[Albion] Paul Barber "embarrassed" by our support

[Fat Boy Fat]

I am embarrassed that you didn’t maintain your car properly!

Puncture, due to debris in the road at Balcombe and yep, I was embarrassed my spare was defective.

 

[Fat Boy Fat]

Someone who is happy to charge a ticket swap tax, fully support the PPV during Covid Is a man who does not understand the working class culture of genuine football fans who are still to this day the back bone of most clubs up and down the country.

Barbers priority is keeping the toffs happy unfortunately the Tarquins and Hugo’s ain’t gonna be there if it all goes to shit and we do a Sunderland. The old saying don’t alienate all those who supported you on the way up because you sure as hell will need them on the way down does not seem to be in the mans remit.

On another note was there even a 6000 strong ST waiting list or just an excuse to charge everyone on it £25 to be an Albion plus member. Considering we are back to half ST offers 6000 people seem to have evaporated pretty quickly.

You REALLY don't like the man, do you? Or modern football fans? Also, what precisely is a genuine football fan?

 

[drew]

Someone who is happy to charge a ticket swap tax, fully support the PPV during Covid Is a man who does not understand the working class culture of genuine football fans who are still to this day the back bone of most clubs up and down the country.

Barbers priority is keeping the toffs happy unfortunately the Tarquins and Hugo’s ain’t gonna be there if it all goes to shit and we do a Sunderland. The old saying don’t alienate all those who supported you on the way up because you sure as hell will need them on the way down does not seem to be in the mans remit.

On another note was there even a 6000 strong ST waiting list or just an excuse to charge everyone on it £25 to be an Albion plus member. Considering we are back to half ST offers 6000 people seem to have evaporated pretty quickly.

You're living in the past, the distant past. As for PPV, I thought the consensus was most supported it but what they didn't like was the price.

 

[drew]

You REALLY don't like the man, do you? Or modern football fans? Also, what precisely is a genuine football fan?

I doubt he even goes anymore.

 

[burrish-gull]

Having had a few communications with Mr Barber over the years, it strikes me that even Paul Barber doesn't particularly like Paul Barber......he is a bit like a career politician. But then again I never liked Ron Pavey

 

[Bold Seagull]

So that makes it all right because it sits comfortably with TB in your view? Fact many families don’t have expendable income and many share ST’s or used to before the tax came in.

The point being that I think [MENTION=14365]Thunder Bolt[/MENTION] is making is that your ire should be directed at our owner not necessarily his employee. However most fans know it would unacceptable to be digging Tony Bloom out in the same way they feel they can with Barber so they direct their annoyance at him. We know TB has a big input on details like loyalty points as he tells us this directly, and it's reasonable to assume he has a similar level of input into memberships, and other policies of the club concerning fans.

I don't agree with the ticket sharing policy, but neither am I vilifying Barber as the club bogey man either.

 

[Springal]

So you don't think the Amex is a little too clinical/sterile at times? Not talking about WSU specifically, but the whole Amex experience. Its great to have a shiny home, but the lengths to which PB will go to create a so called safer place, is at times questionable. Bottle tops, flasks are only the tip of the iceberg.

No problem at all with the idea of letting 'less well heeled' fans experience a more upmarket day out, but this was not available/needed when the Amex opened. The club could fill the corporate space many times over. Now it seems a few of the less committed are no longer willing to cough up premium prices every week, leaving space open to others who may not be members of the 'prawn sandwich brigade' so otten. What I a m trying to put forward is that football has not always been about corporate, middle class values and that an atmosphere is usually created by folks who may have had a shandy or two rather than a glass of chablis. They also may indulge in ways to subvert bottle top bans too.

But PB sometimes lets his preference for high rolling 'customers' cloud his judgement when saying that some of the less genteel elements amongst our fans only 'purport to support' the club.

