Albion's Paul Beirne: "We do not exist without the fans"

[dejavuatbtn]

Reasons for not having home fans at away end:
1. There would be too many higher priced seats left vacant if the away fans are at the side of the pitch, either through non ticket sales or by partitioning off seats.
2. There may be fewer home tickets sold if more fans are expected to watch from behind the goal - not all fans want to watch from there, ticket income from home supporters will be reduced (the tickets are cheaper), fans wishing to sit would be impacted by those wishing to stand.
3. Those fans who have bought season tickets in side areas are quite right to complain if they are being moved to a less favourable position, as would Northstanders if they were suddenly migrated to the upper west.

The best way to improve the atmosphere would be for them to start playing better quality attacking football. Having 70% possession in your own half doesn't score you goals and doesn't inspire fans.

 

[Horses Arse]

It has been asked frequently...

There are three reasons (and, in my opinion, one is valid and the others aren't!)...


1. The concourse in the South was designed to provide flexible partitions. East Lower wasn't. This means that we can give a variable amount of the South Stand to away fans, depending on both our obligations (league vs cup) and their take-up.

2. There are a number of East Lower residents who opposed the proposal (back when Gus wanted home fans behind both goals, arguing they paid too much for their tickets to have to sit near Northern riff-raff.

3. Ticket Prices. Giving 2, maybe 3, differently priced segments to away fans would result in issues. The club argued that "one price" would cause issues - Charge away fans the lower price and home fans in the east would complain. Charge the higher and the away fans (& club) would complain. Differential pricing has the potential to cause stewarding issues as people buy cheap seats but sit elsewhere - easier to manage for home fans but hard for the away support.


I don't think that the club's response to this has been anything than these three points. There is a cost associated with fixing the first (and in my opinion, the only valid) answer. The club appear unwilling to meet that cost in order to achieve the goal of a home-only South Stand.

Poor initial project briefing/concept by the sounds of it. Away fans opposite as far as possible from the louder home support seems to have been intended. It would have been quite straight forward to have accommodated flexible concourses in other parts of the ground at the design stage but can understand the reluctance to change now that it's all built.

 

[Lincoln Imp]

Paul Beirne has admitted being new to this club. My advice for him is to get a copy of 'Build A Bonfire' and read it as soon as possible.

Paul Beirne has read Build a Bonfire, and other Albion books besides. He's personally met many of the people featured in that book, as well NSC people and some, ah, very significant people from the Albion's past. He doesn't claim to be a football man as such, or even a particularly sporty person, but he has a huge interest in the role that a club like ours has in the community; in spite of his commercial background, looks like a breath of fresh air when compared to the corporatists in and around the Albion boardroom. As others on this thread have pointed out though, the actions of some of those running the club mean he has a very big job on his hands.

 

[Peter Grummit]

Albion-s-Paul-Beirne-quot-We-do-not-exist-without-the-fans.

Can someone ask him tonight whether Paul Watson is on message, and if not what steps are being taken that he be so.

PG

 

[Lincoln Imp]

Albion-s-Paul-Beirne-quot-We-do-not-exist-without-the-fans.

Can someone ask him tonight whether Paul Watson is on message, and if not what steps are being taken that he be so.

PG

What does this mean?

 

[Working class pride]

He doesn't claim to be a football man as such, or even a particularly sporty person,

1. Now I will give the man a chance but why have we recruited a person who doesnt understand football!Dont we have enough of those on the playing side never mind the rest of the club?! (OK cheap shot). But seriously, couldnt we find an Albion fan, who not only understands football but also this club to do this role?

2. Will he be putting Charlie Webb on the Legends Wall?

 

[Ernest]

Another suit on MASSIVE wages

 

[8ace]

Another suit on MASSIVE wages

I won't take him seriously until you give him a nickname or start misspelling his name

 

[Ernest]

I won't take him seriously until you give him a nickname or start misspelling his name

I won't DIGNIFY Paul BIENRE existance by MISSPELLING his name

 

[Paulbeirne]

I won't DIGNIFY Paul BIENRE existance by MISSPELLING his name

That hurt.

 

[Ernest]

That hurt.

You ASK Lapdog Perry about the POWER of my ARS and how it WRECKED his career

 

[Dan Aitch]

So many different issues between American and English sports. Let's hope the club is based on the English version... otherwise we're facked.

 

[portlock seagull]

That hurt.

Paul, you won't go wrong if you believe We fans are always right even when wrong and we reserve the right to be fickle and even then it's your fault we're like that. Now carry on and good luck...you could do a lot worse than start by finding out what happened to the cup final money? See Ernest for a full documented history with some interesting leads...

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Although Paul Beirne may know a smidgen about the introduction of all seater stadia for clubs in the top two divisions was down to the Taylor report after Hillsborough is he also aware that this might all unravel with the current inquest hearing that senior police officers concocted a masonic conspiracy to shift the blame away from the police and on to the fans ? If the Taylor report is discredited due to misinformation given at the time and the legislation repealed , is safe standing an option in dedicated parts of the stadium ?

 

[Giraffe]

Is it just me who thinks he didn't actually say anything meaningful in that at all?

Nope. Let's see what they say shortly. I expect people to listen to the spin and be impressed.

Ask him if he thinks stewards throwing punches at fans helps the atmosphere?

 

[Rugrat]

So many different issues between American and English sports. Let's hope the club is based on the English version... otherwise we're facked.

Agree ... having read all of that interview I fully expect the key initiative to be the donating of a drum to some appointed North/SW stand customer

That might possibly finish me off

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Damned if you do, and Damned if you don't. He didn't say much as his is a listening brief for the moment.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Damned if you do, and Damned if you don't. He didn't say much as his is a listening brief for the moment.

Is Silent Paul the antidote to Blathering Paul?

 

[spanish flair]

Apologies if I have missed it but is there any feedback for us uninvited STH's. Just how discussions went would be good.