Congratulations to Paul Barber.

[champion7]

On the train home tonight I was informed by a Juice FM hospitality pass holder, that it was being banded about Paul Barber would be leaving the club in the next 10 days. No reason or explanation was given to why he was leaving. He was ranting about Barber earning £500k a year for fleecing the pockets of loyal supporters.
Anyone else heard this rumour??

I heard this rumour as well yesterday but couldn't get anyone to confirm/deny it.

 

[Guinness Boy]

I hope Mr Barber reads this, but I will be e-mailing him anyway.

The behaviour of the door staff in the West Reception/1901 Harry Bloom was a DISGRACE today. I have been a fan since 1984, but today was embarrassing and my worst experience of treatment by club staff.

As soon as I walked in the main entrance, I was given a filthy look at by one of the security staff, no idea why. Then I was BOOMED at by an over officious female steward as soon as I approached the entrance to the lounge without any sort of greeting. "You can't come in here without a collar" she shouted, despite the fact i was smartly dressed with a smart plain jumper and shoes and smart collared coat. A second female steward then patronisingly thrust a leaflet in my hand and said "we are enforcing it this season". Enforcing what? The leaflet didn't even mention jumpers not being acceptable.

I am not a Harry Bloom 1901 regular as i have a season ticket in the East stand, but sometimes get tickets. I have never ever been treated with this level of contempt by anyone, yet alone my own football club. It's not as if i am some corporate numpty, i was a Goldstone and Withdean regular and went on all the marches for the stadium, I am a long standing supporter through thick and thin. I had to buy a £25 polo shirt to gain admission from the shop (fine because it had a collar) and queue for half an hour to get it. There was no way i was missing the match.

When i finally got in to the lounge, there were lots of scruffy people in there, some wearing hoodies and ripped jeans with a scruffy collared polo shirt underneath. Two even had trainers. I would say i was in the 20% of the smartest people in that lounge but the collar jobsworths were having none of it. I saw a number of other fans suffer the same fate. As one guy said, they will regret it when they get 10,000 fans next season and none of these fair weather supporters want to know.

Sterile, plastic, over officious and downright RUDE. I never thought i would pine for the days of Withdean and Dick Knight. The stadium might be the best in the division and god knows we fought for it, but treating the fans with this level of disrespect and indeed contempt ruins the whole experience. I will not be spending a single penny at the stadium again as a personal protest unless i receive an apology.

I have defended the club until now on things like pricing and treatment of fans as things do have to change and evolve. However, my day was summed up for me just as i was leaving. The train announcement said "we would like to remind all CUSTOMERS the last train leaves in 10 minutes.....". No further comment necessary.

Exactly the same happened to a friend of mine, a Brighton born and bred fellow being given a "treat" by his boss. I think this is how they're shifting the polo shirts this season.

 

[Rugrat]

I heard this rumour as well yesterday but couldn't get anyone to confirm/deny it.

Maybe TB has at long last realised you can get highly effective CE's for less than half that price?

 

[The Oldman]

On the train home tonight I was informed by a Juice FM hospitality pass holder, that it was being banded about Paul Barber would be leaving the club in the next 10 days. No reason or explanation was given to why he was leaving. He was ranting about Barber earning £500k a year for fleecing the pockets of loyal supporters.
Anyone else heard this rumour??

Chelsea are looking for a new CEO.

 

[jackanada]

After most of the crowd had left I went to walk down the front of wsl and into the north along the now entirely empty disabled area at the front.
I was told I couldn't go through so asked why. "It's the disabled area you can't go through". I pointed out it was entirely empty otherwise I would not have come that way and asked when the policy changed. " you've walked all the way down here now you'll have to walk all the way back ". I said I would but first I want to know when the policy was changed. This to and fro continued with the steward getting arsier and my remaining calm and polite if seething inside. Chief steward came over and as he approached I thought I could be in for a highly ridiculous ban. He just smiled said I was right and to go on through. Seems there is just a new batch of misanthropic jobsworths to be tamed at the moment.

 

[BUTTERBALL]

No further comment & then you edit...
Corporate hospitality is like a job interview, you need standards & the fact that you think it's ok to turn up wearing just a jumper shows your lack of respect for the Club & others around you.

You've missed the point. It is about consistency. Do it for one, do it for all. Trust me, I wasn't disrespecting anyone. Also it's also about the way I way i (and others) were spoken to, it was downright rude.

 

[BUTTERBALL]

I have little sympathy for the 1901 person, if you really feel you have to go and watch a football match in an area where there is a dress code then if you cannot conform to it you got what you deserved.

As to why anyone would ever want to watch a football match in an area where there is a dress code is completely beyond me.

Lesson learned.

