Brighton and Hove Albion football club (The Seagulls)

In November 1897, the first professional football club in Brighton and Hove, Brighton United, was formed before poor gates forced the club to fold in 1900.

Enthusiasts then formed an amateur club called Brighton and Hove Rangers, who played to the north of Brighton at Withdean but they were forced to disband in 1901.

John Jackson, the former manager of United, organised a meeting in June 1901 at the Seven Stars Hotel at which a third club was formed. Brighton and Hove Albion took up the now-defunct Rangers' place in the Southern League.

Originally nicknamed the Shrimps, they became original members of the Third Division of the Football League in 1920.

The current nickname of the Seagulls is said to have been invented by supporters in 1975 in a response to their rivalry with Crystal Palace.

Under chairman Mike Bamber and manager Alan Mullery, Albion reached the First Division for the first time in 1979.

A first appearance in a FA Cup Final followed in 1983.

Such halcyon days were a distant memory by 1997 when they became within a game of falling out of the Football League.

It coincided with the dire financial straits that forced the sale of their beloved Goldstone Ground, which resulted in a two-season ground-share at Gillingham?s Priestfield Stadium and a 140-mile round trip for home games.

A consortium led by Dick Knight came to the rescue and brought Brighton back to the city, although it was to the Withdean Stadium, a wholly inappropriate athletics venue.

Entrepreneur Tony Bloom took over the reins in 2009 and oversaw the move to the magnificent new 93 million pound AMEX Stadium in 2011.

Promotion to the Premier League for the first time followed in 2017 under the astute management of Chris Hughton.

Home ground history:

County Ground: 1901

Goldstone Ground: 1902

Priestfield Stadium, Gillingham: 1997

Withdean Stadium: 1999

AMEX Stadium: 2011