[Albion] Paul Barber "embarrassed" by our support

[sydney]

Due to the loyalty points the amount that don't go to home games is going to be minimal. The vast majority are STH. Rarely does the away allocation get down to non STH and whilst there are no doubt a few that pass on their their away ticket that will diminish when these too go digital.

good point well made , do all the STH attend most games at the Amex do you think..?

 

[drew]

The lack of atmosphere is surely down to what is happening on the pitch! If we spend most of the time playing the ball along the back and frequently back to the keeper then that's not conducive to getting the crowd going. It's catch 22, the players could do with the crowd getting behind them but the crowd need the players to inspire that.

 

[Guinness Boy]

The lack of atmosphere is surely down to what is happening on the pitch! If we spend most of the time playing the ball along the back and frequently back to the keeper then that's not conducive to getting the crowd going. It's catch 22, the players could do with the crowd getting behind them but the crowd need the players to inspire that.

Yep.

Interesting that when we played like that behind closed doors last season NSC was often full of comments about the nice football, possession stats, xG etc. Last night quite a few around me totally frustrated with the players and some "get it forward" type comments. For me last night was not really different to our home games against the likes of Burnley and WBA at home last season.

 

[drew]

good point well made , do all the STH attend most games at the Amex do you think..?

Of course the vast majority of STH attend 'most' games but clearly not all games. What's point are you trying to make?

 

[Springal]

‘Purporting to support our club’. Same old tired line that has been trotted out for decades.

I will not defend bad/anti social behaviour, but this patronising bullshit reeled out by Barber is just a sad sound bite from a corporate exec reading from a tired list of cliches. The club right now are advertising corporate hospitality packages to any individual American Express card holders whereas in the early days of The Amex these facilities were only open to genuine business accounts. An Amex card is not an exclusive, high end card these days, they do credit like everybody else. The demographic of Brighton fans is changing and PB is happy to lap up the cash from wherever he can find it.

It should also be remembered that the behaviour of many who actually helped to save BHA in the war years would no doubt be condemned by Barber today. The idea that some fans who take their passion and tribalism too far on occasion don’t actually support their football club is both as predictable and unimaginative as it is out of date and incorrect.

Are you saying the club are killing the atmosphere or anyone trying to create one is not allowed? Must say since the Amex has been open and I’ve had my seat in the WSU I’ve never seen any steward involvement in the stands except the odd away fan sat up there. So I don’t really buy what you’re saying / implying.

Also the Amex thing is access to their lounge which is the corner seats in the east / south - it’s a new part of their sponsorship package. Again what’s the problem with this ?

 

[Bombardier]

Personally I find Barber’s comments cringeworthy.

 

[Doonhamer7]

Fun Fact: There are (probably) no actual sniffer dogs at The Amex.

There’s less than 100 fully trained sniffer dogs in the UK and that covers drugs, explosives, money etc. The odds of one of them being at The Amex is next to none. They’re usually normal dogs and Police just look out for the idiots who see the dogs and power walk as far away from the pooches as possible.

As we went past Newcastle fans getting in yesterday - sniffer dog was in action. Young Geordie lad definitely had something in his pockets that got the dog excited and polis asked the lad to move to side to look in pockets. Maybe he just had some dog treats in his pocket or maybe not…

 

[NorthstandRacoon]

What a cringey moan. Not sticking up for their idiotic behaviour, but ffs this has happened at football and will always happen at football. Like any big event, there will always be some dicks.

However, if they are the more passionate fans who go home and away and give us a bit of grit in the away end and atmosphere, then no harm.

Christ our club are becoming wet wipes. I love how so well run we are, but there comes a point where it's a bit too much where they are trying to be the goody goodies ALL of the time.

Barber is a huge Asset to us, but the ticket transfer scheme and his recent comments plus the Amex scheme have properly pissed me off recently.

 

[Seaview Seagull]

What a cringey moan. Not sticking up for their idiotic behaviour, but ffs this has happened at football and will always happen at football. Like any big event, there will always be some dicks.

However, if they are the more passionate fans who go home and away and give us a bit of grit in the away end and atmosphere, then no harm.

Christ our club are becoming wet wipes. I love how so well run we are, but there comes a point where it's a bit too much where they are trying to be the goody goodies ALL of the time.

Barber is a huge Asset to us, but the ticket transfer scheme and his recent comments plus the Amex scheme have properly pissed me off recently.

Did you actually read the whole piece? As far as I could see he was hugely supportive of the majority of fans just railing against the apparently violent small minority. You appear to be saying as long as they are passionate fans the violence is acceptable. It's not. I was a fan of another club in the 60s ( before I lived in Brighton) and the violence and threat at games was frightening. It has no place at the AMEX.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Fun Fact: There are (probably) no actual sniffer dogs at The Amex.