The Amex thing is for their lounge. It has always been available to Amex card holders to use 'membership points' for tickets for some games. See a review here from 2018 - https://rewardpoints.home.blog/2018/12/04/vip-premier-league/

I doubt PB is just saying this off his own perception, it will be feedback from police, stewards etc. These 5.30 kick offs definitely do not help as you only need to walk around Brighton to see many pubs full of fans going to the game from 1pm onwards

 

[Meade's Ball]

I’m sorry my health condition embarrassed you. Sixty years of supporting the Albion, and me now staying away embarrasses you. What a shame.

A poor excuse. A working class fan would battle on in at all and every time. I used to go with a fellow called Horse who was little more than a fist and tongue. He used to get in for free, of course, before wet Barber insisted on hardcore inspection and Horse, flapping and heaving around in my pocket, was found and banned. From that time on he had to feign to be the features of a novelty hat i wore, but after a few licks of sambucca he'd begin to sway and blabber out equine noises through his fingerlips. Security would be all over him as he spat and tried to lay any one of them out, and popped him in a shoebox for the length of the match, with a little plate of tea and butter to keep him damp and have his raging temper sated. We lost him forever when a riled steward at Brentford shoved him into a sour cream Pringles tube and he dried up like salted slug. There were lick-marks inside the tube: H-O-R-S-E G-O N-O-W.
I miss him, that slobbering, macho set of b*stard knuckles.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

He just wants a pantomime atmosphere mainly consisting of grasses imho, shame as I thought the customer was always right
Regards
DF

Is he behind you on this view?

 

[Bry Nylon]

A poor excuse. A working class fan would battle on in at all and every time. I used to go with a fellow called Horse who was little more than a fist and tongue. He used to get in for free, of course, before wet Barber insisted on hardcore inspection and Horse, flapping and heaving around in my pocket, was found and banned. From that time on he had to feign to be the features of a novelty hat i wore, but after a few licks of sambucca he'd begin to sway and blabber out equine noises through his fingerlips. Security would be all over him as he spat and tried to lay any one of them out, and popped him in a shoebox for the length of the match, with a little plate of tea and butter to keep him damp and have his raging temper sated. We lost him forever when a riled steward at Brentford shoved him into a sour cream Pringles tube and he dried up like salted slug. There were lick-marks inside the tube: H-O-R-S-E G-O N-O-W.
I miss him, that slobbering, macho set of b*stard knuckles.

Just stunning

One paragraph and already I feel like I know Horse - and more than that, I miss him. Ridiculous!

 

[chaileyjem]

PB doesn't just have the right to criticise fans who are fighting each other at the Amex - he has an obligation. I doubt even Millwall's owners say in their programme "carry on rucking lads, it's great for the atmosphere".

But as ever it's the tone that sets a lot of people off against him. He very often comes over as a humourless school teacher and here it's the line that you've picked out and I've highlighted.

That line about "genteel fans"
"purporting to support the club" which has irritated. Well he might have said something like that somewhere else at some point - he writes a lot of words in lots of places - but it doesn't sound like PB and its not to be found in the programme notes for Newcastle.
https://www.brightonandhovealbion.com/news/2336710/read-paul-barbers-programme-notes/

Here's a chunky quote of what he actually said...

The behaviour of the individuals involved has been as embarrassing to witness as it has been anti-social and unlawful, and we will continue to identify, indefinitely exclude, and seek criminal prosecutions for anyone that puts other supporters or our staff at any kind of risk before, during or after matches at our stadium. Zero tolerance means just that. As such, we will be deploying additional stewards and police resources to monitor and counter such behaviour, and we will be using the stadium’s CCTV technology to help identify offenders.

Our stadium enjoys an excellent reputation as a great venue to watch top-level football. This is because it is welcoming and safe for all sections of the community, as well as for fans of other clubs. It is also because our fans are known for getting behind their team, and for enjoying healthy but inoffensive and non-violent interaction with visiting supporters. We will not allow this hard-earned reputation to be damaged by a tiny minority, so the message from everyone here is very clear and very simple: if you wish to behave in this way, please stay away from our club.

