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Post by onesteviekindon on Dec 25, 2023 8:18:16 GMT 1
Promoted to the Premier League the same season as us, but there the comparison ends! How they have since established themselves is nothing short of incredible.
For decades they struggled in the third tier, plying their trade in a run down shared stadium in front of meagre crowds. I can even remember us putting seven past them on one particular occasion.
Just look at them now, a real force to be reckoned with and I bet even the top teams in the country are nervous about playing them either home or away. It just shows that even for a club like ours anything is possible. I can't help but feel very envious but well done Brighton, an awesome achievement.
Merry Christmas everyone...
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Post by Torquayterrier on Dec 25, 2023 8:56:54 GMT 1
There's certainly no comparison in how much money their owners spent compared with ours.
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Post by DeepSpace on Dec 25, 2023 9:22:16 GMT 1
Brighton's average attendance now is over 30K, it's not that many years ago they struggled to find 5 or 6K. Now either that's a good example of how to build a club very quickly, or there's a lot of fairweather fans (we all have them) that might suddenly vanish if things get tough.
I can't help wondering though where the other 25,000 were when they were crap.
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Post by Walton-on-the-Hill Terrier on Dec 25, 2023 9:38:20 GMT 1
Brighton's average attendance now is over 30K, it's not that many years ago they struggled to find 5 or 6K. Now either that's a good example of how to build a club very quickly, or there's a lot of fairweather fans (we all have them) that might suddenly vanish if things get tough. I can't help wondering though where the other 25,000 were when they were crap. The potential for good support was always there for Brighton. I went to a game at the Goldstone in 1979 when there was 32k there. The Withdean stadium only ever held about 8k anyway. Their fans are no more fair weather than Town’s are. |
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Post by kennyk2 on Dec 25, 2023 9:45:15 GMT 1
Didn't we have a similar thread about a week ago? Up to our promotion season when we were vying with them and Newcastle for the top two, their owner had ploughed £450 million into the club.
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Post by DeepSpace on Dec 25, 2023 9:48:48 GMT 1
Brighton's average attendance now is over 30K, it's not that many years ago they struggled to find 5 or 6K. Now either that's a good example of how to build a club very quickly, or there's a lot of fairweather fans (we all have them) that might suddenly vanish if things get tough. I can't help wondering though where the other 25,000 were when they were crap. The potential for good support was always there for Brighton. I went to a game at the Goldstone in 1979 when there was 32k there. The Withdean stadium only ever held about 8k anyway. Their fans are no more fair weather than Town’s are. I did say we all have them...but our turnstile support didn't go up 5-fold when we reached the Prem. It didn't even do that if you compare Prem to L.2 (I'm comparing average crowds here). And how many times did the Withdean ever sell out over the years they were there? So 8K or 80K, capacity is largely irrelevant. I suspect that I've seen them play at the Withdean more than a good number or Amex regulars ever did. |
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Brighton
Dec 25, 2023 9:53:29 GMT 1
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Post by royrace on Dec 25, 2023 9:53:29 GMT 1
A very well run club with an owner (and this is the important bit) who is willing and able to pump in hundreds of millions without expecting any of it back.
Gone are the days of sustainable football clubs, I just hope our owner realises this
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Macduff
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Post by Macduff on Dec 25, 2023 9:55:05 GMT 1
I like grounds that feel to be part of the community, and while Brighton's ground is impressive (does it remind you of somewhere?) it feels remote from the city. Being a nearby resident I like to see them do well, especially against the bigger teams. Hoping for a bit of Christmas cheer tomorrow, I'm not in the club that would accept a defeat if it meant losing DM, although I can appreciate where they are coming from.
