It’s that time of the year again when the fixtures are released and we all begin to make plans for the football season.

Which stadiums have I not visited? And which ones will make for the best away day?

The Premier League welcomes two new boys to its ranks; Brighton & Hove Albion and Huddersfield Town, neither of whom have featured in the top flight of English football since the Premier League’s formation in 1992.

For many supporters of Premier League clubs this season’s scheduled trips to Brighton and Huddersfield will be their first.  In this edition, we focus our attention on Brighton & Hove Albion’s state-of-the-art arena, The American Express Community Stadium.

Background

The Amex first opened its gates in 2011 ending a 14 year battle to move into a permanent home after The Goldstone ground was sold to developers and Brighton & Hove Albion were evicted. A two year spell 75 miles away at Gillingham’s Priestfield followed before the Seagulls returned to Sussex, playing “temporarily” at a local Athletics stadium, The Withdean.

Brighton fans now enjoy the luxuries of a modern arena which can house up to 30,750 spectators.

Layout

Since the Amex’s initial opening in 2011, the ground has been expanded so that all corners of the stadium are filled to complete the ‘stadium bowl’ and an additional tier has been added to the East stand.

The most impressive stand at the Amex is the three-tiered West Stand which alone can hold 11,833 fans. The away end has a capacity of 3,300 and is located in the south stand.

Amex Features

As is the way with most newly built stadia, The Amex has been designed with the supporters’ comforts in mind. There is not a bad view anywhere within the stadium, every seat is cushioned and there are generous amounts of leg room.

Away supporters are made to feel welcome in the south stand with the concourse being lit by the colours of the visiting club. And the hospitality extended to visiting fans doesn’t end there with the promise of local ales on tap in the away concourse bars.

The Pies on offer at The Amex are provided by a local Sussex bakery and are currently rated 1st out of the 92 football clubs in England as voted by you on the92.net. So the pies are not to be missed if you happen to be visiting!

Where to Drink

As is so often the case with newly built stadiums, The Amex is based in an out of city centre location and the area surrounding the ground doesn’t contain many options in the way of eating or drinking.

The nearest (and only local) pub, The Swan, is located in Falmer Village and is a 15 minute walk from the stadium, serves food and offers a variety of real ales and lagers. As a popular drinking spot for fans on match days, The Swan opens up a barn outside which has its own bar, to maximise space.

A lot of fans opt to drink in Brighton city centre which has a whole host of options, before grabbing a train to Falmer which takes around 10-15 minutes.

Definitely Worth a Visit

Looking at football betting markets, Brighton’s stint in the Premier League may be short lived as they are second favourites to be relegated at the first attempt, so if you are a Premier League supporter you’d be wise to take the trip down to the Amex in the 17/18 season.

You can find out more about The Amex Stadium and how other fans have rated their experience on our Amex stadium page.