Exclusive: Paul Barber ANSWERS the questions every Brighton fan wanted to ask.

[drew]

Cobblers.

I've watched the diy channel many a time and I'm still not a chippie.

But do you know a little about plumbing now?

Would any manager be happy with another person, i.e. David Burke, handling recruitment duties and - presumably - the retained list?

Pretty standard now in the higher echelons although in some cases it does cause friction. Surely the principle is that the director identifies transfer targets that are affordable and then discusses them with the board and manager to see whether you try and sign them.

Well there is - it's charging non STH's money for something that was free last season, for no reason - if you refuse to pay, you lose your loyalty points and get the worst seats in the house.

There is a benefit, you get a higher priority than if you didn't have a membership.

 

[elbowpatches]

Have to say that Paul Barber came across very well when I emailed him about similar concerns.

The fact he is making the effort to return emails and respond individually (even if a lot of the stock phrases may be repeated and I wouldn't blame him - I've just finished writing school reports and whilst they are all individual, some repetition does crop up!) he should be given credit for.

If TB has faith maybe so should we.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

There is no reason to be against the membership scheme though

Let me tell you why I'm against it. I'll probably only be in the country for one home game next season. I don't want to miss it and I want my daughter to come, and I want my Dad to come. So that's three memberships and three tickets. If they are to be £38, that will mean my ticket next year will cost me £68, as will my dad's, and I guess my daughter's will be half-price. But however you square it, thats over £150 just on tickets for one game.

I could take a chance, but the game could be sold out and that will be it for my season. If not I probably won't be able to get three together. If I can, they will be probably be in the south where the away fans will hurl abuse at me and my seven-year old daughter. So I'm bound to pay into Barber's scheme. I don't feel like a valued 'customer' at this point.

Its just my personal view. Most regular fans are season-ticket holders, this scheme doesn't affect you guys at all. Most casual fans aren't too bothered which game they go to or where they sit. But there is a small band of very loyal Albion fans, mainly exiles, or people who work weekends, who are already losing out because we can't go as much as we would like, who are now being doubly screwed by this.

and there's your reason.

 

[British Bulldog]

Thanks for a fine effort there Walt you've got the best answers you could expect and fair play to Paul Barber for at least taking the time to get back to you.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I'd venture to suggest that, although Paul Barber has replied to the questions asked, he hasn't actually answered many ...

He'd make a 'good' politician.
Good effort Walt, at least you tried.

 

[Mellotron]

"Work on our pre-season plans for the 2013/14 season started well before the end of last season, as is normally the case for most clubs, and this work has progressed without any delays since the season ended."

"As is normally the case at this and other times of the year, the club’s head of football operations, David Burke, continues to work on player recruitment matters."

So can people shut the **** up and stop moaning about the suspensions stopping us signing players and preparing for next season. Probably not as those people are idiots.

By this logic, why bother having a management team, if you can do everything as per without them?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Let me tell you why I'm against it. I'll probably only be in the country for one home game next season. I don't want to miss it and I want my daughter to come, and I want my Dad to come. So that's three memberships and three tickets. If they are to be £38, that will mean my ticket next year will cost me £68, as will my dad's, and I guess my daughter's will be half-price. But however you square it, thats over £150 just on tickets for one game.

I could take a chance, but the game could be sold out and that will be it for my season. If not I probably won't be able to get three together. If I can, they will be probably be in the south where the away fans will hurl abuse at me and my seven-year old daughter. So I'm bound to pay into Barber's scheme. I don't feel like a valued 'customer' at this point.

Its just my personal view. Most regular fans are season-ticket holders, this scheme doesn't affect you guys at all. Most casual fans aren't too bothered which game they go to or where they sit. But there is a small band of very loyal Albion fans, mainly exiles, or people who work weekends, who are already losing out because we can't go as much as we would like, who are now being doubly screwed by this.

and there's your reason.

I am a season ticket holder and to be honest the membership scheme doesn't affect me. But, to maintain supporter interest in the club we need to ensure that no hurdles are put in the way of fans like yourself and also potential new fans. Ease of access to tickets for exiles and newbies is important. I appreciate there should be some sort of loyalty scheme to prioritise but sticking a £30 membership in the way will turn people away in the long run IMHO.

Barber keeps banging on about profit and loss and FFP. To be honest I'd rather have one less overpaid player and a club which doesn't squeeze every last penny from its supporters than what we seem to have at present.

Good luck and I hope you get your tickets.

 

[Hotchilidog]

Let me tell you why I'm against it. I'll probably only be in the country for one home game next season. I don't want to miss it and I want my daughter to come, and I want my Dad to come. So that's three memberships and three tickets. If they are to be £38, that will mean my ticket next year will cost me £68, as will my dad's, and I guess my daughter's will be half-price. But however you square it, thats over £150 just on tickets for one game.

I could take a chance, but the game could be sold out and that will be it for my season. If not I probably won't be able to get three together. If I can, they will be probably be in the south where the away fans will hurl abuse at me and my seven-year old daughter. So I'm bound to pay into Barber's scheme. I don't feel like a valued 'customer' at this point.

Its just my personal view. Most regular fans are season-ticket holders, this scheme doesn't affect you guys at all. Most casual fans aren't too bothered which game they go to or where they sit. But there is a small band of very loyal Albion fans, mainly exiles, or people who work weekends, who are already losing out because we can't go as much as we would like, who are now being doubly screwed by this.

and there's your reason.

