Blue and White Tiger
Exiled to Exeter
- Jul 6, 2010
- 927
Paul would never allow this, Paul can do no harm after all.
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Only 250 quid to [jump the queue for*] the Seven Stars Sports bar.. [* = get in to]
- Thread starter 7oaksgull
- Start date
Paul would never allow this, Paul can do no harm after all.
Bob!
Coffee Buyer
- Jul 5, 2003
- 11,137
So, a family of four would get four programmes?
No discount for a family group?
T soprano
New member
£250 for a club that opens 23 times a year (5hours use on those 23 days)
My snooker club/pub membership is £110 a year which is open around 360 days a year (12 hours use average on those days)
others could probably quote cheaper prices for club memberships like Empire club in Lancing Twitten club Southwick etc
The club have got this so wrong
My snooker club/pub membership is £110 a year which is open around 360 days a year (12 hours use average on those days)
others could probably quote cheaper prices for club memberships like Empire club in Lancing Twitten club Southwick etc
The club have got this so wrong
chairman
New member
Here's a thought when you home kit comes out, pay fee of £250 to see the blue and white stripes, if you don't pay all you see is a grey blurr
Prince Monolulu
Everything in Moderation
Ernest
Stupid IDIOT
It's not £250 to jump the queue as the title suggests, the email today says it is £250 to be able to go in, don't pay then drink on the concourses
pasty
A different kind of pasty
Same difference. Without membership you may have to queue to get in, with membership, you won't.
Isn't the '7 stars sports' bar a strip joint near what used to be, and perhaps still is, Sherries? Maybe I should get out more. Or less
Easy 10
Brain dead MUG SHEEP
And a complimentary free POOL TABLE and TABLE FOOTBALL.
I think a lot of people are forgetting this.
Dirk Lehmann's Python
New member
Throw in a few tables around the pillars that people can put beer on (so they can use their hands to eat), and a couple of heaters in the concourses that turn into a wind trap in the winter and it's job done.
Instead we get this shower of shit from the club. *****
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Geestar
New member
Is this for real?
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Sent from my SM-A510F using Tapatalk
Ernest
Stupid IDIOT
So 165 wanting a game of POOL is going to go well
BBassic
I changed this.
- Jul 28, 2011
- 12,319
I've had a reply from Paul Barber. From his holidays. Written on an iPhone. He gets some flack but honestly, we'd be in a worse place without him I think. Also, his "lateness", was an hour. That's commendable for a man answering an email from some bloke essentially whining about him having to do his job. Anyway, here's the response:
Dear Chris
Thank you for your email.
I'm currently overseas on a family holiday so apologies for the lateness of my response.
I'm sorry to hear that you are unhappy about our decision to change access policy to the Seven Stars sports bar. I appreciate that for some supporters this is disappointing news and I wish we could have avoided the decision. For context, however, whilst there may well be much debate on social media you are only the fourth supporter to write to me on this issue (including one person who doesn't actually use the bar - and has never used the bar - but wrote to me to complain about the decision anyway!).
So, for clarity, Seven Stars will become a members only facility at the start of the season. Membership passes will be issued and scanned on entry. We will not provide match day access to this area for non-members.
For some families, I do of course realise that a membership fee is beyond their budget, so I am happy to take some time here to explain (in detail) the reasons behind the decision. If you wish to share this reply in its entirety, then please feel free to do so.
In a nutshell, as a football club, we are losing in excess of £1.5m per month. We have an ongoing responsibility to reduce these losses and, in particular, the burden on Tony Bloom. Every pound counts and we simply cannot sustain something that isn't paying its own way, however difficult such a decision may be. All investments in stadium facilities must generate a financial return (we are like no other business in this respect).
The Seven Stars sports bar is the least financially viable facility in the stadium, and on average it records the lowest spend per head on a match day. This is partly due to how the facility is used and also how we have organised it. So, this is the most important reason for making the change: the economics of the bar don't add up (to be honest, it's probably why there are few, if any, such facilities that I'm aware of at other clubs, at least at our level and above).
