Paul Barber speaks out on bus price increase etc

[Blue Valkyrie]

If, as you say, "it was brought in to prevent rich owners distorting the competition", is it not the case that FFP conditions are going to be particularly challenging for a Club like the Albion, where the business model has a rich owner at the heart of all key decisions?

Yes indeed it is.

It is our 'bad luck' that our rich owner came along at a similar time to FFP, whereas many other clubs had the rich owner and no FFP restrictions.

It is also unfortunate for us that parachute payments are getting so big. In the past a rich owner could, if they chose, bridge this gap by injecting their own funds. FFP has seen off this strategy, and meant clubs have a real incentive to squeeze as much money as possible out of their supporters.

But it is not all gloom. My personnal view is that FFP is flawed, and it's days are numbered. There may be a legal challenge to it here, or in Europe.

Also, even if the FFP shackles remain, we should in theory be in a great position with our income, assuming we can cut the levels of matchday expenditure.

Assuming there are not the full 5 or 6 teams with maximum parachute payments in the league in any given year, we should be able to compete near the top.

This year , unfortunately, there are 5 teams in the top tier of parachute payment handouts - QPR, Reading, Wigan, Blackburn, and Bolton so in theory it is one of the tougher years, but we can hope Blackburn are still a mess, and in decline regardless.




It's the 'imperfect storm' of FFP coupled with massive parachute handouts, which is responsible for our supporters being hit so hard financially.

Just one promotion, however, means we will be free of this storm, even if we were to get subsequently relegated.

 

[Rugrat]

I genuinely, and this is nothing to do with the Albion price debate, think FFP is flawed and essentially self-serving for clubs already dining out at the top table of football.

You are basically restricting the chances of clubs moving up to the top flight based on their potential support base. Gone are the days when Wigan can go from the bottom division to the highest. Sleeping giants, or sides with reasonable potential support bases still have a small chance, but starting from the introduction of FFP in its current state the door is being closed. And slammed shut at that.

Clubs like us, with aspirations of top flight football but without recent parachute payments to help fund it, are probably going to find ourselves, as a supporters, the worst hit.

All very fair and reasonable. It's almost as if FFP were an initiative introduced by the Premier League to protect the clubs in it or yo-yoing around it.

Clubs like ours can try and squeeze a bit more from supporters but the tipping point will come well below what relegated clubs are getting in parachutes. Therefore we will never compete on a level playing field, aside from perhaps being amongst the best funded of the rest, leaving us to rely on a huge dose of good fortune to get to the promised land

 

[Brighton Breezy]

Remove parachute payements and FFP might work.

 

[KZNSeagull]

I genuinely, and this is nothing to do with the Albion price debate, think FFP is flawed and essentially self-serving for clubs already dining out at the top table of football.

You are basically restricting the chances of clubs moving up to the top flight based on their potential support base. Gone are the days when Wigan can go from the bottom division to the highest. Sleeping giants, or sides with reasonable potential support bases still have a small chance, but starting from the introduction of FFP in its current state the door is being closed. And slammed shut at that.

Clubs like us, with aspirations of top flight football but without recent parachute payments to help fund it, are probably going to find ourselves, as a supporters, the worst hit.

I do agree up to a point, but the purpose of FFP is to ensure clubs live within their means. The worst hit will be those supporters of clubs that have been spending way beyond their income for considerable periods of time. Parachute payments do help those who have been in the Prem and hinder those that have not, but clubs like QPR are going to be in serious do do if they do not dramatically change their ways. I am sure that they are not the only ones.

We have a rich chairman, yes, who has funded the stadium and team for some time. But we are "only" making losses of 8m. This has to reduce to 5m under FFP in 2 years time and I am sure that eventually, TB wants the club to fund itself. What we do have, at the moment, is a massive demand for tickets. We are, in my view, much better placed than most to meet the demands of FFP. Most clubs supporters will take some pain, including ours, but I don't believe that we will be the hardest hit.

