It was a day thousands of Albion fans feared would never come.

As the diggers churned up the earth at Falmer yesterday, a kick-off ceremony took place to mark the official handover of the site to contractor the Buckingham Group.

Work will now begin in earnest on the 22,500-seat community stadium – 11 years after the Seagulls’ last match at the Goldstone Ground.

It may be no more than a muddy building site, but it looked like paradise to the 100 or so Albion fans who won the right to be there in a lottery draw.

Albion directors were joined by civic leaders and celebrity supporters including Des Lynam and Norman Cook at the ceremony to mark the start of work on the £65 million stadium.

The dimensions of the pitch were marked into the mud complete with corner flags, goalposts and a penalty spot.

The players, fresh from a dramatic victory over Shrewsbury on penalties in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, walked over to join the celebrations from their training ground at the university site in Falmer.

In the winter sunshine, chairman Dick Knight scored the first goal at Falmer when he shot past first-team goalkeeper John Sullivan into a goal fashioned from two diggers. Mr Knight said: “It is a fantastic feeling to be here today and especially to score the first goal at Falmer – although my penalty wasn’t too convincing.

“Now some who thought it would never happen can see the work being done here and believe it. We really are on our way.

“It is a testament to the efforts of thousands of people who just didn’t give up.

“No other football club has been through what we have, but that just shows the spirit of the Albion.”

Later, a real goal was wheeled in so club captain Nicky Forster, youth team skipper Steve Cook, Albion legend Brian Horton and youngsters from Woodingdean Primary School could try their luck.

Albion’s poet in residence, John Baine, aka Attila the Stockbroker, read out a poem he had penned to mark the occasion.

Paul Samrah, the chairman of the Falmer For All campaign, has been at the forefront of the struggle for the new stadium.

He said: “It truly is a momentous day and very emotional for a lot of people.

“One thing has been proven in all of this – the club and its supporters will never give up. We have been through so much together and it has only made us stronger.

“We now really do have a chance to make a difference to the people of Sussex – a positive difference to the lives of so many people and future generations.”

Fans had earlier met at the club’s temporary home, Withdean, and travelled to the site on buses laid on by the club.

Steve Harrington, 49, from Hangleton, went to his first match at the Goldstone Ground in 1965.

He said: “It’s a wonderfully emotional moment after 11 years without a permanent home. A lot of people were welling up.

“There were times I thought it might never happen but it is so real now, it’s a real boost for everyone connected with the club.”

Communities Secretary Hazel Blears finally approved plans for the stadium in July last year.

Albion hope to kick off the 2011-12 season at their new home.