Paul Barber - a thoroughly likeable guy actually

Guinness Boy · Mar 6, 2015

Horses Arse said:
I really don't get how you've changed your view on Barber due to the fact that Hyppia saved the club by doing the honourable thing. Perhaps it will be found that Barber managed to persuade/negotiate this departure and saved the club money; if so that should be balanced against the impact that the delay in his departure beyond any sensible point of no return has had. It should also be considered against the terms of Hyppia's appointment that carried such damaging payouts that his incompetence couldn't be dealt with in a timely manner.

I don't think the 'incompetence' of the summer and start of the season was predominantly due to Barber and never have. He was part of the problem in that in his position he is influential and presumably has Blooms ear and the failure to do much right should therefore be partly carried by Barber but not fully. Neither should it entirely be carried by Burke; Burke had some successes and was allowed/encouraged/appointed to do what he did on the recruitment front. Barber supported Burke when it was bloody obvious that recruitment was poor and hence shares this too. However, I have a strong sense that much of the failure was due to the single mindedness of Bloom in a sector that he doesn't have the right experience in. I'm sure Bloom's success is down to this single mindedness and faith in his decisions but that is in a sector he knows. In my opinion Barber, supposedly as a football person, should be strong enough to suitably direct/correct Bloom in the approach but maybe that's an impossible task. Ultimately the failure of the pre-season and start of the season starts and ends with Bloom and I hope that he's learnt from it.

My beef with Barber is initially down to personal experiences with him where it has been patently obvious that he is about spin/PR with not much else there. Secondly it is due to the frustration that so many seem to be so easily taken in by such behaviour; "he responded to my e-mail really quickly" and therefore can be blamed for nothing... The reaction on here is clearly not his fault, failure to get someone into such a position to provide and manage such communication is his fault in my opinion; it reflects extremely badly on the rest of the team that the supporters feel they have to contact him on pretty minor issues. Or maybe it is just a way he's found of finding favour that works and allows him to maintain a position.

Do you remember Cortese at Southampton; I cringed when hearing Saints fans swoon over the guy, nicknaming him The Don. It became a bit of a circus with him being the main attraction at the club seemingly. Ring any bells?

I don't like Barber; I had no problem with him when appointed, didn't understand the whining over his early 'work' and didn't blame him at all for Gus' departure. My view throughout that period was that he was doing Bloom's work and what Bloom wanted and if we didn't like it then we should complain to Bloom not Barber. Given what Bloom has done for the club I couldn't/can't blame or whinge at him until we return to league 1 relegation spots in a temporary ground.

I don't like Barber because I found him to be extremely shallow when I turned to him as a last resort after experiencing shear incompetence and arrogance of the team at the club. His responses were rapid and lengthy and initially said the right things. However, ultimately it was shallow and without any care - there was no substance. You find out about people when things go wrong, seriously wrong. I'm not alone in experiencing the shallow ego filled side of Barber; it wasn't/isn't a one off. I don't believe that he is good for the culture of this club and I don't like what it is becoming. I also don't like the sycophantic behaviour on here that he generates. You seemed to dislike him because the quality of the football and the recruitment wasn't good and now that Hughton is picking it up you like him; I really don't get that at all.

No, I neither like or dislike the guy. It's impossible because I've not met him enough to form that opinion. But as a fan of many years, home and away and someone who's written for websites and fanzines about the club I have a very strong opinion on what goes on on the pitch.

You've dealt with him on a micro level, person to person, and been unsatisfied with that experience. I'm talking about a macro level. If you run a software company you are ultimately responsible for the quality and delivery of that software. If you run an investment company you're responsible for your clients making money. And if you are in charge, day to day, of a football club you should be questioned when the fans (customers) are being served up a sub-standard product. Others on this board have disagreed with that point of view. Since January the product has improved and - if you are aged between 18 and 21 or live in Worthing or Eastbourne - you will pay less for it next season. That deserves recognition and applause.

Funnily enough you (anti) and [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION] (pro) seem to think I have a personal difficulty with Mr Barber. I don't. I have a personal difficulty with failure dressed up in corporate bullshit.

Guinness Boy · Mar 6, 2015

Bozza said:
Fixed for you.

LOL xx

Horses Arse · Mar 6, 2015

Guinness Boy said:
No, I neither like or dislike the guy. It's impossible because I've not met him enough to form that opinion. But as a fan of many years, home and away and someone who's written for websites and fanzines about the club I have a very strong opinion on what goes on on the pitch.

You've dealt with him on a micro level, person to person, and been unsatisfied with that experience. I'm talking about a macro level. If you run a software company you are ultimately responsible for the quality and delivery of that software. If you run an investment company you're responsible for your clients making money. And if you are in charge, day to day, of a football club you should be questioned when the fans (customers) are being served up a sub-standard product. Others on this board have disagreed with that point of view. Since January the product has improved and - if you are aged between 18 and 21 or live in Worthing or Eastbourne - you will pay less for it next season. That deserves recognition and applause.

