Premier League side Brighton have pledged to give 1,000 free tickets to NHS staff after the coronavirus pandemic has been dealt with.

The Seagulls have been joined by fellow south coast outfit Bournemouth, who agreed to do the same as their top tier rivals.

Paul Barber, chief executive and deputy chairman of Brighton, felt the move was a way of showing appreciation to NHS workers.

He said: "We are working on a range of things across all areas of the community and I hope this will just be the start.

"We fully appreciate football is the last thing on anyone’s mind at this moment, but we feel this is a small way in which we can show our gratitude for those NHS staff on the frontline who are fighting the battle on behalf of all of us and give them something to look forward to."

Bournemouth chairman Jeff Mostyn added: “We are absolutely delighted to match Brighton’s gesture and commit to one thousand tickets, and we will pass the baton to another club with the aim of reaching a significant target so football as a whole can show its appreciation for our country’s NHS workers.”

Both Brighton and Bournemouth have also asked all fans to come together with the rest of the UK at 8pm on Thursday to acknowledge the work of all NHS staff in Britain.