Have you renewed your season ticket?

[Eric Youngs Contact Lense]

Yep, will be renewing and never crossed my mind not to. Don't get me wrong, would love us to have been playing like Derby have been (Until we mugged them!), but my decision would never have been based on what happens on the pitch.. if so I would rarely have had a season ticket over the years - even the Amex era before this season has had plenty of "turgid" footy! I absolutely understand that others will and need to make decisions based on different factors : financial, changing work arrangements etc, but I just don't share the vitriol in the implications that we are somehow being duped, ripped-off etc as a reason for not renewing. As for the comments about Barber's programme notes, it would seem bizarre to me that the CEO DIDN'T take the opportunity to communicate to the fans the ambitions, the priorities and context in which decisions are being made that affect the Club in a bi-weekly Club programme that is accessible to all it's paying fans. I love turning up with my lads, not really knowing what to expect, but always hoping for the best, and sampling the sticky times on the pitch makes the sweet moments even sweeter..

 

[nwgull]

PLR is/was an INTERNAL mission statement (for staff) and a perfectly reasonable one.

What do you suggest? "Second tier on the pitch, and second tier off it"?!

Indeed. In fact the only place that this sound byte is regularly spouted is on here. A bit like the fans/customers myth.

 

[Eeyore]

May not renew due to changing financial considerations and work insecurity.

If all turns out well I will be back. My attendance is not dependant on which league or position Albion are in.

 

[London Irish]

Reduce the bullshit and the PR "Premier League Ready" type statements, stop having articles in the programme (what other CEO in football does this?) and I don't think we could have better than Barber to be honest.

The inflated mark-ups on the food and drink should stop to. We put up with this at Withdean because we knew we had no money but it rankles now. Also it's counterproductive, many fans just don't go near the kiosks now

 

[London Irish]

PLR is/was an INTERNAL mission statement (for staff) and a perfectly reasonable one.

What do you suggest? "Second tier on the pitch, and second tier off it"?!

What It was pushed out loads of times in media interviews

 

[Rookie]

Yep, well the direct debit is continuing.
Surely it has to be better next season?

 

[Brovion]

PLR is/was an INTERNAL mission statement (for staff) and a perfectly reasonable one.

What do you suggest? "Second tier on the pitch, and second tier off it"?!

It might have started off as an internal bit of marketing-speak bollocks, but it soon was in the outside world - and it was Barber who put it out there. See this:

http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/10735370.Albion_urged_to_be__Premier_League_Ready_/

 

[Jim Bob]

Me + 1 have renewed. Just hope that Hughton continues to improve the squad over the summer and we can be fighting at the opposite end of the table. Would be nice to reward the fans with cheaper beer/food for next year but we all know this will not happen!

 

[Wozza]

It might have started off as an internal bit of marketing-speak bollocks, but it soon was in the outside world - and it was Barber who put it out there. See this:

http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/10735370.Albion_urged_to_be__Premier_League_Ready_/

Yes, but he's still referring to it as a in-house motto, and discussing it those terms. And, really, what's the problem with that?

Also, I imagine this public clarification came AFTER the motto was leaked/discussed on NSC - most things in the Argus are.

 

[nwgull]

The inflated mark-ups on the food and drink should stop to. We put up with this at Withdean because we knew we had no money but it rankles now. Also it's counterproductive, many fans just don't go near the kiosks now

Does is still rankle when you consider that we've made losses of £30m over the last 3 years and been fortunate enough to have a wealthy fan cover that loss?

Besides, could you direct me to the kiosks that fans won't go near - are they accessible from the WSL?

 

[meanmachine25]

I'm not renewing, although that's not wholly down to the on pitch bore-fest we are regularly served up.

A combination of travelling, lack of Saturday games, and the ease at which 'spares' can be picked up have swung the balance for me. I'll probably still go to as many games although through choice rather than a sense of duty.

Same here........and getting to more away games

 

[Brovion]

Yes, but he's still referring to it as a in-house motto, and discussing it those terms. And, really, what's the problem with that?

Also, I imagine this public clarification came AFTER the motto was leaked/discussed on NSC - most things in the Argus are.

How did it get on NSC in the first place? And it doesn't really matter how he's referring to it - he said it. And it is STILL corporate bollocks even if it was just meant to be internal. And no, in the greater scheme of things it doesn't really matter, we just roll our eyes and accept that part of the modern game is all the corporate bollocks that comes out. It's a two-way street: we have to put up with all the bollocks and you have to put up with people moaning and saying how stupid it is.

 

[Brighton Boy]

Me + 5 mates have renewed and I can't bloody wait because it won't be this season any longer.

 

[London Irish]

Does is still rankle when you consider that we've made losses of £30m over the last 3 years and been fortunate enough to have a wealthy fan cover that loss?

Besides, could you direct me to the kiosks that fans won't go near - are they accessible from the WSL?

Come to the East, the queuing problem is now non-existent. Perhaps because more of us over here have young families to support and prioritise them over wealthy club owners

 

[Wozza]

we have to put up with all the bollocks and you have to put up with people moaning and saying how stupid it is.

But don't you see the irony? The ONLY time anyone hears the words "Premier League ready" is when someone is moaning about it.

(I'd wager the Argus story is literally the only exception)

 

[Man of Harveys]

Yes, but he's still referring to it as a in-house motto, and discussing it those terms. And, really, what's the problem with that?

Also, I imagine this public clarification came AFTER the motto was leaked/discussed on NSC - most things in the Argus are.

Absolutely. Every David Brent-like quote from the great man himself in that article suggests real regret that an internal matter has been leaked to local media. No strutting going on there.

http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/10735370.Albion_urged_to_be__Premier_League_Ready_/

 

[London Irish]

But don't you see the irony? The ONLY time anyone hears the words "Premier League ready" is when someone is moaning about it.

(I'd wager the Argus story is literally the only exception)

But that's only because Barber and Co eventually realised this kind of vainglorious boasting was getting them into trouble with fans, what with the sale of Ulloa, Buckley and their replacement by Championship relegation-ready players

 

[Wozza]

But that's only because Barber and Co eventually realised this kind of vainglorious boasting was getting them into trouble with fans, what with the sale of Ulloa, Buckley and their replacement by Championship relegation-ready players

Except it was an internal mission statement aimed at backroom staff, not a public 'boast' or anything to do with players...

 

[London Irish]

Except it was an internal mission statement aimed at backroom staff, not a public 'boast' or anything to do with players...

Amazing you expect anyone to believe that, but carry on

 

[Bozza]

I really, really struggle to see how anyone can use 'Premier League Ready' as a stick to hit Barber/the club with having just read that Argus article, which I'm not sure I've seen before.

As I've tried to say in the past, probably somewhat clumsily, it was simply a mantra for club staff to up their collective game. The club had only recently moved from cottage industry Withdean to the Amex with the business growing 200-300% pretty much overnight. Additionally, the owner of the business, Tony Bloom, had made it very clear that his ambitions extended to growing that business by a further 300-400%, on revenue terms at least, due to his desire to drive the club into the Premier League.

Elements of the club had not kept pace with the explosion in growth and improvements WERE needed in many areas.