McGhee to get a new contract
by Andy Naylor
Albion chairman Dick Knight revealed today he will be offering manager Mark McGhee a new contract in the New Year.
McGhee's current 18-month deal expires at the end of the season.
Negotiations to keep the man who has steered the Seagulls to promotion and five points clear of the relegation zone in the Championship have been put on hold by the delayed decision over the club's Falmer stadium plans.
Knight said: "Mark is under contract until the end of the season. It is our intention to extend that but I cannot discuss the detail of the contract with him until early in the New Year, when we are a little bit clearer about where the club is financially.
"There is an intention to offer Mark a new contract because he deserves it. I think he also would actually want to weigh up his options, depending on what happens this season.
"If, for example, we were playing in a lower league we would not be able to pay him the same as if we were paying in the Championship. That sort of detail has to be finalised at the appropriate time.
"I think he has done an extremely good job in very difficult circumstances. Not everyone agrees with every decision he makes but that is the same with every manager.
"The fans pay their money, they are entitled to have their opinion, but his record speaks for itself in terms of what he has done for the club in the year he has been here."
Knight has also reassured the 14 players out of contract at the end of the season, headed by captain Danny Cullip, that they will know where they stand by January 1.
"They have a six month period where they can talk to other clubs from January 1st," Knight said.
"Mark and I will sit down with those players and make clear before January 1st who we intend ofeering new contracts to and also those who we don't intend offering contracts to.
"Again, the detail of what we can offer cannot be finalised at this stage. It depends on what League we are in and the overall state of the club's finances, which inevitably brings us to the issue of the stadium decision.
"But the players have given their all for this club. Some of them have been involved in all the success we've had in the last four or five years and they must be told sooner rather than later how we want to take things on."
by Andy Naylor
Albion chairman Dick Knight revealed today he will be offering manager Mark McGhee a new contract in the New Year.
McGhee's current 18-month deal expires at the end of the season.
Negotiations to keep the man who has steered the Seagulls to promotion and five points clear of the relegation zone in the Championship have been put on hold by the delayed decision over the club's Falmer stadium plans.
Knight said: "Mark is under contract until the end of the season. It is our intention to extend that but I cannot discuss the detail of the contract with him until early in the New Year, when we are a little bit clearer about where the club is financially.
"There is an intention to offer Mark a new contract because he deserves it. I think he also would actually want to weigh up his options, depending on what happens this season.
"If, for example, we were playing in a lower league we would not be able to pay him the same as if we were paying in the Championship. That sort of detail has to be finalised at the appropriate time.
"I think he has done an extremely good job in very difficult circumstances. Not everyone agrees with every decision he makes but that is the same with every manager.
"The fans pay their money, they are entitled to have their opinion, but his record speaks for itself in terms of what he has done for the club in the year he has been here."
Knight has also reassured the 14 players out of contract at the end of the season, headed by captain Danny Cullip, that they will know where they stand by January 1.
"They have a six month period where they can talk to other clubs from January 1st," Knight said.
"Mark and I will sit down with those players and make clear before January 1st who we intend ofeering new contracts to and also those who we don't intend offering contracts to.
"Again, the detail of what we can offer cannot be finalised at this stage. It depends on what League we are in and the overall state of the club's finances, which inevitably brings us to the issue of the stadium decision.
"But the players have given their all for this club. Some of them have been involved in all the success we've had in the last four or five years and they must be told sooner rather than later how we want to take things on."
. Lets move on to the future and to a new stadium at Falmer.