 September 2023 when Brighton played against AEK in the UEFA Europa League.

In Their Own Story

The opening day of the 2011–12 season at Falmer Stadium. Brighton faced Doncaster Rovers, the same opposition that had played the last match at the Goldstone Ground in 1997. The game finished 2–1 to Brighton. For supporters who had followed the club through the years at Gillingham and Withdean, this was the moment the club finally had a home again. The stadium had been built after years of failed attempts at other sites, with Tony Bloom's funding making it possible. Under manager Gus Poyet, Brighton had won League One in their final season at Withdean, and now they began life in the Championship at their new ground. The stadium would later see Brighton finish fourth in the 2012–13 season and lose in the play-off semi-finals to Crystal Palace. It was under Chris Hughton that the ground truly became a fortress, with Brighton starting the 2016–17 season with an 18-match unbeaten run that took them to the top of the league. That season, they finished second in the Championship and were promoted to the Premier League.

Reader's Guide

The stadium was designed to allow hosting for other sports and events. It hosted some matches from the 2015 Rugby World Cup and the UEFA Women's Euro 2022. It also hosted some 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup fixtures.

Did You Know?

• The stadium is set three storeys down into the ground, with 138,000 cubic metres of chalk excavated during construction.
• The stadium uses hawks to scare away seagulls and pigeons.
• The first competitive match at the stadium was the Sussex Senior Cup final on 16 July 2011, with Gary Hart scoring the first goal.
• The current record attendance of 31,876 was set against Manchester City on 24 April 2024.

Foundational History and Early Struggles

Brighton & Hove Albion were founded in 1901 and played their early professional football in the Southern League. They were elected to the Football League in 1920, joining the new Third Division. In the Southern League, they won their only national honour to date, the FA Charity Shield, by defeating Football League champions Aston Villa in 1910. They won the Third Division South title in the 1957–58 season, securing promotion to the Second Division. Relegation came in 1962, followed by a successive relegation in 1963 that dropped them into the Fourth Division for the first time. They won the Fourth Division title in 1964–65 and remained in the Third Division until 1972, when they secured promotion back to the Second Division as runners-up.

The Mike Bamber Era and Historic Finals

Mike Bamber was chairman from October 1972 until 1983. He brought Brian Clough to the club in 1973 and later appointed Alan Mullery as manager. Under Mullery, Brighton were promoted to the First Division as Second Division runners-up in 1979. The 1982–83 season saw Brighton relegated, finishing in last place, but that same season they reached their first FA Cup final. The first match against Manchester United ended in a 2–2 draw, with goals from Gordon Smith and Gary Stevens. The match featured an infamous miss by Gordon Smith with the last kick of the game in extra time, prompting BBC commentator Peter Jones to say '...and Smith must score.' Smith's kick was saved by Manchester United goalkeeper Gary Bailey. Manchester United won the replay 4–0.

Financial Crisis and Survival Against the Odds

After four seasons, relegation to Division Three came in 1987, but Brighton were promoted back the next season. In 1991 they lost the play-off final at Wembley to Notts County 3–1, only to be relegated the next season. Further relegation came in 1996 to Division Three. The club's financial situation became increasingly precarious, and the directors decided to sell the Goldstone Ground to pay off debts. Manager Jimmy Case was sacked after a poor start to the 1996–97 season. Steve Gritt was appointed manager, and Brighton's league performance improved, but a two-point deduction was imposed for a pitch invasion by fans protesting the sale of the Goldstone Ground. Lifelong fan Dick Knight took control of the club in 1997, having led fan pressure to oust the previous board. On the last day of the season, Brighton had to play Hereford United to avoid relegation from the Football League. Brighton defender Kerry Mayo scored an own goal in the first half, but a late goal from Robbie Reinelt ensured Brighton retained their league status based on number of goals scored, while Hereford's 25-year league run ended.

Modern Renaissance and European Ambitions

The sale of the Goldstone Ground went through in 1997, forcing Brighton to play 70 miles away at Gillingham's Priestfield Stadium for two seasons. Micky Adams was appointed manager in 1999. For the 1999–2000 season, Brighton secured a lease to play at Withdean Stadium, a converted athletics track. In 2000–01, Brighton were crowned champions of Division Three and promoted to Division Two. Adams left in October 2001, replaced by Peter Taylor, and Brighton ended the season as Division Two champions, winning a second successive promotion. In May 2009, Tony Bloom replaced Dick Knight as chairman, securing £93 million funding for the new Falmer Stadium and a 75% shareholding. Brighton's final season at Withdean was 2010–11, in which they won League One under Gus Poyet. The Falmer Stadium opened in 2011. In the 2016–17 season, Brighton finished second in the EFL Championship and were promoted to the Premier League, ending a 34-year absence from the top flight. In the 2022–23 season, Brighton finished sixth in the Premier League, their highest top flight finish ever, and qualified for the UEFA Europa League, their first participation in European club football.