Brighton promise 1,000 tickets to NHS staff and ask other clubs to follow suit

Brighton have kicked off a club-to-club baton for donating future match tickets to frontline NHS workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

The Seagulls announced on Tuesday they have decided to donate 1,000 tickets to workers battling the crisis and have invited others in the Premier League, English Football League, Scotland and Northern Ireland to do the same when football resumes.

Chief executive and deputy chairman Paul Barber said: “We are working on a range of things across all areas of the community and I hope this will just be the start.

“We fully appreciate football is the last thing on anyone’s minds at this moment, but we feel this is a small way in which we can show our gratitude for those NHS staff on the frontline who are fighting the battle on behalf of all those and give them something to look forward to.”

Barber suggested a club-to-club baton system and nominated south-coast rivals Bournemouth as the next in line.

Cherries chairman Jeff Mostyn was keen to rise to the challenge, saying: “We are absolutely delighted to match Brighton’s gesture and commit to 1,000 tickets, and we will pass the baton to another club with the aim of reaching a significant target so football as a whole can show its appreciation for our country’s NHS workers.”