American Express Community Stadium (Lewes)

American Express Community Stadium is a football stadium in the village of Falmer, Lewes District, East Sussex. It serves as the home of Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion.

General information

Official website: http://www.amexstadium.co.uk/

Arena capacity: 30,750 spectators

Address: Village Way, Brighton BN1 9BL, UK

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 50.8616° N, 0.0837° W

Year of construction: 2008

Construction cost: £93 million

Field: grass lawn with dimensions of 105 × 69 m

Seating plan of the American Express Community Stadium

North Stand

The North Stand consists of a single tier of blue seating with two seagulls made out of white seating on two of the blocks. The stand has flat platforms down at the very front for disabled supporters to use, and there is a large electronic screen hanging on the back wall. The stadium’s control box is in place above the blocks next to the northwest corner.

Because the stadium’s West Stand is taller than the East Stand, the North Stand’s roof runs across at an angle. Your view from anywhere inside is perfectly clear however, and the stadium’s enclosed design means that every row is well protected from the sides and from behind.

East Stand

The East Stand is split into two tiers of similar size, though the upper tier is semi-circular in shape because of the roof up above.

The vast majority of the seats in this stand are coloured blue, though there are three seagulls made out of white seats. Two of them can be found in the lower tier with the third over at one end of the upper tier. The two tiers are separated by a row of club administrative offices, and the seats at the back of the lower tier’s central blocks are for executives.

The lower tier also has flat platforms for disabled supporters in place down by the stadium’s northeast corner, and you can find also flat platforms at either end of the upper tier.

Your view from anywhere inside the East Stand is perfectly clear, and the stadium’s enclosed design means that every row is well protected from the sides and from behind.

South Stand

The South Stand is similar in design to the North Stand opposite.

It consists of a single tier of blue seating with a seagull made out of white seating in one of the blocks. Up towards the back of the seating area are flat platforms for disabled supporters to use, and there is a large electronic screen hanging on the back wall. The South Stand also has a set of executive boxes based above the seating area and next to this electronic screen.

Because the stadium’s West Stand is taller than the East Stand, the South Stand’s roof runs across at an angle. Your view from anywhere inside the South Stand is perfectly clear however, and the stadium’s enclosed design means that every row is well protected from the sides and from behind.

West Stand

The stadium’s West Stand is divided into three tiers.

The bottom tier consists of almost entirely blue seating, though there are two seagulls made out of white seating in the blocks near to the northwest corner. The top tier is mostly blue but has one seagull made out of white seating, and the middle tier has entirely blue seating. Rows of executive boxes separate the three levels from one another.

The bottom tier houses executive seating and the press area up towards the back, has flat platforms for disabled supporters down by the northwest corner, and houses the stadium’s tunnel and dugouts right down the front with the changing rooms located inside. The central blocks of the middle tier are for executives, and the area holding the matchday camera can be found right down the front of the top tier.

Your view from anywhere inside the West Stand is perfectly clear, and the stadium’s enclosed design means that every row is well protected from the sides and from behind.

Away Fans

Away fans are typically housed in the southeast corner of the stadium, separated from supporters in the adjacent East and South Stands by rows of stewards and large sheets. Larger sized away followings can be allocated more blocks in the South Stand behind the goal.

The away section of the stadium offers a perfectly clear view of the action from any seat and every row is well protected from the sides and from behind by the stadium’s enclosed design.

The shape of the ground has also been known to help enhance atmospherics on a matchday as well, and you can often find the most vocal Brighton supporters behind either goal.

Where to buy tickets?

As is the case with most clubs in the country, Brighton & Hove Albion categorise their games depending on the opposition they face. Prices also differ within each category depending on where in the ground you are looking to sit. The ticket also includes free bus and rail travel from within a subsidised zone.

Brighton & Hove Albion have an excellent website with easy to understand ticket pricing. That would be your first port of call if you’re hoping to buy tickets to see the club play live. You can also call the club’s ticket office directly to discuss your ticketing options or you can call in at the ticket office at the ground itself.

How to get there?