Funnily enough you (anti) and [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION] (pro) seem to think I have a personal difficulty with Mr Barber. I don't. I have a personal difficulty with failure dressed up in corporate bullshit.

No sorry, didn't mean to say that I thought you had a personal issue with him. I do though and that will always cloud judgement, no doubt about it.

I agree with your macro level comment, that's where I started and would be now if I hadn't had to deal with him. However, peoples judgements are predominantly based on the micro, e.g. he responded to my mail. I'd agree that the micro is not the most important aspect but didn't this thread start with comments about opinions since an exchange of e-mails, i.e. micro level?

Totally with you on the failure dressed up as corporate bullshit. I see someone commented that he's listened and improved in this respect with programme notes etc; I wouldn't know as I make sure I read nothing coming out of the club with his name or face on it. This no doubt puts me at a disadvantage in assessing how he's now 'performing' but I'm all the better for it!

sent from my ANDROID phone, not a corporate spin induced iPhone.......

Seagull73 · Mar 6, 2015

Which is all summed-up with 'some people are easily pleased'.

father_and_son · Mar 6, 2015

BiffyBoy said:
Appreciate Pb is hands on, but it seems a bit pretentious to cc him in emails about such trivial issues. We hired him for a reason and with that came a very expensive salary. I'm pretty sure spending time replying to emails about pies, tickets exchanges for fans not renewing and seating arrangements for the Yankee doodle police box gangs might not be best use of his time.

While I don't disagree with the fundamental principle of your argument, evidence suggests that Paul types really quickly in replying to these emails [that should be directed at someone much lower down in the hierarchy]... because as well as replying he does the rest* of the job of CEO well. The business side of the club is actually doing quite well relative to the rest of the division - losing money but leading the way towards being a sustainably break even operation. He secured bigger sponsor deals, new shirt deal, the Academy was delivered (and sponsored) on time without massive issues, we ditched the crap caterers and secured new ones, etc etc.

The only issue that I think we cannot be sure on is whether he is a good manager. Are the staff happy? Aside from the fallout inevitable with the early re-organisation, what is the staff turn-over like? What is their morale like?

I personally, don't have many dealings with the club. I speak to the ticket office occasionally to upgrade a junior ticket and Jody (who seems to me to be the only one there because its always her I speak to) seems to respond with a happy voice every time - I think that's probably more because the Albion is a nice place to work than that she finally gets the one-call-a-month-from-that-moron-who-never-remembers-what-he's-supposed-to-do that she has been looking forward to.

father_and_son · Mar 6, 2015

Hamilton said:
We have loads of things we can improve at this club. I'd love to see greater fan representation through a supporter's (non-owning) seat on the board. I know the club don't agree. They think we already have a fan on the board. I agree TB is a fan, but he is also a fan with £150m somewhere as a vested interest.

I have mixed feelings here. As "fan on the board", I would probably propose certain things and oppose others that I thought were for the good of club but my view would be relatively short term.

I think that I, and probably any other fan who has ever disagreed with an action taken by the club, would be taking a much longer term view if they had a second mortgage on their home invested in the club (or whatever is a comparable level of investment for each of us to what Tony has invested). I may be willing to sacrifice a season or two now for better security in 10 years time whereas, with frankly, not a lot to lose, I want "jam today" not "jam tomorrow".

rippleman · Mar 6, 2015

OP:

Having sent three e-mails to the club without acknowledgment or reply, I think you were perfectly entitled to be "terse & brusque" in your fourth attempt. I know I would have been.

I think I would have been apologising to you for your unanswered e-mails rather than admonishing you for your brusqueness.

Stat Brother · Mar 6, 2015

Seagull73 said:
Which is all summed-up with 'some people are easily pleased'.

while others are easily offended.

El Presidente · Mar 6, 2015

Lower West Stander said:
Not a Barber fan - sorry.

However he comes across on a personal basis (and clearly its quite well), the fact remains that since he's been in charge at the club, performance on the pitch has deteriorated.

Has it? In the first two seasons in which he was CEO, we reached the playoffs both times, for the first time since 1991.

Stat Brother · Mar 6, 2015

rippleman said:
OP:

Having sent three e-mails to the club without acknowledgment or reply, I think you were perfectly entitled to be "terse & brusque" in your fourth attempt. I know I would have been.

I think I would have been apologising to you for your unanswered e-mails rather than admonishing you for your brusqueness.

This is the bit I don't get.
So you're emails, does hitting resend count as emails?, have gone unanswered, how is the next step cc the CEO?

I'm sure the OP has been properly hard done by a fair few times, this year alone, I doubt he ever contemplated going straight to the top, on any other occasion.

Why wasn't the reaction 'bugger I'm going to have to call them'.
In the unlikely event the person on the other end of the phone can't help, you speak to their manager, and so on.

