Sport

Brighton is the home of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. and the Hove ground of Sussex County Cricket Club, which is used for international one day matches, and the Brighton Bears.

In 1995 Brighton & Hove Albion’s Goldstone Stadium, in central Hove, was sold without viable plans for an alternative. Near relegation from Division 3 in 1997, having played their last game at the Goldstone Stadium, saw a new board of directors installed. Two years of sharing Gillingham’s stadium in Kent ended when the team was granted permission to play their home games at the Withdean Sports Complex in Brighton. Despite fans not having to make the 140 mile round trip to Kent, the 6000 seater stadium is not suitable for Championship games. Plans for a new 23,000 seater stadium had been in place since 1998, and Falmer, just north of the city, was chosen as the best location in 1999. On 28th October 2005 fans rejoiced when the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, granted Brighton & Hove Albion permission to build the stadium they had been waiting for since 1995.