Seagulls Player: an open letter from Paul Barber

[clippedgull]

So Paul Barber writes and gets a 'swift' response.

Paying customers try to contact the inept company and if Perform decide to respond it's usually either we have no reported problems or contact your ISP.

I agree with glasfryn, this should have been escalated within the club much sooner than it appears to have been. Still, at least we know now it is being taken seriously.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

I agree wholeheartedly and its looks like something will happen ,but surely this could have been done a good while ago the club must have known it was bad

Just been looking at moans and groans on NSC about Seagulls World which is now Seagulls Player losing the commentary during a game and there is an initial thread from back in October 2003

 

[glasfryn]

Just been looking at moans and groans on NSC about Seagulls World which is now Seagulls Player losing the commentary during a game and there is an initial thread from back in October 2003

thats about when I joined it just after we moved to Wales when it did make a difference
now we live in Eastbourne I can listen on the radio but its those like you mate I feel for and of coarse those abroad
10 years is a long time

 

[KZNSeagull]

Irrespective of whether this should have been done a long time ago, at least we know now that they are on the case and we will hopefully get a resolution soon.
Thanks Bozza for posting and to PB for keeping us appraised.

 

[Muzzy]

I'm not that fussed about a refund tbh, I just want it to work so if this gets things working 100% then I'll be happy.

Ps I would gladly accept a refund and a genuine apology all the same

 

[Superphil]

that still does not answer the question that it has been a crap service for many years and the club have known about it
it would be interesting to know when this deal with the FL was struck?

Whilst we're second guessing why what happened and when, perhaps for many years there were only a small number of subscibers, therefore the drop-off didn't amount to much of a loss in revenue. However, in the past couple of years the club has grown significantly, and has gained many new supporters, and re-awakend others lapsed interest for the club. Perhaps many signed up for the service in the past couple of years, creating a good deal of new revenue, then cancelled due to the service. That may be what has given the club the incentive to doing something.

I had a subscription from 2004 till I scrapped it in 2008 as it was rubbish. Had it again for one year in 2011/12, but gave up again.

Alternatively, send PB an email and ask him why only now are they doing something about it, when fans have been complaining about it for years.

 

[glasfryn]

Whilst we're second guessing why what happened and when, perhaps for many years there were only a small number of subscibers, therefore the drop-off didn't amount to much of a loss in revenue. However, in the past couple of years the club has grown significantly, and has gained many new supporters, and re-awakend others lapsed interest for the club. Perhaps many signed up for the service in the past couple of years, creating a good deal of new revenue, then cancelled due to the service. That may be what has given the club the incentive to doing something.

I had a subscription from 2004 till I scrapped it in 2008 as it was rubbish. Had it again for one year in 2011/12, but gave up again.

Alternatively, send PB an email and ask him why only now are they doing something about it, when fans have been complaining about it for years.

my thoughts exactly
but even the few were entitled to a good service
in the first years I had it there were complete blackouts and I thought it was me until I had my overhauled and looked at

 

[KJP]

How about they let us listen to bbc radio Sussex online for our matches like we used to be able to do , problem solved

 

[Superphil]

my thoughts exactly
but even the few were entitled to a good service
in the first years I had it there were complete blackouts and I thought it was me until I had my overhauled and looked at

I beleive that many of those "few" had free subscriptions as well, all in all, it might just have not been enough money to worry about, and all run by, and collected by FLi. The club had other things to be concentrating its efforts on, like surviving. It's good to know now that it is a viable revenue stream, and needs to get sorted, can't imagain it contributes that much to the coffers, but it would be good if it worked, I have family overseas that would like to have it back.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

How about they let us listen to bbc radio Sussex online for our matches like we used to be able to do , problem solved

They can't do that as the bbc do not own the digital rights to broadcast league games unfortunately.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Whilst we're second guessing why what happened and when, perhaps for many years there were only a small number of subscibers, therefore the drop-off didn't amount to much of a loss in revenue. However, in the past couple of years the club has grown significantly, and has gained many new supporters, and re-awakend others lapsed interest for the club. Perhaps many signed up for the service in the past couple of years, creating a good deal of new revenue, then cancelled due to the service. That may be what has given the club the incentive to doing something.

I had a subscription from 2004 till I scrapped it in 2008 as it was rubbish. Had it again for one year in 2011/12, but gave up again.

Alternatively, send PB an email and ask him why only now are they doing something about it, when fans have been complaining about it for years.

To be fair to Paul Barber, he's only been at the club for 18 months so we can hardly ask him what was happening years ago. I know that Insider has been battling Perform on our behalf for many years.

 

[Willy Dangle]

Yippee, I feel a free pie coming on.

