Time for the club to speak to the fans

[GT49er]

I appreciate the club has to be discreet when negotiating, keeping things under wraps until the deal is signed sealed and delivered and all that. It's frustrating, but I understand the need.

However, there maybe one area where they could be more open about transfer dealings - they could be specific about deals they have tried to make and not succeeded without detriment to any ongoing or future negotiations, ie:

"The club agreed a fee of £2 million for Melchester Rovers young striker, Roy Race jnr. He visited the clubl liked what he saw and passed the medical with flying colours. However, after discussion with his agent, he decided that a man could not even afford to live on the wages we were offering, and that frankly he wasn't prepared to get out of bed for less than £20K a week."

We would then know the club was trying, and perhaps appreciate more how FFP affects things. Ultimately, the aim of FFP must be to drive down players' wages, which are simply obscene at the higher levels, so information like this, in the public domain might just start to drip feed (very slowly) through to agents and players that eventually they just aren't going to get so much money in future, and that their next contract might be smaller rather than larger.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

But it would have been good material for Seagull Line in years past, with Millard stringing on the listener for a good few minutes.

 

[Surf's Up]

Seriously? I support the the football club, regardless of who is in charge. Having lived through the stanley archer and belloti years. I would never give up my season ticket unless my financial predicament forced me to do so. Man up and support your football team.

Well written!!

 

[Deportivo Seagull]

Isn't that what they've done? As you pointed out, the fans forum was *just* last week.

I must be different from a lot of people on here. I love the Albion, I love taking the junior Bobkins to the football, but it isn't my life, and I won't let my mood be dictated by what's going on at the club, or whatever result we get on the pitch. Yes, I'd like to see some new faces in the side by the end of the transfer window, but I'm not on the verge of tearing up my season ticket (metaphorically) or apoplectic with rage at Messers Barber, Bloom and Burke and the perceived lack of activity.

Players move on, and given that we've got into the play-offs for the past two seasons, they are bound to attract attention from Premier League clubs. I'm not surprised that the majority of the team that Poyet built has gone (with many of them about to embark on life in the PL). That's the rub of where we finished the past two seasons, and I'm expecting this season to not be contenders – I actually thought it might happen last season, but we obviously scraped through to the play-offs, which was the stated aim.

Managers move on too, and I don't expect Hyppia to be around until the end of his contract (for whatever reason). Again, that is part of football. Seemed a perfectly nice guy when I bumped into him yesterday, and I'd quite like him to stay and build, but football managers are as ambitious as players, so we'll see what happens...

Am I desperate for the club to get into the Premier League? No, not really. Given the uproar over the cost of food, travel, tickets, and everything else associated with the club, can you imagine the meltdown on here, if we WERE in the top tier? Not to mention even fewer Saturday 3pm kick-offs.

Bottom line is, people are always going to moan (like the woman behind me last night – it was relentless), but I'm not one of them. I'm not getting at people that are like that, I just think there is more to life than getting completely worked up about it.


Anyway, apologies for going off on a tangent, but I couldn't be doing with starting yet another thread.

Up the Albion

My thoughts as well. It is what is.

 

[GT49er]

I would imagine these details are confidential.

They don't have to be. The player hasn't signed anything - neither have we; there's no contract to be broken - the player has declined to enter into one. The player can always make a few quid selling his denial to one of the Sundays.

 

[Charlies Shinpad]

At the end of the day the club must have better players lined up than the players we have sold !
But where are they as this should have been all in place before pre season
I'm losing patience with my beloved club and people will vote with there feet, it's alright saying the squad will be in place before the end of August but I wanted my squad in place last Saturday when the season started and we can go for maximum points and not play catch up a month into the season

 

[Terminator1]

Cancelling direct debit unless there is positive action from the club by the end of August

Yeah, Archer used to send me a daily email.....or was that spam?

As mentioned above, I am seriously considering cancelling my direct debit. If I go, my dad goes. We were STH's at Withdean every season as well. I have a young child and family and have plenty of other things to do.
Dont' get me wrong, I love the Albion and am glued to all websites to see if we are making good quality signings and I'm left disappointed. The wow factor under Poyet has gone. At least with him at the helm, I believe he had a big say in incoming transfers and overall he did very well. Can someone please highlight the best signings Barber/Burke have identified and brought in?

