NEW in depth interview with Paul Barber with a number of interesting NEW details

[El Presidente]

kenny dalglish
bryan robson
kevin keegan
glenn hoddle
graeme souness

wrong!

 

[8ace]

wrong!

Peter Shilton
Gordon McQueen
Phil Neal

 

[Brighton Breezy]

The problem is not Paul Barber, it is player's wages.

In 1983, when the Albion were last in the top flight, the highest paid players in the COUNTRY were paid £70,000 a year. (Bonus point if you can name them). Since then inflation in the UK has increased prices by 290%, which would give an equivalent figure of £273,000 a year.

The highest paid player in the Premier League last season is on £13.6 million a year, and the average wage for a first team player is £1.4 million a year.

With oligarchs, middle eastern vanity projects and TV revenues around those wage levels are not going to come down, and so we end up paying as fans.

Charlie Nicholas when he signed for Arsenal from
Celtic?

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Frank Stapleton
Bryan Robson
Kenny Dalglish
Kevin Keegan
Peter Shilton

 

[Bozza]

With oligarchs, middle eastern vanity projects and TV revenues around those wage levels are not going to come down, and so we end up paying as fans.

That sentence just doesn't make sense. In essence you are saying that there have been 3 significant streams of money flowing into football and, because of that, the fans have also had to up their game, financially, as well.

Logic would suggest that with those massive amounts of cash being pumped into the game, the burden on the fans should be less, not more.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

An interesting read. I still do not agree with him regarding his handling of the travel subsidy/buses and deviating from the Club Charter and then (at least twice) changing the charter after this deviation has been pointed out is just wrong especially given our unique history. I agree he is approachable though, and whilst I do not always agree with him he doesn't shy away from discussion.

 

[8ace]

Three people are to blame for modern football:

Bosman
Thatcher
Murdoch

 

[Simster]

That sentence just doesn't make sense. In essence you are saying that there have been 3 significant streams of money flowing into football and, because of that, the fans have also had to up their game, financially, as well.

Logic would suggest that with those massive amounts of cash being pumped into the game, the burden on the fans should be less, not more.

Agreed. It seems to me to be an example of the way some seemingly intelligent people on this thread appear to have forgotten the main issue at hand. I think all but the least intelligent among us realise that we are paying more in order to be competitive, and that players wages drive these prices. However what sticks in the craw is the appalling decision to ramp up transport costs AFTER selling 23,000 season tickets. I don't care how hurt the club is at this entirely warranted criticism, or how justified such a price hike might be, that is taking your "customers" for granted.

 

[Simster]

Three people are to blame for modern football:

Bosman
Thatcher
Murdoch

True, but the game has failed to move with the changes these people have exterted. Professional football clubs nation wide should have sat round a large table a decade ago and thrashed out some sort of maximum wage bill. I mean an ACTUAL maximum, inflation linked, not some FPP nonsense which will end up being navigated.

 

[El Presidente]

That sentence just doesn't make sense. In essence you are saying that there have been 3 significant streams of money flowing into football and, because of that, the fans have also had to up their game, financially, as well.

Logic would suggest that with those massive amounts of cash being pumped into the game, the burden on the fans should be less, not more.

If all clubs were owned by oligarchs I would agree with you, but they are not.

Abramovic entering football allowed Chelsea to pay higher wages than United. United did not have a sugar daddy owner and so put up their prices to allow them to pay more competitive salaries, which meant that Liverpool raised their prices to compete with United and so on. There is a ripple effect caused by the distortion to the game caused by the super rich owners and those clubs that operate a different business model.

In addition the gentrification of the supporter base and the move away from football being a working man's sport has allowed clubs to target more affluent individuals with greater disposable income.

There is an element of the emperor's new clothes in the modern game with an unholy alliance of television, other media outlets and the game itself all trying to convince us that the Premier League is the world's best in order to all justify the prices they charge (a Sky Sports HD subscription is £360 a year for example, compared to a quarter of that price when it was launched 20 years ago).

