Brighton and Hove Albion’s new home at Falmer will be a cashless stadium.

Fans using the American Express Community Stadium will pay for merchandise, food and drink using smart cards modelled on London Underground’s Oyster card system.

Every fan visiting the new stadium, which will host its first league game in August next year, will be issued with their own personal smart card.

Season ticket holders will automatically have all league games uploaded on the cards, which are intended to shorten queues at the ground.

They will simply “top up” with the necessary credit for additional cup matches.

Fans will be able to put credit on their smart cards in the same way as mobile phones are topped up, allowing them purchase refreshments without fumbling around for loose change.

The smart cards will also store loyalty data, like the number of home and away matches an individual has attended, making the allocation of tickets for popular games less of an administrative headache for the club and supporter.