Paul Barber: The final (current) instalment: Catering, Finances and Supporter Dialogue

[Stat Brother]

No pleasing some people.

Wooooshhh.
I was joking, hence the facepalm, jester, and my post count.

 

[Lethargic]

Should a club with amongst the highest ticket prices & gates in the league really be losing (allegedly) £1m a month?

The dialogue with supporters has been poor since PB arrived. I have never felt so disconnected with the club - my inbox is now full of spam from the club, rather than personable emails or fan surveys like I would expect.

The catering is piss poor, and has been since after the first season. Yes the staff should be trained better, but the food has also become really poor (and more expensive)

Barber really can't use FFP as an excuse for all this forever, in my opinion he is not doing his job well enough. It saddens me that the club is and will continue to see its attendances drop, potentially missing out of the greatest opportunity of top level success in a lifetime, if not ever, because the club is not being run well enough.

Firstly I think Paul should be commended for the effort he has put in to responding to some of the rambling on here but to address your points in particular .

The dialogue with fans has been excellent under PB he is as open as possible and having meet him several times in person at fans forums he does try to be open on all front . Yes sometimes this isn't possible but welcome that's the business world.

I do agree the catering is piss poor and it can be improved, the fact you cannot use your eCard at all concessions or you can't buy ale and cider at the same concession or they serve different food at each outlet without actually advertising the fact is just ridiculous and fails catering 101. The whole catering seems to change weekly if we had more consistency service would improve.

He can use FFP as a reason because it is whether you like it or not whether it enforced is another story.

Again top job Paul and thanks for the responses..... But can we have striker than CAN score?

 

[poidy]

Paul Barber: The final (current) instalment: Catering, Finances and Supporter...

I swear some people don't give a monkeys about the football anymore. Its more about how much quality food they can shove down there fat greedy faces in the four hours there out of the house

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

He wrote that on a Friday night. My wife would be furious if I did that.

My wife would be quite happy. It's when I start trying to engage with her she gets annoyed.

 

[Prince Monolulu]

try reading it again.

Just have, and......what exactly?

 

[El Presidente]

You lot are a bunch of ungrateful scrotes. By all means question the actions of the hierarchy but give PB his due for writing more in his three epistles to NSC than [MENTION=2125]dougdeep[/MENTION] has in 30,000+ posts.

I'm curious about the losses, some things don't seem quite right, but at this point on a Friday night am grateful to PB for making the effort to explain his (and the board's) position.

We start each season, due to a combo of FFP and parachute payments, in a relay race where some other runners have set off ahead of us. Why not just chill out a bit this season and enjoy it?

 

[Screaming J]

On a forum like NSC you are always going to get some ignorant abusive trolls, or complete thickos. That doesn't mean everyone has to toe the party line. But do some people think the CE of Chelsea or Man Urd would even get off their arse to respond to stuff like whats been on NSC recently. Not everything at the Albion is perfect - and never will be - but have a look at what the alternatives might be....

 

[Beach Hut]

I swear some people don't give a monkeys about the football anymore. Its more about how much quality food they can shove down there fat greedy faces in the four hours there out of the house

Here here

 

[ozzygull]

Wow, can't beleive this chap takes so much time to explain everything. I sent Paul an email it was nothing important just a question and I go answer in about 10 minutes. I was bloody impressed, I would wait days getting trying to get an answer from the CEO of the company I work for.

Looking forward to tomorrow, Watford seems like a long time ago. I will try to persuade my mum not to feed me before the match tomorrow so I can buy a pie.

 

[Prince Monolulu]

"It's incredibly frustrating for us to hear some supporters say that they "refuse to buy anything in the stadium". Of course, it's their money and therefore their choice but the club relies on the only people to whom it can sell its catering products - the supporters that come to our matches! We can't sell to anyone else and it's very disheartening to think that money supporters are prepared to spend on match day food and drink is going to pubs and food outlets in town and not us!"

I think some, not me, might be slightly rattled by the possible inference that we might possibly be letting the club down by not buying cold, hard pies cooked 4 days ago in a flavour we had to have as a third choice anyhow after queueing for 25 minutes.
Personally I do not eat anyhow, but just a vox pop really.

 

[El Presidente]

Should a club with amongst the highest ticket prices & gates in the league really be losing (allegedly) £1m a month?

The dialogue with supporters has been poor since PB arrived. I have never felt so disconnected with the club - my inbox is now full of spam from the club, rather than personable emails or fan surveys like I would expect.

The catering is piss poor, and has been since after the first season. Yes the staff should be trained better, but the food has also become really poor (and more expensive)

Barber really can't use FFP as an excuse for all this forever, in my opinion he is not doing his job well enough. It saddens me that the club is and will continue to see its attendances drop, potentially missing out of the greatest opportunity of top level success in a lifetime, if not ever, because the club is not being run well enough.

Remind us all of your business management experience BTW?

Not being run well enough? I'd take one promotion and two play off appearances in four years among some of the most impressive years since I've watched the club on the pitch.

