Two weeks ago, Blackpool Supporters Trust (BST) launched a bid to buy Blackpool Football Club. Last night, the deadline for a response passed without acknowledgment from the current owners – the Oyston family.
The bid worth £23 million has been totally ignored; something that BST has said is “disappointing but not in the least surprising”. It is the latest snub along a long list by the owners, who seemingly continue to wind up supporters at every opportunity. Communication between the club and its fans is poor at the best of times, but to totally ignore what was described as a “serious and substantial offer” is nothing short of rude.
The total lack of respect for supporters is nothing new, unfortunately; it appears that the fans don’t matter at Blackpool. As we all know, football is nothing without the fans; perhaps the Oystons need reminding of that fact. Just this week, two of Blackpool’s young stars, Dom Telford and Mark Waddington, have signed for Stoke City. The club haven’t said a word on the matter to let the supporters know that two young talents have moved on, for what is, essentially, peanuts in today terms.
BST have said the bid remains on the table while they discuss their next move with their members. Hearing anything out of the club in the meantime is highly unlikely. The owners themselves have refused to speak to anyone since December and that is set to continue as Chairman, Karl Oyston, is currently serving a six-week football ban. However, Oyston should be well informed of all the goings on around the club as he placed his wife in charge during his absence. That particular move does seem to make a mockery of the ban; something supporters were quick to pick up on.
Some sort of dialogue must be opened between the supporters and the club. Even a “thanks, but no thanks” would have been a better response than the deafening silence. Disregarding such a bid and ignoring those who worked hard to make it is just wrong. Previous form suggests that the Oyston family won’t actually care that they have rudely ignored the well respected and backed Supporters Trust, which. in a way, speaks louder than any words they could have responded with.
The battle will no doubt continue with neither side looking like backing down; football will once again be forgotten when it should most certainly be put first. The new season is just around the corner and nobody but the players and staff, who are keeping up appearances, seem to be looking forward to it. If it wasn’t already clear to the wider football world how serious the situation at Blackpool is, then it surely is now. For any club’s supporters to try and buy their club in order to save it, really highlights the desperately sad state of affairs surrounding the team they are so passionate about.
Supporters can only hope that organisations like BST and the Tangerine Knights continue their hard work and give fans some hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel. One thing remains certain, though: as long as Blackpool has its loyal fans fighting its corner, the club will never be left to die.
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