UTT
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Post by gledholt terrier on Dec 25, 2023 9:56:33 GMT 1
The potential for good support was always there for Brighton. I went to a game at the Goldstone in 1979 when there was 32k there. The Withdean stadium only ever held about 8k anyway. Their fans are no more fair weather than Town’s are. I did say we all have them...but our turnstile support didn't go up 5-fold when we reached the Prem. It didn't even do that if you compare Prem to L.2 (I'm comparing average crowds here). And how many times did the Withdean ever sell out over the years they were there? So 8K or 80K, capacity is largely irrelevant. I suspect that I've seen them play at the Withdean more than a good number or Amex regulars ever did. After 15 years of playing at Gillingham, the wholly inadequate Withdean and only staying in the League one year by virtue of goals scored, I’d imagine that the (fantastic) Amex stadium released a hell of a lot of pent up support (our average gate doubled in the new stadium, in relatively stable circumstances). I’m sure you are right that many who go now won’t have been on their nomadic journey in the 90s/00s but without any local rivals, a very prosperous area was just waiting to be exploited. |
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Brighton
Dec 25, 2023 10:04:28 GMT 1
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Post by Walton-on-the-Hill Terrier on Dec 25, 2023 10:04:28 GMT 1
I like grounds that feel to be part of the community, and while Brighton's ground is impressive (does it remind you of somewhere?) it feels remote from the city. Being a nearby resident I like to see them do well, especially against the bigger teams. Hoping for a bit of Christmas cheer tomorrow, I'm not in the club that would accept a defeat if it meant losing DM, although I can appreciate where they are coming from. UTT It’s well known that Town’s ground was the template Brighton used for when they built the Amex. It was mentioned in the programme more than once. I don’t agree that it feels remote from the city. Our son went to the university (Sussex) right next to the ground at the time it was being built and lived just down the valley in Moulescoomb. |
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Post by Teddington Ted on Dec 25, 2023 10:06:58 GMT 1
Huge catchment area in a (relatively) affluent region. The club was ripe for investment.
A lot went on the ground and, when you consider the sales they made in summer, that huge investment was offset by almost £200m in transfer income.
The squad probably holds the same value gain, so it could be argued that the £500m invested has been wisely spent.
We had 10% of their investment and have precisely bugger all to show for it, other than a longterm lease on a training complex.
We still don’t own or control our ground, have no tangible assets and the squad is worth about £8.
It’s like an even shitter version of Sliding Doors. Merry Christmas.
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Post by Big Ern on Dec 25, 2023 10:21:37 GMT 1
Didn't we have a similar thread about a week ago? Up to our promotion season when we were vying with them and Newcastle for the top two, their owner had ploughed £450 million into the club. Which due to FFP is a mystery how they got away with it |
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Post by HuddsTerrier on Dec 25, 2023 10:44:57 GMT 1
Both Brighton (Bloom) and Brentford (Benham) are owned by successful gamblers. These guys take data to the next level and while nothing is risk free they have built their careers on minimalising the risk. It's no fluke that both clubs get so many transfers right and flip players for £10m's
They also run off the pitch on another level. When Brighton went up they hired Dan Ashcroft as Director of Football - he's arguably the best DoF in the game. When he left they had contingencies and weren't harmed by the loss
Brentford also run super smoothly. Thomas Frank appointed from within after Dean Smith poached. Brentford also had a very highly regard DoF (Robert Rowan) who seemed to be a pioneer of new ideas (like the B Team). When he died the Brentford machine carried on
Both clubs - under their current owners - have also build new Stadiums. Brighton have built fantastic training facility now (built in the last few years) and Brentford are in the process of doing the same
Both Brentford and Brighton have such great leadership from their chairman and both are now in a very enviable position. People leave but the "machine" carries on and the infrastructure built means they have great foundations in place for the next 50 years
We made quarter of a billion pounds in the PL - so it could have been us!
However in the summer of 2018 we acted like a drunk who'd found the keys to the local brewery. We changed DoF three times in 2 years. We came down without a pot to piss in (Herbert Brockhorn our marque sigining in 2019), all the money spent, a squad full of mercenaries on big contracts who couldn't be arsed, a soon to be bankrupt owner, a manager totally out of his depth, a bizzare coaching team (Colin Bell anyone) and a Stadium that's also bust and has facilities that haven't changed in 30 years (i.e. the Conference Suit). Utter shambles
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Post by Teddington Ted on Dec 25, 2023 10:56:24 GMT 1
See also Swansea. They had it right for the best part of a decade…then they got bought, the new owners changed the ‘system’ and they are now just another club treading water in the Championship.
