Fair play or I’m All Right Jack?

There has been some controversy over the price of tickets for the FA Cup games at The Amex recently. The upcoming 4th round game is priced at the same level as the game against Newcastle and Albion chief executive, Paul Barber, has been conspicuously visible justifying the cost of these tickets. The revelation that the club have an £8 million deficit from last year and a similar one for this year put this into perspective. The fans of Premier League teams coming to The Amex are paying roughly half what Manchester City fans had to pay to watch their side play at the Emirates so the fiscal argument is complicated.

The £8 million deficit figure is best explained within the context of the Financial Fair Play (FFS) rules which Albion are compelled to follow. Is this such a bad thing? The deficit is manageable within a Championship budget as long as the gap between deficit and costs is closing, something that Paul Barber has been charged with achieving. One big shirt sponsorship would certainly go a long way to bringing this figure down and Paul Barber was involved in bringing a multi-million pound shirt sponsorship deal with Mansion to Spurs, which also explains why Mr Bloom appointed him. Season ticket price rises, which haven’t risen much despite a move to a £100 million stadium which is rare these days, are coming no doubt.

The club though, appears to be well run, certainly better run than clubs like Blackburn and Leeds United – so called ‘bigger’ clubs. And perhaps, here lies the point. The Albion are in a better position to be strengthened by FFS than other clubs and its best interests are certainly served by its implementation. The bottom line is that the club needs to reduce losses. Let’s hope that in a time of economic difficulty they do this sensitively and with an eye on what got us all here in the first place: fans and club working together.
Words: Mark Brailsford

Photo: Paul Hazlewood

Albion’s ‘Runningman’ launches world record attempt

Dan Lawson is no stranger to remarkable feats of physical endurance, but even by his own standards, his latest attempt at defying the laws of running will take some doing.

The 39 year old from Hove has announced plans to beat the world record for the greatest distance run in a week on a treadmill to raise money for Albion In The Community. The current record stands at 520 miles and to beat it he will have to run the equivalent of 20 marathons, nearly three a day. There will be little time for sleep and recovery as Dan is expected to run non-stop for around 14 hours a day.

The record attempt will take place at Brighton’s Jubilee Square starting on Saturday 9 March as part of Brighton City Council’s ‘Spring into Health’ event, finishing seven days later hours before Albion’s big clash with Crystal Palace at the Amex Stadium.

Dan, who works for AITC’s health department, is hoping that he will not be alone during the week-long run. He is urging Albion fans, businesses and the public to play their part in helping him beat the record and also raise money for AITC.

Companies can register to secure a day of ten, one-hour slots for employees to run alongside Dan. Each runner will need to raise a minimum of £100 in sponsorship money for AITC. Slots will also be available to Albion fans to raise money as part of a special Albion fans’ day during the week.

Companies interested in getting employers to take part in the event should contact Barry McLaughlin on 07855 264 416,
or email barry.mclaughlin@albion inthecommunity.org.uk