From the brink of extinction to the Europa League, Brighton's meteoric rise has been nothing short of astounding. As the Seagulls continue to take flight like a phoenix from the ashes to lay claim to being one of the most exciting football teams in the country – playing across the continent against the likes of Ajax and Marseille – it was only 27 years ago that nothing was going their way and the abyss of non-league greeted them.
Battling defiantly from within the claws of defeat, the club's journey cannot be better recited than through the 2011 construction of the Amex Stadium. In 1997, Brighton faced homelessness, but now they play football suited to the voguish architecture of their modern-day auditorium.
In many ways, the Amex Stadium saved Brighton, and it exhibits the progressive nature of the club as it ascends to new heights every season. Quickly, the south coast is becoming a football hotspot, drawing in more spectators to witness the spectacle for themselves, proving there is more to the quintessentially British coastal town than sun, sea, and sand.
Football FanCast has created a guide to everything you need to know before making the trip to Brighton's Amex Stadium.
Amex Stadium history
The Amex, officially called the American Express Community Stadium and also referred to as Falmer Stadium, officially opened on 30th July 2011 with a friendly match between Brighton and Tottenham Hotspur, which resulted in a 2-3 home loss.
Brighton had been planning the construction of a new stadium from as early as 1995 after former chairman Bill Archer had sold their Goldstone Ground to property developers.
When Brighton became homeless, they first ground-shared over 60 miles away with Gillingham for two seasons, and then moved to the Withdean Stadium, an athletics stadium in Brighton that, though it was upgraded, lacked the modern facilities for league football.
In the end, it took Brighton until 2007 to get planning permission due to various legal challenges. Building works subsequently began in 2008, and in 2010, the club confirmed a naming rights sponsorship deal with American Express.
The Amex was designed to allow for an easy capacity increase to 30,000 seats, and in December 2011 the club started planning for expansion.
Brighton received planning permission in early 2012 and an extra 5,000 seats were added before the start of the 2012/13 season by creating a second tier on the East Stand and closing the corners of the South Stand. Brighton added another 3,000 seats in early 2013 to bring the capacity to 30,500 seats, which was again increased to 31,800 in 2021 following some small adjustments.
At the start of Brighton's Amex Stadium tenancy, the team cemented Championship stability – a remarkable improvement from their lowly position of Division Three at the turn of the century. However, a change of fortunes in recent years now sees them playing scintillating football in the top half of the Premier League.
The club now also boasts a blossoming European pedigree, with the Seagulls qualifying for this season's Europa League after making the seamless transition from Graham Potter's managerial tutelage to current helmsman Roberto De Zerbi, who continues to take Brighton to higher crests.
Amex Stadium capacity
Despite being a new build compared to other Premier League stadiums, the Amex Stadium still ranks smaller than most of the top-flight stadiums. A capacity of 31,800 sees Brighton's home sit as the 12th-largest Premier League stadium, narrowly ahead of Wolves' Molineux and less than 300 seats below Sheffield United's Bramall Lane.
Man United
Old Trafford
74,310
Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
62,850
West Ham
London Stadium
62,500
Arsenal
Emirates Stadium
60,704
Man City
Etihad Stadium
53,400
Liverpool
Anfield
53,394
Newcastle
St James' Park
52,305
Aston Villa
Villa Park
42,657
Chelsea
Stamford Bridge
40,343
Everton
Goodison Park
39,414
Sheffield United
Bramall Lane
32,050
Brighton
Amex Stadium
31,800
Wolves
Molineux
31,750
Nottingham Forest
City Ground
30,332
How to get to the Amex Stadium By train
Falmer Station is just a couple of minutes walk from the north concourse of the Amex Stadium. It is served by Southern Rail and is approximately nine minutes from Brighton mainline station, with trains serving Falmer on a regular basis.
When travelling via London, away fans will most likely need to go through Victoria Station in order to make their way toward Brighton. On some matchdays, particularly those with high attendances expected, the train will take fans directly to the stadium.
However, this is not always the case. In such instances, matchday goers will need to stop at Brighton before backtracking on the Southern Rail services to reach Falmer, home to the Amex Stadium.
By car
The club is conscious of its environmental footprint, so it positively discourages people from driving to the ground. However, for those who must, there are Park & Ride options available from both The University of Brighton and Mill Road, as well as Brighton Racecourse.
If you’re driving from London, you’ll want to get onto the M25 before taking the M23 to the A27. From there, you’ll get onto the B2123 and this is the road on which you’ll find the Amex.
If you’re travelling from somewhere up north, Manchester for example, then you’ll take the M6 (or M6 toll) to the M40 before getting onto the London Orbital and following the M25 route towards Brighton.
The address for the Amex Stadium is: Village Way, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 9BL.
How to get away tickets to the Amex Stadium
Away fans visiting Brighton’s ground are housed in the South East corner of the Amex Stadium. This area not only includes the corner section, but also part of the East & South Stand's lower tiers.
Around 3,300 fans can be accommodated in this area. It is worth noting that the club charge away fans more for sitting in the East Stand rather than the South Stand or South East corner. As you would expect from a modern stadium, the view of the playing action and legroom are both of decent quality, while the added bonus of padded seats is a rare ‘luxury’.
To get away tickets to the Amex Stadium, your best bet is your club's website.