Key Takeaways
- Brighton & Hove Albion will build Europe’s first stadium created only for women’s football at Bennett’s Field.
- The venue will hold 10,000 fans and include family facilities like breastfeeding rooms and buggy parks.
- The club plans to open the stadium for the 2030-31 season after delays pushed back the original 2027-28 target.
Brighton & Hove Albion have revealed plans to construct a groundbreaking new home for their women’s team. The Premier League club aims to create Europe’s first stadium built specifically for women’s football.
The new ground will sit at Bennett’s Field, right next to the Amex Stadium where the men’s team plays. It will connect to the main stadium through a bridge walkway. The venue will hold at least 10,000 supporters.
Club officials hope to open the facility for the 2030-31 campaign. Work has already started on the planning application. The original target was 2027-28, but the search for suitable land caused delays.
Zoe Johnson, who leads the women’s and girls’ football department, expressed excitement about the project. She stated that a custom-built stadium for female players, staff and fans is unique in the UK and Europe. Only two other similar venues exist worldwide, both in the United States.
The design focuses on the needs of elite female athletes. It will include top-quality changing rooms, medical recovery areas, and pitches meeting professional standards. The club conducted research with local universities to select the safest pitch surface and reduce injury risks.
Family comfort stands at the heart of the matchday experience. The stadium will offer breastfeeding rooms, baby changing stations, and secure storage for prams. Social areas on the concourse will host community events, while underground parking will serve visitors.
Johnson believes this development will help Brighton challenge for honours in the Women’s Super League and European competitions. She also expects it to attract talented staff and build a stronger fan community. Young players from the academy will gain valuable experience playing in a professional stadium environment.
Currently, the women’s team plays most home games at Crawley Town’s Broadfield Stadium, roughly 20 miles from Brighton. They occasionally use the Amex Stadium for bigger matches.
This project differs from recent trends in English women’s football. Most WSL clubs now share grounds with their male counterparts. Chelsea Women recently made Stamford Bridge their permanent home, while Arsenal, Aston Villa and Leicester City also play at their clubs’ main stadiums.
However, Brighton’s approach follows examples from America. Kansas City Current already play at the CPKC Stadium, which opened as the world’s first purpose-built women’s ground. Denver Summit will open their own stadium in 2028.
Head coach Dario Vidosic praised the announcement as a major step for the sport. He said the stadium shows serious commitment to high performance and long-term success. The manager added that quality facilities help players feel valued and raise standards on the pitch.
Owner Tony Bloom continues to support heavy investment in the women’s setup. In 2021, the club spent £8.5 million on the American Express Elite Football Performance Centre. This training complex includes modern gyms, medical centres, swimming pools and professional pitches.
The new stadium represents the next phase of growth for Brighton & Hove Albion Women as they aim to establish themselves among England’s elite clubs.