Sometimes in life we all come across things that just don’t make sense to us. Where an obvious solution appears to exist, but goes ignored.
For example, if Blackpool is the home of ballroom dancing, then why doesn’t the BBC film the entire series of Strictly Come Dancing there?
Or why do Ant and Dec insist on traipsing everyone over to Australia to film I’m a Celebrity every year, when they produced a perfectly good series over in Wales a couple of years ago?
Oh yes. And given Brighton & Hove has a world class, award winning football stadium, why do the Albion Women play 21 miles away in Crawley? And why does the club feel the need to build a another stadium specifically for its women’s side?
Except for all but the most seemingly obvious questions in life, there are very often a number of arguments and counter-arguments as to why something should and shouldn’t happen. That is the case with Brighton & Hove Albion Women and the stadium issue.
The current (not so) home venue of Crawley Town’s Broadfield Stadium is the one area that slightly contradicts the club’s stated commitment to the women’s team being given equal status to the men.
But, a recent announcement of plans to build a new women’s team specific stadium in Brighton & Hove shows they do mean business.
These are plans that the City Council have offered their support for in principal, with Council leader Bella Sankey publicly backing the plans.
However, it is not unanimous. Conservative councillor Samer Bagaeen stated his belief that Brighton Women should play at the Amex rather than have a purpose built stadium.
He also cited the elephant in the room that many Albion fans will be all too aware of from the prolonged experience of obtaining the one the club currently does have – the time it took to get permission to build.
Councillor Bagaeen said: “More recently, as a city, we’ve been unable to find the location for a new King Alfred. And if someone in this room thinks they have, then do tell us where that site is.”
“So finding a new location for a women’s stadium in time for us to see the women’s team play in the city in our lifetimes is never going to happen.”
I would suggest that Councillor Bagaeen is exaggerating a little with that last statement. A purpose built women’s stadium is not 30 or 40 years away, depending on how old you are.
That the motion to back the stadium in principal was passed last month with support from both Labour and the Greens suggests that – a significant unforeseen swing in the opinion polls aside – the support should survive any changes to the make-up of the council in next year’s pending election.
That said, Councillor Bagaeen does highlight a key issue. And Paul Barber’s recent comments to Sky Sports also seem to suggest some caution would be well placed over the announcement: “If we can find the land and if we can make it viable, we’d love to create a stadium for our women’s team.”
Indeed, as Zoe Johnson, managing director of women’s and girls’ football at the Albion, said: “We understand that it will take time, and we look forward to working with the council to ensure that we can bring the women’s team to Brighton on a permanent basis.”
A long road may be ahead for a large infrastructure project such as this, but there’s reason to be hopeful. There are plenty of powerful and influential people who do back the plans.
Lord Bassam of Brighton said: “Women’s football is at a critical stage in its development. It is attracting new investment into training facilities, player development, transfer income and global TV and media coverage.”
“The council’s decision is part of that development and will greatly enhance fan engagement and support for the game locally and nationally.”
These are plans that Barber has described uniquely as: “An opportunity to build a stadium specifically for female athletes.”
Another key reason the club have stated that they are keen for a specific stadium for its women’s team, rather than utilising the Amex.
The club has shown itself more than willing to put its money where its mouth is in the past, most notably with the £8.5 million investment in a new training facility specifically for women and girls.
There experience from that venture will no doubt help planning for a stadium specifically for women and girls. And I don’t doubt the Albion’s intention, nonetheless this is another much bigger challenge entirely.
But it is the one the club must simply take on if they want to remain at the forefront of the women’s game, if they truly believe the Amex is not a viable option as a permanent home.
As well as the points made above, there is additionally the issue that Barber pointed to upon the announcement – the size of the Amex compared to the crowds the women’s team currently attract.
A fair point when you consider the 7,000 record attendance for a women’s game at the Amex recently still left nearly 80 percent of the ground empty. Not good if you want to create an atmosphere or an engaging match day experience for those attending.
But the question that has to be asked given the issues raised by Councillor Samer Bagaeen and others, is how long will we end up persisting with the interim solution of playing at Crawley?
After all, in what was initially intended to be a short-term fix, the men’s team spent 12 years playing at Withdean Stadium.
Withdean may have been a terrible stadium for football, but it was at least a home ground in Brighton & Hove and not Crawley.
Brighton Women are now in their sixth season at the Broadfield Stadium, meaning they may yet overtake the length of time the men spent playing at Withdean.
Given the speed of growth we are seeing in the women’s game, the Albion probably can’t afford to wait the 12 years it took from deciding Falmer was the best site for a new stadium to the Amex opening its doors.
That said, Albion Women being able to play the odd game at the Amex – as they already have once this season – may mean that risk is reduced.
This is something I understand that the club hope to do again soon, although the men’s teams involvement in Europe and the subsequent move of Premier League games to Sundays makes this harder.
Premier League home matches at the Amex now often clash with WSL matches, whilst the additional workload on the pitch is something which has to be taken into consideration.
To implement plans of a Women’s specific stadium, history suggests that the club may have a fight on their hands.
Here’s hoping it’s one they win in a first round knockout and not on points after 12 rounds… or 12 years.
Phil
