Seagulls won't gamble to reach Premier League

Tony Bloom says Albion's budget will be "extremely competitive" Tony Bloom says Albion's budget will be "extremely competitive"

Tony Bloom has pledged Albion will never gamble beyond their means to reach the Premier League while he is chairman.

But he has revealed there will be some flexibility for manager Gus Poyet in an “extremely competitive” Championship budget.

The Seagulls cannot match the wages for players paid by a number of their rivals, especially those clubs cushioned by parachute payments following relegation from the Premier League.

And Bloom is not prepared to break the bank in pursuit of the Premier League riches.

He told The Argus: “It is very, very difficult for any club in the Championship to make ends meet. We are no exception to that. Hardly any club in the Championship can break even, except perhaps the ones with parachute payments, although they inherit huge liabilities with player contracts.

“It’s not easy, so again we will stick to the budget structure we have, but within that it still gives us opportunities of bringing in some very good players.

“We are never going to gamble beyond our means. With myself as chairman there is absolutely zero chance of that. There will be times when we may have to slightly go outside an area, so there will be a time to gamble, but that will be done in a controlled manner, not out of desperation, but by weighing up the situation at that particular time.

“I think it’s important for fans to be realistic and understand where we are at. Particularly at times last season when we were doing really well, certain people – not many – may have thought we could quite easily get into the play-offs and may finish in the top two.

“The top six was always possible. Any more than that was totally unrealistic. I think this season, with the financial fair play hitting in, outside of the clubs with parachute payments who will obviously have a big head start on us, we are extremely competitive.”

Read the full story plus an interview with new chief executive Paul Barber and all the fixtures for next season in The Argus today

Comments(23)

falmer seagull says...
5:22pm Tue 19 Jun 12

Very reassuring that the club will be run as a sound financial business!

HOVEPARKRESIDENT says...
5:23pm Tue 19 Jun 12

I guess it all sounds very sensible but you need to invest in the squad if only to protect Championship status.

ballantrrae says...
5:28pm Tue 19 Jun 12

Can't fault TB's reasoning, very sensible.
When we do reach the Premiership it will be infinately better to have done so with a sound financial platform. Then any share of the latest TV deal will impact positively and the club will be able to recruit from strength.

Albion fan in London says...
5:31pm Tue 19 Jun 12

Sammy Ameobi and Kuszak are on the radar I gather...

Albion fan in London says...
5:33pm Tue 19 Jun 12

HOVEPARKRESIDENT wrote:
I guess it all sounds very sensible but you need to invest in the squad if only to protect Championship status.
Prefer it when you are aggressive and mugging people off , its much more entertaining!

Neville says...
5:36pm Tue 19 Jun 12

Unusual for a known gambler not to gamble lol

Tony the tiger eastbourne says...
5:42pm Tue 19 Jun 12

Sensible comments from a top guy!!!

FC Inter ya Nan says...
5:49pm Tue 19 Jun 12

Albion fan in London wrote:
Sammy Ameobi and Kuszak are on the radar I gather...
i'll get my shirt printed then

fratsomrover says...
5:53pm Tue 19 Jun 12

How lucky we are to have such a level headed and sensible chairman. I'd hate the club to become the plaything of some foreign billionaire, I'm more than content for TB to run the show knowing he is ambitious but also realistic and would never risk ruining the club his family have been associated with for so long. We'll get there, I'm sure of that. Already we have had a season to savour with a brand of football we have not seen for decades. It's exciting, entertaining and we are competitive and I for one would be delighted to experience the same kind of season this year as we did last year. Sure, I hope we can improve on our finishing position, but I'm happy to see the club consolidate its position as serious play-off contenders and if we can manage that, then brilliant. I'd rather support my team with TB and Gus at the helm than a side owned by an Indian chicken magnate or a wide boy like Harry Redknapp in charge.

bruce beckett says...
5:56pm Tue 19 Jun 12

Neville says...
5:36pm Tue 19 Jun 12

Unusual for a known gambler not to gamble lol

Very good point, Neville. Enough off this rubbish. It's time for Tony to take the plunge and go ALL IN to get us to the Premier League.

bruce beckett says...
5:56pm Tue 19 Jun 12

Or even "enough of". Excuse the typo.

Rhodes Seagull says...
6:16pm Tue 19 Jun 12

Understand where Mr Bloom is coming from but he obviously must no that in any business you have to speculate to accumulate but that also means speculate when the time is right to do so.
I am sure both Gus and Mr Bloom have had many meetings on the subject of whom they hope to bring in and they are the ones who make the decisions and control the money. Just as supporters we are like someone stated earlier like children at Christmas wondering what we are to get.
Wish Christmas would come a little faster!!!!!

Captain Haddock says...
7:04pm Tue 19 Jun 12

Glad - but not surprised! - to hear it. Sound, careful, calculated but ambitious....just the ticket!

