[Albion] Does football need more De Zerbis or more Barbers?

[Guinness Boy]

Might have this wrong, but not sure RDZ mentioned Barbs in his list of thanks.

That’s correct

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

C level

As in Chief “something” Officer. It’s not a school report.

Like I said, they’re questions.

Criticism for my misunderstanding of your innocent non-besmirching, retracted

But I already gave you my answers. Quickfire. Bosh.

 

[KZNSeagull]

Might have this wrong, but not sure RDZ mentioned Barbs in his list of thanks.

He did in his post match TV interview

 

[Guinness Boy]

Fans run on emotions not logic. They think there are magic money trees and that owners, not they, should pay for the dream. They think that clubs can hold on to players that want to play at a higher level. They think that owners should create money and should also pay them wages that are unsustainable. They think that owners should take risks then get all upset when it goes wrong.

Football needs Paul Barbers more than RDZs because they run sound finances.

What football fans forget is that the boring stuff in football is more important than the exciting stuff. It's the boring stuff, done well, that keeps clubs alive and, in our case, punching at a level we shouldn't really be at.

For me our biggest signing was Barber on a six year contract. Boring though it is.

It was fun under RDZ, but his moaning and brinkmanship for the last few months made me want it all to end. I said a while back it may be affecting the team. I think I was right.

As we’ve experienced (and by that I mean Goldstone era fans), running out of money or having terrible ownership bent on self enrichment is a bad thing.

But we’re old. What if I told you a growing number of younger, working class fans feel that the club wants to replace them with tourists and DFLs? That passion is frowned on?

Or that a fan base who drinks in town combined with a coach who might want to kick on aren’t great for the P/L bottom line?

 

[ac gull]

If every club had a PB then doubt Super League would have seen the light of day, its led to the pending Football Regulator

 

[Perkino]

There are plenty of coaches like RDZ, but very few as talented. There are very few CEO's as wise as Barber and many clubs have been ruined by people trying to dictate from the top and stretched beyond their capabilities

 

[chaileyjem]

As we’ve experienced (and by that I mean Goldstone era fans), running out of money or having terrible ownership bent on self enrichment is a bad thing.

But we’re old. What if I told you a growing number of younger, working class fans feel that the club wants to replace them with tourists and DFLs? That passion is frowned on?

Or that a fan base who drinks in town combined with a coach who might want to kick on aren’t great for the P/L bottom line?

I’d say they were wrong.

 

[HeaviestTed]

Most of us are bald, we don’t need more barbers.

 

[Eeyore]

As we’ve experienced (and by that I mean Goldstone era fans), running out of money or having terrible ownership bent on self enrichment is a bad thing.

But we’re old. What if I told you a growing number of younger, working class fans feel that the club wants to replace them with tourists and DFLs? That passion is frowned on?

Or that a fan base who drinks in town combined with a coach who might want to kick on aren’t great for the P/L bottom line?

Fans thinking the first point is absurd. The majority are season ticket holders and the rest on memberships. Pretty much the same scheme we had in the old days you and I remember.

I think your second point is about the fanzone. I'm guessing folk will vote with their feet on that one. If I was back and attending as well as doing the pre-match stuff there is no way I would drink at the ground- I'd be back at the Eddy

As for a coach that wants Albion to kick on, we'd all like that. The Holy Duo included.

But some fans seem to think that it comes automatically. A next stage. But there is no next stage. Top ten and the odd European excursion if the stars align is the best outcome in crude terms. There are eight clubs in this league who we cannot compete with financially. And the club accept that so are trying an approach and also trying to mitigate against error as best as they can. That's why the Ali J's and Locadias of this world haven't caused too much damage.

Anyway, I'll leave it there. I'm getting on my nerves now. Triumphs for Sussex and Wanderers today. So all good.

 

[portlock seagull]

Without PBOBE there’d be no RDZ.

 

[Seagull58]

I’ll make this simpler.

RDZ went round the pitch and most Brighton fans sang “we want you to stay”.

a) would they do the same on PBOBE’s leaving do? And

B) why were Tony and others name checked and our CEO not? Odd or not?

Both are questions, not statements.

Go.

He thanked Barber and his family in his postmatch interview

 

[GT49er]

Football needs Barbers? Don't know about football, but footballers certainly do! Some shocking barnets out there! - Haaland, Van Dyke, Sock Boy, Calvert-Lewin ................ and many others! A good cut needed! Just to save himself from excruciating pain in the penalty area, Cucu could probably do with a trim too!

 

[Zeberdi]

Why do I feel we slayed the messenger today when maybe we should have slayed a Golden Calf

Good administrators can run a club well, excellent administrators can run a club excellently.

But it is ‘Big Balls’, passion and guts that keeps a Club going when it is homeless, when the ’administrators‘ have sold the family silver. It’s Big Balls, passion and guts of genuine supporters that keeps a Club going when the football is dire and the plastics have left the building.

Yes, we need both more RDZs and more PBOBEs but good, even excellent CEOs are two a penny whereas RDZs are like rare diamonds and emit their own light from within after a bit of polishing. It is a darn shame that we were unable to accommodate RDZ‘s plans but he would probably not have stayed beyond 2026 anyway - PBOBE ensures our longevity as a Club, it’s just not as sexy to say it.

Caio Belo!

 

[Ike and Tina Burner]

But we’re old. What if I told you a growing number of younger, working class fans feel that the club wants to replace them with tourists and DFLs? That passion is frowned on?