I am really appreciative that Tony Bloom has put the money in for the stadium & training facility and I have not forgotten about the dark times we had in the past. I think our strategy has changed since FFP kicked in, plus Bloom trying to recoup some of his financial outlay. It would appear we are a smaller version of Arsenal in the Championship - new stadium & not buying players, hopefully in 3-4 yrs later, we'll start to spend a bit more. I love the fact that we are not overpaying in terms of wages, it's a greedy game from players & agents, but there comes a point when the club need to be honest with the fans.

We do not have a squad good enough for the play offs, that is clear. If we are about to sign 6 good quality players, then I take my hat off to the figureheads at the club but I fear that will not happen. Can we have some signings that will improve the squad or at least have some honesty??. I'm really getting fed up.

 

[marshy68]

At the end of the day the club must have better players lined up than the players we have sold !
But where are they as this should have been all in place before pre season
I'm losing patience with my beloved club and people will vote with there feet, it's alright saying the squad will be in place before the end of August but I wanted my squad in place last Saturday when the season started and we can go for maximum points and not play catch up a month into the season

I wanted to sell my car for 6K some bloke offered me 7K so i accepted it. I hadnt got a replacement car as I wasnt expecting to sell if so quickly. But the extra cash meant I could now buy a better car than orginally planned. I just e mailed Paul Barber and told him this. Fingers crossed they look at my little bit of business and apply it to their transfer dealing in the next fortnight.

 

[rippleman]

Just a couple of points on this thread..........

1) Can we afford to wait until 31 August? The reality is that after that woeful, passionless and disorganised shambles on Saturday we could be 15 points off the top by the time the window closes!

2) I believe our first team squad IS now smaller than Blackpool's.

3) Is the Chairman being pushed into taking the FFP stance? Perhaps by somebody whose ambitions are more in that direction? We are currently "competing" against clubs with parachute payments or who are giving FFP the finger. We can do nothing about the parachute payments (although personally I can't see why clubs are rewarded so handsomely for failure), but we can be a little more realistic regarding FFP. We don't need to go as silly as some clubs...but we could be a lot more flexible in our approach. Besides, if we invest and get to the PL promised land, are the sanctions likely to wipe out the club? I think not.

We continue to hope....but is that really the way it should be?

 

[Cloughie]

They don't have to be. The player hasn't signed anything - neither have we; there's no contract to be broken - the player has declined to enter into one. The player can always make a few quid selling his denial to one of the Sundays.

This will never happen. Agents have a lot of power and this would be damaging for them. Also, it'd be considered unprofessional by the other professional clubs who all subscribe to an unwritten 'football administrators code of conduct'.

 

[Napper]

For the last two seasons Bloom has been explicit that his expectation is Top 6 and a shot at promotion. Yet this season he's been silent. FFP is clearly top of the agenda. It's almost as if he's waiting for players to come on the market cheap as clubs panic that they won't make FFP.

think everyone be content with this if we were told this in not so many words.

Fans will take a suprising lot if they are communicated honestly to

 

[Rich Suvner]

Communication has been one of the worst aspects of the "new" Albion for me. When they do talk to us, they seem to just tell us what we need to hear, especially recently. More honesty would be appreciated, and less of this patronising corporate nonsense via email etc.

the worst was the 'oh shucks our 2nd string just got knocked out of the FA Cup when we had a good route to Wembley. BUY MORE SHIT' email sent within an hour of FT!!!

 

[Pavilionaire]

I wanted to sell my car for 6K some bloke offered me 7K so i accepted it. I hadnt got a replacement car as I wasnt expecting to sell if so quickly. But the extra cash meant I could now buy a better car than orginally planned. I just e mailed Paul Barber and told him this. Fingers crossed they look at my little bit of business and apply it to their transfer dealing in the next fortnight.

To continue your analogy, your days of buying fancy cars are over mate, it's nappy time and there's gonna be sh1t everywhere.

 

[marshy68]

To continue your analogy, your days of buying fancy cars are over mate, it's nappy time and there's gonna be sh1t everywhere.

i will get the frenchie to deal with that - I have had to deal with the cat shit for the last 20 weeks its pay back time. Burke will face an awful lot of shite unless we get in some quality two weeks and counting.