Off it, like others, I've contacted PB about issues and he has not only been fair, but had given me access to other board members too.

I think you're just trolling for the sake of being controversial.

Grow up.

 

[Grombleton]

Some responses here are nuts. Barking mad.

We have a CEO who has taken the time (and this is the what...third time?) to read the questions and concerns of the supporters and answer directly on the same forum, openly admitting that he knows things aren't perfect and people still aren't happy?

I know there are people who have their own views, but the one occasion I've emailed Paul it was admittedly a very cheeky email and he took it in good spirit and went above and beyond what I would have hoped. I've not taken him up on it yet, so if you're reading this: Paul, i've not forgotten

Why this mad rush to put down everyone associated with the club all the time? if it isn't Barber, then it's Burke. If it isn't the people at the top, its the players - some of which haven't got into double figures in terms of appearances...it's ****ing diabolical how entitled people are.

We know we're not the biggest team in the world, we'll probably NEVER be at that stage. There's never a guarantee that we'll be a Premier League team - so why not enjoy the ups and downs that we've had for the past 30 odd years? If there was a magic formula that meant we could spend lots on top players whilst still being financially solvent then I'm sure that Tony & Paul would have implemented this within the first month...with FFP, insane wage demands and fan demands for prices there just isn't.

I'm happy that the club is in good hands in a life-long fan in Tony and a competent SEO in Paul - after the past 20 years I'm just happy to have a club to support. We all want success, but very few (if any here) have the knowledge to run a football club, especially in these financial times so I'm happy to leave it to those with greater experience and with the clubs best interests at heart.

 

[Giraffe]

A few things from the above.

Firstly if you are in 1901 at the moment be prepared to have your package changed at the end of the five year period so that he price will go up to include food or I guess there will be a cheaper option which doesn't include food. Suspect the latter will be less available than the former.

Secondly I accept everything he has said, but why is catering so hard? I've been to 65 different football league grounds and Wembley. I have never relieved such poor service from the catering staff as I have at the AMEX, particularly in the last year.

It may be a very profitable contract we have with the caterers but if service is so poor people will stop buying as they clearly have done.

There must be a better way to run it like other clubs see to manage.

Finally yes it is great to hear from the horses mouth. And you have to admire him for doing this.

I wish he could use his very obvious excellent management skills to sort out the catering mess though rather than leaving it to the catering management team who are making a right old hash of it.

 

[Icy Gull]

I appreciate the in depth replies.

 

[AZ Gull]

... but give PB his due for writing more in his three epistles to NSC than [MENTION=2125]dougdeep[/MENTION] has in 30,000+ posts.

 

[KNC]

OMG, Bazza buys it all

 

[seagullsslimjim]

maybe the issue is tht not all people want the poshest pies in the league and would settle for a cheaper Pukka off the shelf one - also what about sandwiches (as in Tesco express type, not prawn) - both these are quick flips and even crisps can turn a profit.

After a few beers ones taste buds lessen and so the necessity of a fine hand made balti pie may not be required. Do people really care that much - its an afternoon at footy - not a culinary masterclass

at the end of the day it all about value for money and I think a few low cost alternatives should be considered as a happy medium - better to sell and make a profit on a lesser item than have people bring their own - of course the next step will be the banning of food brought in as well as soft drinks.

maybe offer spirits too in the concourses - a few of those and you'll blow all of your cash in a blink of eye - also helps you get through the game at the mo !

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

Thanks Paul

I don't agree with it all, but great to hear from the horse's mouth.

 

[The Large One]

Should a club with amongst the highest ticket prices & gates in the league really be losing (allegedly) £1m a month?

The dialogue with supporters has been poor since PB arrived. I have never felt so disconnected with the club - my inbox is now full of spam from the club, rather than personable emails or fan surveys like I would expect.

The catering is piss poor, and has been since after the first season. Yes the staff should be trained better, but the food has also become really poor (and more expensive)

Barber really can't use FFP as an excuse for all this forever, in my opinion he is not doing his job well enough. It saddens me that the club is and will continue to see its attendances drop, potentially missing out of the greatest opportunity of top level success in a lifetime, if not ever, because the club is not being run well enough.

Pathetic.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

maybe the issue is tht not all people want the poshest pies in the league and would settle for a cheaper Pukka off the shelf one - also what about sandwiches (as in Tesco express type, not prawn) - both these are quick flips and even crisps can turn a profit.

After a few beers ones taste buds lessen and so the necessity of a fine hand made balti pie may not be required. Do people really care that much - its an afternoon at footy - not a culinary masterclass

at the end of the day it all about value for money and I think a few low cost alternatives should be considered as a happy medium - better to sell and make a profit on a lesser item than have people bring their own - of course the next step will be the banning of food brought in as well as soft drinks.

maybe offer spirits too in the concourses - a few of those and you'll blow all of your cash in a blink of eye - also helps you get through the game at the mo !

Problem is more choice = longer queues.