Sussex

Johnny Cantor
BBC Radio Sussex reporter

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There was a generally positive feel to this season's Fans' Forum and it was no surprise the issue of Danny Welbeck's departure was seized upon straight away. There was also a fair amount of concern of the loss of so much experience on and off the pitch over the summer.

A resolute response indicated a full focus on pushing forward, accepting the realities of the Premier League and stiff resolves in the decision making by the club in its transfer and retention policy.

The name checking of young players, a desire to do well in the Conference League and changes to the Amex Stadium were also discussed in a pacy, fun evening. The event is as good as its questions and there were plenty of interesting topics under the microscope.

Below you can read several questions and answers from the night.

You can listen to the Fans Forum in full on BBC Sounds here or hit play below.

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In the final instalment of the Brighton Fans' Forum, Paul Barber answers a question on matchday ticketing and Fabian Hurzeler explains how he keeps a harmonious team.

Question: What work is being done to stop away fans from getting tickets in the home end? It stops proper fans getting tickets.

Paul Barber answered: "Unfortunately, a large proportion of those tickets are being sold by Brighton fans. So the first thing we've got to do is take care of ourselves and not do that.

"We've made it very clear that if home fans sell tickets on the black market then it creates tension in the stadium and it makes fans upset.

"There's another percentage of people that may live locally and buy memberships. It's very difficult for us as a club to determine that those people aren't fans of other clubs. It's only when they out themselves that we can take any kind of action.

"The largest majority will be our own fans selling them on. We have to stop doing that because it doesn't help the team."

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Question: The club has brought in three centre-halves so are you intending on playing a different way this season? Or with the news Carlos Baleba is injured, will one of them be playing in the midfield? If not, how will you keep everyone happy?

Fabian Hurzeler answered: "It's a big challenge for a coach to make everyone happy.

"You have to be clear that in certain moments you will disappoint players, but how you can handle that is with honesty.

"We were quite successful with a back four, but I don't want to work that much with formations. I work with principles because no matter if you play a back four or five, they have to deal with situations. If they can do that then it gives me the flexibility to change the formation.

"We will stick to the back four, but we have the flexibility which is a great situation to have as a coach.

"In regards to the injury to Carlos [Baleba], I am hopeful that it is not that bad and that we will see him back on the pitch quite soon. You don't need to worry that much about him."

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Expect match reports, analysis, features and interviews - the works.

We'll also have live text coverage of most League Two matches this season so you won't miss any of the action even when you're out of town.

Remember, the best way to get all of this content is to download the BBC Sport app and follow your favourite teams and sports using the My Sport tab.

Once you've set this up, you'll have quick access to those pages at the top of your Home tab and we'll be able to serve you better, more personalised, experiences in future.

And when following your League Two team, from the start of the 2026-27 season you'll also get Live Notifications which gives you score updates directly on your phone's lock screen during a match.

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Deputy chairman Paul Barber answered two questions from the audience on this summer's transfer activity during the live Brighton Fans' Forum.

Question: Solly March is possibly going to Crystal Palace and Adam Webster and Danny Welbeck have gone. It's like we're pushing these older players, who are leaders, out and replacing them with inexperienced younger players. Why the change?

Paul Barber answered: "It's football and it's what happens unfortunately. Players can't play forever or at the level we need them to forever.

"We have to make tough decisions and it's never easy. Fans - and I am one too - become attached to players and it's an emotional attachment, but our job is to be unemotional, focused and pragmatic.

"We have to give Fabian the squad that we think, and he thinks, can cope this season in four competitions.

"It's one that you're going to have to trust us on."

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Question: Do you foresee any more incomings, especially to replace Danny Welbeck? Or will there just be more outgoings?

Paul Barber replied: "Maybe and maybe! We don't talk about business that we might do because it's a fool's game.

"What we do know is that we have a big squad already. The players that we have brought in aren't all young. There are some in their mid-twenties and the youngest played in the World Cup this summer.

"We have a great squad around them who have experience as well - like Lewis Dunk, Pascal Gross and Bart Verbruggen.

"The most important thing is to have a balanced squad and players who we think will be fit and available for three games a week.

"The balance is always going to be difficult to strike."

