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Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club (), commonly referred to simply as Brighton, is an English professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
club based in the city of
Brighton and Hove Brighton and Hove () is a city and unitary authority in East Sussex, England. It consists primarily of the settlements of Brighton and Hove, alongside neighbouring villages. Often referred to synonymously as Brighton, the City of Brighton and H ...
. They compete in the
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
, the top tier of the
English football league system The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for men's association football clubs in England, with five teams from Wales, one from Guernsey, one from Jersey and one from the Isl ...
. The club's home ground is the 31,800-capacity
Falmer Stadium The Falmer Stadium, known for sponsorship purposes as the American Express Community Stadium and also referred to as the Amex, is a football stadium in the village of Falmer, in the City of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex. With a capacity of 31 ...
, situated in
Falmer Falmer is a small village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England, lying between Brighton and Lewes, approximately five miles (8 km) north-east of the former. It is also the site of Brighton & Hove Albion's Falmer ...
to the north east of the city. Founded in 1901, and nicknamed the "Seagulls" or "
Albion Albion is an alternative name for Great Britain. The oldest attestation of the toponym comes from the Greek language. It is sometimes used poetically and generally to refer to the island, but is less common than 'Britain' today. The name for Scot ...
", Brighton played their early professional football in the Southern League, before being elected to the
Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
in 1920. Prior to the current, continuing stint in the Premier League, the club enjoyed greatest prominence between 1979 and 1983 when they played in the First Division and reached the
1983 FA Cup Final The 1983 FA Cup Final was contested by Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion at Wembley Stadium. Manchester United were the favourites, as Brighton had been relegated from the First Division that season, and had never reached a cup fin ...
, losing to
Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
after a replay. They were relegated from the First Division in the same season. By the late 1990s, Brighton were in the fourth tier of English football and were having financial difficulties. After narrowly avoiding relegation from the Football League to the
Conference A conference is a meeting of two or more experts to discuss and exchange opinions or new information about a particular topic. Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always decisions, are the main p ...
in 1997, a boardroom takeover saved the club from liquidation. Successive promotions in 2001 and 2002 brought Brighton back to the second tier, and in 2011, the club moved into the Falmer Stadium after 14 years without a permanent home ground. In the 2016–17 season, Brighton finished second in the
EFL Championship The English Football League Championship (often referred to as the Championship for short or the Sky Bet Championship for sponsorship purposes) is the highest division of the English Football League (EFL) and second-highest overall in the E ...
and were thus promoted to the Premier League, ending a 34-year absence from the top flight.


History


Formation and early years (1901–1972)

Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. were founded in 1901 and 19 years later, in 1920, they were elected to
the Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
's new Third Division – having previously been members of the Southern League. In the Southern League they won their only national honour to date, the
FA Charity Shield The Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield) is English football's annual match contested at Wembley Stadium between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup. If the Premier Le ...
, which at that time was contested by the champions of the Southern League, and the Football League, by defeating Football League Champions
Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...
in 1910. Following their switch to the regionalised division three south in 1921, they remained in this division until the 1957–1958 season, when they won the title and secured promotion to the Second Division at the same time as the regionalised north and south divisions de-regionalised into a third and fourth division for the 1958–1959 season. Albion retained their second tier status until relegation in 1962, suffering a successive relegation in 1963 and slipping into the fourth division for the first time. They won the fourth division title in 1964-1965 and remained in the third division until 1972 when as runners up they secured promotion back to the second division.


Mike Bamber years (1972–1987)

Mike Bamber Mike Bamber (16 October 1930 – 11 July 1988) was a British businessman and football executive. He was chairman of Brighton & Hove Albion for a period of more than ten years during the 1970s and 1980s during which time he oversaw the footba ...
was the chairman of Brighton from October 1972 until 1983. He famously brought
Brian Clough Brian Howard Clough ( ; 21 March 1935 – 20 September 2004) was an English football player and manager, primarily known for his successes as a manager with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. He is one of four managers to have won the Englis ...
to the club in 1973 and later appointed former England player
Alan Mullery Alan Patrick Mullery (born 23 November 1941) is an English former footballer and manager. After enjoying a successful career with Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur, and the England national team in the 1960s and 1970s, he became a manager working with ...
as manager. Brighton's life as a
Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
club had brought little in the way of success and headlines until 1979, when, under Mullery's management, they were promoted to the First Division as
Second Division In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...
runners-up A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements.
. The 1982/83 season saw a wildly inconsistent start for the club, with victories over
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
and
Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
mixed in with heavy defeats. Manager Mike Bailey eventually lost his job at the start of December 1982.
Jimmy Melia James Melia (born 1 November 1937) is an English former footballer who spent most of his career playing for Liverpool and went on to become a manager. Playing career Liverpool Melia joined the Reds straight from St. Anthony's School as a 15- ...
took over as manager, but was unable to turn the situation around and Brighton, after four seasons in the top flight, were relegated in 1983, finishing in last place. Despite their relegation, that season Brighton reached their first (and only to date)
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
final and drew 2–2 with
Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
in the first match. Brighton's goals were scored by
Gordon Smith Gordon Smith may refer to: In politics *Gordon H. Smith (born 1952), former U.S. Senator from Oregon, and current Area Authority for the LDS Church * Gordon Elsworth Smith (1918–2005), Canadian politician * Gordon Smith (academic) (1927–2009), ...
and Gary Stevens. The final featured an infamous "miss" by Gordon Smith with virtually the last kick of the game in extra time, prompting the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
commentator Peter Jones to utter the well-known phrase "...and Smith must score". However, Smith's kick was saved by the Manchester United goalkeeper,
Gary Bailey Gary Richard Bailey (born 9 August 1958) is a former footballer who made nearly 300 appearances in the Football League playing as a goalkeeper for Manchester United. Born in Ipswich, Suffolk, he grew up in South Africa, but went on to be capped ...
. In the replay, Manchester United won 4–0.