 

[El Presidente]

Frank Stapleton
Bryan Robson
Kenny Dalglish
Kevin Keegan
Peter Shilton

Nope.

Steve Foster
Michael Robinson.

 

[8ace]

Nope.

Steve Foster
Michael Robinson.

The Pompey of 1983 then!

 

[Westdene Seagull]

An interesting read. I still do not agree with him regarding his handling of the travel subsidy/buses and deviating from the Club Charter and then (at least twice) changing the charter after this deviation has been pointed out is just wrong especially given our unique history. I agree he is approachable though, and whilst I do not always agree with him he doesn't shy away from discussion.

And yet again ( it's becoming a scary habit ) completely agree !

Wasn't overly keen on his attitude in the first few paragraphs either - it was PB that considered us customers and as customers we have the right to boycott ( not that I agreed with it ) goods and services, that's the way of the commercial world.

 

[El Presidente]

True, but the game has failed to move with the changes these people have exterted. Professional football clubs nation wide should have sat round a large table a decade ago and thrashed out some sort of maximum wage bill. I mean an ACTUAL maximum, inflation linked, not some FPP nonsense which will end up being navigated.

I agree with you in terms of egalitarian principle but from the owner's perspective why though? Abramovic can afford to spunk off a billion on Chelsea, it is small change to him. Similarly with the owners of City.

They are not going to vote for something giving other clubs a chance to compete because they want trophies and glory, and have the means to buy them.

 

[El Presidente]

The Pompey of 1983 then!

Yup. And look where we were 14 years later!

 

[8ace]

True, but the game has failed to move with the changes these people have exterted. Professional football clubs nation wide should have sat round a large table a decade ago and thrashed out some sort of maximum wage bill. I mean an ACTUAL maximum, inflation linked, not some FPP nonsense which will end up being navigated.

It would have had to be done continent-wide rather than nation wide otherwise English clubs would be disadvantaged in the CL. Milan, Juve, Barcelona and Real Madrid etc would never have agreed to it.

 

[El Presidente]

It would have had to be done continent-wide rather than nation wide otherwise English clubs would be disadvantaged in the CL. Milan, Juve, Barcelona and Real Madrid etc would never have agreed to it.

A bit like rugby union where the best players have legged it to France as there is no salary cap.

 

[KZNSeagull]

Nope.

Steve Foster
Michael Robinson.

Were any of the highest paid Forest players? They were splashing the cash around in the transfer market then as I recall (Trevor Francis for example)

 

[rcf0712]

Just read the interview, love this guy's willingness to communicate in hard times - I for one had no idea he attended every game home away last season, did he really? If so then kudos Barber, kudos.

 

[Mowgli37]

Fantastic interview.

Problem is with this club, and not doubt many others, there are a small vocal element of supporters that will want to protest every last little issue. They want to see the best players on the pitch and premiership football, the want a say in every last detail on how rthe club is run, but at the same time they want to pay 2nd division prices.

The harsh fact is, our football club like every other one IS a business. It has to act like one, if it wants to progress.

The changes in the bus services whilst harsh, it seems is unavoidable. Whether or not the club should have informed supporters of the change before renewing season tickets (even though when you consider the dates this was impossible) the bottom line is, if you don't like it and wouldn't have brought a season ticket had you known, the club will refund you if you contact them. I don't see what more they could be doing.

If people want to protest and not buy pies or merchandise for a one off game, let them IMO. I bet most of the people taking part will be those who don't buy merchandise or pies anyway, so I doubt the club will see much difference in taking. Most level headed Albion fans can see the bigger picture, and will just smile at the protesters, pat them on the head and carry on as normal.

Bottom line is, do you want Premiership football and the club to progress?

Yes - Unfortunately with the new rules, WE the fans have to pay for it, not Tony Bloom. The club is doing all it can to fund the club with non football activities, but there will always be a short fall that the fans have to pay for.

No - Then cancel your season ticket, stop going for a few seasons, income will fall, the club will follow, and we can all sit back in the bottom division in a quarter full stadium, whining on how JCL have deserted us and how we are the true fans that will always be there.

Excellent post