“I was wondering what your opinion is on the lack of clarity from other Premier League clubs. What do they have to hide?”

Not my question. Rather one which came my way from a follower on Twitter last week.

Another week of no football due to coronavirus.

And another week of Albion leading the way in terms of communication during this most confusing of times.

The Seagulls have consistently put their news and opinions out there during the Covid-19 crisis.

Paul Barber was the first to “break ranks” as one report put it when he revealed and explained Albion’s opposition to the idea of playing at neutral stadia.

Aston Villa, Watford and Norwich followed but there were ten teams keeping quiet at the time yet willing to speak against neutral stadia when Premier League clubs met.

But it’s a good question. Do other clubs have something to hide?

No, probably not. It is understood there are one or two who enjoy keeping others guessing as to which way they will go on a particular issue.

But the lack of communication around the league probably stems from a feeling of - Why talk when you don’t have to?

Why give a press conference when there is no contractual obligation?

Why stop to talk to reporters as you walk through the players’ interview area after a game when it is not compulsory?

Albion have generally taken the opposite standpoint.

And that has been brought more sharply into focus during these football-free days when no one has to talk but we all want to know what is going to happen.

Albion’s willingness to communicate seems to annoy some people and has been viewed as getting in excuses.

Their willingness to reveal a positive Covid-19 test nine days ago was viewed by some cynics as “convenient”. But it was just a case of reporting a fact - and they will keep talking.

“We certainly didn’t set out to have the biggest share of voice, Barber said.

Albion’s deputy chairman and chief executive believes a crisis such as this is a time to, if anything, over-communicate.

He has experience of sport in North America, where sports clubs and individuals are perhaps more open to the media.

And he can recall doing the sort of media conferences via video link we see from Albion now during days criss-crossing the USA and Canada with Vancouver Whitecaps.

Asked about Albion’s approach, he said: “We didn’t know what other clubs were going to do.

“We didn’t know whether we would be the only ones doing it or everyone would do it “I think all we’ve tried to do all the way through is just simply be honest and transparent and to be frank.

“Through the media, we have been able to put our point of view across.

“Whether people like it or don’t like it, or agree with it or don’t agree with it, who knows?

“We understand that we’re not the Oracle on these matters. We’ve just got a point of view and it’s our point of view.

“What it has done has helped us with our fans and with our sponsors.

“You know, we get hundreds of emails a week, asking us the questions that you guys ask us and so it gives us an opportunity through a range of different media organisations to answer those questions.

“But we haven’t set out to dominate the airwaves in any way, shape or form.

“Everybody’s view is as valid as ours and in some cases it could be more valid so we’re grateful for this opportunity and we’re glad that we’ve done it.

“I don’t think we any of us expected that we would be sitting here for two months doing this!

“But we’ve done it and we’ve also done our fans’ groups the same way. We’ve done our staff meetings like this, too.”

Barber describes those staff meetings ‘attended’ by about 300 people, as “fun to do”.

Plenty of employees of companies across the country will have been involved in similar meetings.

Albion are rightly proud of the fact they have made about 3,000 calls to vulnerable fans, In some cases, players, coaches or directors have agreed to call back because the person they are calling is out in the garden.

Other clubs have also been impressively active in the community.

But only Albion and Sheffield United have given remote media conferences.

Glenn Murray has had as high a profile as any Prem player during the Covid-19 shutdown and his honest approach has earned a lot of respect – though, of course, not always agreement.

Graham Potter, Dan Ashworth and Tony Bloom have appeared at the Thursday afternoon media sessions.

Often clips from these sessions are spread out across the week by, for example, TalkSPORT, giving Albion a more sustained media presence.

It is not how other clubs do it and the fact Albion are viewed as having a lot to say for themselves seems to grate with some fans around the country.

But they would not appear to be saying so much if those other clubs were doing the same.

One wonders how the whole neutral stadia thing would have played out had opposition not been spelt out so clearly before clubs got together to talk.

There are some huge clubs in the Premier League but, in terms of vote and debates, none is bigger than any other.

Barber said: “We haven’t set out to be the dominant voice. it has just been a by-product of what we’ve done. I think most people in football would know that we’re a very open club.

“We’re pretty transparent in everything we do.

“You know we’re not seeking to get any kind of edge from what we do, we’re just simply trying to be as honest and as open as we can.

“We try and be balanced and we try and be reasonable in everything we say.

“As I said from the start on this, our position will always be first and foremost, what’s good for Brighton, because that’s our responsibility and our job.

“I would also hope that whatever decisions we reach will have also got some goodness in them for the league itself, and also for the wider game.

“Without the wider game, none of us would be here anyway.”