I really think that next season tickets will be on general sale for all fixtures. I would be stunned if we had members only sellouts for any game other than a promotion/playoff clincher. I think there is a very good chance you will get your tickets, and I hope you do.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I really think that next season tickets will be on general sale for all fixtures. I would be stunned if we had members only sellouts for any game other than a promotion/playoff clincher. I think there is a very good chance you will get your tickets, and I hope you do.

I agree to a point. But all the time Barber keeps adding "if available" to the end of the sentence relating to non-members I wonder how much concern he will create and how many people will buy this membership when in reality they might not need to?

 

[Hotchilidog]

Double post!

 

[Hotchilidog]

I agree to a point. But all the time Barber keeps adding "if available" to the end of the sentence relating to non-members I wonder how much concern he will create and how many people will buy this membership when in reality they might not need to?

As the chief salesman Barber is obviously going to ramp up the fear of missing out on tickets so that he can sell more memberships, but that is hardly uncommon practice. next season I think the fixtures are considerably less attractive than last and I do not think general sale will be a problem, the club always (very annoyingly I might add) find a way to get a few more on sale just a day or two before a game.

This scheme is best suited to those who want to go to about 5-10 games a season, if you could really only make one or two then I do not think there is any value in being a part of it.

 

[blue'n'white]

Thanks Walt
Obviously Mr Barber is constrained by legalities and cannot answer the questions that all the fans would really like answered - frustrating though it seems I am glad that the Albion does not hang out it's dirty laundry in public.
I'm certain we will know about a new manager and player acquisitions when we, and the board, are able to do so.
It'll take as long as it takes . . .
Impressed with Mr Barber's answers. I think we've got a decent team at the top of this football club

 

[Weststander]

Thanks Walt
Obviously Mr Barber is constrained by legalities and cannot answer the questions that all the fans would really like answered - frustrating though it seems I am glad that the Albion does not hang out it's dirty laundry in public.
I'm certain we will know about a new manager and player acquisitions when we, and the board, are able to do so.
It'll take as long as it takes . . .
Impressed with Mr Barber's answers. I think we've got a decent team at the top of this football club

Agreed.

On a national sports radio station yesterday, agents and managers stated that there has been very little transfer activity yet, as buying clubs at all levels are ensuring that they don't pay over the odds for early deals.

So we are not particularly missing out on acquisitions (we can afford within FL FFP rules, re the effect on our accounts), whilst the employment law issue is pending.

 

[El Presidente]

I'm not a STH, but go to about 12-14 home games (and about the same away). My partner goes to 3-4 home games a season, and so has less loyalty points than I do, so it ees complicated at times getting home tickets together due to the way that tickets are released in terms of points.

We don't mind paying £30 each over a season if it means we can book tickets earlier, and sort out a weekend in Brighton in advance with greater ease.

Barber is not forcing people to join the scheme, he is simply employing price discrimination, which all businesses in a similar position do to an extent.

As for some saying they would rather we had a poorer squad and less chance of winning games if it saved them £30 a year, fair enough, but I am not in that camp.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Barber is not forcing people to join the scheme, he is simply employing price discrimination, which all businesses in a similar position do to an extent.

Fair point. But with every price increase supporters should start expecting more for their buck. If he want to charge £30 for something which was previously free then as supporters we should expect something for the £30..maybe shorter phone queues or a more stable Internet site? As it has been pointed out we are customers.

 

[drew]

Let me tell you why I'm against it. I'll probably only be in the country for one home game next season. I don't want to miss it and I want my daughter to come, and I want my Dad to come. So that's three memberships and three tickets. If they are to be £38, that will mean my ticket next year will cost me £68, as will my dad's, and I guess my daughter's will be half-price. But however you square it, thats over £150 just on tickets for one game.

I could take a chance, but the game could be sold out and that will be it for my season. If not I probably won't be able to get three together. If I can, they will be probably be in the south where the away fans will hurl abuse at me and my seven-year old daughter. So I'm bound to pay into Barber's scheme. I don't feel like a valued 'customer' at this point.

Its just my personal view. Most regular fans are season-ticket holders, this scheme doesn't affect you guys at all. Most casual fans aren't too bothered which game they go to or where they sit. But there is a small band of very loyal Albion fans, mainly exiles, or people who work weekends, who are already losing out because we can't go as much as we would like, who are now being doubly screwed by this.

and there's your reason.

To make it worse, don't forget that they are proposing different price category matches next year so the ticket may be even more expensive.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I'm not a STH, but go to about 12-14 home games (and about the same away). My partner goes to 3-4 home games a season, and so has less loyalty points than I do, so it ees complicated at times getting home tickets together due to the way that tickets are released in terms of points.

We don't mind paying £30 each over a season if it means we can book tickets earlier, and sort out a weekend in Brighton in advance with greater ease.

Barber is not forcing people to join the scheme, he is simply employing price discrimination, which all businesses in a similar position do to an extent.

As for some saying they would rather we had a poorer squad and less chance of winning games if it saved them £30 a year, fair enough, but I am not in that camp.

Very few home games had loyalty point restrictions last year, unless I'm mistaken, so it wouldn't mean you could book tickets earlier, it would mean you could book them at the same time as you do now, just that those who don't pay, can't.

Two things can make me support this scheme. 1. include the Seagulls Player subscription, would then become very palatable to the exiles. 2. Let members buy 1 ticket for a non-member. Seems silly I should buy a membership for my Dad, who doesn't really care much but likes to come once or twice a year for a day out with his son.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

To make it worse, don't forget that they are proposing different price category matches next year so the ticket may be even more expensive.

Thanks for that