Read Paul Barber's Leicester programme notes

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The chief executive and deputy chairman's programme piece is now available.

BHAFC

2021-03-08T19:00:00Z

Albion chief executive and deputy chairman Paul Barber.

Albion chief executive and deputy chairman Paul Barber discussed the latest results, social media abuse and season ticket news in his programme notes ahead of last Saturday's game against Leicester City.

Paul Barber

Tonight we welcome Leicester City's players, staff and directors to the American Express Community Stadium for what will be the fourth successive meeting of our clubs behind closed doors since the national lockdown began almost a year ago. After two Premier League clashes and an FA Cup tie at the King Power Stadium, let's hope the Foxes' visit to the Amex this evening is the last time our clubs must meet without fans in our stadiums.

Saturday evening marked the fourth time Albion have played Leicester City behind closed doors in the last year.

This unusual quirk of the fixture calendar aside, four consecutive clashes against the same team, all behind closed doors, is, of course, one record we could all do without – underlining, as it does, the sheer scale of the pandemic, and the significant effect on our industry and on our two clubs' supporters who, given the chance, would, of course, have very likely filled the Amex and King Power for all four matches.

The Prime Minister's proposed route out of the country’s latest lockdown has at last now given us all hope and inspiration that our lives will soon return to high levels of normality, including the possibility that we may even be able to welcome some fans back to the Amex, or at the very least see spectators at other stadia, before the current season is out. If all Government’s key markers are met, this would be very welcome progress.

With UK vaccinations now above 20 million and rising quickly, and with infection levels, hospitalisations and loss of life thankfully all dropping almost as fast, it really does feel like there is light at the end of what has been a dark and depressing tunnel. Although we all know there is a way to go, it would be truly fantastic to see football stadiums looking like they should.

Albion were on the wrong end of a controversial VAR decision at the Hawthorns.

On the pitch, our last-minute loss to Crystal Palace in the last Premier League match played here was hard enough to take, but the bizarre events at the Hawthorns last weekend somehow managed to eclipse even that. Once again, our performance in both matches deserved more than we ultimately got, and we received another reminder of the unforgiving nature of top-level football.

Contrast the past couple of weeks with how we felt after our wins over Liverpool at Anfield and at home to Spurs, and our women's team's successive victories over Chelsea and West Ham, all of which came in a similar seven-day period, and you have the perfect example of why in this sport you can never get too high on the highs or too low on the lows.

It’s also why, as we enter the final third of the season, maintaining perspective is crucial. We are playing very good football in the toughest league in the world. There are many important games left to play – and plenty of points still to play for.

Adam Webster is aiming to return to full fitness after the international break.

As ever, the quality, spirit and togetherness of our players and staff are all excellent, and we can also look forward to the return of several players who are all due back from injury soon.

Sadly, our loss at WBA prompted yet more abuse of our players on social media – and, even more troubling, some of it once again purported to be from a very small number of so-called fans of our club. As is common, the brainless cowards responsible posted their bile using anonymous social media accounts but those individuals can be sure that we are now working very hard to identify them.

At a time when the mental health of people across the world is being challenged by the effects of almost 12 months of lockdown or restrictions, the effects of discrimination are being felt in all corners of the world, and footballers in our country are united in their rejection of racism, it’s very hard to understand the reluctance of social media companies to act. But all the while they don’t, it’s vitally important we do.

So, when those responsible for online hate are identified, we will be doing all we can to ensure they don’t get to see matches at our stadium; we will inform the Premier League to ensure other clubs are aware of these individuals; in the hope that action might be taken, we will alert the owners of social media platforms; and, wherever appropriate, we will provide details to the police for further investigation and prosecution.

Information for 2021/22 season tickets will be published soon.

Looking ahead to next season, we will soon be publishing details of our season-ticket renewal process for the 2021/22 season. We are acutely aware of the patience shown by our fans since the pandemic first struck, and also the effects of the virus on the health and livelihoods of many of our fans over the past 12 months. We will therefore be unveiling a range of new benefits to make our season-tickets even more attractive for everyone. We will also soon be confirming renewal details for our 1901 Club.

Again, we are grateful for the continued support and patience of members in our various lounges across the stadium. And, as we enter our third five-year programme, 1901 Club members can look forward to the benefits of a multi-million pound lounge refurbishment which, despite the financial effects of the pandemic, we are committed to completing this coming summer.

With a newly expanded capacity of just under 32,000, we are very much looking forward to safely welcoming everyone back to the American Express Community Stadium next season – and, hopefully, earlier, albeit with a more limited capacity.

In the meantime, thank you for your continued support for the club from afar: it remains as valuable as ever during these still challenging times.

Enjoy tonight’s match.