 

[HastingsSeagull]

Excellent and if doesn't get sorted hopefully we won't be a football league member much longer but a Premiership club in the next few years anyway

As said on other thread, good work that man plus all those who brought it up on Saturday and took time and effort to push for improvement

 

[glasfryn]

bugger
I have signed up again
I just miss the extended highlights

 

[Seagulls Downunder]

I've emailed the club at least 4 times this season on this matter never mind the previous seasons, my understanding from the club is that they themselves have found Perform difficult to deal with.
As strange as it may seem I'm not sure the club actually make any money from Player subscriptions and therefore it maybe part of the reason nothings been done before now.
It's only weight of email complaints at one time that seem to have changed the clubs involvement in all this, in fact the club sent me an email Saturday evening almost straight after the match preemting my email of complaint.

This is the clubs email.

Once more we have endured an extremely frustrating day with the commentary as I am sure you are well aware. After seemingly having turned the corner for the past few games the problems have once again arisen and I can guarantee that we as a club are deeply unsatisfied and irritated by this. Myself and Paul Camillin (head of media and communications) were on the phone or e-mail for the duration of the game today doing all we could to resolve the issues but to no avail.

I have personally raised the issues face-to-face with the Football League and via e-mail while Paul Camillin has done the same. Paul Barber has now become involved as well and we are increasing our pressure on both Perform and the FL to get this resolved.

I completely understand that these are just words but on behalf of the club I really can only apologise for this completely unacceptable level of service.

As a media department we are having a meeting this week to see if we can assist you more from our end as the providers are not providing us and failing you as subscribers. We are desperately seeking ways in which we can help because we are not happy with letting supporters down.

Please feel free to e-mail in the week and I can let you know of any updates from our end.






I only have two words to say if Paul Barber still can't resolve the matter " Trading Standards"

 

[Superphil]

On to matters website (webshite) the company responsible for the intereactive turd that is the FLi website template, Sapient Nitro, were just listed in the Design Week Creative Survey top 50 Design Consultancies of 2013. The design fraternity is up its own arse (who knew?)

 

[Willy Dangle]

Had an email from Paul Barber. Productive meetings and hopefully should be an official update released tomorrow.

 

[skipper734]

PUBLISHED
09:27 1st August 2013
BBC Sussex and BBC Surrey will have even more football commentary in the coming season, thanks to brand new commentary deals with both Albion and Crawley Town.

The new deal with Albion lasts for three seasons, and means listeners to BBC Sussex will be able to hear live commentary on every game the team plays until May 2016, home and away. The Seagulls got close to promotion to the Premier League last season, only being beaten in the play-offs, and under new head coach Oscar Garcia will be hoping to go one better this time around.

Meanwhile fans of Crawley Town will be able to hear live commentary on every single away game the club plays for the next two seasons, as well as many home matches, in an extended deal struck by the radio station. The Red Devils’ remarkable rise from non-league football to the play-off positions of League One in recent years has led to the BBC deciding to commit to extra coverage, plus regular news and interviews throughout the week. Commentary will be broadcast on BBC Surrey’s transmitters.

Conference sides Aldershot Town and Woking Town are not forgotten either. BBC Surrey will continue to provide coverage of matches, with reporters at all games, as well as radio commentary on key away fixtures. Commentary on all games of both clubs can be heard online at www.bbc.co.uk/surrey and via the clubs’ official websites.

BBC Surrey and Sussex Managing Editor Sara David said, “I'm delighted that we are starting the season with such a strong line-up of live commentary for local football fans. Good luck to all the teams - I'm looking forward to hearing their progress on air.”

Albion CEO Paul Barber said, “We are pleased to have agreed a new three-year commentary deal with BBC Sussex, running until June 2016, on improved commercial terms.

“Johnny Cantor, Adrian Harms and the BBC Sussex sports team provide unrivalled live radio coverage of all our matches, and we know this is an important service to many of our supporters.

“We are delighted that the coverage will continue in a similar form, while also supplying commentary to those outside the BBC Sussex region via Seagulls Player.”

Crawley Town chairman Dave Pottinger said, "This is great news for our fans, particularly those who cannot make our away games. The coverage of the club by BBC Sussex has always been very good and with this agreement in place, I'm sure their coverage will be even better and I would appeal to our fans to engage with the station as much as possible."

For more details please contact Sara David Editor of BBC Sussex and BBC Surrey: sara.david@bbc.co.uk


Read more at http://www.seagulls.co.uk/news/article/albion-and-bbc-extend-deal-959101.aspx#IaBejLcmZ4Xb6jlx.99

 

[Brian Potter]

They can't do that as the bbc do not own the digital rights to broadcast league games unfortunately.

So how come, living in London, I can quite often listen to live commentary on line via the BBC London website when a London team play the Albion?

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

So how come, living in London, I can quite often listen to live commentary on line via the BBC London website when a London team play the Albion?

That is odd. The BBC have stated that they do not own the digital rights for championship matches. But that does not apply to matches they are covering on their national stations. Perhaps there is an exception if the broadcast is simultaneously streamed on five live or five live extra? The matches on those stations are always streamed, perhaps the ones you've listened to are in that category.