PLR was only an internal mantra - never marketing spin - it just got leaked by disgruntled employees who didn't like the new way (or professionalism as the club would tell you) the club was being run. We had big chances to hit the PL target, but ultimately mucked up both chances. Firstly through behind the scenes squabbles and then last year through a disastorous Jan transfer window which came back to hanut us. As we're now finding out you don't often get a third chance.
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It's a sparse crowd here tonight . I'd say 16000 or less through the turnstile .
PLR was only an internal mantra - never marketing spin - it just got leaked by disgruntled employees who didn't like the new way (or professionalism as the club would tell you) the club was being run. We had big chances to hit the PL target, but ultimately mucked up both chances. Firstly through behind the scenes squabbles and then last year through a disastorous Jan transfer window which came back to hanut us. As we're now finding out you don't often get a third chance.
TWOCHOICEStom
Well-known member
I think that they were right to say that though. We did make the playoffs twice. We were spending and building a competitive squad. It was going that way. We were getting value for money.
This season though FFP has taken priority over promotion. I think, at the beginning of this season, the club made a conscious decision to save as much money as possible at the expense of another promotion push.
I don't think they expected us to be where we are, but a mid-table season could be classed as a fair sacrifice to make if a) we stay FFP compliant and b) they enforce transfer/contract embargoes on the teams breaking FFP regulations. The view that we could get more of our transfer targets if the bigger boys of the league had their hands tied might be very appealing to the board. Better players for less money. It's one of the few ways we could get out of this league.
But where they've dropped the ball IMO is they keep pushing this PLR stance at us. Either.
- They had no intention of another promotion challenge this season
- People behind the scenes have done a terrible job in the summer
I think we'll see the cards TB is playing later in the year when FFP regulations get introduced. I just bloody hope we're higher up in the league when we find out!
No, you're still confusing 'tickets sold' with 'attendance'. They are two completely separate things. The VAT man is interested in the revenue and doesn't give a shit if people attend or not, conversely the advertisers and sponsors don't give a shit how much the punters have paid they just want to know how many will see their adverts.
Why is this so hard for people to understand?
The biggest boycott in Albion history....
Black Rod
Well-known member
- Jan 19, 2013
- 948
The fact is that Brighton and Hove Albion's core support is about 15,000. Even at the Goldstone we'd do well to pack in anything like 25,000 when the ground could handle it. The new stadium, successful side factor pulled in an additional 10,000 or so people who support Premier League clubs but got on the bandwagon with the club doing so well.
Some of them are starting to give up now four seasons in as a fair few people predicted. If you don't actually support Brighton, why would you want to traipse all the way out to Falmer to watch a team battling relegation playing against Wigan in the pissing down rain? Especially when there is Champions League football on the television?
Some of them are starting to give up now four seasons in as a fair few people predicted. If you don't actually support Brighton, why would you want to traipse all the way out to Falmer to watch a team battling relegation playing against Wigan in the pissing down rain? Especially when there is Champions League football on the television?
Poppycock. The Inland Revenue won't give a stuff what any club announces as an attendance - it's an irrelevance.
Back in the 80s when most club revenue was cash handed over at the turnstile there was scope for clubs to 'manipulate' attendances to suit.
Nowadays club's like the Albion are large commercial enterprises with numerous revenue streams all under the umbrella of rigorous accounting and audit functions. The notion that the club would try, or even could try, to dodge tax by playing with attendance figures is completely laughable.
- Jun 27, 2012
- 13,952
Do you think its not ?
I know nothing. Obviously...
- Jun 27, 2012
- 13,952
In the league table of wages (we were 8th in 2012/13) - where do you think we are this season then ?
And how much money do you have to spend = "a promotion push" ? - Fulham with £11m signings ? Bournemouth ? Burnley last season ? Palace the season before ?
Mattywerewolf
Well-known member
Didn't rain last night at Amex...Were you watching Champions league?
Where - show me where this was said.
I think it's somewhat unfair to use Premier League Ready' as a stick to beat the club with...
