[Albion] Is it time to restart BISA or something similar?

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Reckon if NSC / Ask The Club link were to be reinstated, and a non-NSC equivalent made available (maybe on the club's official site) with the Q&A made available to all parties, then that would just about cover all bases. No need for another fan.org. IMHO like.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Be a good idea but think we're too big for anyone to listen.

We have a guy top level who is mainly interesting in profit margins . The voice of the fan wouldn't be heard as isn't a fan themselves.

Have to be careful what say but he wouldn't listen .

Just for clarity, which football club do you support?

 

[blue-shifted]

I think having collective representation as a group of fans is an excellent idea.

The current grievances are 1000 times less serious that they were during the time of BISA, but that isn’t to say there aren’t any and that the club/Paul Barber couldn’t benefit from a bit of feedback from time to time. Every relationship needs to be worked on!

There wouldn’t have to be representation on the board or anything, maybe just an hour long meeting every couple of months between a rep and a club official to make sure the relationship continues to stay healthy.

I think it’s important that it wouldn’t be, or be seen to be, a north stand chat based group

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

I think having collective representation as a group of fans is an excellent idea.

The current grievances are 1000 times less serious that they were during the time of BISA, but that isn’t to say there aren’t any and that the club/Paul Barber couldn’t benefit from a bit of feedback from time to time. Every relationship needs to be worked on!

There wouldn’t have to be representation on the board or anything, maybe just an hour long meeting every couple of months between a rep and a club official to make sure the relationship continues to stay healthy.

I think it’s important that it wouldn’t be, or be seen to be, a north stand chat based group

Out of interest have you ever written to PB? I have on four occasions over a few years and each time I've had a detailed and considered response, I do think he welcomes feedback and has acted on such feedback.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Football is now a part of consumerism, the customer counts but only in terms of a strong P & L, the days of worrying about gates and fans went when a TV audience the other side of the World matters more and brings in a large part of the £4bn from TV.

In which case why do we have (the award winning) Albion in the Community? Surely "they" would just sack that off?

I think part of the issue for the club is that it is a bigger entity than it has ever been (more fans each week, more money flowing through the system, more risk) but in an environment where everything is scrutinised and dissected on social media.

I suspect this scrutiny and almost constant criticism from one party or another of every response/non-response, email, decision/non-decision, reply/lack of reply, wave to the crowd or "storm down the tunnel" almost inevitably leads to more considered and potentially characterless, vanilla communications. The club become more aware of causing offence and in doing so iron out an personality. This is inevitably interpreted as "corporate" or "consumerist" or "losing touch" when in fact it's a fear of causing offence.

You get the club you deserve I suspect - if more people recognised how incredibly hard the club work to engage with us as fans rather than look to make mountains out of molehills in many cases, you might find an organisation more prepared to show its true personality.

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

In which case why do we have (the award winning) Albion in the Community? Surely "they" would just sack that off?

I think part of the issue for the club is that it is a bigger entity than it has ever been (more fans each week, more money flowing through the system, more risk) but in an environment where everything is scrutinised and dissected on social media.

I suspect this scrutiny and almost constant criticism from one party or another of every response/non-response, email, decision/non-decision, reply/lack of reply, wave to the crowd or "storm down the tunnel" almost inevitably leads to more considered and potentially characterless, vanilla communications. The club become more aware of causing offence and in doing so iron out an personality. This is inevitably interpreted as "corporate" or "consumerist" or "losing touch" when in fact it's a fear of causing offence.

You get the club you deserve I suspect - if more people recognised how incredibly hard the club work to engage with us as fans rather than look to make mountains out of molehills in many cases, you might find an organisation more prepared to show its true personality.

Sorry, you misunderstand me, I think the club (The Board) are doing an excellent job BUT the days or worrying about some of the issues that people raise are gone because, as you say, they are a larger entity and surrounding by rules and regulations from The FA, EPL, Sky, Govt, H&S etc etc, Flasks, I'd hazard a guess, is a classic example of this.

 

[attila]

Barber is incredibly dedicated in his response to individual fans - despite the extra work involved in addressing supporters' issues individually rather than as some kind of collective identity. I have had loads of discussions with him But I have given that up now and more or less resigned myself to what is, which is mostly wonderful and what we fought for. This thread is, I guess, the last throw of the dice as a campaigner for me, a kind of final opinion-sounding amongst my peers...

 

[MattBackHome]

I'm for it in principle, but am struggling to be outraged by any of the supposed tone-of-voice, health and safety, officiousness transgressions etc.

I also think the Customer / Fan dichotomy is utter bollocks.

But yeah a collective fanvoice is a good thing.

 

[Moshe Gariani]

Without taking sides here but don’t Tony Bloom and Paul Barber regularly attend fans forums to explain and answer questions regarding the club and their role with supporters?

They do. Such forums are limited in value though.

Regular meetings with an established group would enable far more meaningful discussion of things affecting supporters and also provide a structured mechanism for the club to test the water with fans BEFORE taking their actions and communicating more widely.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

In which case why do we have (the award winning) Albion in the Community? Surely "they" would just sack that off?

I think part of the issue for the club is that it is a bigger entity than it has ever been (more fans each week, more money flowing through the system, more risk) but in an environment where everything is scrutinised and dissected on social media.

I suspect this scrutiny and almost constant criticism from one party or another of every response/non-response, email, decision/non-decision, reply/lack of reply, wave to the crowd or "storm down the tunnel" almost inevitably leads to more considered and potentially characterless, vanilla communications. The club become more aware of causing offence and in doing so iron out an personality. This is inevitably interpreted as "corporate" or "consumerist" or "losing touch" when in fact it's a fear of causing offence.