Thankfully, as ever, the overwhelming majority of Albion supporters continue to grow and enhance the club’s reputation, not least via the fantastic vocal backing we are continuing to receive here at the Amex, and also on the road (highlighted at Anfield last weekend).

 

[Guinness Boy]

That line about "genteel fans"
"purporting to support the club" which has irritated. Well he might have said something like that somewhere else at some point - he writes a lot of words in lots of places - but it doesn't sound like PB and its not to be found in the programme notes for Newcastle.
https://www.brightonandhovealbion.com/news/2336710/read-paul-barbers-programme-notes/

Here's a chunky quote of what he actually said...

So I've clicked on that link and he says

"Despite that warning, a small number of individuals, purporting to support our club,"

I would suggest that many of these travel all over the country supporting our club. They just don't do so in a way that is socially acceptable (particularly in this day and age).

Like I said, it's semantics. The club very obviously has to stamp out anti-social behaviour as does every club in the land. But this idea that hooligans are not supporters of the club - it's a fallacy and always has been.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Who is 'whinging', my choice of words was to echo Barber's in this case.

He is right to condemn the poor behaviour of a few mainly younger fans. The elephant in the room, the swathes of empty seats at a time where perhaps the club should be doing more to improve our support on a match day.

Send your suggestions in to Tony Bloom on a postcard/

Just stunning

One paragraph and already I feel like I know Horse - and more than that, I miss him. Ridiculous!

I feel honoured that MB chose my post to quote and then deliver such a wonderful missive. It's made my morning.

 

[Bold Seagull]

The elephant in the room, the swathes of empty seats at a time where perhaps the club should be doing more to improve our support on a match day.

Is it an elephant in the room or have people just simply forgotten we're still in a pandemic?

 

[bhanutz]

Drug dogs.. Problem solved...

 

[Bold Seagull]

Drug dogs.. Problem solved...

when we arrived Sat they were sniffing around all the bikes locked in the bike sheds!?

Now I know the Tour De France and professional cycling has a bad drug reputation, I just assumed they weren't the type of drugs the police dogs at a footy match were interested in.

 

[chaileyjem]

So I've clicked on that link and he says

"Despite that warning, a small number of individuals, purporting to support our club,"

I would suggest that many of these travel all over the country supporting our club. They just don't do so in a way that is socially acceptable (particularly in this day and age).

Like I said, it's semantics. The club very obviously has to stamp out anti-social behaviour as does every club in the land. But this idea that hooligans are not supporters of the club - it's a fallacy and always has been.

This isn't anti social behaviour or fans having a can at 9am in the morning on the train to Liverpool or Burnley. I think he's just saying if you break the law inside the stadium or behave in such a way that warrants exclusion from the stadium and a ban - then even if you are a fan , we don't want you. .
I mean - what do you expect him to say ?. Who on here thinks fans that fight other Albion fans inside the Amex are the sort of supporters we want ?

 

[Badger Boy]

There is no doubt whatsoever that there are utter c*nts in our fanbase. There are plenty posting on this forum. Barber is right to find the behaviour of some to be embarrassing. Because by any reasonable standard, it is. He gave good examples, can anyone disagree that the behaviour quoted is unacceptable?

 

[Springal]

when we arrived Sat they were sniffing around all the bikes locked in the bike sheds!?

Now I know the Tour De France and professional cycling has a bad drug reputation, I just assumed they weren't the type of drugs the police dogs at a footy match were interested in.

The dogs are explosive dogs presumably for pyros etc.

Sniffer dogs are fine but expensive to source, stewards unlikely to be trained to conduct the kind of searches needed if something conducted and extra police needed to support I'd imagine.

Also only effective for very short periods of time and unlikely to be able to cover much of the stadium.

 

[Justice]

Hilarious bringing morals into it. I was pointing out that Paul Barber is running the club exactly the way Tony Bloom wants him to.

That doesn’t make it right though.