ALBION HAVE JOINED the growing number of clubs on Instagram. The social media channel is proving hugely popular with photo lovers, and Albion's club snapper Paul Hazlewood will be uploading some exclusive images to the new channel. His ever-popular galleries will remain on the club website, while live pictures will continue to be tweeted during matches, and behind-the-scenes snaps throughout the week. The new Instagram channel will include some of his more artistic efforts. You can follow via @OfficialBHAFC, the same handle as our twitter account.
ON FRIDAY, ALBION director Martin Perry took time out from his busy schedule - which includes overseeing the new training ground build - to show a delegation from Bristol City around the Amex. City have ambitious plans to redevelop Ashton Gate and are hoping for approval later this month, and their delegation went on a fact-finding mission with Perry. He explained, "They asked if they could come up to the Amex to see how we do it. They were looking particularly at ticketing, access control, commercial use of the stadium both on match and non-matchdays, and the IT and software systems. They want to see the latest developments and to think about how they might apply those in their new stadium development. We are very happy to help other clubs in the Football League and of course members of the Premier League, who have also been to visit us."
FRASER HALLIDAY, chief technical officer at Bristol City, told Inside Albion: "We are looking to redevelop the existing stadium, stand by stand. We will be completely renovating three of the stands, it is almost a full construction. The cost is circa £40m for the redevelopment, and this will provide us with effectively a new home at Ashton Gate, not just for Bristol City Football Club, but also for Bristol Rugby Club who are going to be ground sharing from next season. From our point of view Brighton & Hove Albion were one of the clubs identified as doing things well with the new stadium here, and this encompassed everything from fan engagement, ticketing, access control and the new cashless technologies."
FORMER ALBION KEEPER Michel Kuipers is back at the club, undertaking a variety of roles - including work as a matchday host in the club's 1901 Club lounges. The popular keeper, who still holds the club record for the most senior appearances by any foreign player, is working with the club's academy to coach the club's young goalkeepers. He is also working with the Albion's women's team, coaching goalkeepers at the academy, and eagle-eyed fans at the match against Bristol City at Lancing's Culver Road may have spotted that he deputised for Mark Mason, Albion's under-21 goalkeeping coach. Mason was recently called up by England to work with the national team's goalkeepers from under-16s through to under-19s.
WHILE ON THE subject of Albion legends, Dean Wilkins - who gave over 25 years of service to the club as player, coach and manager - will be back at the club tomorrow, with Reading. Wilkins, who was part of the 1991 side which got Albion to within 90 minutes of a top-flight return, is first-team coach at the Madejski Stadium - but admits Albion are still close to his heart. He told Reading's website, "Since Tony Bloom went in you can see by the crowds how far they have come. I’d be lying if I said that after Reading, it wasn’t the first club I looked for results wise - it’s still close to my heart. But once you're playing against them on a matchday everything goes out the window."
ANDY NAYLOR QUESTIONED it on twitter, and a few fans probably raised eyebrows, but the word is that five-goal man Leo Ulloa was not shortlisted for the SkyBet Player of the Month Award for February because two of his five goals came in the FA Cup against Hull City. Eventual winner was former Seagull loan signing Sam Vokes, who also managed five in February, and took his season tally for Burnley to an impressive 18 goals for the season. Ulloa was the first player to hit goals in five successive matches since Nicky Forster managed it... The record is held by Bobby Zamora who scored in ten successive games in 2001.*
ALBION ARE SET for another Spain trip this summer and fans making the trip may have the bonus of a few extra matches. The trip is likely to take place in July, and club bosses are in final discussions over exact venue and dates. We hope to confirm information as soon as possible for those supporters wishing to travel. The club hope to have a base for both the first-team and under-21 squads in close proximity to each other so travelling supporters will be able to see warm up matches for both sides. Albion have toured Spain the past two years, staying in Jerez and Marbella in 2012 and Sergovia in 2014.