 

[Ernest]

After most of the crowd had left I went to walk down the front of wsl and into the north along the now entirely empty disabled area at the front.
I was told I couldn't go through so asked why. "It's the disabled area you can't go through". I pointed out it was entirely empty otherwise I would not have come that way and asked when the policy changed. " you've walked all the way down here now you'll have to walk all the way back ". I said I would but first I want to know when the policy was changed. This to and fro continued with the steward getting arsier and my remaining calm and polite if seething inside. Chief steward came over and as he approached I thought I could be in for a highly ridiculous ban. He just smiled said I was right and to go on through. Seems there is just a new batch of misanthropic jobsworths to be tamed at the moment.

This sort of thing doesn't matter when the team is playing well but when we're served up with shite every week and then stewards start acting up it makes it worse

 

[BN9 BHA]

That's a ****ing disgrace.

With bells on.

 

[portslade seagull]

Not sure Barber will reply to any of this as his project is starting to fall apart along with the income

 

[BUTTERBALL]

This sort of thing doesn't matter when the team is playing well but when we're served up with shite every week and then stewards start acting up it makes it worse

It shouldn't matter how the team are playing. Paying supporters deserve treating with consistency and respect, although it certainly doesn't help.

 

[BN9 BHA]

No further comment & then you edit...
Corporate hospitality is like a job interview, you need standards & the fact that you think it's ok to turn up wearing just a jumper shows your lack of respect for the Club & others around you.

you are joking with this reply? I hope

 

[Guinness Boy]

On the train home tonight I was informed by a Juice FM hospitality pass holder, that it was being banded about Paul Barber would be leaving the club in the next 10 days. No reason or explanation was given to why he was leaving. He was ranting about Barber earning £500k a year for fleecing the pockets of loyal supporters.
Anyone else heard this rumour??

If he did then he'd have arrived the season after an 8 million operating loss. In his first season this would have risen to 14.7 million but with the club finishing fourth and within a coat of paint of going up. He'd leave having quoted on here that we have an operating loss of 12 million ("we lose a million a month") and with the club in 21st place. Now go and check his Vancouver Whitecaps cv.

 

[BN9 BHA]

I didn't read the last sentence of his post!

You have made me laugh out very loud this morning well played mate.

 

[KJP]

I hope we aren't paying the live bands much because yesterday's was abysmal

 

[portlock seagull]

100% correct Beach Hut and although a necessary evil of modern football, one I hate and detest at The Albion, you'd never get me in the 1901 in a million years but if people do at least don't dress like the rest of us "football supporters", god forbid....

What you're detesting is pointless - go and watch non league if that's what you want becsuseh thats what you'd get without corporate fans in today's game. Think of them as subsidising your seat or the players you watch, bit like a long haul aircraft with first class. These guys are keeping cattle class down to some extent which means 'we' can afford to go places we perhaps couldn't otherwise. Corporate is here to stay and provides valuable income the club couldn't do without these days. Hate them as much as you like but it's a bit like hating SKY - utterly pointless, they're too imbedded in the game. Besides, they have done some good you have to admit!

 

[DumLum]

He's finally nailed the Amex experience. No queues for beer and loads of pies for everyone. Space on the concources and easy to get on the trAins. Much better than strikers scoring goals.

£3!!!!!! for a bag of starburst(opal fruits). That is a genius way to stop parents joining queues.

 

[burrish-gull]

What you're detesting is pointless - go and watch non league if that's what you want becsuseh acts what you'd get without corporate fans in today's game. Think of them as subsidising your seat or the players you watch, bit like a long haul aircraft with first class. These guys are keeping cattle class down to some extent which means 'we' can afford to go places we perhaps couldn't otherwise. Corporate is here to stay and provides valuable income the club couldn't do without these days. Hate them as much as you like but it's a bit like hating SKY - utterly pointless, they're too imbedded in the game. Besides, they have done some good you have to admit!

I'd counter that the dross being served up at the moment isn't far off non-league, no 1901 individual subsidises me, I subsidised myself by being involved in every demo, march and fight to help get the stadium built, some things money can't buy.....

 

[portlock seagull]

I'd counter that the dross being served up at the moment isn't far off non-league, no 1901 individual subsidises me, I subsidised myself by being involved in every demo, march and fight to help get the stadium built, some things money can't buy.....

I too did all that but what you're saying isn't true in cold economics.

 

[burrish-gull]

I too did all that but what you're saying isn't true in cold economics.

The economics of the modern football and The Albion are currently very cold, you are correct.....

I can either "shut up and put up" or I can quite rightly voice my opinion, bringing non league football into the argument is a brilliant one because guess what? Gates are up and football fans are starting to vote with their feet.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...oned-fans-head-for-the-nonleague-9810932.html