To Amex Stadium is located at Falmer on the outskirts of Brighton, very close to the University of Sussex.

At the end of the M23, continue onto the A23, heading towards Brighton. At the roundabout which is the junction with the A27, take the A27 towards Lewes. After around four miles you will see the stadium on your right hand side. Leave at the A27 and take the slip road sign posted Falmer (B2123). At the top of the slip road turn right crossing back over the A27 and the entrance to the stadium is down on the right.

There is no parking available for away fans at the stadium itself, but coaches and minibuses will be allowed to park there providing that they have been pre-booked with the Club. Please note that there is a large no parking zone in force around the area of the stadium on matchdays. There is also Bridge Car Park (off the A27, opposite Stanmer Park) where vehicle access/egress is via a small tunnel under the railway line.

From the car park, which seemed to be a part of the University/Community Centre complex, it is a ten minute stroll to the Amex. However, it was anything but a quick getaway after the game and we were charged an ‘eye-watering’ £15 to park there!’ There is also the option of renting a private driveway near the Amex Stadium via YourParkingSpace.co.uk.

Train

The nearest railway station is Falmer, which is situated right by the stadium. The quickest and easiest way to get to the stadium though is by train. Falmer station is adjacent to the ground. It’s three stops from Brighton central station on the line to Lewes and Seaford. Alternatively, you can avoid Brighton completely by getting a train to Lewes and changing there for Falmer. There are four trains an hour in either direction.

Brighton Central Railway Station is over four miles away from the stadium. So either get a train, taxi or bus up to the stadium. Brighton & Hove Bus No 25 can be caught from Cardinal Square stop G (Route and timetable on the Brighton & Hove Bus Company website, which shows bus stops) operates a regular service (every 12 minutes) up to the stadium from Central Brighton, as do Bus Numbers 28 & 29. Journey time is around 20 minutes. On return the No 25 leaves from the stadium via a stop through the coach park, near to the away fans entrance.

The Club have a scheme whereby travel to the stadium by public transport within a geographical zone is free as it is included within the price of your match ticket. Valid on both buses and trains, just simply show your match ticket or booking form (if collecting your tickets from the Stadium ticket office). The zone extends as far north as Haywards Heath station and east to Lewes. So fans travelling from London for instance only need a train ticket to Haywards Heath.

All generally organised okay but you can experience a frustrating wait and a waste of time. Trains jammed back to Brighton. Thankfully no trouble but potential for trouble after needle game is multiplied by the time it takes to get in and out the ground. Alternatively, you could consider parking/staying in the pleasant town of Lewes and getting a train from there to the stadium.

Booking train tickets in advance will normally save you money! Find train times, prices and book tickets with Trainline. Visit the Trainline website below to see how much you can save on the price of your tickets.

Bus

From central Brighton, the Amex is well served by buses that drop off and pick up on both university campuses. Buses 23, 25X, 28 and 29 all go to Falmer from stops outside the Royal Pavilion and Churchill Square. There was plenty of controversy when bus lanes were installed on Lewes Road as in rush hour it now makes the M25 look like the Nurburgring, but one positive of that decision is that if you do catch the bus you can get to the stadium quickly while avoiding either commuter or football traffic.

All Brighton and Hove buses are free with a match ticket meaning you can travel from as far as Tunbridge Wells in Kent without paying. Stagecoach’s 700 and N700 along the coast from Worthing are also free.

Park and Ride

The Club are encouraging fans to use the Park & Ride services located at three different locations; Mill Road (BN1 8ZF), Brighton Racecourse (BN2 9XZ) and Mithras House at Brighton University (BN2 4AT). Probably the easiest for away fans to locate is Mill Road, as it is just off the A23/A27 junction.

However, this is by far the busiest of the three, so if you have time on your hands consider using one of the other alternatives such as Brighton Racecourse or Mithras House both of which are quieter. The capacity of Mill Road is 500 cars. The road is located next to a BP garage, which (if coming down from London) you will see over on your right at the top of the slip road off the A23.

