[Albion] When will our fans turn?

[Baldseagull]

When that Bloom sells to some Arab Sheikh, who wants to change the colour of our kit and treble ticket prices, then rename the club and ban homosexuals from games, then make the women's team wear burkas and replace piglets pies with Halal sheep's heads - I shall turn, I won't stand for that I'm telling you right now!

Are you Frank Doberman?

 

[heathgate]

I think most are pretty realistic about where we are in the food chain, what resources we have and what is needed to maintain this level.

For those of us who have been around since the Withdean days or before, most seem to think of this period as "these are the glory days, enjoy them while we have them".

Maybe there is a younger generation who have only seen Brighton succeed who have higher expectations but to be honest these seem to be a small minority.

The fans will turn when the results dry up and relegation threatens. And then a few years after that we will reminisce about this period as the greatest in the clubs history.

This exactly.... we are among those clubs who genuinely cherish the glory days. Us fans will moan about performance, transport, signings, prices etc, but we know our place in the pecking order...... unlike certain clubs mentioned above, I fir one do not expect anything much beyond where we are.... a trophy would be nice, but I won't castigate the club if we don't get one.

 

[Pavilionaire]

I think Bloom needs to consider how to deal with ongoing positive spin-off from our model, which is large net transfer cash inflows.

If he starts spending the money on the likes of Dewsbury-Hall he breaks the model of top kids for £10-£15 mill with big sell-on potential. And if he starts paying much bigger wages to keep our stars he breaks our wage structure.

Yet if he DOESN'T spend this surplus cash he risks losing his managers to bigger clubs AND he risks losing a proportion of fans who will see us as existing ostensibly to feed the Champions League clubs.

 

[Originunknown]

I wouldn't be impressed if we got relegated from the Championship into League one, "turn" is too strong. What are you on about, of course we will continue to sell players.

 

[drew]

I don't think the policy is buy cheap sell big per se, it's about the overriding goal of being sustainable. Buying cheap, selling big is just one part of that. A good academy is another cog in the wheel as is robust succession planning. The more sustainable we are the morel likely that we are able to bring in the likes of Dewsbury-Hall.

 

[mile oak]

There will always be some that turn but i think the questions with all due respects is invakid vecasue

…because our model is to sell best players and managers (not that we have any choice realistically, but it will frustrate)

I’m just wondering when this will lead to spectacular sense of entitlement perhaps from some quarters? Or are we more grounded than more massive clubs like Wednesday and Leeds?

Er we are bigger than SW and LU. Why would fans turn never had it so good. Players leave and we get better in whats not to like?

 

[portlock seagull]

Er we are bigger than SW and LU. Why would fans turn never had it so good. Players leave and we get better in whats not to like?

Er, are you new to NSC?! Wooooosh

 

[macbeth]

there’s nothing we can really do about bigger clubs coming for our staff other than try and resist as long as possible, so may as well enjoy the aspects outside of that, such as celebrating each win and qualifying for europe etc.

only way i’d conceivably be disappointed is looking back on twenty years or however long and feeling like we didn’t make the most of our ‘golden age’. for example, with this being our first season in europe, i think Mac and Caicedo could’ve been replaced better

 

[Official Old Man]

When all of us NSC old codger types have died and all that's left is people who can't remember what we've been though. 5 years

Speak for yourself. I reckon I'm good for at least 20 more years. My Mum is 89 and Dad died at 85

 

[Normal Rob]

Speak for yourself. I reckon I'm good for at least 20 more years. My Mum is 89 and Dad died at 85

My family's track record (males) is not that strong...

 

[portlock seagull]

Can I push back a little on the concept of 'this is our model'? That does imply we actively seek out sales of our best players. Whereas we actively tried to keep Cucurella and Caicedo before the offers got too big to turn down, and in the cases of Bissouma, Trossard and MacAllister they had each given us over three years of service, wanted to move up in the game and went with our blessing. I'm sure if any of those three wanted to sign a new contract we'd have happily given them one. Perhaps only White is an example of us trying to generate income through a player sale (home grown player, big FFP bonus).