In addition, the Seven Stars facility also regularly creates operational issues for us. It was originally conceived as a family alternative to Dick's bar, which has been an adults only facility since the Amex opened. We wanted the Seven Stars facility to be used by families with children unable to enter Dick's Bar. We didn't want a hugely bureaucratic access process and we hoped Seven Stars would be used in the spirit we intended. And largely it has been. However, we have also answered numerous and regular complaints from many supporters on a range of issues since the bar opened.
These include disputes between supporters as to what constitutes a family - in particular, what ages constitute "children" (different supporters have very different views on this!) and the ratio of adults to children in an "extended" family (again, different people see this very differently - we simply can't police who is/isn't an uncle, aunt, grandparent etc); a sense from some supporters that they can never access the facility because others seem to be using the bar every week, or that the ratio of adults to children is far too high making it impossible for families with small children to gain access as we have a limited capacity; we have also had arguments about places being held in queues for late arriving family members creating issues for those further back in the queue. In all cases, our stewards have often been on the receiving end of such disputes, and on occasions have faced unacceptable abuse for their interventions. This is not the kind of thing we envisaged when we opened the bar. Perhaps we should have done.
In summary, we have provided a facility that few, if any, other clubs in the country provide for their fans free of charge for over 2 years now. Regrettably, we cannot do it any more. We made this decision after careful consideration of the financial return - the primary reason for the decision - and the operational issues I have described (resulting in additional costs for the club in an already under-performing facility).
So, whilst I appreciate the decision may not make sense to those that have regularly benefitted from the facility, it probably will to the many who have complained about it.
As importantly, from a financial perspective, it also makes a lot of sense for a club that needs to ensure we maximise the value of every pound we spend to focus our spending on facilities that can benefit more fans.
The fees that we do receive for memberships to Seven Stars from those that do want regular access to a lounge that provides different benefits to those available in our 1901 areas - and there have been many enquiries already - will support our ongoing efforts to reduce the club's current deficit: for example, £40,000 from potential membership fees may not seem a lot but it pays for two full time members of staff.
In addition, will continue to try new things for benefit of all fans and, if they work and we can afford them (interest free season ticket direct debits, subsidised transport, free wifi, a free-to-enter adult supporters' bar, pre-match fan zone etc being good examples), then such facilities and benefits will stay for as long as we can continue to afford them.
However, to ensure that we maintain a competitive squad, we can keep ticket prices at affordable levels, we rely less on our chairman for ongoing financial support, and we enjoy a more sustainable club in the long term, those things that don't work - or simply aren't financially viable, such as Seven Stars - must be changed or stopped.
Regardless of whether the club, or I am personally, criticised on social media, we will continue to take the decisions necessary for the long term benefit of the club, even if on occasions those decisions may be unpopular with some supporters. All of our key policy decisions are fully considered and debated by our executive team and also by our board. We don't ever take decision affecting our supporters lightly.
Thanks for your support and understanding.
Regards, Paul
Dear Chris
Thank you for your email.
I'm currently overseas on a family holiday so apologies for the lateness of my response.
I'm sorry to hear that you are unhappy about our decision to change access policy to the Seven Stars sports bar. I appreciate that for some supporters this is disappointing news and I wish we could have avoided the decision. For context, however, whilst there may well be much debate on social media you are only the fourth supporter to write to me on this issue (including one person who doesn't actually use the bar - and has never used the bar - but wrote to me to complain about the decision anyway!).
So, for clarity, Seven Stars will become a members only facility at the start of the season. Membership passes will be issued and scanned on entry. We will not provide match day access to this area for non-members.
For some families, I do of course realise that a membership fee is beyond their budget, so I am happy to take some time here to explain (in detail) the reasons behind the decision. If you wish to share this reply in its entirety, then please feel free to do so.
In a nutshell, as a football club, we are losing in excess of £1.5m per month. We have an ongoing responsibility to reduce these losses and, in particular, the burden on Tony Bloom. Every pound counts and we simply cannot sustain something that isn't paying its own way, however difficult such a decision may be. All investments in stadium facilities must generate a financial return (we are like no other business in this respect).
The Seven Stars sports bar is the least financially viable facility in the stadium, and on average it records the lowest spend per head on a match day. This is partly due to how the facility is used and also how we have organised it. So, this is the most important reason for making the change: the economics of the bar don't add up (to be honest, it's probably why there are few, if any, such facilities that I'm aware of at other clubs, at least at our level and above).