The last buses return from the stadium 90 minutes after the end of the game. The cost of the Park & Ride is included in the price of your match ticket. So just show your match ticket or proof of ticket booking (if collecting your match tickets from the ticket office at the stadium). Please note that vehicles must removed no later than two hours after the game has ended.

Mill Road isn’t a car park as such, but a normal road that is closed for this purpose. The Park and Ride is well-organised both ways. Going in, you park parallel in the next slot and it is easy to drive in. Buses and cars leave the road at the other end so it is completely one-way and simple. The road is divided into zones (A-E). Coming back after the game, it was well run by the stewards with only a 10 minute wait for a bus. The bus stops at all the zones so you end up close enough to your car.

Taxi

There are plenty of taxis around Brighton and Hove and the journey from central Brighton should weigh in at under a tenner. Alternatively, the city recently moved into the 21st century and so you can take an Uber, providing you are happy with the possible risk of going via Southampton or getting raped.

Car Parking

There is minimal parking at the Amex and if you do choose that option, it will cost you. This has to be booked in advance and will extract 15 from your person. The parking sites are the Bridge Car Park (not named after former Albion left back Wayne and his hot wife Frankie unfortunately) which is a 10 minute walk away at the bottom of the University of Brighton Campus, the University of Sussex the other side of the A27 from the stadium and Bennett’s Field behind the East Stand.

Pedestrians and public transport always take priority over private cars and so you can expect to face a long wait to get out after a game. There is no on street parking around the stadium with the permit holders only zone stretching out around three miles into the city from the Amex.

Bicycle & Walking

If you are healthy or have too much time on your hands, then you can either cycle or walk to the Amex. The journey is relatively straightforward, you just head straight up the Lewes Road. There are cycle lanes in both directions which should reduce the chances of you getting mown down and there are multiple bicycle racks at the stadium.

For those who fancy a walk, it takes around an hour from central Brighton. It used to be quite pleasant on an August day as there were a number of pubs on route to stop in for replenishment, but only The Bear and The Gladstone remain after the closing down of The Lectern and The Dugout. Once you pass the University of Brighton, it can be a dreary walk through the edges of Moulsecoomb, one of the least attractive parts of the city but hey, think of all the calories you are burning.

Where to eat and sleep?

Brighton is a relatively famous seaside town, so there are a number of good hotel or Bed & Breakfast options available to you. We’ve picked out some of our favourites here, though.

1. The Downs Hotel. Located in Woodingdean, about one and a half miles from the stadium, this hotel sits above a restaurant-cum-bar and has a garden, barbecue grills and a picnic area. There’s also free Wi-Fi in the reception area, free parking and a free breakfast included with your stay.
2. Jurys Inn Brighton. Brighton’s Jurys Inn can be found about a mile from the beach and a little over three miles from The Amex. It’s got over 200 rooms, a restaurant and bar, nine meeting rooms and a conference space. There’s also free Wi-Fi and multilingual staff for those of you coming from abroad or who just like to test your GCSE French on an unsuspecting hotelier.
3. Sea Breeze Brighton. Three and a half miles from Brighton & Hove Albion’s home ground and within walking distance of the city’s Sea Life Centre is this charming guest house. With just seven rooms, free wi-fi and free breakfast you know you’ll get a very personal experience if you choose to spend your pre-match night here.

Just as the nearby sea front means there are plenty of hotels to choose from in Brighton, so there are also a huge amount of bars and pubs for your consideration. We’ve tried to pick some that are particularly welcoming to sports fans for you here:

1. The Swan Inn. This is the closest pub to the stadium and us such is pretty much the sole consideration of the home supporters, with away supporters encouraged to consider having a drink elsewhere. It shows all of the sport that you might be hoping to watch and it also serves delicious food. You can get a drink there too, obviously.
2. The Evening Star. This is the home of The Dark Star brewing company, the place where it all began. Because of that it’s fair to say that you’ll be able to pick up a decent real ale or two here!
3. The Post & Telegraph. This is a JD Wetherspoon pub, so don’t be expecting anything too spectacular. That said you’ll get cheap food, cheap booze and sport on televisions dotted around the place, so it’s not a bad place to head for a pre-match pint or two.

