The Faustian pact comes unstuck.....

[Westdene Seagull]

Wow - did everyone get out of bed the wrong side today or something ? Why the sudden dislike of Attila ?

 

[jasetheace]

Yeah - because we were all crying out for someone....anyone to say that Burke and Hyypia should go. Thank God for people like Attila for having the courage to make that bold demand.

I am never quite sure of the boundaries between praise, sarcasm and cynicism on this forum. But I genuinely thank Attilla for his intervention as I do Harty and wish that more of the team that did get quite close to the club in the War years, were also bold enough to put their head above the parapet. I hated Naylor's fence sitting in the Argus Analysis this morning also.

These two fools (Hyppia and Burke must go with immediate effect).

 

[Buzzer]

These two fools (Hyppia and Burke must go with immediate effect).

And it's brave of Attila to start a thread on NSC demanding they go. Why has no-one thought of doing that before now?

Edit - I'm being sarcastic because I think it's all a bit humorous for Lord B to claim people are shooting the messenger when the message has been said loud and often by many, many people over the last few weeks and there's at least half a dozen threads on the first page that this thread could be merged with.

 

[Hillian1]

Bubbling along nicely, needs more input from Attila.

7.5

 

[Lord Bracknell]

... losing cosy personal contact with the club ...

One of my cosy personal contacts tells me that the club has expressed an interest in re-establishing contacts that have faded away in recent years.

An interesting time to embark on such a project.

 

[The Spanish]

Bubbling along nicely, needs more input from Attila.

7.5

That's unlikely. You haven't got the hang of this yet

 

[Vegas Seagull]

Good new thread, the secret Santa & cooking frozen pollock need putting down a peg or two

 

[MattBackHome]

At least this fresh thread gives people the opportunity to take part in one of NSC's favourite pastimes ... Shoot the Messenger.

If the messenger is passing on a message that he himself has authored then he's fair game for a ruddy good shooting.

 

[supaseagull]

One of my cosy personal contacts tells me that the club has expressed an interest in re-establishing contacts that have faded away in recent years.

An interesting time to embark on such a project.

Indeed it is...I wonder if that same "project" as you call it would have been considered had we have been promoted or not faced with relegation and faced with falling crowds and the possibility of League 1.

Ironic really that those who have treated the "customers" so poorly over the last 3 years since the opening of the Amex are now looking to "touch base" with them again.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Indeed it is...I wonder if that same "project" as you call it would have been considered had we have been promoted or not faced with relegation and faced with falling crowds and the possibility of League 1.

Ironic really that those who have treated the "customers" so poorly over the last 3 years since the opening of the Amex are now looking to "touch base" with them again.

Indeed. I can see Barber coining "League One ready" very very soon.

Lets be honest they alluded to it with the (League) one club (League) one ambition mission statement.

 

[glasfryn]

The Faustian pact comes unstuck……

We all knew what we were fighting for: it took about 16 years, but we got it, and we celebrated. To do it we had to embrace the ‘money is everything and we’re customers now’ culture of modern football and replace the passion and hands-on commitment of Dick Knight with the money of Tony Bloom, another lifelong Albion fan, and a vast majority of Albion fans were happy to do that.

Even those of us who weren’t happy accepted that if our long fight to save the club we love was to have its final and glorious conclusion there was no alternative. We moved into the Amex, and apart from those who were priced out of the game or, like my wife, actually preferred the often sneered at ‘cottage industry’ of Withdean (she’s from Northwich, loves non league football and is an Albion fan by marriage, it’s different…) we relaxed, drank our Harveys, ate our pies - expensive to be sure, but the money is going to the club, what the hell - and trusted the shiny new corporate appointees to give us a shiny new future on the pitch to match our shiny new corporate stadium. Speaking personally, I was overjoyed to rediscover the simple pleasures of just being a football fan again and to leave everything else to the people paid lots of money to make sure it happened right. Yes, something is missing for me now in the age of modern football, but the wonderful trappings and the (until recently) on field success more than made up for that.

For a couple of years everything seemed fine: and it’s worth remembering that, compared to the war years, everything is still fine. The future of our club is secure: in the bad old days we used to DREAM about a time when moaning about the playing performance and management tactics was the only problem! But such comparisons are not enough. The fact is that the people in charge of our club are cocking up big time at the moment.

We need a manager with a clear understanding of the changes in tactics necessary to win matches, the ability to motivate the team and the obvious passion and commitment to inspire the fans to back him. And that manager should be in a position to employ the players he identifies as best suiting those tactics, rather than having to work with a squad brought in by an outsider whose current track record is nothing short of disastrous. Hyypia and Burke should go, and go now. A new manager should be in charge of squad recruitment. It’s not rocket science.

Albion fans most certainly are not ‘too nice’: we proved that over many years! What we most certainly have been is exhausted after the years of struggle, happy with our new surroundings and thoroughly prepared to give the new set up plenty of time to get things right. For a time that seemed to be the case but they are not getting things right any more. Relegation would be a disaster. In my opinion, it is time for us to combine 100% backing of the team with a strong show of opposition to Hyypia and Burke. A difficult balance but after all we’ve gone through I’m sure we can manage it! Yes, it’s modern corporate football but don’t underestimate the power of the fans – especially Albion fans - to change things. We ARE still listened to: in a different way to the old days, to be sure, but we are.