Brief revival, relegation and last years at the Goldstone (1987–1997)

After four seasons, relegation to Division Three came in 1987, but the Albion 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 to the newly-named Division Two. In 1996 further relegation came to Division Three. The club's financial situation was becoming increasingly precarious, and the club's directors decided that the
Goldstone Ground The Goldstone Ground (or The Goldstone) was a football stadium in Hove, East Sussex that was the home ground of Brighton & Hove Albion between 1902 and 1997. History The Goldstone Ground stood on Old Shoreham Road, Hove, opposite Hove Park ...
would have to be sold to pay off some of the club's large debts. Manager
Jimmy Case James Robert Case (born 18 May 1954) is an English retired professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He gained national prominence with Liverpool in the 1970s and early 1980s. Early life Case was brought up in Allerton and was a dis ...
was sacked, after a very poor start to the 1996–97 season left Brighton at the bottom of the league by a considerable margin. The club's directors appointed
Steve Gritt Stephen John "Steve" Gritt (born 31 October 1957) is an English former football player, manager and scout. His playing career included spells at Charlton Athletic, AFC Bournemouth and Walsall. He was joint manager of Charlton for four years an ...
, the former joint manager of
Charlton Athletic Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, south-east London, which compete in . Their home ground is The Valley, where the club have played since 1919. They have also played at The Mount in C ...
, as manager -- Gritt was relatively unknown. Brighton's league performance steadily improved under Gritt, although their improving chances of survival were put under further threat by a two-point deduction by the
Football Association The Football Association (also known as The FA) is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest football association in the world an ...
, imposed as punishment for a pitch invasion by fans who were protesting against the sale of the
Goldstone ground The Goldstone Ground (or The Goldstone) was a football stadium in Hove, East Sussex that was the home ground of Brighton & Hove Albion between 1902 and 1997. History The Goldstone Ground stood on Old Shoreham Road, Hove, opposite Hove Park ...
. A lifelong fan named Dick Knight took control of the club in 1997 having led the fan pressure to oust the previous board following their sale of the club's Goldstone Ground to property developers. By the last day of the season, after being 13 points adrift at one stage, they had risen from the bottom of the division table and had to play the team directly below them,
Hereford United Hereford United Football Club was an association football club based in Hereford, England. They played at Edgar Street for their entire history. They were nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites', after their predominantly white kit, or 'The ...
, to retain their position in the league. If Brighton won or drew, they would be safe. Brighton defender
Kerry Mayo Kerry Mayo (born 21 September 1977) is an English former professional footballer who played as a Defender (association football)#Full-back, left back. Career Born in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, Mayo was a trainee with Brighton & Hove Albion F. ...
scored an own goal in the first half, and it appeared that Brighton's 77-year league career was over. But a late goal from
Robbie Reinelt Robert Squire Reinelt (born 11 March 1974) is an English former professional association football, footballer. He played for Aldershot F.C., Aldershot, Gillingham F.C., Gillingham, Colchester United F.C., Colchester United, Brighton & Hove Albio ...
ensured that Brighton retained their league status, based on number of goals scored (despite Hereford having a better goal difference as, in the Football League at the time, goals scored took precedence), and Hereford's 25-year league run was instead over.


