Brighton and Hove Albion awarded Freedom of the City

Councillors unanimously voted to give the most prestigious award to the club in recognition of its achievements and contributions

Author: Vanessa BellringerPublished 28th Nov 2023

There was huge praise for Brighton and Hove Albion at a special meeting last night (November 28th) where councillors unanimously voted to award the club Freedom of the City.

It is the highest honour a council can bestow, recognising the Seagull’s commitment to the community and contribution to the local economy.

B&H City Council Leader, Cllr Bella Sankey, said: “Quite incredibly, in the last 2022/23 football season, the club brought in over £600 million pounds to the economy of Brighton and Hove.

“To put that into some perspective, when we were talking about building Falmer Stadium in the early noughties, it was projected that the club might bring in £23 million pounds to the city, so for the club to be bringing in that amount of money every year is absolutely huge.

“The club is one of our biggest employers, employing directly or indirectly around 2,000 people and it’s a living-wage employer which is obviously incredibly important.

“So, the club gives to us in so many ways and today was about giving something back.”

Although no one from the club was able to attend, a short film was shown – showcasing the club’s achievements from the start of its journey at the Goldstone Ground in Hove, right to its huge success making it to the Premier League in 2017 and beyond.

The team finished sixth at the end of last season, securing their entry into European football.

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