I’d say they were wrong.

No they're not. The club hands out bans left and right for small infractions as if we have unlimited support. They're perfectly fine with big six fans all over the home end every time we play one of them at home.
I genuinely believe Barber despises traditional football supporters. He wants two team JCLs or tourists who have deep pockets and behave respectively at all times. The club has actively sanitised itself in every aspect to court these type of supporters.

And even if you scoff and disagree with me, which I'm sure you will, it is a fact that much of our younger support agree with my point of view. And that, you must admit, is a problem.

 

[Zeberdi]

No they're not. The club hands out bans left and right for small infractions as if we have unlimited support. They're perfectly fine with big six fans all over the home end every time we play one of them at home.
I genuinely believe Barber despises traditional football supporters. He wants two team JCLs or tourists who have deep pockets and behave respectively at all times. The club has actively sanitised itself in every aspect to court these type of supporters.

And even if you scoff and disagree with me, which I'm sure you will, it is a fact that much of our younger support agree with my point of view. And that, you must admit, is a problem.

That is the nature of the industry now in top flight football though isn’t it. Courting ‘tourists’ and corporate sponsorship (which comes with it’s own rigid T&As), is how we compete financially and why PBOBE is such a valued member of staff - one of the reasons Brighton Station site was turned down was because the site wasn’t large enough to accommodate all the infrastructure required for corporate functions/guests/fan zones/shop etc - Even at the Falmer site, with a maximum stadium capacity of half that of the biggest top 5 Clubs and a capacity that puts us 13th in the League, we need the tourists and deep pockets to be financially competitive and we need to be financially competitive to finance the football that allows us to compete as a mid-table team in the EPL..

Perhaps go and stand on the touchline of a local non-league club and enjoy some ‘traditional football’ occasionally - it’s what a lot of older Brighton fans do these days.

 

[chaileyjem]

No they're not. The club hands out bans left and right for small infractions as if we have unlimited support. They're perfectly fine with big six fans all over the home end every time we play one of them at home.
I genuinely believe Barber despises traditional football supporters. He wants two team JCLs or tourists who have deep pockets and behave respectively at all times. The club has actively sanitised itself in every aspect to court these type of supporters.

And even if you scoff and disagree with me, which I'm sure you will, it is a fact that much of our younger support agree with my point of view. And that, you must admit, is a problem.

No scoffing ! But It’s taking a serious generational PL wide issue of cost, fairness - simplifying it greatly, exaggerating some valid issues (eg rules and bans) . Implying Brighton are somehow in the vanguard of all of it , arguing that the fanzone of all things is suspicious or important and then adding in personal, unfair criticism like x “ despises supporters “ (really ? ) .

But of course - I’m sure some supporters have turned away or believe it . Whatever “it” is. Or as as @Guinness Boy puts it - they want more RDZ less Barber. Whatever that actually means.
I just think it’s wrong to frame it like that. Whatever the justification - the 39th game, ticket prices, tvvmoney distribution, spurs and oap prices, lifting the away ticket price cap - perhaps even old fans like er me could line up against that sorry lot - but I think it’s wrong to pin the blame on Brighton for that and also single out one individual. .
But of course that sentiment exists. Agreed.

 

[Deadly Danson]

And even if you scoff and disagree with me, which I'm sure you will, it is a fact that much of our younger support agree with my point of view. And that, you must admit, is a prproblem.

It's not a fact. It's your perception.

 

[Justice]

That is the nature of the industry now in top flight football though isn’t it. Courting ‘tourists’ and corporate sponsorship (which comes with it’s own rigid T&As), is how we compete financially and why PBOBE is such a valued member of staff - one of the reasons Brighton Station site was turned down was because the site wasn’t large enough to accommodate all the infrastructure required for corporate functions/guests/fan zones/shop etc - Even at the Falmer site, with a maximum stadium capacity of half that of the biggest top 5 Clubs and a capacity that puts us 13th in the League, we need the tourists and deep pockets to be financially competitive and we need to be financially competitive to finance the football that allows us to compete as a mid-table team in the EPL..

Perhaps go and stand on the touchline of a local non-league club and enjoy some ‘traditional football’ occasionally - it’s what a lot of older Brighton fans do these days.

There is a saying I believe in don’t piss off those who helped you get to the top because you will sure as hell need them on the way down.
Barbers treatment of fans is appalling.
Believing Ajax stewards without video evidence stinks for starters.

 

[dwayne]

RDZ wore his heart on his sleeve and there are some that seem to think he's some kind of genius for that. There's loads of people out there like that.

Loyalty and honour are much better traits. Despite delivering brilliant football for a season and a half, the guy still was a traitor for publically embarrassing bloom. He was selfish and egotistical, even with the down turn in results he could have remained a hero but he chose his own path.

Barber might be a bit of a robot but at least he genuinely cares for the club and does what's best for the greater good.

Wait until De Zerbi joins a big club. There will be an almighty blowing up when things turn sour ....

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

Given De Zerbi's ultimate solution seems to have been "spend a f***ing fortune on players to solve my problems for me" I'm not sure he's the hero you need if your problem is the over-commercialisation of football.

The deliberate turning of fans against the owner (and despite the focus on PB on this thread, ultimately all of this is down to TB, whatever "all of this" is exactly) is the main reason I'm not all that bothered about seeing De Zerbi leave.

And if you want your club to spend a fortune to make all its problems go away, having a chief executive who's primarily invested in the club making money is a pretty obvious necessity.