An interview with Paul Barber

[blockhseagull]

So they add another £30 to the travel subsidy and maybe hike the prices by 5%

What's that another £54 ish on a WSU season ticket ? Bearing in mind you can spread that over 12 months INTEREST FREE that's less than a £5 a month.

Yeah it's not ideal... Yes it is expensive but the club have to create revenue and would we rather be competitive in this division or go back to league one.

Barber has a thankless task ... If he doesn't increase revenue and we struggle financially he is f***ed if he increases revenue he is slagged off for bleeding the fans dry

 

[8ace]

No free travel from Lewes?

Yes. The travel companies can protect their own revenue from there.

 

[User removed 4]

Welcome Buzzer. Anyway we can blame [MENTION=11956]bushy[/MENTION] for this groovy gang moniker - he invented it. [MENTION=38]Beach Hut[/MENTION] has just stolen it.

i didnt, you can pin the rap for that one on the spanish.

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That's what I thought.

Groovy Gang membership = person who doesn't blame everything on immigration or doesn't rant about the good old days when white english people ruled the world

Or Groovy Gang membership = someone who expounds the virtues of multiculturalism and benefits of mass immigration whilst living in the snow white sussex suburb of shoreham beach , with all its associated problems of social cohesion, language barriers in schools and strains on health services and social housing...............you f***ing hypocrite.

 

[Medwayseagull]

Can we have a GroovyGangnam Style dancing smiley to represent this groovy gang?

Can they invite Nicholas Lyndhurst to be the president ?

Did Paul Barber talk about anything else besides travel costs in this interview ?

 

[somerset]

Barber has a thankless task ... If he doesn't increase revenue and we struggle financially he is f***ed if he increases revenue he is slagged off for bleeding the fans dry

No, he will just admit defeat, and then move on to the next executive position he fancies a crack at. Appointments at that level are generally about what you bring to the party in terms of visibility and kudos, Barber has both so will always manage to get an appointment, he wont be worried about failing, he can always say that Brighton didnt have the potential afterall.

 

[The Merry Prankster]

i didnt, you can pin the rap for that one on the spanish.

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Or Groovy Gang membership = someone who expounds the virtues of multiculturalism and benefits of mass immigration whilst living in the snow white sussex suburb of shoreham beach , with all its associated problems of social cohesion, language barriers in schools and strains on health services and social housing...............you f***ing hypocrite.

To which of us Shoreham Beach Residents are you referring?

 

[User removed 4]

To which of us Shoreham Beach Residents are you referring?

Specifically JCL666 , but it can apply to anyone who fulfills the criteria

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Like who ?

FFS. How do you think music happens? It does not just 'as appear by magic' on a website for you to down load for free does it?

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If Albion drop the voucher scheme and the idea that they pay an upfront sum to Southern, my bet is that is that Southern would simply refuse to stop at Falmer, citing "health and safety". This is because they are white flag waving shitters who do what they like and act with impunity.

Don't believe me? Ask the people who bought Fat Boy Slim tickets last year, many assuming the station slap bang next to the stadium would be open for business as usual.

(c) - Herr Tubthumper

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If Albion drop the voucher scheme and the idea that they pay an upfront sum to Southern, my bet is that is that Southern would simply refuse to stop at Falmer, citing "health and safety". This is because they are white flag waving shitters who do what they like and act with impunity.

Don't believe me? Ask the people who bought Fat Boy Slim tickets last year, many assuming the station slap bang next to the stadium would be open for business as usual.

Very much this.

 

[Sheebo]

We are in the same boat as you Burwash Boys, running our MSS coaches, Sheebo. I guess it's the same for NWSS.

I would rather the club just said they were putting the prices up by x% to cover losses and not mention travel Subsidy at all.

The club froze ST prices this season but put up the price by £30 for Travel Subsidies. If the STs were just put up by £30, I honestly don't think anyone would have batted an eyelid. Over 12 months, interest free DD the price rise wasn't that noticeable.

Of course, I don't know what extra price rises are planned for this year, but as has already been pointed out, we will have 30,000+ seats, so revenue should increase.

