Brighton & Hove Albion: Club receive Freedom of City award

Finishing sixth in the league meant Brighton qualified for Europe for the first time in their history

Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club has received the Freedom of the City award at a special council meeting.

They were given it for finishing sixth in the Premier League last season and qualifying for Europe, adding more than £600m to the local economy in the process.

Their success has raised the profile of Brighton globally, a report put to the council said.

Some councillors wore Seagulls scarves and Albion shirts during the event.

Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council Bella Sankey said: "The story of the mighty Albion's success is a source of huge pride for the whole city.

"From the fiercely loyal fans, who saved our club in the 1990s, but also in the incredible impact the club has had on our whole community and local economy."

The club's foundation

The report also gives credit to the Brighton & Hove Albion foundation, which has been running for more than 30 years now.

It said the foundation "uses the power of football to engage and inspire people to make good life choices, helping to reduce inequalities in our local communities and across Sussex".

It added: "They are widely regarded as running one of the best football community programmes in the country, with a large team of community coaches working tirelessly every day in 35 towns across Sussex, supporting over 5,000 children, young people and adults every week."

The club contributed £600m to the local economy last year