Brighton's path to success

Pundits have stopped being amazed by Brighton and are now giving them full credit for their exciting play and their ability to spot talent as key players depart.

Owner Tony Bloom discussed  the longevity of a model which defies logic: Brighton & Hove Albion get better while selling their best players.  Bloom is a lifelong Brighton supporter, as well as the owner and chairman.

“Our aim, naturally, is to carry on sustaining it for a long time to come,” says the owner-chairman. “But I can’t guarantee anything and we know how competitive and tough the Premier League is.

“Every year, three teams get relegated, so you can finish in the top half as some teams have for three, four, five, 10 years, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have one bad season and get relegated, or have a really bad season and get close.

“What we’re going to try to do every season is to be as competitive as we can, look upwards, accepting that we will have some bad times and some bad seasons and we’ve got to hope that when that happens we still finish in the top 17.”

Bloom is not perturbed by departures. The narrative of Brighton players and staff being in high demand is now familiar. “I don’t try to worry too much about difficult situations,” he says. “I just plan as much as we can.

The Chelsea ‘relationship’

Nobody appears to like what is happening at Bloom’s Brighton more than Chelsea. Ten players and staff have departed to Stamford Bridge over the past 13 months, at a cost to Chelsea of more than £225million in transfer fees and compensation payments.

Bloom removes emotions from the relationship with Chelsea. “We take each situation on its own merits and each one is separate,” he says. “When Graham went, that was six of our staff all in one go, but we just look at it all individually and every deal is a separate deal and the fact it happens to be one club is the way it is.

“It’s possible over the next two or three years that we have no dealings with Chelsea. So, for me, it’s not personal at all and each individual deal I’ve got to do what’s best for the football club first and foremost.

“If other clubs are interested in our head coaches, staff, players, I much prefer it that way than no one’s looking at any of our players or staff. So, we’re doing something very right. We do everything we can to keep our best players, but we know in the way of the world that won’t always be the case.”

I have a number of friends who are Seagulls and, as a neutral  in the Premier League, I enjoy watching them.  British benefactors who bring success to their club are rare indeed.   It's not that long ago that they were placing home matches at Gillingham and then at an athletics stadium.  Clubs in the doldruns should take heart.