Burke OUT
Hyypia OUT

has all been said before ,perhaps not so elequently .
and whats so wrong with the old guard, they spoke out when it was needed like NOW

 

[GT49er]

Agree completely with the OP. "The ‘money is everything and we’re customers now’ culture of modern football" is perfect for the role of the devil in the 'Faustian plot' - doesn't need to be an individual at all.

Not long ago even the slightest criticism of TB on here would get flamed; now even the most die-hard of the "Our squad's fantastic, wait to see in September before moaning, you bad fan" brigade now accept that something is going wrong and needs to be addressed. Yet here we go with a load of vitriol, the like of which we had earlier in the season when 'Bedwetter' was a lot of people's favourite word. Is it somehow alright now to question TB, as long as the 'Old Guard' isn't mentioned? - because something's set people off like a red rag to a bull.

TB's done a fantastic job in moving our club forward (up to its current blip - hope it's a blip, anyway) and I, like most fans are and should be, am grateful for all that. I'm also grateful for the efforts people like Dick Knight, Attila, and Harty for example, put in to ensure we actually still had a club for TB to take on.

 

[Dave the OAP]

One of my cosy personal contacts tells me that the club has expressed an interest in re-establishing contacts that have faded away in recent years.

An interesting time to embark on such a project.

 

[symyjym]

The Faustian pact comes unstuck……

To do it we had to embrace the ‘money is everything and we’re customers now’ culture of modern football and replace the passion and hands-on commitment of Dick Knight with the money of Tony Bloom, another lifelong Albion fan, and a vast majority of Albion fans were happy to do that.

Even those of us who weren’t happy accepted that if our long fight to save the club we love was to have its final and glorious conclusion there was no alternative.

What we are missing is the hands-on commitment of Dick Knight. We can employ Barber and Burke but who is there to anchor them together?

Is Burke even half as good as DK in negotiation power and Albion charm? I don't think so. When we are trying to sign players we are falling short on persuasiveness, charisma and real passion for the club.

If Bloom isn’t prepared to make himself available for the final stages of negotiation, you would need a DK there to give the edge. The way we are working now is such a sterile process and for the players we are trying to sign, it is just another formal interview for them.

It is all very well Bloom being an Albion fan, but he burnt bridges with another. This should never have happened and DK still had a part to play, especially when Bloom likes to work things at a distance leaving the responsibilities with non Albion connected people.

I think that the way DK was treated hints at Bloom putting himself before the club. DK would have formed a good working relationship with Burke, Barber, the manager and the players, but at the moment it is clear that they are all working as individuals. Would Oscar have had such a "communication problem" implied by Bloom if DK was here? I doubt it. Oscar was left out in the cold as an individual part and no one was here to form a close team with him.

Bloom and Knight would have been made a formidable partnership, but I think Bloom cut his nose off to spite his face on this one because if there was anyone he should have wanted on his side it would be DK.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Is Burke even half as good as DK in negotiation power and Albion charm? I don't think so. When we are trying to sign players we are falling short on persuasiveness, charisma and real passion for the club.

Spot on with that one. Reportedly Burke is probably the most DOUR man you ever would meet and HE is in charge of recruitment and SELLING the club to potential players!

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

Im normally 100% behind Atilla but I do think facts have been sacrificed for effect here. I thought part of the reason we are int he position we are in is we haven't tried to buy our way to success by ignoring FFP... we can't do this and be accused of selling out to money. Secondly I have trouble with the Faustian pact. Of loa the clubs in the Championship I think we are one of the few who HAVE kept their soul. As of the need to get rid of Hyppia... I am 100% behind. Not sure about Barber... lets be honest getting in Bennett and Bent are blinders so jury is out on him and certainly 100% behind Bloom.

 

[symyjym]

Spot on with that one. Reportedly Burke is probably the most DOUR man you ever would meet and HE is in charge of recruitment and SELLING the club to potential players!

Yep. He probably does a good job up until the point of a face to face interview, but it is at that point you need someone larger than life to come in and seal the deal.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

The fight was for the right of the football club to continue to exist as a community asset for the people of Brighton & Hove, East and West Sussex and the wider world of Albion fans beyond. That fight was won. The club now has the level playing field it was denied during the wilderness years. It is up to the chairman and directors of the football club to now use that level playing field to take the club forward, while hopefully continuing to regard it as a community asset. Because without the support of the community they're a bit stuffed really.

 

[Dave the OAP]

Spot on with that one. Reportedly Burke is probably the most DOUR man you ever would meet and HE is in charge of recruitment and SELLING the club to potential players!

I thought it was reported on this organ when burke was on big al and ade's show, he came over as a very personable guy and he explained his signings and all was rosy in the garden. I assume they asked the revealing questions therefore perhaps we all have a blinkered view of him?

 

[drew]

Wasn't the hands on approach and passion of Dick knight paid for by the cheque book of TB anyway?

Without Bloom, Attila's wife would probably have got her way as a continued existence at Withdean would no doubt have seen us eventually slide into the conference and who knows where!