Brighton and Hove Albion can become pioneers in women’s football now that the team has received the go-ahead for a purpose-built stadium, according to the councillor who helped approve the plans. The council for Brighton and Hove City gave the green light in October for the club to proceed with locating a site within the city for what is hoped will be an approximately 10,000-capacity ground for the Women’s Super League side. Their proposed new ground will be the first of its kind in the UK to have been designed and built specifically for use by a women’s team, with all 12 of the current WSL clubs playing in stadiums either previously or currently shared with men’s sides. Currently the team plays home matches more than 30 miles away from the city at Crawley’s Broadfield Stadium, where they recently lost to Arsenal. It is an arrangement that has suited the club since becoming founder members of the restructured WSL in 2018 but Labour councillor John Hewitt - who serves as lead councillor for leisure and sport and backed the proposal ahead of it being voted through - believes it is not sustainable if football in the city hopes to grow. Once a site is found and work on the new stadium can begin, Hewitt says the club can realistically think about becoming trendsetters in the women’s game. “As good as (Crawley) are as hosts, the distance has an adverse effect,” he told the PA news agency. “Plus it doesn’t seem like our home ground, because the seats are red and we’re blue and white. “The intention is to build around 10,000 capacity which is a realistic number. The team get around 3-4,000 at Crawley, but there is the capacity for the club to grow in the coming years. “It’s about the women’s game achieving parity with the men’s game. Women’s football is growing. Brighton hosted three games at the Euros last year and there were good attendances. We know there’s the scope for it. “It shows how far the club has come. They were made homeless in 1997, exiled in Gillingham for two years, the struggle to establish the Amex Stadium. This shows the best steps they’re looking to make. On behalf of the city, it would be fantastic if we could be seen as pioneers for this. In years to come, this could be the norm. “One of the reasons for having a purpose-built stadium is different needs. For example, playing in a men’s stadium, dressing rooms might only have two cubicles, whereas a purpose-built women’s ground would have more. “Hopefully, other cities and towns can follow suit in supporting their women’s teams.” Brighton are currently eighth in the WSL table having finished 11th and narrowly avoided relegation last season. With the men’s side having a enjoyed a highest-ever league finished last campaign and currently on the brink of progressing beyond the Europa League group stage on their debut European run, Hewitt believes the situation is ripe for the women’s side to follow suit and play their part in reinforcing Brighton’s reputation as a coming football force. He added: “The intention is for the club to finance it, but the council will be a key stakeholder in that. We’ve been invited to have our input, as in what would we like out of it. “So it’s not just a stadium where there are 20 football matches a year played there, there could be educational facilities, community initiatives hosted there, schools using it for their cup finals. “We’ll be looking at how best we can use the facility for the resident in the city.” Read More Brighton gift draw to Sheffield United after own goal and red card Brighton striker Evan Ferguson signs new long-term contract with Seagulls Chelsea’s attack is close to catching fire – now a forgotten signing can ignite it Chelsea’s attack is close to catching fire – now a forgotten signing can ignite it Premier League news LIVE: Updates from today’s press conferences Pep Guardiola gives Erling Haaland injury update ahead of Liverpool clash

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Brighton enjoyed a comprehensive first victory in the Europa League as a goal in either half from Joao Pedro and Ansu Fati eased them to a 2-0 win against Ajax at the Amex Stadium. It took until the final minutes of a first half that Brighton had dominated for the breakthrough to arrive, Pedro tapping home on the rebound after an opening period in which Ajax – second-bottom of the Eredivisie – did little more than look to preserve parity, as Brighton dictated things from the first minute. The Dutch side have endured their worst-ever start to a league season, and after sacking manager Maurice Steijn on Monday they went down with barely a whimper, Fati’s goal early in the second half laying bare the gulf between Roberto De Zerbi’s team and the four-time European champions. It was a first half that Brighton controlled but were for the most part frustrated by an organised, obdurate Ajax. Pedro wanted a penalty for a shove in the back inside of three minutes, waved away by the referee with barely a glance, before Brighton’s top scorer on their European campaign tucked the only real chance of the opening exchanges wide of the near post from Karou Mitoma’s cut-back. Pedro appealed again for a spot-kick, this time with more gusto, when he appeared to be bundled to the ground by Jorrel Hato. The defender was adjudged narrowly to have reached Mitoma’s through-ball ahead of the Brighton striker as the Amex howled for a penalty. The hosts’ central-defensive pair spent much of the first half 10 yards inside the Ajax half. The plan to lure out the visitors and exploit the resulting space was resisted by caretaker boss Hedwiges Maduro’s team, who seemed content to sacrifice attacking ambition for the sake of clogging the gaps in between their lines. Simon Adingra had the best chance of the opening half-hour when he lashed a right-footed effort over the bar from Lewis Dunk’s header back across goal, as Brighton’s threat was stymied by Ajax in what was a ponderous first half from De Zerbi’s side. Mitoma and Pedro’s partnership looked the most likely avenue of success. The pair carved out the clearest opening yet when Pedro dashed into a channel down the right to reach his team-mate’s threaded ball and drove low at goal, only for goalkeeper Diant Ramaj to beat it away with a strong right hand. The breakthrough came three minutes before the break. Dunk’s pass was weighted into the path of Mitoma who dashed into the box and dragged the ball inside Josip Sutalo to make space to shoot. His effort was pushed out by Ramaj, but only to the feet of the onrushing Pedro who continued his fine European scoring run to end a frustrating half for Brighton on a high. Fati’s goal, slotted home brilliantly eight minutes after the break, cemented Brighton’s superiority. Adingra began the move from midfield, patiently stewarding the ball until Fati’s run was made, checking inside and feeding the on-loan Barcelona forward who beat his man with a devastating first touch and dispatched deftly beyond Ramaj. The game had sprung suddenly to life. Fati was inches from making it three and burying Ajax, his driven effort licking inches wide of the post, before Steven Berghuis at the other end struck the upright with Jason Steele beaten, a rare foray forward from the visitors. It was to be the closest the 2019 Champions League semi-finalists came, as Brighton’s debut European season finally got going in earnest. Read More Tyson Fury has ‘no doubt’ he will knock out former UFC fighter Francis Ngannou Aston Villa prove European credentials with triumph at AZ Alkmaar – Unai Emery David Moyes defends team selection as West Ham’s unbeaten European run ended