Captain Haddock says...
7:06pm Tue 19 Jun 12

FC Inter ya Nan wrote:
Albion fan in London wrote:
Sammy Ameobi and Kuszak are on the radar I gather...
i'll get my shirt printed then
Check the spellings first! ;0)

davidinsouthampton says...
7:06pm Tue 19 Jun 12

I am not a gambler, but understand that professional gamblers earn a living by gambling on hot favourites at short odds. if there are any "gambles" taken, won't they then be decisions where the risk is minimal. If one does pay over the odds, one wants to be fairly sure that they would deliver. Paying well outside any existing pay structure for somebody who might spend half the season injured is not on.... and that isn't getting at any particular rumours or prospects.

Captain Haddock says...
7:08pm Tue 19 Jun 12

fratsomrover wrote:
How lucky we are to have such a level headed and sensible chairman. I'd hate the club to become the plaything of some foreign billionaire, I'm more than content for TB to run the show knowing he is ambitious but also realistic and would never risk ruining the club his family have been associated with for so long. We'll get there, I'm sure of that. Already we have had a season to savour with a brand of football we have not seen for decades. It's exciting, entertaining and we are competitive and I for one would be delighted to experience the same kind of season this year as we did last year. Sure, I hope we can improve on our finishing position, but I'm happy to see the club consolidate its position as serious play-off contenders and if we can manage that, then brilliant. I'd rather support my team with TB and Gus at the helm than a side owned by an Indian chicken magnate or a wide boy like Harry Redknapp in charge.
Hear hear! Top posting sir!

Captain Haddock says...
7:10pm Tue 19 Jun 12

Rhodes Seagull wrote:
Understand where Mr Bloom is coming from but he obviously must no that in any business you have to speculate to accumulate but that also means speculate when the time is right to do so.
I am sure both Gus and Mr Bloom have had many meetings on the subject of whom they hope to bring in and they are the ones who make the decisions and control the money. Just as supporters we are like someone stated earlier like children at Christmas wondering what we are to get.
Wish Christmas would come a little faster!!!!!
And that's what the kids say! :0D

Gabbafella says...
7:12pm Tue 19 Jun 12

bruce beckett wrote:
Neville says... 5:36pm Tue 19 Jun 12 Unusual for a known gambler not to gamble lol Very good point, Neville. Enough off this rubbish. It's time for Tony to take the plunge and go ALL IN to get us to the Premier League.
Yeah because it's not like he's already invested tens of millions into the stadium, soon to be built training facilities and player transfers!
Some of you seem to expect overnight success because we are now headed in the right direction, what you seem to forget is with overnight success comes massive amounts of debt, do you really want us to do a Pompey, spend money we don't have and end up in administration all for the sake of impatiently wanting premiership status?!
I'm as happy as a pig in the brown stuff that we have such a level headed businessman running things and making sure our beloved club has a bright future ahead.

Captain Haddock says...
7:13pm Tue 19 Jun 12

Now then....come on England! Time to secure that QF spot. If it's the Spanish, so be it!

smegbuster says...
7:47pm Tue 19 Jun 12

bruce beckett wrote:
Neville says...
5:36pm Tue 19 Jun 12

Unusual for a known gambler not to gamble lol

Very good point, Neville. Enough off this rubbish. It's time for Tony to take the plunge and go ALL IN to get us to the Premier League.
Neville: Read the article again, and you'll see that TB is preared to gamble, but is going to be clever about it. TB is a SUCCESSFUL gambler. He will not "tilt" as Bruce is trying to encourage him to do. He knows how to play the odds: when to take a risk and when to play it safe.

Albion fan in London says...
11:03pm Tue 19 Jun 12

Captain Haddock wrote:
FC Inter ya Nan wrote:
Albion fan in London wrote:
Sammy Ameobi and Kuszak are on the radar I gather...
i'll get my shirt printed then
Check the spellings first! ;0)
One down ;) Imagine Ameobu and Mckail -Smythe upfront awesome

Saul G P Tong says...
12:27pm Wed 20 Jun 12

bruce beckett wrote:
Neville says... 5:36pm Tue 19 Jun 12 Unusual for a known gambler not to gamble lol Very good point, Neville. Enough off this rubbish. It's time for Tony to take the plunge and go ALL IN to get us to the Premier League.
I doubt very much that Tony Bloom got to where he is today by going ALL IN.....

Tony the tiger eastbourne says...
4:49pm Wed 20 Jun 12

Albion fan in London wrote:
Captain Haddock wrote:
FC Inter ya Nan wrote:
Albion fan in London wrote:
Sammy Ameobi and Kuszak are on the radar I gather...
i'll get my shirt printed then
Check the spellings first! ;0)
One down ;) Imagine Ameobu and Mckail -Smythe upfront awesome
Good thing we haven't got a player named after that bloody place in Wales then!! Something bloody gig god or what ever its call. Have that printed on the back of your shirt. It would cost more than your shirt would!!

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