On the bright side ...

[somerset]

Quite. In the olden days, everyone went that extra mile to keep the club going. We'd buy any old shit, more-or-less regarding the club as a charity to be supported else it would die. Those days are gone. If the club insists on treating us as customers, then they need to be prepared for the backlash when they start providing a shoddy on-pitch product while overcharging for the off-field product.

I keep asking myself though,........why the deuce has this message just consistently failed to get through to the club....its almost as if we are seen as a never ending resource, to be filched of all our hard earned, simply to line the pockets of some already very wealthy, mediocre footballers, who seem to be 'bullet proof'.

 

[Mellotron]

One club, one ambition seems to be a Nike slogan rather than the clubs idea as it is also used by other clubs that Nike supply.

So it's nothing whatsoever to do with the club, despite being EMBLAZONED ACROSS THE FRONT OF OUR STADIUM.

 

[Man of Harveys]

So it's nothing whatsoever to do with the club, despite being EMBLAZONED ACROSS THE FRONT OF OUR STADIUM.

It's unbelievable. Just frickin' un-frickin'-believable. *bangs head on desk, weeps*

 

[TomandJerry]

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

I always thought it would take 5 or 6 seasons at The Amex to establish ourselves as a consistent top 10 Championship side before promotion beckoned. What has made it worse is a noddy tinpot club from up the road getting there before us. Some things in life are never fair.

 

[Justice]

Threads like this just try to justify how shite Hypia and the recruitment process are at the moment. With a better manager we wouldnt be at the bottom of the league. We should of wrapped up the Clayton deal hes a decent midfielder and was worth every penny of the £2m asking price. The club identified the middle of the park needed attention yet lost their balls with Clayton and we ended up with some dross from Villa.

 

[Icy Gull]

I have said for the past two seasons that I love this division and would be quite happy to stay here for a few seasons. My thinking was more I'm not too bothered if we don't get to the Premier League though. I wasn't expecting a concerted effort to get to League One I have to confess.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I keep asking myself though,........why the deuce has this message just consistently failed to get through to the club....its almost as if we are seen as a never ending resource, to be filched of all our hard earned, simply to line the pockets of some already very wealthy, mediocre footballers, who seem to be 'bullet proof'.

Assuming that the board gets more-or-less instant feedback on punters genuinely through the gate and their average spend, then they must be fully aware of the steep downward trend. Which begs the question: why do they allow it to continue? Has to be a steer from the very highest level of the club. And an absolute field day for conspiracy theorists...

 

[vegster]

Assuming that the board gets more-or-less instant feedback on punters genuinely through the gate and average spend, then they must be fully aware of the steep downward trend. Which begs the question: why do they allow it to continue? Has to be a steer from the very highest level of the club. And a field day for conspiracy theorists...

They should be able to tell quite quickly that there are pies left and barrels of Harvey's un-drunk. They will be monitoring and if it keeps on spiralling down things WILL change.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

I think you will find...that, with respect, you're talking 1000% pure steaming crap. Well done.

http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/10735370.Albion_urged_to_be__Premier_League_Ready_/

I assume you have actually read that article in the quote because it proves exactly what i was saying as well done for backing up my point

To quote the article and the relevant parts for you:

First published Sunday 13 October 2013 in Sport by Brian Owen

Paul Barber wants every Albion employee to be ready for life in the top flight.

Which is why the Seagulls chief executive has urged people to remember three letters – PLR.

It’s not the latest light railway system which might get their fans to Upton Park or the Emirates.

Instead it is their route to survival amid esteemed company.

PLR stands for Premier League Ready. And it is the in-house motto Barber has been extolling to his staff.

Barber chose a timely occasion to talk about PLR. It was the day the club showed off the new training complex rated by Oscar Garcia as good as anything across Europe.

And he did so when asked by The Argus whether there was any element of risk attached to the outlay should the club suddenly hit harder times on the pitch.

“One of things I have been keen to instil in the football club is what I call club confidence,” he said.

“That’s not just about confidence on the pitch. It is about making sure we are comfortable in the company we keep.

“We have had a project running in-house for some time now called Premier League Ready and that is not an arrogant project.

“It’s about ‘What does it take to be a Premier League club?’.

“What kind of infrastructure do we need? What kind of staff? What kind of procedures? How do you run matchdays?

“We have been to the Premier League and said ‘Okay, tell us what it is going to take to be in the Premier League?’.

“I think the Premier League reaction to that was we weren’t the only club to have asked that question.

“We want to be ready and when it happens we know we will be in the best possible shape to cope with it.”

Barber talks about ‘when’ rather than ‘if’ Albion get to the Premier League. He sees the 40-acre training ground as further evidence as to where the club is going, despite a tough week on the pitch recently.

He added: “PLR covers everything from how we manage car parks to what are the seats like? What are the floodlights like. Are they good enough for a match that will go live around the world?

“Are the dressing rooms big enough?

“Are our security procedures as good as they could be. Obviously we had a couple of incidents last year which forced us to go back and review some of those things because they weren’t good enough.

“The Crystal Palace dressing room incident forced us to review our security and one or two people have been caught out since then because they haven’t had the right accreditation to be in that area – and quite rightly because they don’t need to be.

“I always say to staff that our job as the suits as opposed to the tracksuits is to try and make it as easy as we can for the players to win football matches.”

Barber is wary of PLR being taken the wrong way.

He added: “We have kept it internal because, if you are not careful, it can be interpreted the wrong way externally.