Withdean era and takeover (1997–2011)

The sale of the Goldstone Ground went through in 1997, leading to Brighton having to play some 70 miles away at Gillingham's
Priestfield stadium Priestfield Stadium (popularly known simply as Priestfield and officially known from 2007 to 2010 as KRBS Priestfield Stadium and from 2011 as MEMS Priestfield Stadium for sponsorship purposes) is a football stadium in Gillingham, Kent. It has ...
for two seasons.
Micky Adams Michael Richard Adams (born 8 November 1961) is an English former professional association football, footballer and football manager. As a player, he was a Full-back (football), full back, and made a total of 438 league appearances in a ninete ...
was appointed Brighton's manager in 1999. For the start of the 1999–2000 season the Seagulls secured a lease to play home games at
Withdean Stadium Withdean Stadium is an athletics stadium in Withdean, a suburb of Brighton. It was constructed in 1930. It was the home track of Olympic athlete Steve Ovett. Between 1999 and 2011 it was the home ground of football team Brighton & Hove Albion ...
, a converted athletics track in Brighton owned by the local council. 2000–01 was Brighton's first successful season for 13 years. They were crowned champions of
Division Three The Football League Third Division was the third tier of the English football league system in 1920–21 and again from 1958 until 1992. When the FA Premier League was formed, the division become the fourth tier level. In 2004, following the fo ...
and promoted to Division Two. Adams left in October 2001 to work as
Dave Bassett David Thomas Bassett (born 4 September 1944 in Stanmore) is an English football manager and a former player. During his career he has managed Wimbledon, Watford, Sheffield United, Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, Barnsley, Leicester City and ...
's assistant at
Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...
, being replaced by former Leicester manager
Peter Taylor Peter Taylor may refer to: Arts * Peter Taylor (writer) (1917–1994), American author, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction * Peter Taylor (film editor) (1922–1997), English film editor, winner of an Academy Award for Film Editing Politi ...
. The transition proved to be a plus point for Brighton, who maintained their good form and ended the season as Division Two champions – winning a second successive
promotion Promotion may refer to: Marketing * Promotion (marketing), one of the four marketing mix elements, comprising any type of marketing communication used to inform or persuade target audiences of the relative merits of a product, service, brand or i ...
. Just five years after almost succumbing to the double threat of losing their
Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
status and going out of business completely, Brighton were one division away from the
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
. In May 2009, Knight was replaced as chairman at Brighton by
Tony Bloom Anthony Grant Bloom (born 20 March 1970) is an English sports bettor, poker player, entrepreneur, owner and chairman of Premier League football club Brighton & Hove Albion and majority owner of Belgian First Division A team Royale Union Saint-G ...
, who successfully secured £93 million funding for the new
Falmer Stadium The Falmer Stadium, known for sponsorship purposes as the American Express Community Stadium and also referred to as the Amex, is a football stadium in the village of Falmer, in the City of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex. With a capacity of 31 ...
and 75% shareholding at the club.Stadium Funding Secured
, Brighton & Hove Albion F.C., 18 May 2009. Retrieved 18 May 2009 Brighton's final season at
Withdean Withdean is a former village, now part of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex. Overview The area was originally named in the 12th century, when it was called Wictedene. The area was historically farm land but has been developed, mainly in the 1920s ...
was 2010–11, in which they won
League One The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...
under the management of
Gus Poyet Gustavo Augusto Poyet Domínguez (; born 15 November 1967) is a Uruguayan professional football manager and former footballer. He is currently the head coach of the Greece national football team. Poyet played as a midfielder and began his car ...
. The following season, Brighton changed their crest to a design similar to the crest used from the 1970s to the 1990s. This was to reflect on the club returning home after not having a stadium since 1997.


Move to new stadium and promotion under Hughton (2011–2017)

The
Falmer Stadium The Falmer Stadium, known for sponsorship purposes as the American Express Community Stadium and also referred to as the Amex, is a football stadium in the village of Falmer, in the City of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex. With a capacity of 31 ...
hosted its first league match on the opening day of the 2011–12 season against
Doncaster Rovers Doncaster Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The team compete in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club play their home games at ...
, who were the last opposition to play at the Goldstone in 1997. The game finished 2–1 to Albion. The 2012–13 season saw Brighton finish 4th and lose in the play-off semi-finals to
Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...
. Poyet was suspended as manager following controversial comments made in his post-match interview, and was later sacked as manager and replaced by Óscar García. On the final day of the 2013–14 season, Brighton beat
Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is an association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. Nottingham Forest was founded in 1865 and have been playing their home games at the City Ground, on the banks of the River Tren ...
2–1 with a last minute winner from
Leonardo Ulloa José Leonardo Ulloa Fernández (; born 26 July 1986) is an Argentine retired professional footballer who played as a striker. After starting out with CAI, he joined San Lorenzo in 2005, going on to spend the better part of the following year ...
to secure a 6th-place finish. After losing to
Derby County Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Derby, Derbyshire, England. In 2022, it was announced that DCFC was acquired by Clowes Developments (UK) Ltd, a Derbyshire-based property group. Founded in 1884 ...
in the play-offs semi-finals, García resigned. Ex-Liverpool defender
Sami Hyypiä Sami Tuomas Hyypiä (; born 7 October 1973) is a Finnish football manager and former defender. Hyypiä began his playing career with Ykkönen side Kumu and soon moved to Veikkausliiga outfit MyPa. He spent four years at the club, helping t ...
was appointed manager for the 2014–15 season but resigned after just four months due to a poor run of results. He was replaced by former Norwich manager
Chris Hughton Christopher William Gerard Hughton (born 11 December 1958) is a professional football manager and former player. Born in England, he represented the Republic of Ireland national team. After making his professional debut aged 20, Hughton spen ...
. In the following campaign Brighton challenged for promotion again, buoyed by a 21-game unbeaten run from the opening day to 19 December. On the final day of the season Brighton travelled to Middlesbrough and needed to win to secure promotion to the
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
, but a 1–1 draw meant 3rd and a play-off place, where defeat to
Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot of ...
was Brighton's third playoff semi-final defeat in four seasons. Brighton started 2016–17 with an 18-match unbeaten run, taking them to the top of the league for much of December and January. They remained in the automatic promotion positions for most of the rest of the season, and clinched promotion to the Premier League after a 2–1 win against Wigan Athletic at home on 17 April 2017. They broke their transfer record multiple times throughout the summer window, with the previous club record signing of Jose Izquierdo commanding a fee reported to be over £13 million.


