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

[Stat Brother]

FFS.... The whingers complaining we are kept in the dark, and now we aren't PB is getting stick for using NSC as a portal to explain issues we haven't considered. He must surely be thinking he can't win..... I would be!

Double FFS you fat old seagull, IT'S A JOKE.

A joke coming from a man with 24,000+ posts.
A joke with a JESTER in it.
A joke with a facepalm.

It's a joke, granted it might not be funny, but it is a joke.

 

[Bozza]

It's not a question of 'getting a grip'. Football is no longer about just going to the match. We are more than just fans now, we are customers as well; or to put it more bluntly in modern jargon - units to be monetised. Getting the price right of the add-ons (catering, replica shirts, etc) is a major part of running a modern football club, just as much as having a state-of-the art stadium.

That is one view of the fan/customer debate, yes.

Another is that back in the day when we really were just only fans, it was very much a case of: this is the product, like it or lump it. The product involved few facilities, and those that were there were horrendous, most notably the catering (if you really could call it that) and the toilet facilities (pissing up against a mouldy brick wall, whilst getting pissed on from the clouds above). Absolutely no consideration at all was given to trying to make the time at a football stadium pleasant for anyone other than the monied very few.

Now we are customers as well as fans and that means making genuine attempts to do things that people are going to enjoy and want to re-visit - to engage proactively and positively with those fans/customers and to try and keep on delivering products and services they wish to use. You can be cynical and suggest the only driving force is to try and ensure even greater revenue returns, or you can recognise that it's a genuine attempt to further raise the significance of Brighton & Hove Albion in our lives, such that we do give more, but willingly, and enjoy doing so.

Don't get me wrong - I'm an old romantic too, and I loved the Goldstone and the similar oldy worldy football grounds that we visited. It's part of my footballing DNA - it's the diet of football I was raised upon. However, every now and again, on some away trip or another, we get little glimpses of those times - ramshackle facilities, truly dreadful food served by people behind iron bars, toilets that haven't seen a splash of bleach in 30 years and I'm thankful for what we've got and those who are continually striving to make it better.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Total respect to PB for recognising NSC for what it is, an unparalleled source of customer feedback, and for attempting to address at some length many of the ongoing debates and issues without ducking anything. Personally, the bloke's earned my respect.

However, would have been good to see some acknowledgement of the issue of alleviating queues in the 'Catering' section, as this is the main barrier to 85% of us spending more on food and drink.

 

[Stat Brother]

every now and again, on some away trip or another, we get little glimpses of those times - ramshackle facilities, truly dreadful food served by people behind iron bars, toilets that haven't seen a splash of bleach in 30 years and I'm thankful for what we've got and those who are continually striving to make it better.

Lets not forget the odd away trip back in the day, when we got little glimpses of the future.

I don't imagine there were many people returning to the Withdean/Goldstone the following Saturday saying 'thank f*** we're out of that hell hole, it's so nice to be home'.

 

[Brovion]

That is one view of the fan/customer debate, yes.

Another is that back in the day when we really were just only fans, it was very much a case of: this is the product, like it or lump it. The product involved few facilities, and those that were there were horrendous, most notably the catering (if you really could call it that) and the toilet facilities (pissing up against a mouldy brick wall, whilst getting pissed on from the clouds above). Absolutely no consideration at all was given to trying to make the time at a football stadium pleasant for anyone other than the monied very few.

Now we are customers as well as fans and that means making genuine attempts to do things that people are going to enjoy and want to re-visit - to engage proactively and positively with those fans/customers and to try and keep on delivering products and services they wish to use. You can be cynical and suggest the only driving force is to try and ensure even greater revenue returns, or you can recognise that it's a genuine attempt to further raise the significance of Brighton & Hove Albion in our lives, such that we do give more, but willingly, and enjoy doing so.

Don't get me wrong - I'm an old romantic too, and I loved the Goldstone and the similar oldy worldy football grounds that we visited. It's part of my footballing DNA - it's the diet of football I was raised upon. However, every now and again, on some away trip or another, we get little glimpses of those times - ramshackle facilities, truly dreadful food served by people behind iron bars, toilets that haven't seen a splash of bleach in 30 years and I'm thankful for what we've got and those who are continually striving to make it better.

