1 month ago
Brighton’s plans to build Europe’s first purpose-built women’s stadium is nan “kind of advancement we person dreamed astir for years”, nan Brighton and erstwhile England guardant Fran Kirby has said.
The Women’s Super League nine person released nan first images of nan 10,000-capacity venue, which they dream to unfastened successful clip for nan 2030-31 season.
Subject to receiving readying permission, nan stadium would beryllium straight adjacent to nan Amex Stadium and would see an underground car park. Everything from nan changing rooms to nan concourse will beryllium designed for female athletes and a WSL audience. The nine opportunity nan creation will beryllium specifically “welcoming for families and first-time attendees” pinch societal spaces.
“It besides shows that Brighton & Hove Albion person nan utmost respect for nan women’s crippled and nan group wrong it,” Kirby said. “For young players watching on, it makes them judge that this athletics genuinely has a early wherever they belong.
“This is nan benignant of advancement we person dreamed astir for years. The thought of stepping into a stadium that has been designed for you will beryllium revolutionary – it will alteration nan measurement women’s players hole and perform.”
Globally only nan NWSL broadside Kansas City, whose CPKC stadium opened successful 2024, and Denver Summit, whose crushed is being constructed pinch nan purpose of opening successful 2028, person moved towards having purpose-built women’s squad stadiums anterior to Brighton’s announcement. Birmingham City person said they are readying to build a stadium for their women’s squad connected nan tract of their projected “sports quarter” adjacent to their proposed 62,000-seat men’s stadium.
Paul Barber, nan club’s main executive and lawman chair, added: “[This] is simply a powerful connection of our ambitions and will beryllium integral to driving further momentum for nan maturation of women’s and girls’ football, not conscionable successful nan UK but crossed nan world.
“With a capacity aligned to Women’s Super League regulations, nan stadium reflects our clear belief successful ‘right sizing’ nan stadium to turn nan instrumentality guidelines sustainably. A stadium ‘built for her’ is not only a important superior finance for nan nine but 1 which we cognize will besides use nan metropolis and different areas astir nan stadium done nan creation of section building jobs, apprenticeships and training opportunities for section people; further boosting nan club’s already important publication to nan section economy, and astatine a clip erstwhile location is simply a awesome woody of economical uncertainty.”
Brighton are sixth successful nan WSL array pursuing their 3-2 triumph complete Manchester City connected Saturday astatine Crawley’s Broadfield Stadium, which is nan team’s existent shared home.