Back in the top flight (2017–present)

Brighton's first season back in the
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
was largely successful, with the club rising into the top half several times in the season. Despite falling to one point above the relegation zone in January, victories over
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
and
Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
in the final months of the campaign helped secure a finish of 15th. Despite a promising start to their second season in the
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
, the team endured poor results in the later stages, achieving just 3 wins in their last 18 games. In the FA Cup, Brighton reached the semi-finals for the first time since 1983, losing 1–0 to
Manchester City Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
. Albion ultimately survived relegation with a 17th-place finish, but Hughton was sacked following the end of the season due to the poor run of results. Following Hughton's sacking, Swansea manager
Graham Potter Graham Stephen Potter (born 20 May 1975) is an English professional football manager and former player who is the current head coach of club Chelsea. In a 13-year playing career, Potter, who played as a left-back, made 307 appearances in the ...
was appointed as the new head coach on a four-year contract. The contract was extended by a further 2 years in November 2019. From March to June 2020, the season was suspended due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. Brighton finished 15th and 16th in Potter's first two seasons, securing a historic fifth season in the Premier League in May 2021 that ensured their current spell in the top flight exceeded their previous run from 1979-83. The club's 2021–22 season saw a 9th place finish in the Premier League, the highest Brighton have ever finished in English top flight football, with a record tally of 51 points. This also marked Brighton's 9th season overall in the English top flight. In September 2022, Potter left the club to become head coach of
Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
, following the dismissal of
Thomas Tuchel Thomas Tuchel (; born 29 August 1973) is a German professional football manager and former player who last managed Premier League club Chelsea. Born in Krumbach, Tuchel retired at age 25 after a chronic knee cartilage injury; in 2000, he b ...
. On 18 September 2022, Brighton announced
Roberto De Zerbi Roberto De Zerbi (; born 6 June 1979) is an Italian professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of club Brighton & Hove Albion. Playing career De Zerbi started his professional career at AC Milan. He spent four season ...
as the club's new head coach.


Home stadium


Goldstone Ground

For 95 years Brighton and Hove Albion were based at the
Goldstone Ground The Goldstone Ground (or The Goldstone) was a football stadium in Hove, East Sussex that was the home ground of Brighton & Hove Albion between 1902 and 1997. History The Goldstone Ground stood on Old Shoreham Road, Hove, opposite Hove Park ...
in
Hove Hove is a seaside resort and one of the two main parts of the city of Brighton and Hove, along with Brighton in East Sussex, England. Originally a "small but ancient fishing village" surrounded by open farmland, it grew rapidly in the 19th cen ...
, until the board of directors decided to sell the stadium. The sale, implemented by majority shareholder
Bill Archer William Reynolds Archer Jr. (born March 22, 1928) is a retired American lawyer and politician. Archer served two terms, from 1967 to 1971, in the Texas House of Representatives – changing from the Democratic to the Republican party in 1969 †...
and his chief executive
David Bellotti David Frank Bellotti (13 August 1943 – 10 June 2015) was a British Liberal Democrat politician who was Member of Parliament (MP) for the Eastbourne constituency from 1990 to 1992. He was the first Liberal Democrat politician to win a parliam ...
, proved controversial, and the move provoked widespread protests against the board. The club received little if any money from this sale. In their last season at the Goldstone, 1996–97, the Seagulls were in danger of relegation from the
Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
. They won their final game at the Goldstone against
Doncaster Rovers Doncaster Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The team compete in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club play their home games at ...
, setting up a winner-takes-all relegation game at
Hereford United Hereford United Football Club was an association football club based in Hereford, England. They played at Edgar Street for their entire history. They were nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites', after their predominantly white kit, or 'The ...
, who were level on points with the Seagulls. Brighton drew 1–1, and Hereford were relegated to the
Football Conference The National League (named Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons) is an association football league in England consisting of three divisions, the National League, National League North, and National League South. It was called the ...
on goals scored.