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In the third instalment of the Brighton Fans' Forum, which was live on BBC Radio Sussex on Thursday. Fabian Hurzeler and Paul Barber answered questions from fans around next season's European campaign.

Question: How well do you think the team are going to adapt to playing European football this year as well as balancing the Premier League?

Fabian Hurzeler replied: Statistically, the teams who have to play in Europe might finish a little bit lower in the league than expected.

I want to face this challenge by having a really good and strong squad. We have a bigger squad than last season and one that is capable of playing three times a week.

We see it as an opportunity to give more players the chance to play. Young players need time to develop, but they can only develop by having more game minutes.

We are really excited by this opportunity and to express our style as a club in Europe.

Paul Barber added: I think you guys [the fans] can play a massive part in helping us because if we can get the stadium full and rocking for every European game then that will help carry the players.

It will carry us through the games. You can make the difference.

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Question: Can Brighton win the Conference League this season? I think we can.

Fabian Hurzerler replied: Well if you think we can win it, then I also do!

To play every three days is definitely a challenge and then there is the travel and the emotions for the players.

I think it's important that we stay together. You, the supporters, were a big part in us reaching Europe.

I think we have the squad to compete and achieve things, but we all have to stick together. It's your support and our hard work.

What I can promise, is that every single player, me as the coach and the coaching team, will do everything we can to bring something home that we can celebrate.

Don't forget, you can listen to the full forum on BBC Sounds

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In the second instalment of the fans' forum, head coach Fabian Hurzeler was asked about why he chose to join Brighton and deputy chairman Paul Barber reflected on his favourite Brighton memory.

Fan question: You're in your third season at Brighton, but what inspired you to come here? Was it because you loved the football, or the fact we're a one-club city?

Hurzeler answered: Brighton is known for being a very well run club, with good structure, a great owner, CEO, and others who are responsible for the club.

I was a young coach, and still am, but a young coach needs to believe and to trust. To learn from those around him, adapt, and have time to solve issues.

I thought this would be the right move for me. A club where I can express my ideas and fulfil my beliefs. But there have also been times of adversity and that's when you need the trust from the owner and CEO.

I felt after my first meetings with Paul [Barber] and Tony [Bloom] that we had a really good connection and I believed in the structure.

The second reason [for joining] being that it was the Premier League and it's the best league in the world.

Since I've arrived, I have identified myself within this club and the city.

I need to feel welcome and for it to feel like home, and Brighton has some similarities to Hamburg.

All those reasons made it easy for me to join this great club.

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Fan question: The Albion have just celebrated their 125th anniversary. What has been your favourite memory whilst being Deputy Chairman, and why?

Barber answered: That is a very nice question. I suppose my favourite memory would be broken down into two parts.

The first has to be getting into the Premier League, because when I first met Tony Bloom 15 years ago he painted that vision to me. He asked if I could put the club into shape and structure to do it and that was the one thing that excited me about joining this club.

To achieve that after five years was just fantastic. To see you all out there on the pitch celebrating - even though I asked you all to not do it - was one of the best moments of my life.

The second was when we re-calibrated the vision, from not just being in the Premier League, but in European competition. Achieving it by finishing sixth in the Premier League and now qualifying for it again is really special.

They are my real highlights and I'm so glad that in both cases the fans were really able to enjoy those, especially after all those years when you fans had to put up with some pretty baron times. That's the beauty of football.

Come back to this Brighton page throughout Friday to find more questions and answers

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Deputy Chairman Paul Barber and head coach Fabian Hurzeler answered questions from a live audience at the Amex Stadium on Thursday.

Over the course of Friday, BBC Sport will bring you some of the key questions put to them and their subsequent answers in a series of posts.

Fan question: We've had quite a good window for incomings, but we have also lost Danny Welbeck. There's mixed views and opinions on why he's left, and if it was the right decision. Can you clarify the situation and the club's angle on it?

Barber replied: Danny has been a fantastic servant for the club with over 200 games and 50 goals. He is a great character to have around, on and off the field, but he is 36 in a couple of months. Sadly, he can't go on forever and, in those situations, we're very honest about where we see their future.

In Danny's case, we didn't see him playing as many minutes this year, or as many as he'd have liked. We've got younger players that are ready to come in and play.

