Paul Barber on communication, transparency, finances, the fans and club staff

[W.C.]

This is all good to read from PB, respect for him to taking the time to address all these issues.

One more thing though if you're reading this Paul : Seagull's Player.

 

[fosters headband]

Paul Barber took time to read the Albion losing one million a month? thread and responded to me with some points on various aspects raised. I'm posting them in a separate thread so they get the attention they deserve.


Club finances
Fans working with the club, not against it

It’s why everyone in this club gets hugely irritated when they read supporters encouraging others to "stop buying season tickets", "stop attending matches", "don’t buy the merchandise", or "drink and eat elsewhere" when everyone at the club is trying so hard to raise revenues to support our playing budget and reduce the dependency on Tony.

I don't think fans need to encourage other fans to stop buying tickets, when the performances by the team, like today, can do it for them.

 

[Miami Seagull]

That is an interesting blog. Can it be used to compare apples with apples though? Was his remit there the same as it is here? For example:

They blame him for the failings on the pitch, but perhaps that was little to do with him as it is at our club?
They praise him for bringing loads of sponsors to the club which is one of his main responsibilities with us.
They complain that some staff were upset, but then any CEO bought in to cut costs is BOUND to upset some staff.

THe CEO of any company is not going to please everybody all of the time. If they did, they would not be doing their jobs properly.

That blog is an interesting read but that is all it is. If it was an article published by a journalist in a newspaper then that may be different, but I would not base any judgement of PB on it.

I agree with your general comments in CEO's. However, to say that PB has little involvement in recruitment is not true. How many times in the summer did we hear that Tony and Paul are working hard to bring in targets identified by the recruitment team etc.. I would say he plays a significant role and, of all the issues at the club, it has been the biggest area of disappointment or even failure of the past 12 months

 

[KZNSeagull]

I agree with your general comments in CEO's. However, to say that PB has little involvement in recruitment is not true. How many times in the summer did we hear that Tony and Paul are working hard to bring in targets identified by the recruitment team etc.. I would say he plays a significant role and, of all the issues at the club, it has been the biggest area of disappointment or even failure of the past 12 months

OK, but my understanding is he has little involvement in recruitment - just financial if at all. David Burke holds the playing budget and reports directly to TB.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

OK, but my understanding is he has little involvement in recruitment - just financial if at all. David Burke holds the playing budget and reports directly to TB.

I understood it as David Burke does the buying, and Paul Barber does the selling, of players.

 

[KZNSeagull]

I understood it as David Burke does the buying, and Paul Barber does the selling, of players.

David Burke is certainly responsible for recruitment so the buck stops with him on that side of things. Am not sure we can criticise PB for that.
Selling of players - PB does not identify any that need selling, he would just be involved in negotiating the fees on the board's behalf.

Paul Barber's job (massively simplified) is effectively to maximise the playing budget, which David Burke holds, and to ensure that everything in the club runs as well and as cost effectively as it can. All on behalf of the board.

 

[sir albion]

Yes us fans contribute hugely to the playing budget...Maybe the plonkers who signed toko and Augestin etc can do some explaining as I find that probably £2 million wasted on wages and that's just 2 players.