The Blackpool squad returned to training on Monday, ahead of their League One campaign. The gulf between where the club was five years ago and where it lies currently could, now, be seen from space. Gone are the dizzy heights of the Premier League and back are the cold Tuesday nights at Port Vale and Chesterfield.
The rapid descent will come as no surprise to Blackpool fans, who have suffered more than most in recent seasons. Imagine being almost grateful to have ten players turn up for training, four of which have never played a football league game. That’s the bizarre situation supporters find themselves in; the ten is an improvement on the eight that showed up this time last year, and at least they have a goalkeeper or two this term. I joked about being grateful; in reality, there isn’t a single Blackpool supporter who can be happy with the circus at Bloomfield Road. Any fan would find the never-ending saga heart-breaking.
So, what is being done to arrest the slide?
Nothing, is the short answer. New manager, Neil McDonald, wanted the ‘bulk’ of the squad in place before Monday’s training session, but that clearly hasn’t materialised. Again, this is no real shock to those familiar with the Tangerines’ plight; Chairman, Karl Oyston, has been rather busy since the final game of the season. Not recruiting the required number of players or staff – obviously, ten doesn’t quite fill a team sheet.
Instead the Chairman’s time has been used to continue the running feud with supporters, by issuing legal papers to a number of fans for comments made against his character. This, despite the fact that the FA have issued him with a six-week football ban for comments made to a supporter regarding disability.
Football is for fans; without them, a club is reduced to nothing. Alienating fans in such a way is not only terrible PR but detrimental to the club’s playing and non-playing staff. How are footballers expected to perform at the best of their abilities in such a toxic atmosphere? This is in no way a dig at supporters, who have every right to be feel as strongly as they do. The blame is firmly with the Chairman and the owners.
Karl Oyston has previously stated that as the ‘head of the company’ he is responsible, which is all well and good if you’re willing to change your approach, something which as of yet doesn’t appear to have materialised.
All the gory details are well documented, particularly in local press in Blackpool, so an apology should be stated to supporters who have read it all before. It is this writer’s opinon, however, that the message should be shared with fellow football fans as often as possible because we don’t want to be forgotten – we want to be heard and we want change. Gone is the match day buzz around Bloomfield Road, something so many miss so dearly. The atmosphere is more befitting to a morgue than a football ground; and that is something that simply cannot continue if the club is to thrive again and get back to where it belongs.
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