League Championship side Brighton & Hove Albion's Amex Stadium will undergo £5M ($6.4M) worth of upgrades this summer to be ready to host Premier League football in August, according to Steve Bailey of the BRIGHTON & HOVE INDEPENDENT. The team "clinched promotion to the top flight last month and work will now begin" on replacing the existing floodlights with a new LED system, installing a new additional TV gantry and adding a TV studio and hospitality area in the southeast corner. The media facilities will be improved to provide six interview areas for U.K. and global broadcasters, "while the post-match press conference area will be upgraded." A new matchday restaurant will be added in the East Stand, and the players and managers will be rewarded with "upgraded lounges for their families and guests" (BRIGHTON & HOVE INDEPENDENT, 5/3). In London, Kieran Gill reported Premier League promotion is worth £200M ($257.5M) to Brighton. Exec Dir Martin Perry "is set to oversee the improvements." Perry: "While [Manager] Chris Hughton, [Owner] Tony Bloom, [Head of Recruitment] Paul Winstanley and [CEO] Paul Barber have a busy summer ahead in terms of player recruitment -- the project team have a huge amount of work to undertake to ensure the stadium is ready for Premier League football next August" (DAILY MAIL, 5/3).