We were very happy for Danny to stay. We weren't pushing him in any particular direction, but when a big club comes in for you at 36, and offers you nearly double in terms of time you have on the table, then you have to look at it very seriously.

We couldn't and wouldn't stand in the way of a senior player who had an offer we couldn't match.

We understand the emotion behind it, and we are all emotional because Danny is fantastic and has been for six years, but we also have to look at it pragmatically with a business eye.

If we had started Danny for the first four or five games and his body broke down, there would be people saying relying on a 36-year-old is ridiculous and that we should've thought about it. We have, and Danny did, and we came to the conclusion that we think is right for both sides.

We wish him all the best - just not for two games this season!

Listen to the fans' forum in full on BBC Sounds here

Come back to this Brighton page throughout Friday to find more questions and answers

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With the 2026-27 season just over two weeks away, all teams are preparing for another exciting nine months ahead and Brighton are no different.

Fans may be wondering about new signings, competing in Europe or the direction the club and its supporters are heading in. What better then than the chance to put such queries to two influential figures?

Deputy Chairman Paul Barber and head coach Fabian Hurzeler will be taking questions live from an audience at the American Express Community Stadium from 19:00 BST on Thursday 6th August. You can listen to it all on BBC Radio Sussex and BBC Sounds.

Listen Live here

On the latest Albion Unlimited podcast, BBC Radio Sussex's Johnny Cantor is joined by former Brighton forward Warren Aspinall as they discuss the Seagulls' possible opponents in the Conference League play-off tie.

Brighton will face CFR Cluj (Romania) or Tromso (Norway) in the key fixture.

Cluj and Tromso are yet to face each other in their two-legged tie, but Cantor believes Tromso could pose a "potential banana skin" for Fabian Hurzeler's side.

"They are placed third in the Norwegian season, which is deep into the campaign as they play across the summer," said Cantor.

In Tromso's Norwegian Eliteserien campaign, they have lost two out of 16 possible games.

In the Romanian SuperLiga, Cluj are also in fourth position, but they have only played three games in the 2026-27 campaign.

Cluj and Tromso's second leg tie will be played on 13 August, with the winner facing Brighton in a two-legged tie on 20 and 27 August, with the Seagulls at home for the second leg.

Listen to the Albion Unlimited podcast below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Explore all Brighton content on BBC Sounds

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

Katharine Sharpe and Simon Casson
BBC Sport senior journalists

The 2025-26 Premier League and Championship seasons included the introduction of squad-cost ratio rules on a shadow basis, testing to see how a spending cap for squad costs set at a percentage of a club's total revenues might work.

These SCR regulations have now been permanently implemented for the 2026-27 season, replacing previous profit and sustainability rules (PSR).

Uefa has a 70% SCR cap for European competitions, so Premier League clubs who qualified for Europe fall in line with this limit.

Clubs who did not qualify for Europe, and so are only taking part in domestic competitions, are capped at 85% of their total revenue.

However, clubs can spend above the 85% limit by using a multi-year rolling allowance of 30%. This allows them to invest ahead of revenue and variance or sporting underperformance.

Every club will start this coming season on 85% + 30% allowance, so effectively 115%.

If a club spends 105% on their squad in 2026-27, it means they have used 20% of their allowance, and for 2027-28 their maximum spend before potential sporting sanction is 95%.

If a club spend less than 85%, they can increase the allowance again to the maximum of 30%.

Spending above 85% but under the allowance results in a financial penalty, whereas going over both the 85% and the allowance will land the club a fixed six-point deduction which increases by one point for every £6.5m spent over the 115%.

'Anchoring' was also trialled in 2025-26, which meant any club's spending could not exceed a multiple of income earned by the bottom-placed club - however this was rejected at a vote of Premier League clubs.

SCR was approved by a vote of 14 clubs to six, and was introduced alongside sustainability and systemic resilience (SSR) regulations.

SSR involves three tests that are applied throughout the season:

Working capital test - assesses short-term cash resources

Liquidity test - assesses medium-term liquidity and resilience

Positive equity test -assesses long-term financial health

The aim of the SCR and SSR regulations is to stop the richest owners providing endless funds to their clubs to sign new players, as any money injected this way does not count as seasonal revenue.

They will also aim to prevent clubs from overspending and accruing unmanageable losses.

Read more about the rules here

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