[Albion] Fan advisory board

[Bozza]

Doesn’t have to be social media, any media would do. They are invisible.

That's it in a nutshell isn't it?

The brief of the FAB is wide-ranging...

• Club vision and stability
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
• Sustainability and environmental issues
• Matchday experience home and away
• Ticketing, including pricing
• Stadium catering and hospitality
• Communications with supporters
• Developing and building the fan base
• Community work and charity partnerships
• Club traditions and heritage

...yet there seems to be little (nothing?) published about most of these matters since the formation of the FAB.

The radio silence doesn't make it feel like an open, transparent, proactive and (fan-) inclusive arrangement.

At the very least, what I would have done (and could still be done)...

- Create a BHA FAB twitter account

• Ahead of each (weekly) meeting send out a tweet (it can be a 10-second copy&paste each time) tweet asking for any matters or issues that Albion fans with to raise for discussion
• After each meeting post a quick follow-up of talking points, and any issues that will be taken forward to the club

- Create a thread (or even a sub-forum - I'm happy to help in any way I can on here)

• Repeat the same as twitter. Again, a simple copy and paste, but will extend reach

- Consider the practicality of occasional hosting fan face-to-face sessions, could be any of

• Pre-game "Helpdesk" at the Amex
• Pub/meeting room session
• Online Zoom/Teams etc

The first two will take a few minutes a week, tops. There are six people on the FAB who, very admirably, put themselves forward for this because they wanted to further the cause of Albion fans and felt they were both willing and able to put a bit of time in to do just that.

 

[Lenny Rider]

Did you have to name him?

Point taken, and subsequently edited, however in my defence it was all over the Argus and local TV in 1997 and we had a ’fighting fund’ for him in Gulls Eye, I wasn’t exactly publicly naming Prince Harry’s real Dad.

 

[dazzer6666]

That's it in a nutshell isn't it?

The brief of the FAB is wide-ranging...

• Club vision and stability
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
• Sustainability and environmental issues
• Matchday experience home and away
• Ticketing, including pricing
• Stadium catering and hospitality
• Communications with supporters
• Developing and building the fan base
• Community work and charity partnerships
• Club traditions and heritage

...yet there seems to be little (nothing?) published about most of these matters since the formation of the FAB.

The radio silence doesn't make it feel like an open, transparent, proactive and (fan-) inclusive arrangement.

At the very least, what I would have done (and could still be done)...

- Create a BHA FAB twitter account

• Ahead of each (weekly) meeting send out a tweet (it can be a 10-second copy&paste each time) tweet asking for any matters or issues that Albion fans with to raise for discussion
• After each meeting post a quick follow-up of talking points, and any issues that will be taken forward to the club

- Create a thread (or even a sub-forum - I'm happy to help in any way I can on here)

• Repeat the same as twitter. Again, a simple copy and paste, but will extend reach

- Consider the practicality of occasional hosting fan face-to-face sessions, could be any of

• Pre-game "Helpdesk" at the Amex
• Pub/meeting room session
• Online Zoom/Teams etc

The first two will take a few minutes a week, tops. There are six people on the FAB who, very admirably, put themselves forward for this because they wanted to further the cause of Albion fans and felt they were both willing and able to put a bit of time in to do just that.

Precisely- well put (hopefully one of them will read your post and have some kind of light-bulb moment). They must have hours of ‘meetings’ so far……I don’t recall seeing a single piece of output.

 

[Lenny Rider]

I really think he’d been whacked.

He was a weird character. Briefly an MP only because of mid term luck, then kicked out by the electorate. What was his qualification to run a sports club business? A punchbag to protect a very devious thief.

His election victory was marginal shithousery anyway, Sir Ian Gow was murdered by the IRA, protocol in these tragic circumstances used to be that the major parties put up a ‘paper candidate’ and effectively didn’t contest the by election out of respect.

Clearly Maggie had not just pissed off the IRA by then?