I'm missing the point. If you can prove you have no intention of using them and the means not to do so, why can't the club offer a rebate.

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But don't the club subsidise the coaches ? You are paying somewhat nearer the true cost via your season ticket ?

I'm not sure of the exact details as I think we sort our own coach in a way. It certainly was the intention to get a rebate once we prove the coach is working etc. Point is the coach cost has stayed the same from season 1 to season 2 yet there was a £30 increase. I don't mind as it's sods law, but if that went up to £60 for ex i'd feel a bit like I was paying twice for something - I may email Paul Barber re this for clarification...

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

To clarify a few points:

Doing a ticket check at Falmer is dangerous but very simple at Brighton as the area is gated off so it can easily be done.

Totally unworkable given the hundreds of people which pass through the gated area in under 5 mins to board a train.

The club also shafts totally all those coach travellers who did what the club wanted and grouped together to bis in from various parts of Sussex.

Where do the coach travellers park their coach during the game? On the clubs land? Take the approx one pound per person per game as payment for parking facilities.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Yes. The travel companies can protect their own revenue from there.

It's a 7 minute journey from Lewes to Falmer, 9 minutes from Brighton to Falmer. And you're saying that different rules should apply?

 

[Brovion]

...

Did Paul Barber talk about anything else besides travel costs in this interview ?

Click on the link in Walt's first post and you can read it.

Personally, as someone who for YEARS paid for useless, unusable travel vouchers I'm pleased the boot is now on the other foot and consequently my opinion has undergone a 180 degree reversal. The blanket 'one-size-fits-all' travel scheme is undoubtedly unfair on those who (like I used to at Withdean) live near enough to walk or cycle, or on those who have access to free travel, or those who hire their own coaches, but really ... tough. Remember that there wouldn't BE an Amex if we hadn't heavily sold the myth of 'sustainable transport' and so if you want to blame anybody blame those who wouldn't let us build a 21,000 capacity car park on Village Way South.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

This was a particularly poignant montage, it's simple yet brilliant and captures perfectly his feelings (hope he doesn't mind me posting this):
View attachment 39377

Ha! That was knocked up by Mendoza

@Elpresidente [MENTION=232]Simster[/MENTION] and [MENTION=5200]Buzzer[/MENTION] the IRONIC thing is that my FIRST WORLD PRICES THIRD WORLD SERVICE annual season tix to London does take me as far as Lewes for no extra cost. BARGAIN.

But Im not begrudging paying for travel on top of my STH as whichever way you cut it its still a bargain. I dont even factor in the travel part.

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If Albion drop the voucher scheme and the idea that they pay an upfront sum to Southern, my bet is that is that Southern would simply refuse to stop at Falmer, citing "health and safety". This is because they are white flag waving shitters who do what they like and act with impunity.

Don't believe me? Ask the people who bought Fat Boy Slim tickets last year, many assuming the station slap bang next to the stadium would be open for business as usual.

THIS

Anally raping fucktards

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Personally, as someone who for YEARS paid for useless, unusable travel vouchers I'm pleased the boot is now on the other foot and consequently my opinion has undergone a 180 degree reversal. The blanket 'one-size-fits-all' travel scheme is undoubtedly unfair on those who (like I used to at Withdean) live near enough to walk or cycle, or on those who have access to free travel, or those who hire their own coaches, but really ... tough. Remember that there wouldn't BE an Amex if we hadn't heavily sold the myth of 'sustainable transport' and so if you want to blame anybody blame those who wouldn't let us build a 21,000 capacity car park on Village Way South.

The way I see it too. If we can opt out of the parts of the albion matchday costs we don't benefit from then where does it end? A 0.01p reduction in direct debits for those who have no wish to fund Gully's costume?

