‘I never could have dreamt it’ – Fran Kirby on Brighton Women’s plans for historic new purpose-built stadium | OneFootball

Fran Kirby hailed Brighton & Hove Albion’s ambition in women’s football as the club announced plans to build Europe’s first purpose-built women’s football stadium.

The new ground, targeted to open by the 2030/31 season, will be designed specifically with bespoke facilities for players, staff and supporters, marking a significant step forward for women’s football at the club.

“It’s a really, really big statement from the club,” Kirby said. “To actually see it in a picture, to see it come to life today, it’s really exciting. 

“It’s huge. You want to feel like you’re part of a club that cares. You want to feel part of a club that’s not just standing still, wants to move forward and wants to keep pushing the game. 

“For me, when I first started playing, I never even dreamt that I would be in a conversation with a club that’s saying, ‘we’re going to build a stadium purposely for the women.’

“Anyone looking from the outside can see that Brighton is moving in the right direction and they want to keep pushing women’s sport and keep moving it in the right direction. So it’s a massive statement and hopefully it allows us to attract the best players.”

Kirby joined Brighton in the summer of 2024 after nine years with reigning Women’s Super League champions Chelsea. In her first season, the Seagulls recorded their highest-ever finish of fifth, and they currently sit sixth.

The 30-year-old praised majority owner and chairman Tony Bloom in his commitment to the women’s team at Brighton and highlighted his role in driving the project forward.

“Having things like this in the pipeline just shows to everyone out there in women’s football and women’s sport that this club is taking women’s football seriously,” Kirby added.

“They want to keep pushing, they want to keep growing. And ultimately, the owner has said what his ambitions are for the women’s club.

“He wants to get top four, he wants to try and break into Europe. And for us to be able to stand here and know we’re going to have this stadium. It will help us do that, I truly believe that.”

The new stadium, expected to cost between £75-80 million, will be just one of three purpose-built Women’s football stadiums worldwide, joining Kansas City Current (already playing at CPKC Stadium) and Denver Summit (build in progress).

The ‘built for her’ strategy means the stadium will be built around the needs of female athletes and the culture and demographic of the women’s game.

The site was acquired in 2025 and sits adjacent to the American Express Stadium. It has been designed with a minimum capacity of 10,000 and will be connected to the Amex via a new bridge.

“What I really like about the new stadium is that it’s next to the men’s stadium,” Kirby added. “It’s going to be a hub for football in Brighton. It’s not just going to be the men’s team play there, the women’s team play there – it’s just going to be Brighton play there. 

“And I think that’s really big in terms of keeping the club connected. We have it at the training ground and now we have it with our home stadium as well. 

“That’s a huge statement from the club in terms of how they view Brighton as a whole rather than as a men’s and women’s club.”