Paul Barber on changes in the football industry

Ahead of his appearance at the European Soccerex conference later this month, deputy chairman and chief executive Paul Barber spoke about his career and the changes he has seen in the football industry.

2025-05-01T13:45+01:00

Chief executive and deputy chairman Paul Barber.

Having had a remarkable career in football administration, from your time at The FA to leading Brighton & Hove Albion, what initially drew you to the football industry?

I have loved football since I was a small boy and wanted to play professionally. Unfortunately, this dream didn't materialise but working in the game has been hugely enjoyable and rewarding. I continue to count myself very lucky to do what I do every day.

You spent time in Major League Soccer with Vancouver Whitecaps. How did that experience compare to working in English football, and what lessons did you bring back with you?

I was always keen to work overseas at some point in my career. The opportunity to do so in an English-speaking country made that ambition much easier to fulfil. The sports market in north America is very different and focused on the overall fan experience as much as the sport itself. Not everything is translatable back to the UK - football fans here still prioritise the game and the result way above anything else - but the experience in Vancouver gave me a very different perspective on what might be possible if you focused on the things that could work.

When you joined Brighton in 2012, the club was still establishing itself in the Championship. What were your initial priorities, and did you envision the level of success the club enjoys today?

Brighton benefits from five vitally important things: a great owner (Tony Bloom), a very clear vision (on what it wants to achieve), very strong values (which binds the club's people, fans and community together), really good people in every area (which is vitally important in a business that is almost totally reliant on human beings), and world class commercial partners. As a consequence of these things, the club's razor-sharp focus meant that good progress was always possible once the club also had its key infrastructure (world class stadium and training facilities) in place.

Brighton has also been a leader in fan engagement and community initiatives. What do you think sets the club apart in this regard?

A willingness to be open about our vision, an acceptance that progress is rarely achieved in a straight line, and a consistency about how the club engages with fans and other stakeholders. There is also a strong sense across the club of the importance of not losing touch with the community that once helped to save the club, and of those people within it that connected with the club in many different ways.

Over the years, football has evolved significantly, both on and off the pitch. What do you think have been the most impactful changes in the industry during your career?

It's not to every fan's liking but the commitment of Sky Sports to the game - at all levels but particularly its consistent support in helping to create and sustain the Premier League - has had a huge impact on the quality of all of our stadia and training facilities, the globally-sourced talent we can attract and now rely upon on the pitch, the global interest in and excitement about our League each season, and the consequent commercial interest in our sport.

The revenues earned from our media rights, sponsorship and full stadia have also helped to sustain the game, develop facilities, and improve the fan experience of our sport at every level.

The financial success, and relative sustainability of clubs as a result, has also enabled many of us to properly invest in women's and girls' football which is great to see, and will help the game to grow and develop interest and audiences much further in the years ahead.