Paul Barber makes investment in Brighton

Image: Brighton & Hove Albion

The deputy chairman of Brighton and Hove Albion, Paul Barber, has further strengthened his commitment to the Premier League club after buying up newly issued shares.

Brighton and Hove Albion said Albion’s deputy chairman and chief executive becomes the club’s second largest shareholder behind chairman Tony Bloom with 1.5% of the total shares in existence.

Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Brighton, is a professional football club based in Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club’s home ground is the American Express Stadium.

The 31,876-capacity Falmer Stadium, currently known as the American Express Stadium for sponsorship reasons and more commonly referred to as the Amex, is a football stadium in Falmer, Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England UK.

Bloom said, “Paul has been exceptional in his role as deputy chairman and chief executive, and we are thrilled that he has further strengthened his commitment to the club with this investment.

“Paul is a major driving force at the club, he has been integral to our incredible progress since his arrival in the summer of 2012 and we would like him to remain with us for many seasons to come.

“He has already committed to the club until at least 2030, and we wanted to offer him this opportunity to further commit, and also to recognise his level of service and loyalty to the club.

“I regard Paul as the best chief executive in football and I am delighted he is now a co-owner of the club.”

The Amex is currently undergoing a series of renovations with The Terrace fan zone opening earlier this year.

Phase Two will see a new-look and redeveloped club store spanning across two levels as it undergoes its first major overhaul since the stadium opened its doors in 2011. The club museum will relocate to a permanent base in the City Centre in 2026-2027.

Phase Three will see an additional 1901 Club area added to the North Stand which will help boost capacity at the Amex to 32,500 and is due to open in time for the 2026-2027 seasons.

Barber added, “I’m incredibly grateful to Tony and the board for offering me this chance to invest in the club.

“It is a minority and some way behind Tony’s majority shareholding, but nonetheless I’m very proud indeed to co-own a small part of a football club I’ve come to love over the past 13 years.

“We have achieved so much: club, staff, fans and community, including promotion to the Premier League, qualifying for Europe and there’s so much more for us to achieve. I look forward to continuing our progress over the coming seasons.”

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