There’s less than 100 fully trained sniffer dogs in the UK and that covers drugs, explosives, money etc. The odds of one of them being at The Amex is next to none. They’re usually normal dogs and Police just look out for the idiots who see the dogs and power walk as far away from the pooches as possible.

Fun fact, yes there are, because I have seen them and spoken to the handlers

 

[Swansman]

"Despite that warning, a small number of individuals, purporting to support our club, decided to fight each other and, later, fight with visiting supporters – all mindless behaviour which resulted in a number of injuries, ejections and arrests."

Maybe its because I'm in Sweden, didnt see that game against Pub United 247 years ago and only came here for the Potter, but I really struggle to see how Paul Barbers wishes not to have it like that is "cringeworthy" or "patronising".

 

[NorthstandRacoon]

Did you actually read the whole piece? As far as I could see he was hugely supportive of the majority of fans just railing against the apparently violent small minority. You appear to be saying as long as they are passionate fans the violence is acceptable. It's not. I was a fan of another club in the 60s ( before I lived in Brighton) and the violence and threat at games was frightening. It has no place at the AMEX.

I know he is, but he could literally be releasing statements like this at every game. EVERY game, someone is ejected or arrested etc. It just happens when there are large crowds and alcohol involved.

Not sticking up for it of course. But the comments re atmosphere, its not the violence no, they are just quite often, the more vocal fans in the away and home ends.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

You definately have all the hallmarks of a red top tabloid hack.

 

[drew]

I know he is, but he could literally be releasing statements like this at every game. EVERY game, someone is ejected or arrested etc. It just happens when there are large crowds and alcohol involved.

Not sticking up for it of course. But the comments re atmosphere, its not the violence no, they are just quite often, the more vocal fans in the away and home ends.

2019/20 there were only 10 arrests at the Amex. Yes that was a truncated season but clearly shows there aren't many arrests for the behaviour that went on at the City game.

 

[Baldseagull]

No. People being f***ing idiots are the reason. No excuses. Same morons who like singing about Zaha dying or throwing bottles indiscriminately outside Norwood Jcn.

I suspect I could entice Paul Barber into a bit of ungentlemanly behaviour, if I stood in front of him screaming "City, City" in his face, and a bit of personal abuse. Maybe it would take having had a few more beers than he normally would have had, but that should not be used as an excuse. However, if you want to avoid, or reduce the likelihood of someone reacting to a dickhead, and/or someone behaving like a dickhead, you would choose an earlier kick off rather than a later one, ask the police.

 

[drew]

I suspect I could entice Paul Barber into a bit of ungentlemanly behaviour, if I stood in front of him screaming "City, City" in his face, and a bit of personal abuse. Maybe it would take having had a few more beers than he normally would have had, but that should not be used as an excuse. However, if you want to avoid, or reduce the likelihood of someone reacting to a dickhead, and/or someone behaving like a dickhead, you would choose an earlier kick off rather than a later one, ask the police.

We've had loads of 5:30 kick offs before without the problems at the City game and how do you explain away the alleged BHA fans fighting amongst themselves?

Also, the club don't pick the kick off times. There haven't been problems before so why would the Police have a problem with the 5:30 kick off.

 

[Baldseagull]

We've had loads of 5:30 kick offs before without the problems at the City game and how do you explain away the alleged BHA fans fighting amongst themselves?

Also, the club don't pick the kick off times. There haven't been problems before so why would the Police have a problem with the 5:30 kick off.

If the police deem a game to be of high risk, they tend to shift it to an early kick off, or a weekday evening. I am not suggesting that they should have flagged it as high risk, just noting that the Police recognise that the time of kick off can have an affect on the behaviour of the crowd. I am not suggesting the club picks the time, we all know the broadcasters do, but Barber won't criticise them, they pay the big bucks, but the kick off time is a factor, if you were to do a risk assessment, it would come into the equation.

I didn't witness Albion fans fighting amongst themselves, so I couldn't comment, let alone "explain away", I did however see a lot of faces I had never seen before in the seats around me and on the concourse, maybe tourists, maybe city fans, perhaps PB means these people when he talks of people "purporting to support our club", if so, none of them will give a shit about a stadium ban till City play us next season.

 

[Rookie]

Not sure what he’s said that is so controversial to some. As with all clubs we have some absolute weapons, unfortunately post lockdown away games have attracted more than than usual.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

Tourists, day trippers with dual allegiances, Yesterday behind me was a student studying in Brighton, who supported Plymouth with two Geordies and an American who was too drunk to stay awake, and nearly slept the whole game, the Geordies celebrated their goal, and were told by someone a few rows back to sit the feck down and shut up, which they did in fairness.

 

[e77]

Problem is if a small group of fans are allowed to act like morons it encourages more to follow suit, which changes the stewarding and security for the vast majority who behave themselves.