Brighton have structure and spirit that we won’t break for ANY player

PAUL BARBER EXCLUSIVE

THERE was a brief pause as Paul Barber recalled the scenario.

Brighton had just secured promotion to the Premier League and club chief executive Barber was expecting the usual barrage of calls from agents.

Just not quite so soon. “The first came two, maybe three minutes after we were promoted,” he said. “Well it seemed like that anyway!”

Barber knew then that Brighton had made the big time – and that he would need all the experience he had gathered working for Tottenham, England and Vancouver Whitecaps.

The world knows the Premier League is cash-rich – and Barber knew transfer fees and wages would be inflated.

“We are coping,” said Barber, who has helped owner Tony Bloom take Brighton from sharing an athletics ground at nearby Withdean just six years ago to the new 30,000 Amex Stadium on the town’s outskirts.

And Brighton’s steady start to life in the top flight is proof.

“I have to say, though, that it has been tough. Enjoyable – but tough,” Barber said.

“It has been quite a journey, but we don’t want it to end. We want to be competitive and of course we want to stay in the Premier League.

“But at the same time, we need to be realistic. We have a structure that we will not break, not for any individual player. We don’t want to jeopardise the spirit we have created.”

So is Barber a tough negotiator? He said: “I worked with Daniel Levy at Spurs and he is one of the best.

“There was one occasion when I was due a bonus at the end of the season. He offered to pay me early – but there would be less money! I don’t know if he was serious or testing me out. But I declined. Daniel was, and is, one of the best at negotiating.”

And Barber has taken that into his job at Brighton. He knew the club would be asked for inflated prices and was ready.

“We have not paid over the odds,” he said. “Agents? Like in every walk of life, there are good and bad. And some of the fees asked, well, they have been exorbitant. I mean, a six-figure fee for one phone call? No chance.”

But Barber is backed by a recruitment team led by Paul Winstanley. He said: “We are delighted with the players we have managed to sign during the summer. We were straight with all of them when they came to see the club.

“The first thing is show them a DVD of the club, the history and how far we have come from the brink of going out of the league not so long ago.

“We show them the progress we have made. I believe that helped.”

And what the Brighton squad will not tolerate is any player who threatens the unity created by manager Chris Hughton.

Barber said: “Senior pros, good pros like Steve Sidwell, Shane Duffy and Bruno... they will not let that happen. And Chris must take a lot of credit for creating that environment.

“He may come over as softly spoken but, trust me, he’s hard as nails.”

Agents were on as soon as we’d been promoted. One of them wanted a six-figure fee just to make a phone call. No chance.