It’s back! The most weird and wonderful event of the Brighton & Hove Albion supporting year returned for 2024 with the annual Fans’ Forum at the Amex Stadium.
For those unfamiliar with the evening, Paul Barber OBE is joined by the current head coach and occasionally Tony Bloom for an hour of questioning from Seagulls supporters.
Important issues like the wine selection at the Amex, leaving two men up from corners and broken toilets in the East Stand Upper ladies are discussed.
In 2022, disgruntled fan Dave even composed a five-minute long poem which he then read out, criticising the club for charging him extra to have a physical season ticket card.
Graham Potter absolutely loved it, clapping his hands as Dave finished his sonnet. Barber in contrast grinned awkwardly, but you could tell inside he was seething.
Sadly, there was no Dave nor any sort of poem at the Brighton Fans’ Forum 2024, the first Fabian Hurzeler had experienced. Here is our round up of the highlights.
Barber and Hurzeler were told fans were desperate for another European adventure and asked if the bar had been set by qualifying for the Europa League?
No pressure then, Herr Hurzeler! The head coach looked a little daunted initially before Barber took the lead. He hailed European qualification as a milestone in the club’s history and said the Albion had received a lot of praise for the way they competed and the behaviour of supporters abroad.
Hurzeler said he could see a lot of potential and has a lot of trust in the squad. He hopes it will be a season to remember. Don’t we all.
A young Brighton fan was next up. He asked Hurzeler if we should expect a similar or different style of play to Roberto De Zerbi?
Hurzeler said good question and applauded the young chap. He said he wanted to build on what De Zerbi had done by adding more energy.
Energy on the pitch translates to energy in the stands, creating an atmosphere that no opposition teams wants to come and play in.
We wish Hurzeler the best with that when the Amex is half empty for a Sunday lunchtime kick off on Mother’s Day against Nottingham Forest.
Hurzeler added that his philosophy was to find a balance between defensive stability and dominating and controlling the game.
Another young man was up next, asking a question to Barber on behalf of his mum. What could the club do to help supporters with autism who might struggle in crowds to meet the players?
Barber said the club host different events through the year in different environments for young fans to meet the players.
He advised the chap to contact supporter services and let them know what he needed. The club would then do everything it could to make that dream come alive.
Host Johnny Cantor was suitably impressed by the young man’s first question to allow him to break the rules of the Fans’ Forum and ask a second. Did Hurzeler feel the team were ready to face Everton on Saturday?
“Blunt, to the point, the way we like it,” said Cantor about that question. Watch out Johnny, this bloke might take your job in a few years!
Hurzeler was equally blunt and to the point with his answer. Smiling, he said: “A quick yes we are.”
A woman was up next, welcoming Hurzeler and saying she hoped there would be less injuries this season. She asked Barber if there would be an opportunity for Brighton fans to say goodbye to Pascal Gross?
This question drew cheers and applause from the audience. Barber said he hoped so but that Dortmund now control Gross’ diary.
He added that Gross is keen to come back and say goodbye in the right way but that it relies on his schedule with Dortmund to work for the Albion.
A man wearing a flat cap and drinking a pint of Moretti was up next. He had noticed that Hurzeler is a heavily tattooed man and asked whether the new head coach would get a tattoo of a Seagull when Brighton do the double over Crystal Palace this season?
15 minutes in and 2024 finally delivered some of the inane bollocks that makes a Brighton Fans’ Forum. Hurzeler said beating Palace was one of the first wishes and expectations from Tony Bloom.
With regards the tattoo, Hurzeler wanted to talk to the man in private about it. Sounds like a bloody good night out.
Hurzeler went onto reveal that he had attended the Albion’s 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park last December in the away end.
Gross passed on a complimentary ticket to Hurzeler, meaning it now makes sense why Der Kaiser left this summer.
Rather than hit Gross with the standard punishment of a 10 game ban and loyalty point deduction for sharing an away ticket, the club sold him to Dortmund.
It was then back to football sadly. Barber was asked at what point in the hiring process did the Albion realise they wanted Hurzeler?
Barber said the recruitment process was different compared to replacing Potter with De Zerbi as the club had more time.
The club were aware of his achievements and of course his age. But within a few minutes of meeting Hurzeler, all of Barber, Bloom and David Weir were impressed to the point they had the feeling this was their man.
Another young fan asked Hurzeler if he had a favourite player yet?
Hurzeler laughed nervously. He then said it was a team game and he does not yet have a favourite player. But maybe he will after Everton.
Supporters giving highly-paid professional managers advice is always a highlight of these events. One man told Hurzeler he did not agree with some of the starting XIs named by previous head coaches, who rested players to the bench rather than playing their strongest team. It led to the Albion trying to play catch up. Would Hurzeler name his best side and try and win games in the first half?
