Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club (BHAFC) has announced that its stadium at Falmer, East Sussex, will be called the American Express Community Stadium after securing a sponsorship deal with the company.

The financial and network services provider is one of the area's largest private-sector employers and has finalised a "multi-year naming rights" agreement with the League One club, which aims to move to the 22,500-seat venue in time for the 2011-12 season. Designed by KSS Architects, the stadium is being delivered by Buckingham Group Construction and will house BHAFC's charitable arm - Albion in the Community - to provide education, skills training, health and social inclusion services.

Michael Edwards, Senior Vice President at American Express, said: "As the city's largest private-sector employer, this partnership underscores our long term commitment to the area and builds upon our thirty-year heritage of supporting local community initiative."