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Post by kennyk2 on Dec 25, 2023 10:56:50 GMT 1
Didn't we have a similar thread about a week ago? Up to our promotion season when we were vying with them and Newcastle for the top two, their owner had ploughed £450 million into the club. Which due to FFP is a mystery how they got away with it I think you mentioned that before... yes it is. |
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Post by Big Ern on Dec 25, 2023 11:02:31 GMT 1
Which due to FFP is a mystery how they got away with it I think you mentioned that before... yes it is. I thought this thread was like groundhog day so just continued the narrative |
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Post by softboy on Dec 25, 2023 11:28:25 GMT 1
A owner that has injected nearly £500m. Not sure we can expect KN to do the same. A ground that is nowhere near Brighton, like Town building there new stadium in Cleckheaton. Not for me, sorry. I prefer my local football team to be local!
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Post by themanfromatlantis on Dec 25, 2023 11:45:52 GMT 1
A very well run club with an owner (and this is the important bit) who is willing and able to pump in hundreds of millions without expecting any of it back. Gone are the days of sustainable football clubs, I just hope our owner realises this This ‘well run club’ thing. In conventional business, if an owner pumped in so much money for a negative return, they would get nobody investing in their company. Football is bonkers in that regard. Pumping in money for nil or negative return is not ‘well run’, it’s a pastime for a very wealthy individual/individuals. |
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joek
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Post by joek on Dec 25, 2023 19:49:59 GMT 1
Wouldn’t want to have to go to the Amex every week. Middle of nowhere, need to wait for the train, have to leave early to avoid getting stuck for ages after game. Easily one of my least favourite away days and wouldn’t want that experience as a home supporter.
Done well no doubt but don’t think we’re comparable given how much money went into them before our promotions together.
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aoftboy
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Brighton
Dec 25, 2023 23:14:46 GMT 1
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Post by aoftboy on Dec 25, 2023 23:14:46 GMT 1
The Brighton owner took the club out of Brighton and built a stadium in a village where I guess land was cheap, And is congratulated which is fair enough. Certainly one of the worst away days but at least you don’t have to go into Brighton (which is expensive) for your day/weekend away.
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Brighton
Dec 25, 2023 23:45:31 GMT 1
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Post by markthehorn on Dec 25, 2023 23:45:31 GMT 1
A very well run club with an owner (and this is the important bit) who is willing and able to pump in hundreds of millions without expecting any of it back. Gone are the days of sustainable football clubs, I just hope our owner realises this He is a big fan which helps and like you say isn’t going to walk out and demand his money back. Like Walker at Blackburn was or Steve Gibson with Boro to some extent . |
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Post by sapphireblue on Dec 26, 2023 0:57:29 GMT 1
The Brighton owner took the club out of Brighton and built a stadium in a village where I guess land was cheap, And is congratulated which is fair enough. Certainly one of the worst away days but at least you don’t have to go into Brighton (which is expensive) for your day/weekend away. You don't HAVE to go into Brighton, but it IS a bloody superb day/night out. And the ground can be as little as 17 mins on the train, including a walk, from Brighton station - hardly a hardship when you've gone 200 miles to get there. |
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Post by westislandterrier on Dec 26, 2023 1:44:49 GMT 1
