Albion are swapping their familiar stripes (well, just about this season) for a commemorative blue shirt against Arsenal today, with the design inspired by the team’s earliest kit. The match also brings a special crowd display and anniversary celebrations to the Amex.
Brighton & Hove Albion will wear their 125th-anniversary kit against Arsenal today, Saturday 19 September, as the club marks the anniversary of its first competitive match.
The Premier League fixture kicks off at 3pm at the American Express Stadium. Supporters are being encouraged to take their seats early for the celebrations before the teams emerge.
Developed with Nike, the commemorative shirt looks back to Albion’s beginnings in 1901 rather than offering another variation on the modern blue-and-white stripes.
The club’s original kit announcement specified that it would be worn for one match only, the home fixture closest to the anniversary of Albion’s first competitive game.
Albion’s anniversary match at a glance
| Fixture | Brighton & Hove Albion v Arsenal |
|---|---|
| When | Saturday 19 September 2026, 3pm |
| Where | American Express Stadium, Falmer |
| Special kit | Nike 125th-anniversary shirt in Mountain Blue |
| Historical inspiration | The strip worn during Albion’s earliest days in 1901 |
| Adult shirt price | £80 on the club’s official shop at the time of checking |
What does Brighton’s 125th-anniversary kit look like?
The shirt uses a predominantly blue design, with the colour described by the club as Mountain Blue.
A traditional folded collar, shoulder piping and matching fabric cuffs give it a different appearance from the usual striped home shirt. The anniversary crest, Nike swoosh and sponsor branding use shades of blue rather than sharply contrasting colours.
That means the shirt is not sponsor-free, even though the lettering is less conspicuous than on a conventional modern kit.
The club says the design reflects the colours and style worn by its first competitive team. It is a modern commemorative interpretation, however, rather than a reproduction made with early-20th-century materials.
Why is Brighton celebrating its anniversary in September?
There are two dates behind the celebrations.
Brighton & Hove Albion was formed on 24 June 1901, with the Seven Stars pub on Ship Street recognised as the club’s birthplace. Albion marked that anniversary in June with the unveiling of an official blue plaque at the pub.
The club’s first competitive fixture followed on 21 September 1901. Today’s Arsenal match is the home game chosen to commemorate that second milestone.
It gives the shirt a specific connection to the team’s first appearance in competitive football, rather than simply attaching an anniversary badge to a regular season’s kit.
Two anniversary dates
June marks the founding; September marks the football
Albion was founded on 24 June 1901 and played its first competitive match on 21 September 1901. The Arsenal fixture commemorates the latter.
What is happening at the Amex?
Albion’s matchday information sets out a pre-match build-up featuring flags, pyrotechnics and a crowd display.
Supporters in the East Stand will find a recycled card at their seat. The club asks them to hold it above their heads, with the plain side facing the pitch, during Sussex by the Sea to create an anniversary mosaic.
Turnstiles open at 1pm, while the fanzone and The Terrace open at 11am.
There are also two programme options: a special commemorative match programme costing £5 and a larger A4 souvenir edition priced at £8.
Can supporters buy the anniversary shirt?
The official Albion shop currently lists the adult anniversary shirt at £80, with sizes advertised from XS to 3XL. Availability in individual sizes can change.
The shirt is listed separately from the limited-edition anniversary box offered when the kit was launched in May.
That original presentation-box release was limited to 1,901 boxes, a reference to the club’s founding year. It should not be confused with a claim that only 1,901 shirts are available across every retail format.
The club also advertises a pre-match discount on parts of its anniversary collection, but the terms specifically exclude both the anniversary shirt and the limited-edition boxed shirt.
An anniversary extending beyond the stadium
The kit is part of a wider year of events looking back over Albion’s history.
Alongside the Seven Stars plaque, the club’s 125th-anniversary programme includes the permanent Stand or Fall exhibition at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, which opened in August.
The celebrations also continue next week at Theatre Royal Brighton, where Stand or Fall – The Play runs from 23 to 26 September. Written by Albion supporter Mark Brailsford, it follows fans through the club’s modern history.
Today, that anniversary story moves onto the pitch with a present-day Premier League team wearing a shirt inspired by the players who represented Albion at the beginning.
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