BBC'S LATE KICK Off returned to TV screens last week, and this Monday evening Albion will feature on the London and South East regional edition of the show which covers Football League clubs via a number of regional shows across England. The London and SE LKO team will be at the Amex this Saturday to film the feature with chief executive Paul Barber before the match. Tune in from 11.20pm to join Jacqui Oatley, and Albion fans outside the London and South East region can view on Sky channel 963.*
Original article
ON FRIDAY, ALBION director Martin Perry took time out from his busy schedule - which includes overseeing the new training ground build - to show a delegation from Bristol City around the Amex. City have ambitious plans to redevelop Ashton Gate and are hoping for approval later this month, and their delegation went on a fact-finding mission with Perry. He explained, "They asked if they could come up to the Amex to see how we do it. They were looking particularly at ticketing, access control, commercial use of the stadium both on match and non-matchdays, and the IT and software systems. They want to see the latest developments and to think about how they might apply those in their new stadium development. We are very happy to help other clubs in the Football League and of course members of the Premier League, who have also been to visit us."
FRASER HALLIDAY, chief technical officer at Bristol City, told Inside Albion: "We are looking to redevelop the existing stadium, stand by stand. We will be completely renovating three of the stands, it is almost a full construction. The cost is circa £40m for the redevelopment, and this will provide us with effectively a new home at Ashton Gate, not just for Bristol City Football Club, but also for Bristol Rugby Club who are going to be ground sharing from next season. From our point of view Brighton & Hove Albion were one of the clubs identified as doing things well with the new stadium here, and this encompassed everything from fan engagement, ticketing, access control and the new cashless technologies."
FORMER ALBION KEEPER Michel Kuipers is back at the club, undertaking a variety of roles - including work as a matchday host in the club's 1901 Club lounges. The popular keeper, who still holds the club record for the most senior appearances by any foreign player, is working with the club's academy to coach the club's young goalkeepers. He is also working with the Albion's women's team, coaching goalkeepers at the academy, and eagle-eyed fans at the match against Bristol City at Lancing's Culver Road may have spotted that he deputised for Mark Mason, Albion's under-21 goalkeeping coach. Mason was recently called up by England to work with the national team's goalkeepers from under-16s through to under-19s.
WHILE ON THE subject of Albion legends, Dean Wilkins - who gave over 25 years of service to the club as player, coach and manager - will be back at the club tomorrow, with Reading. Wilkins, who was part of the 1991 side which got Albion to within 90 minutes of a top-flight return, is first-team coach at the Madejski Stadium - but admits Albion are still close to his heart. He told Reading's website, "Since Tony Bloom went in you can see by the crowds how far they have come. I’d be lying if I said that after Reading, it wasn’t the first club I looked for results wise - it’s still close to my heart. But once you're playing against them on a matchday everything goes out the window."
ANDY NAYLOR QUESTIONED it on twitter, and a few fans probably raised eyebrows, but the word is that five-goal man Leo Ulloa was not shortlisted for the SkyBet Player of the Month Award for February because two of his five goals came in the FA Cup against Hull City. Eventual winner was former Seagull loan signing Sam Vokes, who also managed five in February, and took his season tally for Burnley to an impressive 18 goals for the season. Ulloa was the first player to hit goals in five successive matches since Nicky Forster managed it... The record is held by Bobby Zamora who scored in ten successive games in 2001.*
ALBION ARE SET for another Spain trip this summer and fans making the trip may have the bonus of a few extra matches. The trip is likely to take place in July, and club bosses are in final discussions over exact venue and dates. We hope to confirm information as soon as possible for those supporters wishing to travel. The club hope to have a base for both the first-team and under-21 squads in close proximity to each other so travelling supporters will be able to see warm up matches for both sides. Albion have toured Spain the past two years, staying in Jerez and Marbella in 2012 and Sergovia in 2014.
BBC'S LATE KICK Off returned to TV screens last week, and this Monday evening Albion will feature on the London and South East regional edition of the show which covers Football League clubs via a number of regional shows across England. The London and SE LKO team will be at the Amex this Saturday to film the feature with chief executive Paul Barber before the match. Tune in from 11.20pm to join Jacqui Oatley, and Albion fans outside the London and South East region can view on Sky channel 963.*
Original article