Tony Bloom believes it was mission accomplished in the first decade at the Amex.

But the quest goes on to maintain Premier League status and establish Albion as a top-ten club.

It is ten years today since the Seagulls chairman, his predecessor Dick Knight and directors Martin Perry and Derek Chapman – fundamental figures in making the stadium reality - took the applause of the crowd on the new pitch.

That was minutes before the official opening fixture, a friendly against Tottenham.

Albion began the final season at Withdean on the back of a mid-table finish in League One Hopes were high in the summer of 2010 of a promotion push to come.

But, at that stage, it was entirely feasible the Amex might be hosting third tier fixtures in its first season.

With perfect timing, Gus Poyet built a team of artists fit for the Championship while construction was completed on their new stage.

So far so good.

But the goal was always for the magnificent new home to be the venue for regular matches against the finest teams in the land.

Bloom told The Argus: “It was great to open the stadium being in the Championship.

“That was the short term goal when I took over.

“Then the vision was always to get into the Premier League as quickly as we possibly could.

“I wasn’t going to be building the stadium and the training ground soon after to be in the Championship.

“But it’s all well and good having those ambitions.

“Getting there is obviously very difficult.

“We got very close in three play-off losses, in particular the last one when we had the game against Middlesbrough and the misfortune at Hillsborough.

“But there are no guarantees.

“You can get close a few times and then slip away.

“It was brilliant when we actually got there and, once you are there, you have got to stay there.

“If you had told me ten years ago we would be here, I’d have been delighted with the progress we have made.

BRIGHTON USE THE AMEX AS FOUNDATION TO SCALE NEW HEIGHTS

“That was always the vision to get to the Premier League and stay there.

“But there has been a huge amount of hard work from so many people at this football club to have not only had those ambitions but to fulfil them.”