 

[Premiership Dream]

Just read through the interview and i've got some thoughts on this paragraph

"Our total staff costs in the 2012 financial year were around £14million on a turnover of over £22million,” explained Barber. “In the year prior to this our total staff costs were around £7million on a turnover of around the same number, £7million, so our turnover has trebled and our staff costs have doubled in 12 months. "



I got to the Arsenal game around 1300 hoping to get into Dicks Bar, there was a massive queue so decided as it was early no one was going to be leaving soon, so decided to go into the stands and drink there. Well I have to say for 1300 they had at least one member of staff if not two waiting to serve customers that clearly are not going to be there at 1300 so id suggest u run on a skeleton crew till 1330-1345 as thats when the backs of the stands started filling up....I bet all these colleagues had been there since 1230 so u could say a massive amount of labour by shaving 1 hr off staff you don't need that early

 

[Brovion]

The way I see it too. If we can opt out of the parts of the albion matchday costs we don't benefit from then where does it end? A 0.01p reduction in direct debits for those who have no wish to fund Gully's costume?

The solution might be to go back to the Withdean system where no specific figure was ever given as to how much of the ticket price was counted as a 'transport levy' and the whole cost of the scheme was hidden as part of the overall running costs. I don't know why they changed it tbh.

 

[The Large One]

So apart from Bozza and myself, who else is in this groovy gang you've childishly made up? NSC needs to know who is reasonably allowed to take issue with your whiny ramblings on this tedious issue without being accused of being in this groovy gang of yours?

Right here.

Can I just say that I have a season ticket from Brighton to Lewes - which I pay for and is not subsidised - but still feel that, short of implementing the most rigorous, though most dangerous, solution (i.e. checking every single ticket) the levy is the fairest way of assisting the club pay for its enormous transport management bill.

I feel some individuals pleading special cases for their circumstances need to understand that in this instance, this isn't about them, it's about the system as a whole.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Right here.

Can I just say that I have a season ticket from Brighton to Lewes - which I pay for and is not subsidised - but still feel that, short of implementing the most rigorous, though most dangerous, solution (i.e. checking every single ticket) the levy is the fairest way of assisting the club pay for its enormous transport management bill.

I feel some individuals pleading special cases for their circumstances need to understand that in this instance, this isn't about them, it's about the system as a whole.

Spot on

As I say my London season ticket covers up to Lewes to the East and Hove to the West but Im not bothered.

 

[RupertsFlan]

Right here.

Can I just say that I have a season ticket from Brighton to Lewes - which I pay for and is not subsidised - but still feel that, short of implementing the most rigorous, though most dangerous, solution (i.e. checking every single ticket) the levy is the fairest way of assisting the club pay for its enormous transport management bill.

I feel some individuals pleading special cases for their circumstances need to understand that in this instance, this isn't about them, it's about the system as a whole.

Perhaps we are the victim of a culture at Withdean where with markedly lower crowds people felt that they were able to be treated as individuals. Well that time has ended. If on the verge of the planning decision people had to decide whether they would pay towards their travel to home games or expect to be able to travel at subsidised costs or for those who abused abused the system last season, then I suspect everyone would have said that paying for use of transport is fair and just.

If there is an increase in levy and it is spread over the year then bring it on. £5 per month is not a huge amount - the genuis of the whole direct debit scheme should mean that any increases in ticket cost or travel cost are absorbed over a longer term. We cannot whine about not signing great players, allowing players to leave on a free when they do not fit into our salary bracket and then scream and shout about an increase in costs.

This is a brave new world and I am happy to make cuts in some areas of my disposable income to continue to watch my beloved club in a state of art arena playing at their highest level for over 20 years.

 

[Hotchilidog]

I feel some individuals pleading special cases for their circumstances need to understand that in this instance, this isn't about them, it's about the system as a whole.

This is spot on, the club are now having to cater for in excess of 25,000 a game, and it makes sense both administratively and financially to follow the path of least resistance (normally disguised as common sense). I too speak as someone who has a valid rail ticket for falmer and does not 'directly' benefit from the subsidy.

The plain fact is, that without the transport plan we would not have the stadium. This plan COSTS the club a small fortune and it is not unreasonable for them to ask the fans for a contribution, much in the same way as we contribute to the wages of the players and staff.