Who was our best chairman?

[On the Left Wing]

So who do you think was the best?

 

[Safeway]

When was Bellotti chairman?

 

[Dave the OAP]

Brian Bedson.

 

[On the Left Wing]

woops ... confusion of roles!!!

But you get the drift?

 

[GUNTER]

Mike Bamber's excessive spending was the catalyst for the years of financial hardship that followed and ended up with the Stanley/Archer/Belotti period.

Bryan Bedson did not have the financial clout (at the time) to be able to make an impact on club finances and he introduced Stanley (who introduced Archer).

Without Dick Knight, we simply would not have a club now. He is by far the best (not the richest) no question.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

In the light of (a) support for Brian Bedson and (b) OTLW's forgetfulness about who pulled Bellotti's strings, I've tinkered a bit with the poll.

 

[ben andrews' girlfriend]

Without Dick Knight, we simply would not have a club now. He is by far the best (not the richest) no question.

i think thats the most sensible thing youve ever said on here!!!!

It must be Dick Knight by absolute MILES. Without him there'd be no club, simple as really

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

dick knight. the man saved the club and is an absolute legend. i cnt work out how people can not respect the great man at all.

 

[Spiros]

Mike Bamber did to our the club the same as Peter Ridsdale did to Leeds. The only differences are that we didn't get as much success and it took longer for all the finances to fall apart. At least he was well-intentioned. All I remember about Brian Bedson was his suing Gulls Eye - not exactly a tonic for open dialogue with the fans.

For me, Dick Knight is the only chairman we have had in my time supporting the Albion (30+ years) that has his heart in the club but has also used his head and tried to keep an open dialogue with the fans. No-one else comes close.

 

[Icy Gull]

In defence of Mike Bamber who seems to cop the blame from everybody, he gave the club the best team and position in the league that it had ever had. Years after he had gone we were asset stripped for a debt of 6 million pounds, which given the eventual value of the Goldstone was a pittance.

Bamber tried to put in motion a new ground years ago. If it had come off the asset strippers would not have been able to virtually kill this club.

The debt we have now looks far more ominous to me than the one we had when the three barstewards moved in for the kill.

Bedson was, I believe, responsible for the sacking of Chris Cattlin, whose crime seemed to be that he swore a bit and was too ambitious. If Bedson introduced Stanley as stated above he has to be only marginally better than Archer

 

[Brovion]

What Spiros said. Especially the Risdale bit. We got money troubles in the first place because we tried to 'live the dream'. Having said that I've got fond memories of him, and he DID have ambition - oldies do you remember when he scooped the football world by signing Clough and Taylor?

Why is Bedson there? He is to Brighton chairmen what Ted Heath is to British PMs.

 

[3gulls]

Mike Bamber - no contest!

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

Mike Bamber did to our the club the same as Peter Ridsdale did to Leeds. The only differences are that we didn't get as much success and it took longer for all the finances to fall apart. At least he was well-intentioned. All I remember about Brian Bedson was his suing Gulls Eye - not exactly a tonic for open dialogue with the fans.

For me, Dick Knight is the only chairman we have had in my time supporting the Albion (30+ years) that has his heart in the club but has also used his head and tried to keep an open dialogue with the fans. No-one else comes close.

 

[Man of Harveys]

No Dick Knight - no club.

No bullshit, it really is just as simple as that. No Albion chairman has ever had a more difficult set of circumstances to cope with, and yet none has delivered such once in a lifetime success as we've enjoyed for the last few years. For that, he's an Albion immortal.

Bamber obviously did well (looking back, appointing Mullery was a masterstroke of a decision) but...he, like most other chairmen of the time, spent virtually nothing on the ground, and - imagine this sort of thing now! - he brazenly flogged off half our standing ticket allocation to Man Utd fans at Wembley in 1983. Also a legend but, IMHO a flawed one.

 

[zefarelly]

In defence of Mike Bamber who seems to cop the blame from everybody, he gave the club the best team and position in the league that it had ever had. Years after he had gone we were asset stripped for a debt of 6 million pounds, which given the eventual value of the Goldstone was a pittance.

Bamber tried to put in motion a new ground years ago. If it had come off the asset strippers would not have been able to virtually kill this club.

The debt we have now looks far more ominous to me than the one we had when the three barstewards moved in for the kill.

Bedson was, I believe, responsible for the sacking of Chris Cattlin, whose crime seemed to be that he swore a bit and was too ambitious. If Bedson introduced Stanley as stated above he has to be only marginally better than Archer

our best ever years, AND the Lego Stand !

a close run thing though DK has achieved a lot in much in harder circumstances

you cant deny the fact we finished a top ten side in the top division and got to an FA cup final, and we had good teams and players for a lengthly period late 70-s early 80's as well as the best kits ever !

 

[bhaexpress]

You can't really compare Bamber to Knight, different eras, totally different circumstances. It's far easier to say who was the worst and let's face it, that's not a tough one is it ?