Brighton have waited 14 years for a permanent home

Brighton & Hove Albion plan to increase the capacity of their new 22,500 seat stadium by a further 8,000 seats.

Chief executive Martin Perry outlined the plan while speaking at a fans forum on BBC Sussex on Tuesday.

"We're hoping we will be in a position to put in a planning application at the end of this year," Perry said.

"All being well, if we get permission we would hopefully commence work on that in the close season at the end of this campaign."

Perry explained: "There is space in the East Stand to put in another tier and we can fill in the corners.

"Because of the demand we want to move as fast as we possibly can because we want to increase the capacity.

"But it does depend on making sure all the travel arrangements we have put in place do work."

The 22,500-seater stadium, which has taken two and a half years to build, will be officially opened on Saturday when the Seagulls face Tottenham Hotspur in a pre-season friendly.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version