Withdean Stadium

For two years, from 1997 to 1999, the club shared
Priestfield Stadium Priestfield Stadium (popularly known simply as Priestfield and officially known from 2007 to 2010 as KRBS Priestfield Stadium and from 2011 as MEMS Priestfield Stadium for sponsorship purposes) is a football stadium in Gillingham, Kent. It has ...
, the ground of Gillingham, before returning to Brighton to play at
Withdean Stadium Withdean Stadium is an athletics stadium in Withdean, a suburb of Brighton. It was constructed in 1930. It was the home track of Olympic athlete Steve Ovett. Between 1999 and 2011 it was the home ground of football team Brighton & Hove Albion ...
. This is not predominantly a football ground, having been used for athletics throughout most of its history, and previously as a
zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for Conservation biology, conservation purposes. The term ''zoological g ...
. Because of the cost of the public enquiry into planning permission for a new stadium, rent on
Withdean Stadium Withdean Stadium is an athletics stadium in Withdean, a suburb of Brighton. It was constructed in 1930. It was the home track of Olympic athlete Steve Ovett. Between 1999 and 2011 it was the home ground of football team Brighton & Hove Albion ...
, fees paid to use Gillingham's
Priestfield Stadium Priestfield Stadium (popularly known simply as Priestfield and officially known from 2007 to 2010 as KRBS Priestfield Stadium and from 2011 as MEMS Priestfield Stadium for sponsorship purposes) is a football stadium in Gillingham, Kent. It has ...
, and a general running deficit due to the low ticket sales inherent with a small ground, the club had an accumulated deficit of £9.5 million in 2004. The board of directors paid £7 million of this; the other £2.5 million had to be raised from the operations of the club. In an effort to achieve this, a fund-raising appeal known as the ''Alive and Kicking Fund'' was started, with everything from nude
Christmas Card A Christmas card is a greeting card sent as part of the traditional celebration of Christmas in order to convey between people a range of sentiments related to Christmastide and the holiday season. Christmas cards are usually exchanged during t ...
s featuring the players to a CD single being released to raise cash. On 9 January 2005 this fund-raising single '
Tom Hark "Tom Hark" is an instrumental South African kwela song from the 1950s, believed to have been composed by Jack Lerole. The song was arranged for penny whistle and first recorded by Elias and His Zig-Zag Jive Flutes—a South African band formed by ...
' went straight in at number 17 in the UK chart, gaining it national airplay on
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
.


Falmer Stadium

The club's home ground is
Falmer Stadium The Falmer Stadium, known for sponsorship purposes as the American Express Community Stadium and also referred to as the Amex, is a football stadium in the village of Falmer, in the City of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex. With a capacity of 31 ...
, currently known for sponsorship reasons as American Express Community Stadium or Amex Stadium, located in Village Way, Brighton. On 28 October 2005, the
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister An office is a space where an organization's employees perform administrative work in order to support and realize objects and goals of the organization. The word "office" may also denote a position within an organization with specific duti ...
announced that the application for Falmer had been successful, much to the joy and relief of all the fans.
Lewes District Council Lewes () is the county town of East Sussex, England. It is the police and judicial centre for all of Sussex and is home to Sussex Police, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, Lewes Crown Court and HMP Lewes. The civil parish is the centre of the ...
contested
John Prescott John Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott (born 31 May 1938) is a British politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and as First Secretary of State from 2001 to 2007. A member of the Labour Party, he w ...
's decision to approve planning permission for Falmer, forcing a
judicial review Judicial review is a process under which executive, legislative and administrative actions are subject to review by the judiciary. A court with authority for judicial review may invalidate laws, acts and governmental actions that are incompat ...
. This was based on a minor error in Prescott's original approval which neglected to state that some car parking for the stadium is in the Lewes district as opposed to the Brighton & Hove unitary authority. This caused further delay. Once the judicial review ruled in favour of the stadium, Lewes District Council said that it would not launch any further appeals. Building of
Falmer Stadium The Falmer Stadium, known for sponsorship purposes as the American Express Community Stadium and also referred to as the Amex, is a football stadium in the village of Falmer, in the City of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex. With a capacity of 31 ...
started in December 2008. On 31 May 2011 the club officially completed the handover and was given the keys to the stadium with an initial capacity of 22,374 seats, signifying the end of 14 years without a designated home. During January 2012, the club submitted an application to Brighton and Hove City council to increase the stadium capacity by a further 8,000 seats as well as to add additional corporate boxes, new television facilities and a luxury suite. This was granted unanimously by Brighton & Hove City Council's planning committee on 25 April 2012. The stadium was then expanded to 27,250 for the start of the 2012–13 season and then further to 27,750 during December 2012 before reaching 30,750 during May 2013. In 2020, the club submitted plans to expand the stadium from 30,750 seats to 32,500 including additional hospitality. In 2021, the stadium was expanded to 31,800 with additional works yet to be done.


