Exclusive interview with Paul Barber.

Brighton Breezy · Jun 6, 2013

Interviewed Paul Barber late this afternoon (via email, he is at the Football League AGM with Tony Bloom).

Couldn't go into Poyet etc, understandably, but gave some quite detailed answers to questions about membership, listening to supporters, next season's playing budget and a few other bits and bobs.

Thought it might be of interest to people on here.

CLICK HERE TO SEE IT

Do quite a few pieces on the Albion. Tend to tweet them from @NotWorthThat

Brighton Breezy · Jun 6, 2013

Seeing the other thread, he also explains why he does not regret the 'Fans not customers' comment and why the Albion often speaks like David Brent in official releases...

Sergei's Celebration · Jun 6, 2013

for all the crap that is on twitter and here you Walt are a good highlight.

Old Greg · Jun 6, 2013

A very good read. Thanks for that Walt. Although there are concerns about Barber, I do feel that the club is in safe hands with him - it's better for him to be anally tight rather than spend spend spend, for the good of the club.

The Wookiee · Jun 6, 2013

I thought that was an excellent read !

Man of Harveys · Jun 6, 2013

Yup, good piece.

I don't think I'm ever likely to be his biggest fan but he talks the talk well.

gripper stebson · Jun 6, 2013

Paul Barber "It’s just a fantastic football club. This year alone, we have expanded our capacity by over 40%, topped the League’s attendance chart, achieved our first 30,000 crowd, achieved record catering sales on our concourses, secured a new long-term shirt sponsor, started work on a world-class training ground, and won numerous awards for the quality of our stadium, what we do in it, and the way we treat people. These things, combined with the all important success we have had on the pitch, should make us all very proud.

Well said.

Bra · Jun 6, 2013

good read, liked the bit where the budget will be at last years level when i wondered if it was being reduced

Monsieur Le Plonk · Jun 6, 2013

Great questions and I'm not sure you can knock his responses. He's got a mandate from TB and he is always going to ruffle feathers - he knows that. Good read.

thedonkeycentrehalf · Jun 6, 2013

Cheers Walt - as others have said an interesting read and thanks for sharing.

Psychobilly freakout · Jun 6, 2013

Great read and loved the clackers comment "but I strongly suspect that if we had won the game, you might not have asked me this question!"

I think the club is in safe hands.

father_and_son · Jun 6, 2013

Thanks for that, enjoyed reading it.

I haven't agreed with everything he's done but PB does at least give reasons for what he doing and I see why they have to be done (most of the time).

I don't think he deserves a fraction of the abuse he gets on here and I'm impressed by his ability to seemingly take the abuse and still put his all in making this the greatest club to support.

Now Paul, bring back Gully's Girls!!!

Kazenga <3 · Jun 6, 2013

Personally I don't have any problems with what Barber is doing, he clearly has the best interests of the club at heart.

However I can't really speak as a 'customer' as such because as a student I have always had my season ticket etc paid for me by my parents for the last 14 years so I would likely feel differently if the financial side affected me directly.

Without wanting to be condescending also, I would imagine all these price hikes etc affect those on a lower income more so than the middle class of fans the club is presumably trying to attract, and such new measures could result in long standing fans who do not earn as much as some of the newer fair weather fans being priced out of the club a little.

I suppose such is business and indeed modern football and the club will ultimately want to bring in as much money as they can. But it is a little sad that watching Brighton is beginning to become an expensive luxury that some will really have to consider if they can afford, rather than being accessible regularly to all.

seagullsovergrimsby · Jun 6, 2013

Thanks for the blog , nice to get the viewpoint from Paul Barber once in a while.

albionant · Jun 6, 2013

Really good web site and some informative and smart articles.
The questions asked to Barber were respectful but also challenging.
Great read - Thanks

Monkey Man · Jun 6, 2013

Good read, Walt, and fair play to PB for giving such thorough answers. Email interviews aren't usually this successful.

I agree with pretty much all of what PB says. I suspect that those of us who don't like the things he says would probably prefer to go back in time to before when Sky and the Premier League and the Taylor Report changed everything. We've all got fond memories of those years, but PB is right ... fans weren't really treated very well.

Pevenseagull · Jun 6, 2013

man alive, that was refreshingly normal.

Barrel of Fun · Jun 6, 2013

He stills seems to be avoiding the issue of the membership.

Why should someone whom has been to one game and have a membership be entitled to a ticket for a game of high interest than someone who whom has been to 12 games, for example.

If they want everyone to have a smart card, why not sell them to the non-season ticket holders for a normal fee? I'd happily have a smart card rather than relying on paper tickets.

Do we have the technology to tell us where we sit, if we were to buy a ticket on our newly owned smart card?

Brighton Breezy · Jun 6, 2013

Its the second or third piece I have done with Paul Barber and I can genuinely say each time he has come across a lot better than in the club's official comments. He also seems to be well received at various supporters clubs meetings he has been to.

I think most of what he says, however lamentable it may be that football is heading that way, is understandable.

I know many of the things I disagree with which he has introduced are symptomatic of modern football in general, not just the Albion. I don't agree with a paid for membership scheme for non season ticket holders to get priority on the best left over tickets. £30 for the right to jump a few places in line to buy £39 tickets seems wrong. I also think our match by match tickets are too expensive.

But I do appreciate the fact you can email people like Paul Barber with complaints and get a speedy email reply. I also think the club still does more positive than negative.

Much of the shock is because the Albion off the pitch are modernising almost over night after years at Withdean when the club would admit it was light years behind most other clubs of similar status. If a lot of the changes had been introduced over a number of years I don't think their would be as much negativity.

Much of what comes from the club would benefit from better, less business speak and distant wording and phrasing.

Questions · Jun 6, 2013

If he was taking the club in the wrong direction I think Tony Bloom would reel him in. Most of what is happening is only to be expected but it is scary what we might have to pay if we get to the Premier League eventually. But c'est la vie.

Oh and excellant interview Walt.

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