Graham Potter: 'I lost my father in January - lockdown has given me time to process that'

In the latest of his Q&A sessions, Sussex Newspaper columnist Ian Hart puts the questions to Brighton and Hove Albion head coach Graham Potter
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

"How is lockdown working out for you personally, how's the transition from Football Management to home schooling going?"

It is trying to find the balance, is the truth, between doing the job, speaking to the players, the staff and balancing it all with family life.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Looking at my own situation, and losing my father in late January, it has given me some time to process that. At the time, being in the middle of the season, if I am honest it has probably been helpful to have the time to think and process things.

Brighton and Hove Albion head coach Graham PotterBrighton and Hove Albion head coach Graham Potter
Brighton and Hove Albion head coach Graham Potter

This time has helped that, without the direct responsibility of the games. As bad as it has been for the nation, I have used the time to come to terms with things on that side.

With being away from both the training and the Amex, how much has the focus of your job temporarily changed regarding interaction with the players. In some ways has your job almost become about pastoral care during this period?

Linked to my last answer it is about finding the balance. Usually I would have a lot of interactions every day with the players, in and around the training, and now that is not the case.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

We are catching up on Zoom, with group and individual meetings, and meeting with the backroom staff, but they have each got their own families and the responsibilities that brings.

I think we have struck the right balance in terms of giving the players the right support they have needed through this period.

Shankly was wrong, football's not more important than life or death, whilst we all want it back, as a family man, what criteria would you want before being happy to return to work full time?

We have to ensure we are not putting lives at risk, and we are not making it more difficult for doctors and nurses trying to save lives.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

We also have to make sure it is safe in terms of spreading and not using up other resources that are needed elsewhere in order to do that.

For the players and staff we must make sure that families are okay and that they too are not exposed to any risk.

Do you think playing behind closed doors will reiterate how important home fans are to each and every club?

The whole thing has reminded us that football is nothing without fans. In a normal world doesn’t make any sense. The supporters are the most important people at the club.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

We play for the supporters and if they are not there then there is no doubt the game will be significantly poorer for that. But that is what we may have to do.

It is a reminder to all within the game of how important they are. Clubs sometimes don’t appreciate them as much as they should – although that isn’t the case here.

On the flipside there can also be a discontent, because expectations are high. If you can get the right alignment between a club and its fans, as Brighton fans know, together you can achieve great things.

The quicker we can get back to that the better for everyone – not least because it means the world will be a safer place for everyone.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

As a player who plied his trade at various levels of domestic professional football, with the potential financial challenges ahead do you fear for the long term future of a number of the smaller, more unfashionable clubs down the League?

Of course there is a concern, but everyone is in a difficult position – and not just football clubs. It will be a huge test for small, medium and big clubs.

You hope it will change our thinking around how we run clubs, because even some small clubs are run poorly and spend too much on wages and live beyond their means.

At York when I was playing there we went without salary, but the reality was they were paying too much money to the players.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It is a chance for all clubs to create something to reset the system, but to do that everyone has to be a bit more responsible and move away from some of the shorter-term thinking; and a realisation that things were not as stable as perhaps we thought they were.

Finishing on a positive, with the reset button being pressed, and revised transfer and wage budgets, do you see this as a great opportunity for more younger home grown players to achieve long term first team action?

The answer is I don’t know. It depends how things reset. Football needs to look at how it does things. There is a way of developing our younger players, a way we can work in a more sustainable way that is transparent, but it needs everyone to be brave and move away from the results-at-all costs mentality.

That has driven clubs at all levels to overspend on wages and transfers and to think much more short term.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

That puts us all at risk, and we need rethink how the game can work, if we looked at longer term development, instead of having a short-term focus based on winning at all costs.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news, I am asking you to please purchase a copy of our newspapers.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspapers.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Stay safe, and best wishes.