Hurzeler looked extremely bemused by what came across as almost a lecture from an elderly man with a white beard to a head coach who has just won the Bundesliga 2 title with St Pauli.
Starting well is important, said Hurzeler. But a game lasts 90 minutes and with a large squad, substitutions can make a difference.
If a player comes on and scores a winning goal in the 89th minute, Hurzeler will be happy.
The next question came from a man who started by describing Fabrizio Romano as a pain in the backside. He then said he understood why the club don’t comment on transfer speculation, before asking the club directly to comment on transfer speculation around Billy Gilmour being frozen out and sold to Napoli?
“He isn’t and he’s not,” replied Barber. “Good,” said the man in response. “There you go,” added Cantor.
The Brighton Fans’ Forum 2024 was fast becoming dominated by young fans. Another excellent question put to Hurzeler was how he planned to overcome being younger than several of his players?
Hurzeler laughed and said he heard this question a lot. He said he was a young man but not a young coach, having been doing the job at different levels over 10 years.
He said he leads the squad by friendly authority, using the power of ideas to convince the players.
Next came a question about style. Brighton had pressed relentlessly against Villarreal. Did Hurzeler think his side could do that for an entire Premier League season without tiring and against the bigger teams?
Hurzeler said philosophy and style were important. He did not want Brighton to hide from any team in the Premier League. They would be respectful but confident enough to keep their identity against whoever they play.
Later in the Brighton Fans’ Forum 2024 and another supporter asked Hurzeler whether he had concerns about introducing his high intensity style to a squad which suffered so many injury problems last season.
Hurzeler said there were many reasons why injuries occurred. He trusted the new Albion medical team to help him make the right decisions and said the lack of injuries so far was a sign of a step forward.
A man introduced himself as a member of the North Stand Kollective, season ticket holder and vocal during games. He asked Barber for the three things he finds most disappointing at the moment about the Albion.
“Most successful period in the club’s history so not too much is the honest answer,” responded Barber.
Cantor then asked Barber about the prospect of Premier League games abroad. Barber confirmed it was not something the Albion would vote for, which drew more applause from the audience.
There was a somewhat rambling question which ultimately amounted to asking Hurzeler when he told the players who was in the starting XI for the game?
Hurzeler said there were different processes. He likes to announce the squad early, at least a day before so the players know what is happening.
He tries to be honest with his players as they are people with feelings, not just an attacker whose purpose is to score goals or a defender to keep them out.
Such honesty helps the players improve and push themselves to become better.
Hurzeler was the subject of the next question for Barber. The CEO was asked whether the club had increased the budget covering manager’s fines in light of Hurzeler’s somewhat colourful history at St Pauli?
Said budget presumably had already gone up ten-fold when the fiery De Zerbi replaced geography teacher Graham at the helm.
Barber enjoyed the question, saying Hurzeler only got eight yellows in 2023-24. The club looked into each card during the recruitment process.
Hurzeler was open enough to explain what each one was for in detail. Due diligence has clearly been done to ensure Brighton do not appoint a total madman.
Barber was asked if the club could scrap the Player of the Season Award in light of the winner always leaving within 12 months?
“You vote for him, not us!” said Barber in response. The campaign for Mahmoud Dahoud to be Brighton Player of the Year 2024-25 starts here.
The next question came from a bloke who gave a couple of minutes worth of praise about how the club was run. He then asked ‘Tony’ to share one thing he intends to do this season which is brave, interesting and surprising?
Barber started by confirming that he was in fact Paul and not Tony. He believes appointing Hurzeler is brave because a lot of clubs in the Premier League would have gone for an older manager with more experience.
A young lady asked Barber what the latest was surrounding the Albion’s hopes of building a new stadium for Brighton Women?
Barber said the club were getting nearer to identifying where they wanted their WSL specific stadium, which was as close to the Amex as possible.
It would be a stadium designed for female athletes with the aim of pushing Brighton Women into the top four of the WSL and competing in Europe.
Hurzeler was asked if he would continue to push young players like Jack Hinshelwood and Evan Ferguson into the first team squad?
Hurzeler said he believe quality is more important than age. The Albion are known for their academy and giving opportunities and Hurzeler wants to continue that.
Lastly, a supported who wanted to know whether Hurzeler would take the League Cup seriously so he could book train tickets?
Hurzeler said that reaching the quarter finals of the German Cup with St Pauli last season was a great experience.
He felt cup competitions are a chance to learn and achieve success because they are 50-50 and anything can happen.
Hurzeler finished by saying he couldn’t promise anything though and that the man should do what he had to do booking his own train ticket.
Spoken like a true German.