I don't disagree at all. My only gripe (and it IS a really minor gripe in the bigger scheme of things) is that the club could meet has half-way with the catering prices; make us feel we ARE a bit special and that they are trying to 'help us help them' by making it more attractive to come early and stay late to stagger the transport.

Like I say though, personally the catering prices are a minor gripe. I certainly don't think the club is going to hell in a handcart (and not communicating with the fans whilst doing so) just because (IMO) the beer is over-priced. But on the other hand there is the 'final straw' effect. If the team's performance means that people start to think twice about attending it'll be factors like transport and catering that could tip them over the edge. I know the hard-core fans have trouble in accepting that, but for us part-timers they are real factors.

 

[fat old seagull]

Double FFS you fat old seagull, IT'S A JOKE.

A joke coming from a man with 24,000+ posts.
A joke with a JESTER in it.
A joke with a facepalm.



It's a joke, granted it might not be funny, but it is a joke.

Well we are both agreed it wasn't funny, so hardly recognisable as a joke.
As I quite reasonably didn't pick up 'the joke' I considered the jester could equally be you suggesting PB was one.
Number of posts is an irrelevance to me, not sure why you felt the need to mention that ?

 

[patchamalbion]

As someone that knew of PB and the work he did at Tottenham via a mutual acquaintance (and an Arsenal fan to boot) before he was even linked with the role at the Albion I am constantly nothing but pleasantly surprised about how everything I was told about him before was true.

In the short time he as been at the club we've grown tremendously on and off the pitch and it's in no small part due to his impact. As any CEO will find the decisions to be made will upset, alienate, disenchant, please and or create indifference to the population they're targeted at be it players, administrative staff, part time staff, or fans/customers alike and the man does it with such good grace, no shortage of patience and a tremendous respect for the club we were, the club we've become and the vision of the club that he and the board share for the future is astounding.

We're a fickle bunch football fans - bet if we were averaging 3 goals a game and top of the league by five points 95% of the gripes on here would disappear - none more so than the Albion faithful who've endured what seemed like an endless wrestle to win back our club, then the ground and now when the club arguably needs us most some are encouraging the majority of others to be spendthrift and miserly.

Can any of us say that we would prefer to be sat at Withdean paying c£24 a match without a roof, no access to an ale or two, and less choice than a Welsh fish and chip shop for catering than what we have at our disposal at the Amex?

The trouble for many of us I suppose is that we live in one of if not the best part of the UK, we on average are probably among the most affluent population of football supporters in the country and we have access to so many other things to spend our money on that we have an embarrassment of riches which inevitably makes some of more picky than others. So what if it takes an additional five minutes to get served, or that the hot dogs don't come with onions, or perhaps the pies are cooked for 3 minutes longer than some of us would like.

As Norman would say we've come a long long way together, through the hard times and the rain, so why don't we actually bloody celebrate things for the way they are instead of constantly sniping or moaning all the time?

Perhaps if we focused more on what was happening on the pitch and got back to doing what supporters do best then maybe collectively we'd all be in a better place? Just a thought.

well said

 

[Return of the Rev]

Managed the catering bit and it seems we we have to put up with the levels we have now because its really difficult to cater for a football stadium,well close the catering down and install a picnic area

 

[Stat Brother]

Well we are both agreed it wasn't funny, so hardly recognisable as a joke.
As I quite reasonably didn't pick up 'the joke' I considered the jester could equally be you suggesting PB was one.
Number of posts is an irrelevance to me, not sure why you felt the need to mention that ?

Because it shows the comment comes from someone who has time to sit around all day typing stuff on NSC thereby proving the 'joke'.
Oh and it's funny for me as I have always been one of PB's biggest supporter on NSC, so I was just subverting and belittling the negative opinions.
But obviously that's just for me, as I don't expect other posters to know which 'team' I'm on when it comes to specific Albion issues, with perhaps the exception of CMS.

 

[El Presidente]

I don't think the catering is 'that' bad, but depends on what we are benchmarking against. If you go to many of the clubs in this division the food is far worse, only eaten if you are desperate or drunk, the service is quicker because a lower proportion of fans use it (due to the poor quality).

I appreciate PB's comments, perhaps he should (or may have done already) have a go at either side of the catering divide, i.e. serve behind the counter, or alternatively have a seat in the North (other stands are available) and queue up with the rest of us to experience some of the frustrations, a la the Undercover Boss series on that there television thing.

