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.
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