Rivalries

Despite the almost distance between the two clubs,
Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...
are Brighton's main rival, dating back to the 1970s and hostility between managers
Alan Mullery Alan Patrick Mullery (born 23 November 1941) is an English former footballer and manager. After enjoying a successful career with Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur, and the England national team in the 1960s and 1970s, he became a manager working with ...
and
Terry Venables Terence Frederick Venables (born 6 January 1943), often referred to as El Tel, is an English former football player and manager, and an author. During the 1960s and '70s, he played for various clubs including Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Queen ...
, who both took charge of Brighton and Palace respectively in 1976 ahead of a close season in the Third Division which saw both Palace and Brighton vying for the title with
Mansfield Town Mansfield Town Football Club is a professional football club based in the town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Stags', they play in a blue and ...
. The season finished with both Palace and Brighton beaten to the title by Mansfield, however, both sides were promoted and the hostility between the two managers had forged an intense rivalry between both teams, which continued into the following season in the
Second Division In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...
as Brighton, who had finished their season at the top, fell into second after Palace won a previously postponed game against Burnley the following weekend to beat Brighton to the title by one point. In addition, the
A23 road The A23 road is a major road in the United Kingdom between London and Brighton, East Sussex, England. It is managed by Transport for London for the section inside the Greater London boundary, Surrey County Council and West Sussex County Council ...
runs directly between Brighton and Croydon, where Palace's
Selhurst Park Selhurst Park is a football stadium in Selhurst in the London Borough of Croydon which is the home ground of Premier League side Crystal Palace. The stadium was designed by Archibald Leitch and opened in 1924. It has hosted international footba ...
stadium is based, has led to the media labelling the rivalry as both the A23 and M23 derby, although fans of both clubs do not use this term. Situated in
East Sussex East Sussex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England on the English Channel coast. It is bordered by Kent to the north and east, West Sussex to the west, and Surrey to the north-west. The largest settlement in East Su ...
, Brighton find themselves isolated from most other teams, leaving them without an established
local derby Local may refer to: Geography and transportation * Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand * Local, Missouri, a community in the United States * Local government, a form of public administration, usually the lowest tier of administrat ...
. Matches against fellow south coast outfits
Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
and
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...
are occasionally labelled as local derbies by the media, but most fans of either team do not consider the other to be their rivals due to the over distance between the clubs, and the already well-established rivalry between Southampton and Portsmouth.


Players


Current first-team squad


Out on loan


Under 21s and academy

The following academy players have featured in a matchday squad for the 2022–23 season