 

[Seagull1989]

Compare ourselves to Derby, who we lost out to in the playoffs last year. They've got their main players signing new contracts for up to 4 years. Re signed Thorne who was one of their best players last year and when he got injured they got a replacement in from R madrid on loan. Maybe stability in a club like keeping mcclaren as manager has helped. Can see why players want to leave us if we can't even keep a manager

 

[Eric Youngs Contact Lense]

As mentioned above, I am seriously considering cancelling my direct debit. If I go, my dad goes. We were STH's at Withdean every season as well. I have a young child and family and have plenty of other things to do.
Dont' get me wrong, I love the Albion and am glued to all websites to see if we are making good quality signings and I'm left disappointed. The wow factor under Poyet has gone. At least with him at the helm, I believe he had a big say in incoming transfers and overall he did very well. Can someone please highlight the best signings Barber/Burke have identified and brought in?

I am really appreciative that Tony Bloom has put the money in for the stadium & training facility and I have not forgotten about the dark times we had in the past. I think our strategy has changed since FFP kicked in, plus Bloom trying to recoup some of his financial outlay. It would appear we are a smaller version of Arsenal in the Championship - new stadium & not buying players, hopefully in 3-4 yrs later, we'll start to spend a bit more. I love the fact that we are not overpaying in terms of wages, it's a greedy game from players & agents, but there comes a point when the club need to be honest with the fans.

We do not have a squad good enough for the play offs, that is clear. If we are about to sign 6 good quality players, then I take my hat off to the figureheads at the club but I fear that will not happen. Can we have some signings that will improve the squad or at least have some honesty??. I'm really getting fed up.

Where are the Club not being honest with the fans? Just because we haven't got someone yet, doesn't suggest a conspiracy or dishonesty..your point about Arseanl is well made and I agree with it..but that is what the Club have told me in their communications...FFP, building infrastructure, living within our means, not paying over-the-odds etce etc..I can't think of one element where I think I have been lied to. The Club is very consistent in its approach to these things..Big signings now will be gone in a couple of years, but the Club will still be here with the approach that they are taking. Here and now we dont have a squad good enough for the play-offs (although I didnt think we woul dlast year either) but that is not a sign of dishonesty or even to give up coming...especially if you sat through Withdean years pre-Poyet!

 

[Medwayseagull]

I have been a fan since 1972 and have never felt more remote from the people running the club.

Being a fan does not mean being slavishly loyal. We are not sheep.

What a stupid irrational statement when you think of all the past troubles.

 

[Miami Seagull]

Half the problem is that the moment they do this (often in a patronizing way) almost everyone on here just laps it up. Statements like "our recruitment department is doing an excellent job". No they are not. Their job is to recruit and strengthen the product on the field. We have just got weaker and weaker since the beginning of last season...

 

[Clive Walker]

Jesus! Five days into the season and it's already wrist slitting time. Just be thankful we're not fans of Blackpool or Leeds or any other car-crash run club, then we really would have something to moan about.

i actually think Leeds will finish above us in the league this year!

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Compare ourselves to Derby, who we lost out to in the playoffs last year. They've got their main players signing new contracts for up to 4 years. Re signed Thorne who was one of their best players last year and when he got injured they got a replacement in from R madrid on loan. Maybe stability in a club like keeping mcclaren as manager has helped. Can see why players want to leave us if we can't even keep a manager

OK, I'll take on your comparisons challenge:

1) Buckley signed a new long-term contract relatively recently, and he's gone. So did Bridcutt (as I remember) before he scarpered. I'm pretty sure they are not the only two that have done this, and that's just at BHAFC. Contracts mean nothing.

2) Derby have also, since the 2008-2009 season, finished 18th, 14th, 19th, 12th, 10th and 3rd in the Championship. Much of this time has been spent developing young talent through the club (sounds a bit what BHAFC is trying to achieve). I wouldn't call it stability over the past few years, I would say it is progress.

3) Steve McLaren hasn't even been at Derby for a full season. Granted he's done a lot in the time he HAS been there, but what if he gets a good start and a PL club comes knocking? He'll be off, just like the players would be.