BRIGHTON and HOVE Albion staff have been celebrating their victorious win with coverage in The Argus.

The club ordered hundreds of extra copies of the paper as mementoes of their historic victory.

Every player and member of club staff received a copy of the paper following three consecutive days of front pages celebrating the Seagulls’ promotion to the Premier League.

Argus editor Arron Hendy said: “We are here to celebrate the successes of the county and this is a special moment in our history. It is great to celebrate with the Albion and long may it continue.”

Every member of club staff will be celebrating with a ten per cent bonus in their pay packets this month – from match day stewards to the ticket office everyone involved will be rewarded for their hard work.

One member of staff has been overheard saying they are planning to splash the bonus on an annual bus pass, another is planning on buying a new staircase.

Jo Goddard, North Stand receptionist, intends to treat her family to a holiday in America, while Jenny Gower, head of ticketing and supporter services, has her eye on a smart new kitchen.

No one knows what club mascot Gully is planning to spend it on.

Head of HR Rose Read says the scheme has created a real team ethos within the club, with everyone feeling they have played their part in the success Chris Hughton and the team have enjoyed.

The staff even get to eat the same food as the players, free of charge, for breakfast and lunch.

“It’s about staff welfare but also about performance,” said Rose. “And the fact is we have very low sickness rates.”

As Jenny and Jo both agreed, the staff not only feel valued but enjoy coming to work every day.

It is all part of what they call the team Brighton values, which were drawn up after consultations with staff when they made the move from the Withdean Stadium to the new American Express Community Stadium in 2011. Spelling out TEAM, they are ‘treat people well’, ‘exceed expectations’, ‘aim high’ and ‘make it special’.

Before Albion moved to Falmer they had 30 permanent staff and 180 casuals. Now they have 280 staff and 800 casuals.

The casual staff members, based on the hours they’ve worked for the club this season, will get the same ten per cent bonus.

Rose concluded: “It’s created a real community spirit around the place.”