 

[Justice]

I read all this eat at the Amex etc. spend more money on match days etc. Then an Albion employee or owner spunks half a million on COG how many f@cking pies do we need to eat to get that money back ?

 

[Stat Brother]

I don't think the catering is 'that' bad, but depends on what we are benchmarking against. If you go to many of the clubs in this division the food is far worse, only eaten if you are desperate or drunk, the service is quicker because a lower proportion of fans use it (due to the poor quality).

I appreciate PB's comments, perhaps he should (or may have done already) have a go at either side of the catering divide, i.e. serve behind the counter, or alternatively have a seat in the North (other stands are available) and queue up with the rest of us to experience some of the frustrations, a la the Undercover Boss series on that there television thing.

He'd better not undercover boss the ESL as he'll see bloody good service, clean & well stewarded.
He'll not help himself if he parks at either the Uni or Bridge CP, which, on the whole run smoothly.
Not to mention getting a seagull travel bus.
PB might have to queue for 15-20 minutes to get on a P&R bus.
Or gets the train with well over 10,000 other people clearing the ground within 30 mins.

I guess alternatively I could just have unrealistic expectations of the services provided for 30,000 people at a time sensitive event.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

It's a joke, granted it might not be funny, but it is a joke.

Lenny Henry made a career from doing this.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

I read all this eat at the Amex etc. spend more money on match days etc. Then an Albion employee or owner spunks half a million on COG how many f@cking pies do we need to eat to get that money back ?

121,951. Eat up lads.

 

[drew]

A lot of people seem to be moaning about the catering but there still seems to be plenty queuing for it!

 

[Chicken Runner61]

This is great from PB really good communication but.....

for me the best way to solve the debt is

1) to sign a real striker and keep him and then sign a decent fully fit winger and keep him and keep upgrading the squad from there not downgrading it.

2) You need to keep the concourse catering fast, simple and cheap, the stuff should be ready to give out and the staff need training to anticipate what punters want, they take too long on each sale often walking 3-4 feet for EVERY customer they serve whilst another watches them - its nuts!

3) 1901 is too expensive for what you get - people won't book meals at £90 a head because they think they will be ripped off even more because the cheap option is such a rip at £14 or whatever it is
Give them a bit of choice , a decent burger or dog for a £5 offer a pasta or lighter meal for £15 and do the full works for £75 inc 1 drink and wine and people will use it.

People will open their wallets if they are tempted and once open they will buy another drink or go for a bigger option but the way prices and quality are now they go with the intention of not spending anything because you get better food and service outside the amex

And train the servers and bar staff to pour and wait - its not rocket science

 

[Chicken Runner61]

A lot of people seem to be moaning about the catering but there still seems to be plenty queuing for it!

Sometimes you queue and then give up because its taking too long. So next game you buy something on the way before you get to the Amex and the club lose out.

 

[Colossal Squid]

I reckon Paul Barber's all right you know

 

[GT49er]

Well done PB for taking the time for all that.

Couple of points. I thoroughly agree with the poster who suggested that maybe a cheaper food option added to the menu would induce more people to spend money. You can still turn a small profit on a packet of crisps.

Also, I still worry about the sustainability of haemorrhaging money every year - how long can the club do this and continue to survive (and indeed, how long can football as we know it survive)?

A big "Hear hear" to PB's final sentence though!

 

[Albion Dan]

It's all well and good but the model is completely reliant on us fans turning up week in week out and spending regardless. I'd like to know what our contingency strategy is post this seasons likely relegation battle where we are likely to lose at least another 10-20% off the gate or worse next season should the unthinkable happen. I travel down from London and today I didn't realise that there were replacement buses so had left it too late to make the game and I was actually not bothered to have to come home and miss the game. Ive never felt like about missing a game in all my years supporting the Albion.

I'm honestly suprised that we didn't go for it with some real high quality signings this season after the unexpected big windfall and additional revenues from the players that left, and the fact that every year we miss out on promotion more teams arrive with Parachute payments. I thought TB being a poker player would have made a calculated gamble. You have to speculate to accumulate unless we think we are going to get super lucky with cheap buys and our current recruitment strategy is clearly failing BIG TIME on the pitch.