Managers

*
John Jackson John or Johnny Jackson may refer to: Entertainment Art * John Baptist Jackson (1701–1780), British artist * John Jackson (painter) (1778–1831), British painter * John Jackson (engraver) (1801–1848), English wood engraver * John Richardson ...
1901–1910 *
Frank Scott-Walford Frank Scott-Walford (c. 1866 – 27 June 1935) was an English football player and manager, best known for managing Brighton & Hove Albion, Leeds City and Coventry City. Early life Scott-Walford was born circa 1866, in Perry Barr, Birmingham. L ...
1905–1908 * Jack Robson 1908–1914 *
Charlie Webb Charles Graham Webb (4 September 1886 – 13 June 1973) was an Irish association football player who represented his country once as an amateur and three times as a professional. He was employed by English club Brighton & Hove Albion for nearly ...
1919–1947 * Tommy Cook 1947 *
Don Welsh Donald Welsh (25 February 1911 – 2 February 1990) was an English football player and manager. As a player, he played at inside left for Charlton Athletic and for England, winning the FA Cup with Charlton in 1946–47. Playing career Welsh ...
1947–1951 * Billy Lane 1951–1961 * George Curtis 1961–1963 *
Archie Macaulay Archibald Renwick Macaulay (30 July 1915 – 10 June 1993) was a Scottish association football, football player and manager (association football), manager. Playing career Born in Falkirk, Macaulay started his playing career in junior football a ...
1963–1968 *
Freddie Goodwin Freddie Goodwin (28 June 1933 – 19 February 2016) was an English professional football player and manager. He also played county cricket for Lancashire. Career A wing half, Goodwin was signed as a trainee from Cheshire Schoolboys by Manchest ...
1968–1970 * Pat Saward 1970–1973 *
Brian Clough Brian Howard Clough ( ; 21 March 1935 – 20 September 2004) was an English football player and manager, primarily known for his successes as a manager with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. He is one of four managers to have won the Englis ...
1973–1974 * Peter T. Taylor 1974–1976 *
Alan Mullery Alan Patrick Mullery (born 23 November 1941) is an English former footballer and manager. After enjoying a successful career with Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur, and the England national team in the 1960s and 1970s, he became a manager working with ...
1976–1981 * Mike Bailey 1981–1982 *
Jimmy Melia James Melia (born 1 November 1937) is an English former footballer who spent most of his career playing for Liverpool and went on to become a manager. Playing career Liverpool Melia joined the Reds straight from St. Anthony's School as a 15- ...
1982–1983 *
Chris Cattlin Christopher John Cattlin (born 25 June 1946 in Milnrow, Lancashire) is a former professional association football, footballer who played as a defender (association football), defender for Huddersfield Town A.F.C., Huddersfield Town, Coventry Cit ...
1983–1986 *
Alan Mullery Alan Patrick Mullery (born 23 November 1941) is an English former footballer and manager. After enjoying a successful career with Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur, and the England national team in the 1960s and 1970s, he became a manager working with ...
1986–1987 *
Barry Lloyd Barry David Lloyd (born 19 February 1949) is an English retired professional footballer and manager. As a player, he most notably played as a midfielder in the Football League for Fulham, for whom he was captain and made over 280 appearances ...
1987–1993 *
Liam Brady William Brady (born 13 February 1956) is an Irish former footballer. He found success both in England with Arsenal, where he won an FA Cup in 1979, and in Italy with Juventus, winning two Serie A titles. Brady was capped 72 times for the Irelan ...
1993–1995 *
Jimmy Case James Robert Case (born 18 May 1954) is an English retired professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He gained national prominence with Liverpool in the 1970s and early 1980s. Early life Case was brought up in Allerton and was a dis ...
1995–1996 *
Steve Gritt Stephen John "Steve" Gritt (born 31 October 1957) is an English former football player, manager and scout. His playing career included spells at Charlton Athletic, AFC Bournemouth and Walsall. He was joint manager of Charlton for four years an ...
1996–1998 *
Brian Horton Brian "Nobby" Horton (born 4 February 1949) is an English former footballer and manager. He spent 16 years as a professional player and 22 years as a manager, making 689 appearances and managing 1,098 matches. In addition to this he spent four ...
1998–1999 * Jeff Wood 1999 *
Micky Adams Michael Richard Adams (born 8 November 1961) is an English former professional association football, footballer and football manager. As a player, he was a Full-back (football), full back, and made a total of 438 league appearances in a ninete ...
1999–2001 *
Peter J. Taylor Peter James Taylor (born 21 November 1944) is an English geographer. Born in Calverton in Nottinghamshire, he was Professor of Political Geography at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne between 1970 and 1996, before joining Loughborough Unive ...
2001–2002 *
Martin Hinshelwood Martin Hinshelwood (born 16 June 1953) is an English association football, football coach and former professional player. He is an academy coach at Lewes F.C., Lewes and was interim Manager at Crawley Town F.C., Crawley Town alongside Gary Alex ...
2002 * Steve Coppell 2002–2003 * Mark McGhee 2003–2006 *
Dean Wilkins Dean Mark Wilkins (born 12 July 1962) is an English football coach and former professional player. He was most recently the assistant manager of League Two club Stevenage. Managerial career Wilkins assumed the position of caretaker manager at ...
2006–2008 *
Micky Adams Michael Richard Adams (born 8 November 1961) is an English former professional association football, footballer and football manager. As a player, he was a Full-back (football), full back, and made a total of 438 league appearances in a ninete ...
2008–2009 *
Russell Slade Russell Mark Slade (born 10 October 1960) is an English professional association football, football manager, who was most recently managerial consultant of League Two club Stevenage F.C., Stevenage. Having had an extended career at reserve t ...
2009 *
Gus Poyet Gustavo Augusto Poyet Domínguez (; born 15 November 1967) is a Uruguayan professional football manager and former footballer. He is currently the head coach of the Greece national football team. Poyet played as a midfielder and began his car ...
2009–2013 * Óscar García 2013–2014 *
Sami Hyypiä Sami Tuomas Hyypiä (; born 7 October 1973) is a Finnish football manager and former defender. Hyypiä began his playing career with Ykkönen side Kumu and soon moved to Veikkausliiga outfit MyPa. He spent four years at the club, helping t ...
2014 *
Chris Hughton Christopher William Gerard Hughton (born 11 December 1958) is a professional football manager and former player. Born in England, he represented the Republic of Ireland national team. After making his professional debut aged 20, Hughton spen ...
2014–2019 *
Graham Potter Graham Stephen Potter (born 20 May 1975) is an English professional football manager and former player who is the current head coach of club Chelsea. In a 13-year playing career, Potter, who played as a left-back, made 307 appearances in the ...
2019–2022 *
Roberto De Zerbi Roberto De Zerbi (; born 6 June 1979) is an Italian professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of club Brighton & Hove Albion. Playing career De Zerbi started his professional career at AC Milan. He spent four season ...
2022–