My first encounter with DB was when he bought a Gulls Eye by the church in Hove in early 1993, immediate charm offensive by him, claimed he was an avid reader and felt fanzines were good for football.

Even back then, playing the long game

 

[timbha]

Point taken, and subsequently edited, however in my defence it was all over the Argus and local TV in 1997 and we had a ’fighting fund’ for him in Gulls Eye, I wasn’t exactly publicly naming Prince Harry’s real Dad.

Thanks. Sleeping dogs and all that…

 

[Dick Swiveller]

Thanks. Sleeping dogs and all that…

You might want to edit your quote then.

 

[Lenny Rider]

Just a thought, where‘s the Official Supporter‘s Club in all this?

Do they still exist?

Given we get 30,000 every home game what are their membership numbers?

 

[Bold Seagull]

That's it in a nutshell isn't it?

The brief of the FAB is wide-ranging...

• Club vision and stability
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
• Sustainability and environmental issues
• Matchday experience home and away
• Ticketing, including pricing
• Stadium catering and hospitality
• Communications with supporters
• Developing and building the fan base
• Community work and charity partnerships
• Club traditions and heritage

...yet there seems to be little (nothing?) published about most of these matters since the formation of the FAB.

The radio silence doesn't make it feel like an open, transparent, proactive and (fan-) inclusive arrangement.

At the very least, what I would have done (and could still be done)...

- Create a BHA FAB twitter account

• Ahead of each (weekly) meeting send out a tweet (it can be a 10-second copy&paste each time) tweet asking for any matters or issues that Albion fans with to raise for discussion
• After each meeting post a quick follow-up of talking points, and any issues that will be taken forward to the club

- Create a thread (or even a sub-forum - I'm happy to help in any way I can on here)

• Repeat the same as twitter. Again, a simple copy and paste, but will extend reach

- Consider the practicality of occasional hosting fan face-to-face sessions, could be any of

• Pre-game "Helpdesk" at the Amex
• Pub/meeting room session
• Online Zoom/Teams etc

The first two will take a few minutes a week, tops. There are six people on the FAB who, very admirably, put themselves forward for this because they wanted to further the cause of Albion fans and felt they were both willing and able to put a bit of time in to do just that.

Even a school PTA tend to keep minutes of meetings and typically publish goings on in a school news letter.

Edit: as @chaileyjem points out, minutes are published on the club website.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Did you have to name him?

I've edited @Weststander 's quoting of the name for consistency.

I don't know what harm it was doing though. I know the guy and he's a top feller and pretty much all Albion fans who were around in that era are proud of him and angry at the sentence and, of course, know who he was.

 

[Lenny Rider]

I've edited @Weststander 's quoting of the name for consistency.

I don't know what harm it was doing though. I know the guy and he's a top feller and pretty much all Albion fans who were around in that era are proud of him and angry at the sentence and, of course, know who he was.

It comes with age Guinness old mate , apparently I say all sorts of things I shouldn’t, even in my own back garden.

 

[Bozza]

Just a thought, where‘s the Official Supporter‘s Club in all this?

Do they still exist?

Given we get 30,000 every home game what are their membership numbers?

Yep, although I'm not sure in what capacity they are "official" as they are completely independent of the club...

Brighton & Hove Albion Supporters' Club – Helping its members to support the Albion

https://twitter.com/BHASC1

...although scrolling down that homepage, I see the chairman of the SC is Nigel Summers, who is also on the FAB. I'm assuming it's one and the same chap.

 

[jackalbion]

That's it in a nutshell isn't it?

The brief of the FAB is wide-ranging...

• Club vision and stability
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
• Sustainability and environmental issues
• Matchday experience home and away
• Ticketing, including pricing
• Stadium catering and hospitality
• Communications with supporters
• Developing and building the fan base
• Community work and charity partnerships
• Club traditions and heritage

...yet there seems to be little (nothing?) published about most of these matters since the formation of the FAB.

The radio silence doesn't make it feel like an open, transparent, proactive and (fan-) inclusive arrangement.