FFP is work in progress. It should change as time goes on. It certainly is not perfect, but we will just have to wait and see what effect it has. But the long-term solution has to lie with the players, their agents and clubs refusing to pay their ridiculous demands. It is not the fault of FFP that Prem teams get WAY too much income compared to the rest. Something has to be done, but if we, as a club, get into a position where we can see a long term, financially viable future without the need for TB to get his wallet out every year, we will be far better placed than most in the long term.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Remove parachute payments and FFP might work.

To do that though would require players on contracts with "relegation" and "escape" clauses , something the players , their agents and the PFA would vehemently oppose being introduced.

 

[Bwian]

Remove parachute payements and FFP might work.

Parachute payments should be abolished. They reward failure and are causing a wage spiral in The Championship that most clubs can ill afford (Albion included).

 

[Working class pride]

Really ?

Yes mate, Brighton get 30,000 for a nothing match against Wolves in the second division

What about the milking fans for every penny and false representation of travel costs when selling season tickets this year ?

No other club pays for the fans transport and nor should Brighton. I'm sure that you could contact your club and stop your direct debit and give up your seat mate.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

Re: bus concerns. Having seen early estimate from the club of how much longer journeys from each previous Special location to The Amex, getting to the game should not take significantly longer if you use the local buses rather than paid for service.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Re: bus concerns. Having seen early estimate from the club of how much longer journeys from each previous Special location to The Amex, getting to the game should not take significantly longer if you use the local buses rather than paid for service.

Catching 2 buses doesn't always equate to twice the journey time but some fans especially travelling for evening games are all in a panic thinking they'll miss the connecting service , have to wait 30 minutes for the next bus and won't be home before midnight.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Haven't trawled the whole thread, but is there any indication of how much cash this removal of the special buses will save the club ?

 

[Brighton Breezy]

Catching 2 buses doesn't always equate to twice the journey time but some fans especially travelling for evening games are all in a panic thinking they'll miss the connecting service , have to wait 30 minutes for the next bus and won't be home before midnight.

Agreed. I have only seen estimates for travels to the game and these look reassuring. In some cases it will probably even be quicker so we should (myself included in this) perhaps hold fire on any more widespread moaning until we try the alternative out for a couple of games.

The extra time getting home, I suspect, will be the more important issue for most. And I have not got a clue about how much longer that is expected to take anyone.

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

Re: bus concerns. Having seen early estimate from the club of how much longer journeys from each previous Special location to The Amex, getting to the game should not take significantly longer if you use the local buses rather than paid for service.

According to this article on the club website - at most it would have extended times of 20 minutes if you dont pay extra. Seems the club are saying "You may as well just not bother paying".

http://www.seagulls.co.uk/news/article/matchday-travel-advice-932461.aspx

For getting home, pick buses up from the Falmer Station/A27 stop, these only stop to let people off. Hopefully B&H Buses will add a few extras too.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Remove parachute payements and FFP might work.

Funnily enough, I know this Uruguayan bloke who said something similar. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...-says-brighton-manager-gus-poyet-8563627.html

 

[sagaman]

BHA made much play in providing a subsidised public transport service to get planning for Falmer

 

[Lord Bracknell]

BHA made much play in providing a subsidised public transport service to get planning for Falmer

Not quite true. The Club made much of the fact that public transport / park & ride would be available for most people attending games. The subsidy helps ensure that most people use public transport / park & ride.

Take away the subsidy and there is a likelihood that more people will opt to drive and that parking won't be available for all of them in the vicinity of the stadium.

 

[AZ Gull]

Funnily enough, I know this Uruguayan bloke who said something similar. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...-says-brighton-manager-gus-poyet-8563627.html

Pity he couldn't fulfil his part of the bargain and ensure his team took advantage of that opportunity, isn't it?

 

[LamieRobertson]

Not quite true. The Club made much of the fact that public transport / park & ride would be available for most people attending games. The subsidy helps ensure that most people use public transport / park & ride.

Take away the subsidy and there is a likelihood that more people will opt to drive and that parking won't be available for all of them in the vicinity of the stadium.

as is now the case at coldean and moulsecoomb

 

[LamieRobertson]

Pity he couldn't fulfil his part of the bargain and ensure his team took advantage of that opportunity, isn't it?

had a pretty good shot at it though