In addition, the Seven Stars facility also regularly creates operational issues for us. It was originally conceived as a family alternative to Dick's bar, which has been an adults only facility since the Amex opened. We wanted the Seven Stars facility to be used by families with children unable to enter Dick's Bar. We didn't want a hugely bureaucratic access process and we hoped Seven Stars would be used in the spirit we intended. And largely it has been. However, we have also answered numerous and regular complaints from many supporters on a range of issues since the bar opened.
These include disputes between supporters as to what constitutes a family - in particular, what ages constitute "children" (different supporters have very different views on this!) and the ratio of adults to children in an "extended" family (again, different people see this very differently - we simply can't police who is/isn't an uncle, aunt, grandparent etc); a sense from some supporters that they can never access the facility because others seem to be using the bar every week, or that the ratio of adults to children is far too high making it impossible for families with small children to gain access as we have a limited capacity; we have also had arguments about places being held in queues for late arriving family members creating issues for those further back in the queue. In all cases, our stewards have often been on the receiving end of such disputes, and on occasions have faced unacceptable abuse for their interventions. This is not the kind of thing we envisaged when we opened the bar. Perhaps we should have done.
In summary, we have provided a facility that few, if any, other clubs in the country provide for their fans free of charge for over 2 years now. Regrettably, we cannot do it any more. We made this decision after careful consideration of the financial return - the primary reason for the decision - and the operational issues I have described (resulting in additional costs for the club in an already under-performing facility).
So, whilst I appreciate the decision may not make sense to those that have regularly benefitted from the facility, it probably will to the many who have complained about it.
As importantly, from a financial perspective, it also makes a lot of sense for a club that needs to ensure we maximise the value of every pound we spend to focus our spending on facilities that can benefit more fans.
The fees that we do receive for memberships to Seven Stars from those that do want regular access to a lounge that provides different benefits to those available in our 1901 areas - and there have been many enquiries already - will support our ongoing efforts to reduce the club's current deficit: for example, £40,000 from potential membership fees may not seem a lot but it pays for two full time members of staff.
In addition, will continue to try new things for benefit of all fans and, if they work and we can afford them (interest free season ticket direct debits, subsidised transport, free wifi, a free-to-enter adult supporters' bar, pre-match fan zone etc being good examples), then such facilities and benefits will stay for as long as we can continue to afford them.
However, to ensure that we maintain a competitive squad, we can keep ticket prices at affordable levels, we rely less on our chairman for ongoing financial support, and we enjoy a more sustainable club in the long term, those things that don't work - or simply aren't financially viable, such as Seven Stars - must be changed or stopped.
Regardless of whether the club, or I am personally, criticised on social media, we will continue to take the decisions necessary for the long term benefit of the club, even if on occasions those decisions may be unpopular with some supporters. All of our key policy decisions are fully considered and debated by our executive team and also by our board. We don't ever take decision affecting our supporters lightly.
Thanks for your support and understanding.
Regards, Paul
Seasider78
Well-known member
- Nov 14, 2004
- 5,939
Only 250 quid to jump the queue for the Seven Stars Sports bar..
Well Paul let's see what the spend per head is next season when it is completely empty
Again the fans being asked to help fund the ridiculous wages and running costs of modern football
Well Paul let's see what the spend per head is next season when it is completely empty
Again the fans being asked to help fund the ridiculous wages and running costs of modern football
Mackenzie
Old Brightonian
The Swan it is then.
Nice one PB.
Nice one PB.
Dirk Lehmann's Python
New member
So in short, they are deliberately making it financially unviable so they can close it at the earliest opportunity without a backlash - they'll play the "we tried to get the money to keep it open but nobody wanted to pay" card.
I just wish our PR dept could pre empt this sort of backlash and try and justify obviously controversial topics with the initial post, rather than go through yet another "oooh look at Barber, emailing out of hours, what a guy" wankfest.
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I just wish our PR dept could pre empt this sort of backlash and try and justify obviously controversial topics with the initial post, rather than go through yet another "oooh look at Barber, emailing out of hours, what a guy" wankfest.
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Easy 10
Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Anyone for DOUBLES ?
Ernest
Stupid IDIOT
As I said earlier, you don't pay the 250 quid you ain't getting in