Maybe things would be different without the chelsea millions, but we do feel quite in control of our sales, rather than being led by a model.

RDZ paraphrase, that’s all. We must accept etc. You might as well say it’s our model, it’s the model for just about everyone after all. We just do it better than most. But yes, when players come here there’s a sort of agreement we’ll let them go for the right price albeit not necessarily at the time of their liking eg January always a bit tricky for obvious reasons.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

there’s nothing we can really do about bigger clubs coming for our staff other than try and resist as long as possible, so may as well enjoy the aspects outside of that, such as celebrating each win and qualifying for europe etc.

only way i’d conceivably be disappointed is looking back on twenty years or however long and feeling like we didn’t make the most of our ‘golden age’. for example, with this being our first season in europe, i think Mac and Caicedo could’ve been replaced better

If FFP is starting to bite and hit spending by all PL clubs, will the bigger clubs still be able to afford to pay a fee that we will think is acceptable for our players, meaning we are more likely to be able to keep them.

 

[Eric Youngs Contact Lens]

Can I push back a little on the concept of 'this is our model'? That does imply we actively seek out sales of our best players. Whereas we actively tried to keep Cucurella and Caicedo before the offers got too big to turn down, and in the cases of Bissouma, Trossard and MacAllister they had each given us over three years of service, wanted to move up in the game and went with our blessing. I'm sure if any of those three wanted to sign a new contract we'd have happily given them one. Perhaps only White is an example of us trying to generate income through a player sale (home grown player, big FFP bonus).

Maybe things would be different without the chelsea millions, but we do feel quite in control of our sales, rather than being led by a model.

Agree wholeheartedly.. our model is more subtle than simply sell on, however I accept that with such a great couple of seasons, more of our players appear to be attractive to other clubs. The nuance for me is simply that coming to us needn't be a rate-limiting factor on your personal ambitions, in fact we aim to enhance them until we can't afford them. The risk you take as a player is that if a silly bid comes in, we may look at that depending on the financial situation at the time. If Billy Gilmour wants to stay with us for 5 years + he can, but he will have to prioritise the club's needs above his own ambitions assuming he continues to play at the levels he is now showing. We are just open and transparent on the realities of it (and the frustrations that others outside the club and in some parts of the media seem keen for us to feel ), and our refusal to lose control through release clauses etc. helps sustain that approach.

 

[Gully Forever]

IF RDZ moves on as a result of not being happy, I would turn.

 

[Justice]

Simples the new fans post Amex era might have a moan the older fans never as we have lived through a whole lot worse than selling some pre Madonna I want more money footballer.

 

[CaptainDaveUK]

As long as Bloom is chairman the fans will never turn, even if we got relegated. No-one has come close to being able to do what he has done for their local team, apart from arguably Jack Walker at Blackburn, but that was a different era.

 

[Gully Forever]

As long as Bloom is chairman the fans will never turn, even if we got relegated. No-one has come close to being able to do what he has done for their local team, apart from arguably Jack Walker at Blackburn, but that was a different era.

Don't be so sure, Fans enjoy success. As much as everyone loves where tony and the board has gotten us.
IF RDZ left for Manure and took mitoma and others with him. it could all start going very wrong. successful Succession is not guaranteed.

 

[Saladpack Seagull]

I'd be stunned if a minority didn't turn, if you have the misfortune to see a lot of Albion twitter you can find a lot of negativity and some entitlement.

The vast majority thought I'd expect to keep the faith with the club. I am now resigned to losing players and mangers that we have brought to prominence and whose value we have increased. I also have faith in Bloom and Barber to still produce the goods though. The days of me wailing and gnashing my teeth at the exit of a beloved player are long gone, for the time being this is the way for us and I accept it.

Totally agree. Players and managers come and go - only the fans are in it for life.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Simples the new fans post Amex era might have a moan the older fans never as we have lived through a whole lot worse than selling some pre Madonna I want more money footballer.

Saving that one for future use

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

pre Madonna

That's a great one. I will use that one myself.