At the very least, what I would have done (and could still be done)...

- Create a BHA FAB twitter account

• Ahead of each (weekly) meeting send out a tweet (it can be a 10-second copy&paste each time) tweet asking for any matters or issues that Albion fans with to raise for discussion
• After each meeting post a quick follow-up of talking points, and any issues that will be taken forward to the club

- Create a thread (or even a sub-forum - I'm happy to help in any way I can on here)

• Repeat the same as twitter. Again, a simple copy and paste, but will extend reach

- Consider the practicality of occasional hosting fan face-to-face sessions, could be any of

• Pre-game "Helpdesk" at the Amex
• Pub/meeting room session
• Online Zoom/Teams etc

The first two will take a few minutes a week, tops. There are six people on the FAB who, very admirably, put themselves forward for this because they wanted to further the cause of Albion fans and felt they were both willing and able to put a bit of time in to do just that.

Quite, mind you getting the club to acknowledge anything on twitter is a mission in itself

 

[timbha]

I've edited @Weststander 's quoting of the name for consistency.

I don't know what harm it was doing though. I know the guy and he's a top feller and pretty much all Albion fans who were around in that era are proud of him and angry at the sentence and, of course, know who he was.

I’m not some JCL and am fully aware of the history.

However, some people aren’t proud of a prison sentence, the pain it caused at the time, and the harm it can do to employment prospects, etc despite the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.

I saw no benefit in naming the person and would hope NSC would do it’s best to protect Albion fans.

Ps- naming a certain M Simmons is ok!!

 

[Weststander]

I’m not some JCL and am fully aware of the history.

However, some people aren’t proud of a prison sentence, the pain it caused at the time, and the harm it can do to employment prospects, etc despite the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.

I saw no benefit in naming the person and would hope NSC would do it’s best to protect Albion fans.

Ps- naming a certain M Simmons is ok!!

Just to clear up, I wasn't the one who posted the bloke's name

 

[jackalbion]

Yep, although I'm not sure in what capacity they are "official" as they are completely independent of the club...

Brighton & Hove Albion Supporters' Club – Helping its members to support the Albion

https://twitter.com/BHASC1

...although scrolling down that homepage, I see the chairman of the SC is Nigel Summers, who is also on the FAB. I'm assuming it's one and the same chap.

They still run the coach, which I used for Everton, a very good service. But the website is very outdated, I tried to join but could only find a physical form.

 

[chaileyjem]

Even a school PTA tend to keep minutes of meetings and typically publish goings on in a school news letter.

There’s minutes of the meetings available via https://www.brightonandhovealbion.com/club/fans/fan-advisory-board/agenda-minutes

 

[Bold Seagull]

There’s minutes of the meetings available via https://www.brightonandhovealbion.com/club/fans/fan-advisory-board/agenda-minutes

So minutes are being published - seems like a lot of fuss then given these are on the club website; I hadn’t realised but then I hadn’t really gone looking either so thanks for posting. I’ll edit my earlier post.

 

[jackalbion]

There’s minutes of the meetings available via https://www.brightonandhovealbion.com/club/fans/fan-advisory-board/agenda-minutes

There are minutes of two meetings, but sourced from a member themselves, say they have meetings almost every week, where are they?

 

[Guinness Boy]

I’m not some JCL and am fully aware of the history.

However, some people aren’t proud of a prison sentence, the pain it caused at the time, and the harm it can do to employment prospects, etc despite the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.

I saw no benefit in naming the person and would hope NSC would do it’s best to protect Albion fans.

Ps- naming a certain M Simmons is ok!!

Fair enough. On balance I was happy to edit it out of quoted posts but I think Lenny's post had good intentions.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

I think Paul McCartney supports them.

Perhaps he should start putting his money where his mouth is then, and force his way on to the board, although l've no idea just how much of a football fan he really is.

That said, even if he knows nothing about the game he could hardly do any worse than the present incumbants.