1. It was intended for internal use only.
2. It was used to show a drive for club operations to perform at the highest level - a pursuit of excellence.
To the best of my recollections, the club have never pushed this line at supporters in any way shape or form. The club, led by Tony Bloom, clearly has ambitions to take the Albion to the Premier League, but I don't think promises have ever been made. Bloom is far too savvy for that, and clearly recognises that it's an extremely difficult task to achieve. Regardless of that, the club with all other operations to be the very best they can be. You may not like the PLR line, designed to illustrate that drive, but it wasn't intended for you anyway.
This is pretty accurate.
Back in our old Division 1 days, we would regularly get around 16,000.
The big Saturday games sometimes brought in more.
I do think that the extra 10,000 that have been at the Amex until recently are actually Brighton fans, but the sort that won't go if we aren't competing near the top.
You know, useless fans.
Frampler
New member
On the bright side, the sparse crowd meant I could arrive at Brighton station from London at quarter past seven, wander straight onto a Lewes train (never happened before) and arrive at the Amex in time to get myself the delicious BBQ pork pie.
Dick Knights Mumm
Take me Home Falmer Road
They would not have been believed anyway. I do not recall people expecting the Premiership in a set time period. People I know hoped for it - but everyone appreciated what a massive task it was going to be. At that time, as I recall, we were just amazed to be playing in such a magnificent stadium and hoping we would be able to compete in the championship.
Dick Knights Mumm
Take me Home Falmer Road
This has come up regularly - and shown itself to be a canard. To use it as a stick to beat the club with is mischievous.
It was a stated plan, 5 years Premiership, of course there were no guarantees attached to it but lets please not pretend this did not happen
Tooting Gull
Well-known member
- Jul 5, 2003
- 11,033
I think it's clear we missed our window against Palace, we were never good enough last season. And it was a critical moment in the history of the club (it felt like it at the time, as well). That chance may come along again, or it may not. Had we gone up that season crowds would have gone up to capacity or near every match, but so would prices. We would have recruited, hopefully well, and maybe stayed up on a totally different financial footing.
The next cycle may not come around for a long time, we have to accept that. If Burnley hadn't taken their chance last season, the same could have happened to them - but they did.
Personally I think it might be 10 years, and maybe in the Southampton model if we are lucky enough to get a good crop from the academy. Maybe sell one or two here and there for decent money to the Prem League, and then build a team around a core of talented kids, supplementing with some older heads. This might be from League One.
The next cycle may not come around for a long time, we have to accept that. If Burnley hadn't taken their chance last season, the same could have happened to them - but they did.
Personally I think it might be 10 years, and maybe in the Southampton model if we are lucky enough to get a good crop from the academy. Maybe sell one or two here and there for decent money to the Prem League, and then build a team around a core of talented kids, supplementing with some older heads. This might be from League One.
Black Rod
Well-known member
- Jan 19, 2013
- 948
So it didn't rain at The Amex. But as far as I am aware, not all 16,000 who went last night live in Falmer so the journey would have involved getting wet at some point. And that is enough to put some people off
6000 Arse fans is roughly 10% of their attendance. Last nights actual attendance was almost 40% down. Arse have over 30,000 people on their waiting list for season tickets so probably aren't too worried about fans not turning up. I'd imagine that 15-20% not attending is probably the average for an evening game although the actual figures are probably out there on the www somewhere.
Up until this season there have been plenty of threads bigging up the Amex attendances (someone used to list them in their signature), it's only right that people want to discuss the implications of falling attendances.
Personally, I think it was always going to happen and think that the real attendance figure is still very good. However if the losses are unsustainable with 22,000 ST holders and there is a possibility of less than 20,000 next season then it means that the fans still attending will need to spend more or the overheads will need to be reduced.
People don't get it, the club don't care who comes through the door, your albion history, if you went to hereford and Gillingham, it is totally irrelevant now, the only thing that matters is how much money you can bring into the club and these useless fans as you call them brought hundreds of thousands of pounds into the club over the last 3 seasons