Two hours at the Academy

[Machiavelli]

Thanks for that. I had cause to email Mr Barber on a few occasions and can only say what an engaging person he is. I might disagree with him on certain issues but he will always respond with a personal email not generic. For that I have a great respect for him. He will even respond late on a Sunday night.

Deserves a lot more respect than is given in my opinion.

Agree with all of this. But should he really be taking up so much of his time drafting personal responses to fans/supporters? Perhaps [MENTION=225]Hamilton[/MENTION] asked him this?

 

[whosthedaddy]

Thanks for that. I had cause to email Mr Barber on a few occasions and can only say what an engaging person he is. I might disagree with him on certain issues but he will always respond with a personal email not generic. For that I have a great respect for him. He will even respond late on a Sunday night.

Deserves a lot more respect than is given in my opinion.

Same experience I've had with Paul Barber, you can email him anytime and he'll respond within a short space of time, he won't necessarily agree with your views if they're not his or the Albion's but he will engage you and put his point of view across. I've also spoken to him face to face and he's a charismatic man, upon talking to him you will instantly see he's pro the Albion and intent on doing the best for us as a club, whether it be financially or moving us forward and onto a Premiership footing, it will take time but we Albion fans have patience surely.

I'm the first to admit I wanted Hyypia removed and also Burke as I thought it restricted us in our manager recruitment, but calls by some fans for Barber to go were well wide of the mark, he is part of our 'TEAM' and fans need to know he is on our side and good at his job, he's Tony Blooms' right hand man for a reason.

 

[Wozza]

I have just spent two hours at the training academy with Paul Barber.

Let me tell you how this meeting came about. Before Christmas, after a post on NSC in support of the removal of Sami Hyypia, I decided to email Paul Barber direct: After all, no point in complaining on social media and not making one’s feelings known to the club.

He replied to my email within minutes. What ensued was an email exchange over the next 48 hours with a frank, but friendly discussion over what the Albion could or could not be doing for the better. All this ended with an offer to visit the training academy in the New Year. Well, I couldn’t turn the offer down could I?

So, this morning I arrived at the academy at 11.00am expecting a short meeting and a coffee. Instead, I was afforded a couple of hours during which I had the chance to hear quite a lot of what Mr Barber feels about the Albion, and during which time I was able to share my personal views on the need for more transparency, more fan involvement and the need to remember our past whilst looking to the future.

Behind the scenes, the Albion have a philosophy, something we don’t see. It centres on exceeding expectations; aiming high; treating people well and making things special. If you are ever lucky enough to go to the training academy, then you’ll see this in buckets. From the second I was greeted by the receptionist to the moment I left, every person I saw about the place exudes a positive attitude. The first team look very at home in their surroundings and everyone mixes in a relaxed and harmonious environment. There’s a culture about the place that feels relaxed, confident and professional. And it feels like this all comes from the leadership style that both Tony Bloom and Paul Barber must have played an instrumental role in putting in place.

And, I have to report that the pantomime villain of the piece is far from Mr Nasty. Confident, yes. Engaging, yes. Frank, open and honest, yes. But, he also admits to mistakes – yes we have to do better with the new ticketing system; yes we can involve fans even more and we will. This is a CEO that genuinely loves what he does, and genuinely wants the best for the Albion. He may be a Spur, but it’s clear that a big part of him is blue and white too. He was incredibly open; about why he took the job, about his relationship with previous managers; about the ‘fall guy’ image he has with fans. We discussed the whole ‘customer’ language, and I can tell you now, we’re fans first and foremost, but that doesn’t mean a club should strive to offer first class customer service.

I haven’t changed my mind on some of the issues I originally raised in my first email exchange with Mr Barber, and it is up to us as fans to express how we feel directly to the club (rather than just sound off about them on social media), but I’m left with a sense that we have a CEO that will listen. Obviously he can’t say yes to every idea – you set a strategy and you follow it – but I could see that the strength of his leadership comes from how he listens to people and takes on board feedback. The more constructive feedback he gets, the more it helps improve the club in the future.

As for the visit, I could go on and on about the attention to detail when it comes to the under 11’s, under 12’s, under 13’s etc; I could talk about the coaching facilities they have and how they store and use data; I could talk about the Bang & Olufsen relaxation area where players can kick back or watch videos of their previous performances on banks of PC terminals; I’ve seen the running hills; I’ve seen the finger print recognition that gives you access to key areas; I’ve seen the design of the catering areas that nicely separates development squad from first team squad - it almost acts as an incentive for breakthrough players to want to make the leap from B to A.

I believe I saw the future of our club this morning, and I think it is in very good hands.

And, I’ll be honest. I had to stop myself from being the kid in a sweetshop. There was a part of me walking round like a star struck youngster, but I think I hid it well. I saw Inigo Calderon for God’s sake!

Yeah, yeah. Wait until you get the bill for your visit...

 

[Prince Monolulu]

........he's Tony Bloom's right hand man for a reason.

With that I certainly concur

 

[Working class pride]

What else did Charlie Webb have to do to get on the Legends Wall apart from scoring the goal in our only major trophy win, being a long serving manager and being appointed manager whilst still in a prisoner of war camp? When things like that are got wrong, then all the slogans and the smiling receptionists "dont count for 'owt" as us Sussex people say.

 

[Hamilton]

Agree with all of this. But should he really be taking up so much of his time drafting personal responses to fans/supporters? Perhaps [MENTION=225]Hamilton[/MENTION] asked him this?

