Brighton and Hove Albion have struck a deal to run the match day operation at Withdean which could save the club £1 million during the next two years.

From April 1 the club will take over responsibility from Ecovert for event management on match days at their temporary home, including all stewarding.

The savings, together with revenue from 2,000 extra seats, catering and advertising, will be worth £500,000 per season to the club during the next two years before the proposed move into a new stadium at Falmer in 2006-2007.

DC Leisure Management is taking over the leisure contract for Brighton and Hove City Council from Ecovert, which did not put in a fresh tender.

The contract also includes looking after sports centres such as Stanley Deason in Whitehawk, Moulsecoomb and the Prince Regent swimming pool.

Martin Perry, Albion's chief executive, said: "As part of the new contract we are taking direct responsibility on match days for all the stewarding, safety, event management and catering.

"That is going to be a huge benefit to us. It is going to save us approximately £10,000 per game, over £250,000 per year.

"We are anticipating the same amount in additional revenue from catering, advertising and the extra 2,000 seats we are planning to put in during the summer, so the total turn-around per season is about £500,000 overall.

"That will make a tremendous difference. It also starts us on the road to setting up the systems for Falmer if the inquiry goes our way.

"We will take on something like 180 staff on April 1 and establish all our steward training programmes.

"It will be a very good training ground for what we are going to have to manage at Falmer."

Albion have spent £2.5 million in the last six years to bring Withdean up to Football League standards after groundsharing at Gillingham in Kent.

They have also been crippled by high overheads as they wait for the result of the Falmer inquiry which, along with the planning application, has eaten up a further £2.5 million.

It costs the club £40,000 per match under the existing Ecovert contract and celebrity supporter Norman Cook, alias DJ Fatboy Slim, has been helping to pay the monthly wages.

Albion are trying to further ease the financial burden of playing at Withdean by sending out season ticket renewal letters much earlier than normal, with incentives for early payment and long-term offers linked to Falmer.

Brighton-based Ecovert has operated a wide variety of other contracts for the council over the years, including rubbish collection and civic catering.

The firm has clashed with Albion over the state of the Withdean pitch.

In early seasons, which were extremely wet, there were problems with drainage but there have been fewer complaints recently. Drainage work was carried out two summers ago and the club also has covers.