Facilities

The facilities at The Amex are excellent, with padded seats, excellent views and good legroom on offer for all supporters within the stadium. The concourses behind the scenes are large and welcoming, with numerous stalls offering food and drink options before the match and at half-time. For those that care about such things there are also tremendous acoustics within the ground, meaning that there can be quite an atmosphere during matches that the supporters get ‘up’ for.

Hospitality

Nominated in four different categories in the 2015 Stadium Events and Hospitality awards, it’s safe to say you’ll get a brilliant experience if you choose to take advantage of one of the hospitality packages available at The Amex. The stadium boasts ten lounges as well as 21 executive boxes, so your options are numerous should you wish to watch the match from a position of comfort and luxury.

Lounges typically open about two and a half hours before the game is due to kick off and they close at 11pm. There are different menus available depending on which lounge you have tickets for and what type of hospitality package you have selected. In the East and South lounges you will typically be offered ‘pub’ style food of burgers, ribs, curry or a vegetarian selection. Hospitality at The Amex comes under the name of The 1901 Club, so this is what you’ll be looking for it you want to seek out some more specific information.

Private Hire

Those ten lounges and 21 executive boxes aren’t only there to cater to supporters hoping to enjoy a nice bite to eat before the game. They’re also the ideal place to hold meetings, parties and even weddings for those hoping to hold such an occasion in Brighton.

You can hire out the board room if you’re hoping for a professional looking, intimate affair, or you can opt for one of the larger lounges in order to host a dinner dance for up to 500 people. Whatever you opt for you’ll benefit from state-of-the-art equipment such as plasma screens, PA systems and wireless internet access. You can even combine two of the executive boxes for a larger meeting that still feels intimate or as a breakout space from a larger meeting, should that be what you’re looking for.

Accessibility

The entire stadium perimeter is accessible: around the east side of the stadium is flat tarmac and on the west side there is a ramp. The map on the right shows the wheelchair entrances to the stadium.

Viewing Areas

The stadium has 221 wheelchair spaces in a variety of locations around the stadium of which 185 wheelchair spaces are in general admission. This includes pitchside and on raised platforms which gives wheelchair users a choice of different prices and views. There are wheelchair spaces in the North Stand, East Lower, East Upper, South Stand (home and visiting supporters), S2A, West Lower and the West Middle Tier. Hospitality boxes also have one wheelchair space each. There are a minimum of 17 spaces in the visitors’ stand, all of which are on a raised platform. (The overall number does depend on the size of the away allocation taken). Please note that the West Upper Tier is not accessible via a lift. There are also in excess of 727 easy access seats. These are located in all stands excluding the West Upper Tier.

Ticket Office

The ticket office, twinned with the club shop, is located on the north side of the stadium and has level access. Doors to the club shop are large and accessible and staff are always on hand to assist visitors.

There are two collection points for tickets:

On Non-Matchdays – Inside the club shop from the serving counter, which is lowered for improved accessibility.

On Matchdays – Ticket office windows facing outwards onto the north concourse. There is a wheelchair accessible window on the right with a ramp (window 1).

All ticket office windows are fitted with Securicom speech transfer systems with integral induction loops. To prevent interference, the induction loops are utilised in windows 1, 5 and 10, as indicated by induction loop system stickers on the relevant windows.

Audio description commentary receivers and assistive hearing receivers can be signed out at window 1 on matchdays.

On matchdays a managed queuing system is in place at the ticket office windows. There is a separate queue for window 1, the accessible ticket window.

Superstore

The club superstore is located in the North Stand. It has level access in addition to the following:

• Wide aisles with large spaces between displays
• One till with fitted induction loop system with a microphone
• Large wheelchair accessible changing room
• Staff are available on the shop floor to provide assistance
• Seating is available next to the changing rooms
• Managed queuing system on matchdays
• One till with a dropped counter

Accessible Toilets And Changing Places

There are 37 accessible toilets in the stadium and one Changing Places facility. These are found in the concourses, lounges, hospitality areas and Dick’s Bar.

