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  • "
    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!"
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Seagulls won't gamble to reach Premier League

5:00pm Tuesday 19th June 2012 in Sport By Andy Naylor

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

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