🎧Tony Bloom on Brighton's futurepublished at 14:34 BST
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In case you missed it, Brighton's owner Tony Bloom, has given a rare, wide-ranging interview discussing the club's journey, the challenges ahead, and his vision for the Seagulls' future.
From the continued growth of the club to navigating the demands of the Premier League, Bloom offers candid insight into what lies ahead for Brighton both on and off the pitch.
Catch the full conversation on the latest episode of the Albion Unlimited podcast, along with Johnny Cantor and read much of his comments below on the posts below.
Listen to every Brighton game live on BBC Radio Sussex, with all the build-up and full commentary with Johnny Cantor and Warren Aspinall, and there is a full preview of all Seagulls' matches on Fridays at 18:00 in The Weekend Warm-up
'Want to be a sustainable football club' - Bloom on Brighton's futurepublished at 13:04 BST
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Image source, Getty Images
Brighton chairman and owner Tony Bloom sat down for an exclusive interview with BBC Radio Sussex's Johnny Cantor. In this final part, he talks about Albion's finances hat included discussions around the squad, finances and the Seagulls' future.
Bloom on competing financially in the Premier League: "The finances are really tough, clubs are spending more and more money.
"The net spend of our competitors just keeps going up. If you look at our net spend at Brighton &Hove Albion over the past five years compared to our rivals, we are spending a lot, lot less. Most clubs lose significant sums of money. We want to be a sustainable football club.
"We will have seasons where we lose a lot of money, as well as some seasons where we make a lot of money. But over a consistent time, if we stay in the Premier League, we will be sustainable and we will be profitable. But most of our rivals are not, so it is really tough to compete with that.
"For the very biggest clubs, their commercial and stadium revenues are so much bigger than ours. So we have significant obstacles to overcome, but we as a club and I as an individual, are happy to take on the competition."
On confidence of winning a trophy and getting back into Europe this season: "I don't think you can ever be confident of winning a trophy. We have not won a major trophy ever, so we don't want to get obsessed with it. We know how difficult it is.
"The latter stages of any cup competition are playing some of the best teams in the world, but we absolutely are aiming every season to be competitive, to be aiming to win cup competitions - and that is the men's and the women's teams.
"What is a bit more in our control is the league, the league form, the league position and, as I said before, our aim is to be playing in Europe. We loved playing in Europe a couple of seasons ago and we want to be regularly pushing for those European spots."
Brighton sign highly-rated Palmer twinspublished at 10:32 BST
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Image source, _antonpalmer and @bailey_palmer7 on Instagram
Brighton have snapped up 16-year-old twins Anton Palmer and Bailey Palmer from Middlesbrough's academy, after fending off multiple other Premier League clubs to sign the young talents.
Writing on Instagram, external, the pair confirmed their decision to leave Riverside Stadium, after coming through the club's academy: "After eight years at Middlesbrough FC, we have made the decision to leave the club.
"We thank everyone involved in developing us into the players we are today. From the medical staff to the coaches, this club will forever be a part of us.
"We have made memories and friendships for life but it is now time for us to start a new journey."
The Palmer twins, both midfielders, are yet to make their senior debuts but did spend time around Middlesbrough's first team, and have featured on the bench.
Both will be eligible to sign their first professional deals when they turn 17 years old in November.
'Always obstacles, always difficulties' - Bloom on challengespublished at 09:56 BST
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Image source, Getty Images
Brighton chairman and owner Tony Bloom sat down for an exclusive interview with BBC Radio Sussex's Johnny Cantor. In this third part, he looks on how Albion are conducting business amid the Premier League's financial restrictions.
On possible changes to profit and sustainability rules: "I think there is a vote coming up in the next few weeks to change that system.
"If it does get voted through, there would be a year having both systems and then it will be fully with the squad-cost ratio if it gets voted in. Which will be a lot more similar, but with differences, to the Uefa system.
"We are in the process of going through that. We don't have a view yet on which way we will be voting. There is also thetop-to-bottom anchor and sustainability vote, so there is a lot for us to go through, but we will know a lot more and the votes will happen in the next month or so."
On the importance of the financial regulations: "It is really important, and there has to be some kind of financial sustainability.
"PSR has worked to an extent - it is far from perfect, but it has stopped clubs being able to spend whatever they want. No system is perfect. The advantage of the squad-cost ratio, is it is more real-time. It is looking over a season rather than looking backwards over a three-year period. But there are pros and cons to both."
On the biggest challenges the club face: "There are always obstacles - there is always difficulties. It is very difficult, first of all, for a club of our size to consistently punch above our weight and just to stay in the Premier League.
"You just need one season where things don't quite go right [and you are in trouble]. Three teams is a lot of teams to get relegated each season. When you look at it and think at least six of the teams really should not be anywhere close to ever being relegated - it doesn't mean they can't get relegated - it is not easy.
"We have to always be on top of our game, always be focused and not take anything for granted."
Gossip: Brighton dismiss Baleba exit chancespublished at 07:20 BST
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Brighton have no plans to cash in on Cameroon midfielder Carlos Baleba in January despite the 21-year-old attracting interest from Manchester United last summer. (Talksport), external
'We must never stand still' - Bloom on innovating at Brightonpublished at 13:08 BST 14 October
13:08 BST 14 October
Image source, Getty Images
Brighton chairman and owner Tony Bloom sat down for an exclusive interview with BBC Radio Sussex's Johnny Cantor. In this part, he discusses the long-term strategy for Albion.
On if it is becoming more difficult to compete with top clubs: "Everything about the Premier League every year becomes more difficult.
"Hence we have to always look to improve and innovate because if you stand still, and it is talked about a lot in many businesses, but particularly in the Premier League, our competitors are fiercely competitive. They are looking to overtake one another and get stronger all the time.
"We have to do likewise and ideally we are going ahead even faster than the other teams."
On others catching up with Brighton's analytics: "I don't know exactly what other clubs are doing. They don't necessarily talk about it, but you can assume they are spending a lot of money to try and improve in all areas - particularly the areas of analytics for their recruitment processes.
"We have to innovate and we just aim to get better every season, which we are."
On their 2030 vision: "This is going back 12-18 months ago because you need to energise the football club on a regular basis.
"It is about having a lot of goals and breaking them down in different areas. Over many months, Paul [Barber] and the management team are talking to all of our staff about how we can improve in their particular areas.
"On the football side, we have had our long-term vision for quite a while, in terms of our aim to be regularly competing for the top 10 in the Premier League and the top four in the Women's Super League. That stays. We have made the goal on the men's side to be pushing for Europe every season as well.
"We also talk about the fact that we are really pushing every season to bring a trophy to the football club. That would mean so much to our fans, to the club and to the city.
"It is just looking at each individual area to get to a level of improvement, and it is a gradual improvement because we are doing lots of things very, very well. But we must never stand still.
"An example is that we have brought in a chief technology officer for the first time and he has been a huge breath of fresh air, with lots of innovative ideas which can create efficiencies in many different departments."