“It can be seen as arrogant and it is not about that. It is just about being ready. Having worked in the Premier League for five seasons, I know it is a big difference from the Championship.

“The scrutiny, the crowds, the expectations of visiting teams, the type of players that come, the media’s expectation – it is a world apart.

“It can be a really big shock but we don’t want it to be a shock.

“It’s like the LED adverts we have around the pitch now. In the Premier League, they are mandatory. You could have a group of players who have never played with LED at The Amex.

“All of a sudden, their next game at The Amex is against Arsenal in the Premier League and there are all these flashing advertising signs.

“If they are not used that being at The Amex, it is one opportunity you have missed to take away a risk.”

All of which is a long way from a building site near Shoreham Airport. Or maybe not.

Barber wants to get away from a mindset which saw some off-field employees stand back in awe of Chelsea players when they visited for a friendly last summer.

He wants the club to become used to working in top facilities and mixing with the best.

He said. “Our goal and our ambition is to play at the highest level and I think everybody at the football club believes it is possible.”

Nothing about promising the fans anything to do with which division we will play in and the article is over a year old.

If you are disputing my point, please can you direct me to a lot more of the official club communications since then that have been used to sell this PLR to fans in an effort to make them buy STs or whatever the accusation is...?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

They should be able to tell quite quickly that there are pies left and barrels of Harvey's un-drunk. They will be monitoring and if it keeps on spiralling down things WILL change.

That's always assuming they don't WANT things to keep on spiralling down. They've had a whole half season to monitor the downward trend without taking any action.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

Quite. In the olden days, everyone went that extra mile to keep the club going. We'd buy any old shit, more-or-less regarding the club as a charity to be supported else it would die. Those days are gone. If the club insists on treating us as customers, then they need to be prepared for the backlash when they start providing a shoddy on-pitch product while overcharging for the off-field product.

Its the fans that have used this customers phrase and not the club as they are falsely accused of. Another NSC myth being used against the club and certain individuals

However by reading this post, it sounds more and more like the word customers is correct to describe certain 'fans' like yourself (only buying from the club because it felt like it was the only way to keep it going rather than because you enjoy the product or wanted to go in the first place)

 

[Horses Arse]

I have said for the past two seasons that I love this division and would be quite happy to stay here for a few seasons. My thinking was more I'm not too bothered if we don't get to the Premier League though. I wasn't expecting a concerted effort to get to League One I have to confess.

100% agree with this. I love this league, the unpredictability of it, the competitiveness of it, the fact that you mostly avoid the plastic morons that jump on Premier League band-waggons (Palace anyone?).

When it was looking like we might just take the next step I wanted it to happen for the club, but didn't particularly want it for me. I was fully aware that my customer status would mean that attempts would be made to exploit my allegiance, that I would have to have less season tickets, would not be able to attend many/any away games and would see my team struggle to survive against soulless teams.

However, much as I loved league one when we were brilliant I really don't want to return their as a bigged-up club with a shiny stadium to be shot down by the likes of Brighton of Old.

All I really want is for us to be a competitive Championship side; the only draw back being losing your best players and managers. Hang on a minute.......

 

[Horses Arse]

Its the fans that have used this customers phrase and not the club as they are falsely accused of. Another NSC myth being used against the club and certain individuals

However by reading this post, it sounds more and more like the word customers is correct to describe certain 'fans' like yourself (only buying from the club because it felt like it was the only way to keep it going rather than because you enjoy the product or wanted to go in the first place)

By the way you refer to 'the fans' it' almost like you aren't one yourself. Very strange.

 

[Silent Bob]

Its the fans that have used this customers phrase and not the club as they are falsely accused of. Another NSC myth being used against the club and certain individuals

However by reading this post, it sounds more and more like the word customers is correct to describe certain 'fans' like yourself (only buying from the club because it felt like it was the only way to keep it going rather than because you enjoy the product or wanted to go in the first place)

How is it a myth, Paul Barber said it. Your second sentence makes no sense whatsoever btw.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

How is it a myth, Paul Barber said it.

Link please, i only remember the fans forum when he was asked about it and said that he didn't say that (personally i have never seen anything directed at fans which called them customers)

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Its the fans that have used this customers phrase and not the club as they are falsely accused of. Another NSC myth being used against the club and certain individuals

However by reading this post, it sounds more and more like the word customers is correct to describe certain 'fans' like yourself (only buying from the club because it felt like it was the only way to keep it going rather than because you enjoy the product or wanted to go in the first place)

Congrats on achieving probably my first Thumbs Down this year. And probably also last year.

So wrong. So dumb.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Assuming that the board gets more-or-less instant feedback on punters genuinely through the gate and their average spend, then they must be fully aware of the steep downward trend. Which begs the question: why do they allow it to continue? Has to be a steer from the very highest level of the club. And an absolute field day for conspiracy theorists...

I'm beginning to think there is a dastardly masterplan because the club ballsed it up from the beginning from a commercial perspective of allowing supporters in the 1901 central area instead of keeping it wholly for corporate hospitality.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

However by reading this post, it sounds more and more like the word customers is correct to describe certain 'fans' like yourself (only buying from the club because it felt like it was the only way to keep it going rather than because you enjoy the product or wanted to go in the first place)

That is a bizarre post. Lots of people used to buy old tat from the Club because it was a way of giving the club cash when it needed it.

 

[Man of Harveys]

Congrats on achieving probably my first Thumbs Down this year. And probably also last year.

So wrong. So dumb.

I'm starting to realise: the guy's a mentalist.