A very well run club with an owner (and this is the important bit) who is willing and able to pump in hundreds of millions without expecting any of it back. Gone are the days of sustainable football clubs, I just hope our owner realises this I just think it’s ruining the game all these sugar daddy owners to be honest... The situation here in Scotland is utterly farcical indeed - two teams in the last FORTY BLOODY YEARS dominating the game and good clubs like Hearts, Hibernian, St.Mirren, St.Johnstone, Aberdeen, Kilmarnock, Dundee, Motherwell, Ross County & Livingston all wasting their time turning up knowing that they’ve not got a snowballs chance in hell of winning the Scottish Premier League title - The Scottish Premier League surely has to be the laughing stock of the whole of bloody Europe... I honestly just wish that Celtic and Rangers would just fcuk off to some European League and give some other good clubs a chance - But then you’d just get another Murray and McCann coming along and fcuking it up for the rest no doubt... However Brighton fans have been to hell and back and should enjoy it while they can ! |
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Post by DeepSpace on Dec 26, 2023 9:06:57 GMT 1
A very well run club with an owner (and this is the important bit) who is willing and able to pump in hundreds of millions without expecting any of it back. Gone are the days of sustainable football clubs, I just hope our owner realises this I just think it’s ruining the game all these sugar daddy owners to be honest... The situation here in Scotland is utterly farcical indeed - two teams in the last FORTY BLOODY YEARS dominating the game and good clubs like Hearts, Hibernian, St.Mirren, St.Johnstone, Aberdeen, Kilmarnock, Dundee, Motherwell, Ross County & Livingston all wasting their time turning up knowing that they’ve not got a snowballs chance in hell of winning the Scottish Premier League title - The Scottish Premier League surely has to be the laughing stock of the whole of bloody Europe... I honestly just wish that Celtic and Rangers would just fcuk off to some European League and give some other good clubs a chance - But then you’d just get another Murray and McCann coming along and fcuking it up for the rest no doubt... However Brighton fans have been to hell and back and should enjoy it while they can ! I have always had a soft spot in Scotland for East Fife & used to follow their message board (Away From The Numbers) until it disappeared. Being a wee club, I got to meet the chairman a couple of times on visits there & he used to bemoan how busloads of Rangers fans would disappear from Methil on a Saturday morning leaving them playing to a couple of hundred or so. When Rangers played them following their demotion, & inevitably sold out the ground including the bits where there were normally only ball boys, I think he put some brilliantly sarcastic comment in the local paper saying how delighted he was that the locals had discovered that they actually had their own football team & hoped that they might pop in now & again. |
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Brighton
Dec 26, 2023 11:29:31 GMT 1
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Post by drumriggend on Dec 26, 2023 11:29:31 GMT 1
Didn't we have a similar thread about a week ago? Up to our promotion season when we were vying with them and Newcastle for the top two, their owner had ploughed £450 million into the club. Also in the championship that season.. Aston Villa.. Wolves.. Brentford.. Leeds.. 🍻 |
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Post by kennyk2 on Dec 26, 2023 11:38:29 GMT 1
Didn't we have a similar thread about a week ago? Up to our promotion season when we were vying with them and Newcastle for the top two, their owner had ploughed £450 million into the club. Also in the championship that season.. Aston Villa.. Wolves.. Brentford.. Leeds.. 🍻 Amazing... miracles do sometimes happen. Talking of Villa... my favourite moment of the season (apart from the Schindler bit) |
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Brighton
Dec 26, 2023 11:44:04 GMT 1
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Post by drumriggend on Dec 26, 2023 11:44:04 GMT 1
Brilliant..
Hef with a 30 yard screamer..
Off his arse..
😂😂
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Brighton
Dec 28, 2023 22:17:33 GMT 1
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Post by onesteviekindon on Dec 28, 2023 22:17:33 GMT 1
Brighton destroying Spurs tonight. That could easily have been us!
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Brighton
Dec 28, 2023 23:13:16 GMT 1
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Post by Porrohman on Dec 28, 2023 23:13:16 GMT 1
Brighton destroying Spurs tonight. That could easily have been us! With a bit of luck at the end Spurs could've drawn and they had 4 full backs as a defence. |
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Post by impact on Dec 29, 2023 3:30:25 GMT 1
Brighton destroying Spurs tonight. That could easily have been us! If we had a billionaire owner who didn't mind how much we lost every year. |
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