Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club (BHAFC) has announced that work on its new stadium at Falmer, Sussex, is to get underway with an official "kick-off" ceremony on 17 December.

Contractor Buckingham Group will begin work on the 22,500-seat stadium as soon as the site is available. The company has previously worked on projects at Reading Football Club's Madjeski Stadium and Old Trafford, home of Manchester United Football Club. Supporters will be given the chance to attend the ceremony, which will mark the start of construction, although numbers will be limited due to safety reasons.

BHAFC chair, Dick Knight, said: "At this historic moment for the club, I know many fans would like to be there to witness it – but even by 17 December the site will be a working one. "To guarantee that a number of Albion fans can share this moment with the club, we have decided that a ballot system is the fairest way to choose those present at the event."

An archaeological survey has also been conducted at the site, and the club's chief executive, Martin Perry, said: "The archaeologists have carried out a very detailed survey and we have been reassured that the investigations will be completed in time for us to start in December." BHAFC has been without a permanent home since it left its Goldstone Ground more than a decade ago. The Falmer project was approved by the government in July 2007, but has been dogged by delays over planning and legal issues.