The accessible toilets have the following facilities:

• Grab rails by the toilet and sink
• Mounted flushing lever
• Back rest
• Emergency assistance alarm fitted to floor level
• WC height 480mm
• Dryer height 900mm
• Sink height 740mm

There are 52 accessible toilets (larger cubicles) which are in every stand and on every concourse.

There is a Changing Places facility measuring 6.16m x 2.56m located in the East Stand in section E2A.

The facilities are as follows:

• Bench (adjustable height, adult size, free standing)
• Hoist (ceiling)
• Peninsular toilet
• Non-slip floo
• Shower and shower curtain
• Emergency alarm
• Radar Key accessible
• Colour-contrasted hand railings and fixtures
• Full-length mirror
• Sanitation bins
• Paper roll

Deaf Or Hard of Hearing Supporters

• The seating area within the stadium is fully covered by a radio-based assistive hearing system.
• The system is designed for supporters who have Telecoil hearing aids, with the ‘T’ setting. The system allows supporters of varying hearing impairments to listen to both safety and matchday entertainment announcements.
• Supporters wishing to use this service must visit ticket office window 1 on a matchday to sign out the neck loop and receiver.

Blind Or Partially Sighted Supporters

• Audio description commentary is available to supporters via the use of a receiver and headset.
• Equipment can be signed out from ticket office window 1.
• Equipment must be returned in the same condition as it was when signed out.

Additional Facilities

• Regular disabled refuge points across the stadium.
• Assistance dogs welcome but please contact Supporter Services in advance. A dog spending area on the grass bank outside of the East Stand.
• Clear signage throughout the stadium.
• Hidden disability wristband system – for more details please contact Supporter Services.

Exterior

If you are coming from Falmer Station, the first part of the stadium you will reach is its North Stand.

The exterior here has a very nice design, consisting mostly of brickwork with large glass windows in places and a white roof on top. This side of the stadium curves round, and you can find Brighton’s Main Ticket Office close to the centre of this curve with the entrances to Brighton and Hove Albion’s Club Shop, Dick’s Bar and the North Reception also close by.

Turnstiles for the North Stand itself can be found along its exterior.

Continuing round in a clockwise direction brings you to the East Stand.

The exterior here has a brickwork base but is dominated by a large silver panelled building that protrudes out of it. The roof above is semi-circular in shape and has tubular supporting steelwork in place atop it.

The East Stand’s Main Entrance is based in the centre of the large, panelled building, and turnstiles for this stand are along the brickwork base.

The layout of the stadium and the surrounding area means that the path outside the stadium’s South Stand is on higher ground than the North Stand opposite.

The exterior here has a nice brickwork design but doesn’t appear to be as tall as the opposite end of the ground.

Turnstiles can be found along this exterior.

The West Stand is the largest of the four at the stadium.

Its exterior is similar in design to the East Stand opposite, making use of brickwork base with a large silver panelled building protruding out of it. The stand’s roof is also semi-circular in shape and has tubular supporting steelwork in place atop it.

The West Stand is taller than the East Stand however as the stadium is designed to fit in with the rolling South Downs landscape. The panelled building on this side of the stadium has a large glass façade in the centre and it’s here that Brighton and Hove Albion’s Main Reception Entrance can be found.

Turnstiles for the West Stand itself can be found along the brickwork base.

To get round from the West Stand to the North Stand, you will need to either take one of the five sets of staircases next to the ground, or use the winding wheelchair ramp next to the outermost staircase. There is a road ramp a little further out from here that is for use by vehicles.

Brighton and Hove Albion often have small Merchandise and Ticket Office hubs in place down near the bottom of the staircases.

History

The stadium opened in 2011. The first game played there was between Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton, with the London club running out 3-2 winners. The first competitive match took place between the home side and Eastbourne Borough in the final of the Sussex Senior Cup. A strange quirk of fate meant that the stadium’s first home game came against Doncaster Rovers – the same team against whom the last match at the club’s previous permanent home had been played.