You get the club you deserve I suspect - if more people recognised how incredibly hard the club work to engage with us as fans rather than look to make mountains out of molehills in many cases, you might find an organisation more prepared to show its true personality.

Great post.

 

[Stat Brother]

Oh god, we should have seen this bollox coming over the last couple of days.

The very epitome of self-entitled, look at me, my voice is still important (honest).
I guess this time it's Attila's turn to live in the past, last time it was Harty, which one next?

Thankfully [MENTION=3566]hans kraay fan club[/MENTION] has already very eloquently written why this is shit.


You want it you set it up, be honest if anyone else does they won't be able to breath with you old gits telling them how, just leave the rest of us out of it.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Sorry, you misunderstand me, I think the club (The Board) are doing an excellent job BUT the days or worrying about some of the issues that people raise are gone because, as you say, they are a larger entity and surrounding by rules and regulations from The FA, EPL, Sky, Govt, H&S etc etc, Flasks, I'd hazard a guess, is a classic example of this.

Ah. Got it.

 

[Brighton Rocker]

All fans young and old should be thankful to those involved in BISA however, the Club has moved on. I am confident that TB and PB have the best interests of the Club at heart even if the tone of some communications is a bit unfortunate!
I have emailed PB a number of times over resent seasons and he has always replied very quickly and at length.
I may not agree with his stance on issues (safe standing for example) but, how many Premiership CEOs would reply at all?
Perhaps those with concerns should email Paul or Jenny Gower then (with their agreement) publish their responses here.
UTA

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Oh god, we should have seen this bollox coming over the last couple of days.

The very epitome of self-entitled, look at me, my voice is still important (honest).
I guess this time it's Attila's turn to live in the past, last time it was Harty, which one next?

Thankfully [MENTION=3566]hans kraay fan club[/MENTION] has already very eloquently written why this is shit.


You want it you set it up, be honest if anyone else does they won't be able to breath with you old gits telling them how, just leave the rest of us out of it.

Well said sir

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I think its a great idea. I imagine it will have to be 'old gits' (your words!) setting it up though, but trying to bring the younger ones along

It's not a bad idea by I'm not really sure what it's going to achieve. I can't see how any organisation like this would have any kind of power these days.

It doesn't need to have power though, just be a voice of the fans. They have to decide whether to take heed of it or not, and one hopes that they would. The Fans Forums have some good points but often lost in a melee of dross questions

It's a great thought, but football has changed. Brighton & Hove Albion has changed.

Fans are no longer relevant and no longer have any influence over how top football club's are run.

Sad, but true. I've made peace with it, and now enjoying football for different reasons than what I did 10 years ago.

Every business, however big, needs to know how its 'customers' feel about it. We are relevant, its up to us how we organise.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

I think I’m getting a bit bored with all the incessant moaning about frankly trivial matters and imagined slights.

Me too.

Life is good at the albion now.

 

[Stat Brother]

however, the Club has moved on.

It's just a shame some of the fans refuse too.

"Good day today love"
"Yes thanks, although over lunch I did chip a little bit off my local legacy"
"Oh that's a shame, why would you do that?"
"Bottle tops and flasks aren't allowed into the ground"
"Oh..."



If any thread needs taking down of pomposity by [MENTION=1416]Ernest[/MENTION]'s ARS it's this guff.

 

[Taybha]

Bloody sad if football supporters of any club have got to a point where they think they are inconsequential, nothing has ever changed if nobody did nothing, we wouldn’t be where we are if that were the case , no organisation no matter how big should conduct itself as if it were untouchable or unaccountable, I actually think we have a pretty open and on the whole good relationship with the goings on at our club but it wouldn’t hurt to have more of a fan based input on some things that happen beyond our control, the Ifollow continuing saga being one of those things so conveniently swept under the corporate carpet, would a BISA type group have any effect on this ? I don’t know but to those that think the fans don’t matter anymore I respect your opinion but sincerely hope you’re wrong .

It’s a new world and as John said a fresh band of brothers and sisters would be needed to set this up , I couldn’t march to the corner shop now let alone hold up a something out banner .

 

[Cadiz Seagull]

I'm not so sure I agree with this idea.

BISA did a great job back in the day when there were huge issues with the club and virtually no communication between them and the supporters.

These days, while I agree that the tone of communications could be a bit less formal or even high-handed, I think a BISA Mk 2 might result in a lot of relatively low grade communications.

Not that fans concerns with issues over flasks or bottle tops or banning orders aren't important, they certainly are. But now that we have a Chairman and a CEO that we don't need to fight with as we did back when we were crap, and if anyone felt strongly enough about bottle tops to email PB I'm sure he would reply, albeit at length!

Although the club probably wouldn't admit it we should be under no illusion that they don't monitor patforms like NSC fairly closely; they would be mad if they didn't.

Ask The Club was a great idea but it did descend a bit into why don't we sign this player I saw playing in the park although it did - largely - serve a purpose. But I'm sure it was pretty time consuming for Paul Camillin to administer which is probably why it was discontinued. Actually, it wasn't discontinued, some people may be surprised to learn it is still going (the last post was yesterday) although it is much less visible these days.

All in all I'm quite sure the powers that be are aware of the concerns that have been posted on here, especially the tone of some communications, and it wouldn't surpise me at all if there was a Barber epistle on it's way in the near future.

 

[Hamilton]

I see no harm in it, only good. I think a new BISA would be constructive given the sensible management team in place. Collectively, they could do good things together. The club may see it as a threat at first, but given that we all want a better BHA, it can only work in everyone’s favour.


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