Current management team


Personnel


Club officials


Honours

*
Football League Second Division The Football League Second Division was the second level division in the English football league system between 1892 and 1992. Following the foundation of the FA Premier League, the Football League divisions were renumbered and the third ti ...
/
EFL Championship The English Football League Championship (often referred to as the Championship for short or the Sky Bet Championship for sponsorship purposes) is the highest division of the English Football League (EFL) and second-highest overall in the E ...
(Tier 2) runners up: 1978–79, 2016–17 *
Football League Third Division South The Third Division South of The Football League was a tier in the English football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the Third Division North with clubs elected to the League or relegated from Division Two allocated to on ...
/
Football League Second Division The Football League Second Division was the second level division in the English football league system between 1892 and 1992. Following the foundation of the FA Premier League, the Football League divisions were renumbered and the third ti ...
/
Football League One The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...
(Tier 3) champions: 1957–58, 2001–02, 2010–11 *
Football League Fourth Division The Football League Fourth Division was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season. Whilst the division disappeared in name ...
/
Football League Third Division The Football League Third Division was the third tier of the English football league system in 1920–21 and again from 1958 until 1992. When the FA Premier League was formed, the division become the fourth tier level. In 2004, following the f ...
(Tier 4) champions: 1964–65, 2000–01 *
Southern Football League The Southern League is a men's football competition featuring semi-professional clubs from the South and Midlands of England. Together with the Isthmian League and the Northern Premier League it forms levels seven and eight of the English fo ...
champions: 1909–10


Cup

*
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
runners-up:
1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to Internet protocol suite, TCP/IP is officially completed (this is consid ...
*
FA Charity Shield The Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield) is English football's annual match contested at Wembley Stadium between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup. If the Premier Le ...
winners: 1910 *
Sussex Senior Challenge Cup The Sussex Senior Cup is an annual association football knock-out cup competition for men's football clubs in the English county of Sussex and is the county senior cup of the Sussex FA. Its official name is the Sussex Senior Challenge Cup. F ...
Winners (15): 1942–43, 1987–88, 1991–92, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1999–00, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2021-22 * The Sussex Royal Ulster Rifles Charity Cup winners: 1959–60, 1960–61


Colours and crest

For most of Brighton's history they have played in blue & white shirts, usually striped, with different combinations of white and blue shorts and socks, though this changed to all white briefly in the 1970s and again to plain blue during the club's most successful spell in the 1980s. Since 2014 the club's kit has been manufactured by
Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
. Previous manufacturers include Bukta (1971–74. 1975–80),
Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...
(1974–75, 1994–97),
Umbro Umbro is an English sports equipment manufacturer founded in 1924 in Wilmslow, Cheshire and based in Manchester. They specialise in football and rugby sportswear featuring their ''Double Diamond'' logo. Umbro products are marketed in over 100 c ...
(1975–77),
Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized as adidas since 1949) is a German multinational corporation, founded and headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufactur ...
(1980–87), Spall (1987–89), Sports Express (1989–91), Ribero (1991–94), Superleague (1997–99), and
Erreà Erreà () is an Italian sports equipment company supplier. Erreà was the first Italian sportswear company to be accredited with the Oeko-tex standard certification, which assures that garments textiles are free from harmful chemicals. Backgrou ...
(1999–2014). Their current shirt sponsors are
American Express American Express Company (Amex) is an American multinational corporation specialized in payment card services headquartered at 200 Vesey Street in the Battery Park City neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in New York City. The company was found ...
. Previous sponsors have included
British Caledonian British Caledonian (BCal) was a British private independent airline which operated out of Gatwick Airport in south-east England during the 1970s and 1980s. It was created as an alternative to the British government-controlled corporation airlin ...
Airways (1980–83), Phoenix Brewery (1983–86), NOBO (1986–91), TSB Bank (1991–93), Sandtex (1993–98), Donatello (1998–99),
Skint Records Skint Records is a Brighton and Hove based dance music record label owned by JC Reid, Tim Jeffery and Damian Harris. It was created as a sublabel of Loaded Records, also founded by Reid and Jeffery. Along with Wall of Sound, the label was a l ...
(1999–2008), IT First (2008–11), and BrightonandHoveJobs.com (2011–13).


See also


References


External links


Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brighton and Hove Albion F.C. English Football League clubs EFL Championship clubs Sport in Brighton and Hove Association football clubs established in 1901 Southern Football League clubs 1901 establishments in England Football clubs in East Sussex Football clubs in England Premier League clubs Former English Football League clubs