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Former This Morning presenter Phillip Schofield has given his first set of media interviews since his departure from the ITV daytime show and his revelation that he had an affair with a younger male colleague in comments made in May. In a statement issued to The Daily Mail last week, the broadcaster confirmed he had a “consensual on-off relationship” with the individual and while it was “unwise”, it was “not illegal” and is “now over”. “I am painfully conscious that I have lied to my employers at ITV, to my colleagues and friends, to my agents, to the media and therefore the public and most importantly of all to my family. “I am so very, very sorry, as I am for having been unfaithful to my wife,” he said. When asked by The Sun if he “groomed” the young co-worker, Schofield – who vaped during the interview – said he “did not” and that there were “accusations of all sorts of things”. A lengthier conversation, though, came in the form of a 45-minute long interview with the BBC’s Media Editor, Amol Rajan, which aired on Friday. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter If you’re in a hurry, here’s the key lines from the powerful interview. 1. “I understand how Caroline Flack felt” With Rajan starting the discussion by asking Schofield how he was, Schofield referenced the late ITV presenter who died by suicide in February 2020 following intense tabloid coverage of her life. She had been charged with assaulting her boyfriend after an altercation in December 2019, and left her role presenting the ITV2 reality show Love Island. Schofield said: “Last week, if my daughters hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t be here. They guarded me and wouldn’t let me out of their sight. “It’s like a weird numbness. I know that’s a selfish point of view, but you come to a point where you just think, ‘how much are you supposed to take? “’If all of those people who write all of that stuff, do they ever think that there’s actually a person at the other end?’” 2. “Do you want me to die?” In further comments about the “relentless” remarks made about him online and in the media, Schofield said: “If you don’t think that is going to have the most catastrophic effect on someone’s mind… Do you want me to die? “Because that’s where I am. I have lost everything. “My girls saved my life … Last week, they haven’t left me for a moment. They’ve been by my side every moment, because they’re scared to let me out of their sight. “They said to me, ‘don’t you dare do this on our watch. We’re supposed to be looking after you.’ “If my girls hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t be here, because I don’t see a future. And so how much do you want a man to take? “And this is how Caroline Flack felt, and it didn’t stop.” 3. His message to Holly Willoughby On the same day he “put the statement up” – suggesting it was the one posted to his Instagram Story announcing his departure from This Morning, rather than the one to the Mail – Schofield wrote to his former co-presenter on WhatsApp. He said: “I know you can’t reply, or you’re probably not allowed to, but please know that I am so desperately, desperately sorry.” He added that she did not reply to the message, said he did not see their relationship as broken and that he does not “have a problem with Holly at all” 4. The “homophobia” behind the scrutiny Referring to “new friends” he has made off the back of the scandal, Schofield revealed one “very prominent public figure” phoned him to say they had “never seen such homophobia in my life”. He continued: “If it’s a gay relationship, then suddenly it raises eyebrows. It’s wrong. People do find each other attractive in different age groups.” The broadcaster said the fact it has become “so massive” is “predominantly homophobic” and that he has become a “victim of hate”. 5. “We were mates” Explaining why he agreed to the BBC interview, Schofield said: “There is an innocent person here who didn’t do anything wrong, who is vulnerable, and probably feels like I do.” He confirmed he was paying for legal advice for the unnamed younger man, and last spoke to him a “couple of weeks” ago to instruct lawyers for him. The individual – who was 15 at the time - was followed by Schofield on Twitter following a visit to the school, and the presenter said “there has not been any whiff of impropriety” on the social media platform, where he follows more than 11,000 people. He went on to add that the man was 20 when Schofield first had sexual contact with him. “He’d been working with the show for a few months and we became mates – we were mates, around the studios, we hung out together. “And then, in my dressing room one day, something happened … It happened maybe four or five times over the next few months. “We weren’t boyfriends, we weren’t in a relationship,” Schofield said, and went on to say he did not love him. 6. “I’ve never abused my power in any way” When asked by Rajan if what was “morally wrong” about the situation was that there was an “abuse of power”, Schofield replied to say he has “never abused my power in any way” and that he is “not a bully”. The conversation soon moved to the work environment at ITV and comments made by Dr Ranj Singh, at which point the presenter stressed: “There is no toxicity, there is no bullying, there is no discrimination at This Morning. “All I see are angry people shouting about a show they’re not on anymore.” Schofield also denied the young man frequently came to his flat and that claims from Eamonn Holmes that he was taxied from the presenter's home are “utterly untrue”. ”He came to the flat once. To my recollection, he didn’t stay over. “He said he was passing. He came for a beer,” he said. 7. “The lie got too big” After Rajan questioned why the scandal has come out now, Schofield said: “It got too big. The lie got too big for both of us.” He added it was his “biggest, sorriest secret”. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.