I think his energy and commitment to the job is extraordinary. He seems to genuinely care about each and every interaction he has with a fan and is open to being approached. It's something he said he wanted to encourage right across the club, so that as fans, we can approach whomever we wish that may work for the Albion, and the trust would be there that they could enter into a conversation about the lie of the land. The buck may stop with Tony and him, but he clearly has a huge amount of respect for and trust in the entire team that are running the Albion.

If I've caused him a headache by adding to his email inbox, I doubt he'll have cause to resent me as he seems to see this genuine contact with fans as an essential part of the job. That's my take on his attitude.

 

[Working class pride]

I think his energy and commitment to the job is extraordinary. He seems to genuinely care about each and every interaction he has with a fan and is open to being approached. It's something he said he wanted to encourage right across the club, so that as fans, we can approach whomever we wish that may work for the Albion, and the trust would be there that they could enter into a conversation about the lie of the land. The buck may stop with Tony and him, but he clearly has a huge amount of respect for and trust in the entire team that are running the Albion.

If I've caused him a headache by adding to his email inbox, I doubt he'll have cause to resent me as he seems to see this genuine contact with fans as an essential part of the job. That's my take on his attitude.

Well as you are on first name terms with him, can you get him to put Charlie Webb on the Legends Wall ?

 

[Machiavelli]

I think his energy and commitment to the job is extraordinary. He seems to genuinely care about each and every interaction he has with a fan and is open to being approached. It's something he said he wanted to encourage right across the club, so that as fans, we can approach whomever we wish that may work for the Albion, and the trust would be there that they could enter into a conversation about the lie of the land. The buck may stop with Tony and him, but he clearly has a huge amount of respect for and trust in the entire team that are running the Albion.

If I've caused him a headache by adding to his email inbox, I doubt he'll have cause to resent me as he seems to see this genuine contact with fans as an essential part of the job. That's my take on his attitude.

I don't doubt anything of what you said, and thanks for the thread. My point was I wish Barber had a bit more of a life, and didn't feel he had to respond to so many emails. But I might be in a significant minority on that one.

 

[Hamilton]

Well as you are on first name terms with him, can you get him to put Charlie Webb on the Legends Wall ?

First name terms? I only called him Mr Barber at all times.

I agree on the Charlie Webb front. He was in my all time Albion IX. Captain, manager, our first capped player as well I think. More appearances than any other as well I think. Well clearly, Barber has to go.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Paul Barber is like a politician. He appears to say all the right things.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Paul Barber is like a politician. He appears to say all the right things.

He'd get my vote in all honesty.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

So, can you elucidate what issues you raised and how Paul Barber responded to those?

 

[Working class pride]

More appearances than any other as well I think.

No that was Brian Powney, who is rightly up there. Charlie Webb did score the goal that won the Charity Shield and was appointed manager whilst in a prisoner of war camp. Now how can anyone overlook Charlie Webb? Weird. Only at BHA.

 

[Pickles]

I know someone who also went to the training ground and they was blown away

We have improved massively on this front.

When I had a trial 35 years ago for Brighton boys, I only got a slice of orange.

 

[Dan Aitch]

I almost hate myself for being such a cynic about such a bloody good post... but not enough not to say it:

Of course you were overawed, impressed and filled with confidence - you were at the Albion's academy. Would you have been so impressed if he met you at a Wimpy bar on West Strret and bought you a lukewarm cup of tea?

Maybe... maybe, but top efforts all around... but while I'm here, where the raging fack is the club's account of the evening with the season ticket holders from the North and South-West stands, eh?

Take me to the academy and tell me that a one month delay in publishing 'minutes' is consistent with the 'one club, one ambition' ethos. I still won't believe you.

Shock and awe.

 

[fat old seagull]

Agree with all of this. But should he really be taking up so much of his time drafting personal responses to fans/supporters?Perhaps [MENTION=225]Hamilton[/MENTION] asked him this?

I have to feel sorry for Paul Barber, he takes endless unwarranted criticism on this board. Now he relates to a supporters questions by inviting him to a private open day.....and he gets slagged off.

 

[Bombadier Botty]

Call me a cynic, but could it be that Barber realised the good PR that would come from the OP inevitably posting the result of his training academy experience on here, the OP therefore treated like a hotel inspector/food critic during his tour.

 

[Hiney]

More appearances than any other as well I think.

No that was Brian Powney, who is rightly up there. Charlie Webb did score the goal that won the Charity Shield and was appointed manager whilst in a prisoner of war camp. Now how can anyone overlook Charlie Webb? Weird. Only at BHA.

I agree that Charlie Webb should be on the wall, but he is nowhere near the record-holder for appearances.

Nor is Brian Powney for that matter

 

[DavePage]

I have to feel sorry for Paul Barber, he takes endless unwarranted criticism on this board. Now he relates to a supporters questions by inviting him to a private open day.....and he gets slagged off.

Surprised nobody has accused Paul Barber of being Hamilton

 

[Machiavelli]

I have to feel sorry for Paul Barber, he takes endless unwarranted criticism on this board. Now he relates to a supporters questions by inviting him to a private open day.....and he gets slagged off.

You've misinterpreted my point. I'm not slagging him off, as you claim. I'm just of the view that he works too hard, doesn't need to respond immediately to emails from fans/supporters, and should spend more time with his family or relaxing. For further evidence, see post 48.