Every couple of months we get these threads, and they are a great advert for PB.
But a shocking indictment as to how your average Brighton fan can't deal with the smallest of set backs.

Herr Tubthumper · Mar 6, 2015

I really don't get this "he emails me immediately so he must be great." thinking. The vast majority of his communications are him justifying to us why something is overpriced or doesn't work. There is not one ounce of him listening at all; it's one way. And above all I believe actions speak louder than words....and boy does Barber like words. He's the wrong person for a club like Brighton.

I now fully expect to be struck down by a 5,000,000 word email.

Horses Arse · Mar 6, 2015

Herr Tubthumper said:
I really don't get this "he emails me immediately so he must be great." thinking. The vast majority of his communications are him justifying to us why something is overpriced or doesn't work. There is not one ounce of him listening at all; it's one way. And above all I believe actions speak louder than words....and boy does Barber like words. He's the wrong person for a club like Brighton.

I now fully expect to be struck down by a 5,000,000 word email.

Absolutely agree with this 100%

Lower West Stander · Mar 6, 2015

Herr Tubthumper said:
I really don't get this "he emails me immediately so he must be great." thinking. The vast majority of his communications are him justifying to us why something is overpriced or doesn't work. There is not one ounce of him listening at all; it's one way. And above all I believe actions speak louder than words....and boy does Barber like words. He's the wrong person for a club like Brighton.

I now fully expect to be struck down by a 5,000,000 word email.

Well said

chaileyjem · Mar 6, 2015

Herr Tubthumper said:
I really don't get this "he emails me immediately so he must be great." thinking. The vast majority of his communications are him justifying to us why something is overpriced or doesn't work. There is not one ounce of him listening at all;.

The club have made 3 changes recently arguably because PB and his team have listened to fans , perhaps you could argue by reading threads on NSC, certainly emails and I suspect hearing from fans via the many forums he attends all over Sussex.

- Freezing ST, extending the travel zone to Worthing/Eastbourne, & introducing the 18-21 reduced price band.

All universally praised, even on here, and all in response to fans perhaps saying they weren't planning to renew tickets this year, perhaps could no longer afford a ST as they were now a student or wanted to travel from further afar to support the club.

Thats 3 ounces of him listening. Perhaps very nearly an armful.

The Birdman · Mar 6, 2015

He not a bad bloke even though he is a Spurs Fan :facepalm:

Wilka · Mar 6, 2015

For me, it's quite simple when it comes to Paul Barber.

I don't like a lot of the decisions he makes, mostly because it cost me more money but I fully understand why he makes the decisions.

He was brought in by Tony Bloom to put the club on a more sound financial footing and he appears to be doing it.

I think he communicates well and even if you don't agree with his decisions he won't hide away or not explain them. I think we are lucky to have him.

Lincoln Imp · Mar 6, 2015

El Presidente said:
Has it? In the first two seasons in which he was CEO, we reached the playoffs both times, for the first time since 1991.

Or, he joined just before the start of season 2012/13 and by the midpoint of that season relations between football management and senior club management appeared to be heading due south, culminating in a chaotic conclusion to the campaign and an absolute shambles of a summer, which in turn led to a dull and ultimately disappointing 2013/14 under an unsuitable new manager who resigned after less than a year to be replaced by an utterly hopeless appointment who in turn resigned after a few months, the whole comic opera being accompanied by fading football and sliding attendances.

chaileyjem · Mar 6, 2015

Lincoln Imp said:
chaotic shambles of a summer, which in turn led to a dull and ultimately disappointing 2013/14 ...unsuitable utterly hopeless appointment ...comic opera .

That 72 points last season culminating in a incredible 92nd minute final act leading to only our 2nd appearance in the play offs in 30 years was dull ? Blimey.

Lincoln Imp · Mar 6, 2015

chaileyjem said:
That 72 points last season culminating in a incredible 92nd minute final act leading to only our 2nd appearance in the play offs in 30 years was dull ? Blimey.

Yep, you're right, the ending of the the Forest match was brilliant.

El Presidente · Mar 7, 2015

Lincoln Imp said:
Or, he joined just before the start of season 2012/13 and by the midpoint of that season relations between football management and senior club management appeared to be heading due south, culminating in a chaotic conclusion to the campaign and an absolute shambles of a summer, which in turn led to a dull and ultimately disappointing 2013/14 under an unsuitable new manager who resigned after less than a year to be replaced by an utterly hopeless appointment who in turn resigned after a few months, the whole comic opera being accompanied by fading football and sliding attendances.

The chaotic conclusion to the campaign was on the back of a 10 match unbeaten run.

I've watched the Albion in this division many times over the last 40 years, I can't recall too many occasions (except when we had Peter Ward), when the football was amazing.

.........and two appearances in the playoffs.

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Paul Barber - a thoroughly likeable guy actually

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