Brighton have revealed their plans for the first purpose-built stadium for women's football in the UK and Europe.
The proposals were first approved by the local council in October 2023, but delays meant the club have not been able to proceed with the plans until now.
It will be built on land called Bennett's Field, which is adjacent to the Amex Stadium near the ground's East Stand. It will be linked with the current main ground via a bridge link and will have a minimum capacity of 10,000.
The Seagulls had initially wanted the ground to be ready for the start of the 2027/28 campaign, but it is now hoped the stadium will be open no later than the start of the 2030/31 season.
Brighton chairman and owner Tony Bloom said at a press conference: "I'm extremely excited. We've been discussing those plans for quite a long time. We knew we wanted to bring women's football, our team, back to Brighton.
"We had to work long and hard to find exactly the right location to make it work. It's a really exciting time for the club and the women's team, particularly for the young players because it's for them and the many generations that will come after them.
"We massively believe in women's football both in Sussex and nationally and across the globe.
"Being the first designated stadium in the UK helps raise the profile in this country and abroad. It's a big moment, I'm proud that Brighton are at the forefront of women's football and I'm excited for the future."
He added that he would not be seeking outside investment to fund the stadium build, which Brighton chief executive and deputy chairman Paul Barber said would cost between £75m and £80m.
The stadium will be the first built with female athletes and women's football supporters in mind. This includes bespoke changing and recovery rooms, pitches all the way through to catering for a more inclusive fan base. This will include easy access for families, wider concourses and social spaces.
Barber added: "We've got generations of athletes ahead of us who need, want and deserve these stadiums. That's not to say the men's stadiums aren't fit for purpose; they're just not designed for female athletes. They're not designed for a different demographic.
"We're demanding from the women's team the same level of high performance as we are from the men's team.
"For me, it's logical to provide the best possible facilities to get that performance. We've done it at the training ground so we should do it with the stadium as well.
"The economics are so weighted towards the men's game at the moment, if there's a clash over dates for fixtures, the men's team takes priority because that's where the significant income comes in.
"If you've got a purpose-built stadium for women's football, that goes away. The women's team will play in that stadium when they need to play in it and it will be suitable for them."
It will be a landmark moment for women's football, with most teams sharing grounds with other teams or sports or playing in a former men's ground.
It was a topic recently explored with Brighton following in the footsteps of NWSL side KC Current, who also have a purpose-built stadium for their team. Fellow USA side Denver Summit are also planning to open their own stadium for their women's team in 2028.
Brighton forward Fran Kirby believes the club are showing how invested they are in women's football, and that new facilities can attract new talent to the south coast to the Seagulls achieve their long-term goals.
She told Your Site News: "We've been speaking so much about research into women's injuries, into women's sport but to actually have a club that's listening and wants to do their best for women's football, it makes me really proud to be here.
"I never believed anyone would do something like this for women's football when I was growing up, so to have a bespoke stadium is incredible
"It's attracts people - players, staff members wanting to be a part of it. That's what you have to do if you want to be competing in the top four and competing when you get into Europe, you've got to have a facility and a team that is going to attract the best players in the world.
"That's what the team has always been saying and to have a purpose-built stadium just for women, that's definitely an attraction for players."
Manager Dario Vidosic is eager to play at the new stadium too, adding: "I wish I had a machine to fast forward three years to get into it.
"It's exciting and the club are pioneering in terms of the women's game, setting the standards and raising the levels very high.
"It'll give us that little bit more energy, especially for this last part of the season and seeing something like that in the near future. It's terrific for the women's game and we're very thankful to the club."
