Blackpool FC is not dying, merely sinking to it's natural level

[SF_]

Job Done c***!​

 

[Rammy]

So....

Since Oyston is a genius and signed everyone on 12 month contracts, they are set to be in the exact same position this summer where they need to draft in a complete new squad.

Anyone think they'll be in anything other than another relegation battle next season?

 

[TomPNE94]

This isn't as fun without Kurt

 

[SF_]

This isn't as fun without Kurt

I hope he feels really sad right now, a few tears won't hurt

 

[TomPNE94]

I hope he feels really sad right now, a few tears won't hurt

His twitter is a fairly funny read

 

[Destruction]

Somebody must know what the current record is.I remember us playing Wimbledon at Selhurst Park in front of 2066 fans.Most of them were Reading fans.

I will be 1 of the 100 or so going up there tomorrow.I must be mad.

The attendance will be 10,000+ officially tonight so no records will be broken.

 

[markwwfc1992]

Don't Blackpool fans count season ticket holders as part of their attendance to make it look higher even if they aren't there?

 

[Rammy]

Don't Blackpool fans count season ticket holders as part of their attendance to make it look higher even if they aren't there?

Don't all clubs do that?

 

[markwwfc1992]

Don't all clubs do that?

I wouldn't know to be honest as we haven't really been in the situation where people have boycotted in my lifetime. The general conscious is if you pay stupid amounts for a season ticket in the 2nd tier of English football that you go regardless of if you're shit or not

 

[TomPNE94]

Don't all clubs do that?

Think so yeah

 

[AFCB_Mark]

Don't all clubs do that?

No. We don't for some reason. We seem to count based on the clicks of the turnstile. It does seem like a lot of clubs count tickets sold + ST tickets regardless, and it can result in some odd figures..

 

[Rammy]

Blackpool supporters threw fireworks and eggs in a protest against the club's owners before their Championship match at home to Reading.

The Seasiders' relegation had been confirmed a day earlier.

Chairman Karl Oyston, son of owner Owen, was the focus of a group who chanted "Oyston out" and "we're relegated because of your greed" outside Bloomfield Road.

A flare and a smoke bomb were also hurled towards the main reception area.

 

[markwwfc1992]

This isn't as fun without Kurt

He's been on a banning spree on some Blackpool forum according to this

http://www.backhenrystreet.co.uk/thread-25068.html

 

[HarvSFC]

How'd you find that.

 

[markwwfc1992]

How'd you find that.

Just by randomly browsing their forum, initially went there looking to find out what happened with a firework being set off in the stadium.

Also I think PNE fans might remember this guy, ironic that it was Rotherham who sent them down

 

[Luke]

So....

Since Oyston is a genius and signed everyone on 12 month contracts, they are set to be in the exact same position this summer where they need to draft in a complete new squad.

Anyone think they'll be in anything other than another relegation battle next season?

Yep I believe we will be in another relegation battle.

Lee Clark is coming out saying we will get it right next season blah blah but we all know what Oyston is like, won't happen. Be another mess no doubt.

Worked out last night I only have been to ten home games this season even with having a season ticket, I will always support Blackpool but when you have Oyston acting like he is and sueing your own fans etc you have to let your head rule your heart and staying away is the only way they'll get the message. No more than 4,000 there last night it would appear.

This is my 12th year of having a season ticket, I don't think I've missed as many games combined in the past 11 seasons as of this season, used to pain me missing one, cheers Oyston.

 

[Dave-Vale]

There's no place in football for scumbags like Oyston. Why doesn't he just sell up and move on? Is it really worth the hassle?

 

[Luke]

I think he enjoys winding all the fans up.

You would think after taking so many millions for his own personal use he would have stripped the club enough, obviously not.

What a fucking mess.

 

[Dave-Vale]

Really feel for Blackpool fans to be honest. Know exactly how it feels to have the heart and soul torn from your club.

 

[Destruction]

Yep I believe we will be in another relegation battle.

Lee Clark is coming out saying we will get it right next season blah blah but we all know what Oyston is like, won't happen. Be another mess no doubt.

Worked out last night I only have been to ten home games this season even with having a season ticket, I will always support Blackpool but when you have Oyston acting like he is and sueing your own fans etc you have to let your head rule your heart and staying away is the only way they'll get the message. No more than 4,000 there last night it would appear.

This is my 12th year of having a season ticket, I don't think I've missed as many games combined in the past 11 seasons as of this season, used to pain me missing one, cheers Oyston.

If you want to come and support us instead mate there's always a pint waiting for you on me. Have a think about it.

All the best.

 

[Destruction]

Really feel for Blackpool fans to be honest. Know exactly how it feels to have the heart and soul torn from your club.

Can you clarify Dave, what do you mean?

How are they any more badly done over than Millwall or Wigan this season?

 

[SF_]

So Blackpool fans protested last night by throwing eggs at disabled people, that was cool of them.

http://fansonline.net/blackpool/mb/view.php?id=2128535

 

[Dave-Vale]

Can you clarify Dave, what do you mean?

How are they any more badly done over than Millwall or Wigan this season?

From what I've read it seems Oyston has completely used the club for his own financial gain.

Their pre season last year was an absolute disaster and you can only blame him for that which has in turn relegated them. I have no idea why anybody would want to manage them. They're a train wreck at the minute.

Hopefully he will sell up and somebody can wipe the slate clean and start again.

 

[Destruction]

From what I've read it seems Oyston has completely used the club for his own financial gain.

Their pre season last year was an absolute disaster and you can only blame him for that which has in turn relegated them. I have no idea why anybody would want to manage them. They're a train wreck at the minute.

Hopefully he will sell up and somebody can wipe the slate clean and start again.

Teams have bad seasons mate, I'm sure supporting Vale in your lifetime hasn't always been a walk in the park?

If you want to have a look at what went wrong with their pre-season, don't listen to me, listen to the impartial Mark "Clem" Clemmitt:

Oyston stuck to his principles when dealing with Riga over signing players Barrington Coombs/Empics Sport

Mark Clemmit

Last updated at 12:01AM, September 22 2014

When it comes to the sun shining out of the backside of their own team, Blackpool fans do seem to go the extra mile.

No conversation with David Oates, the late BBC Radio 5 Live commentator, could get past the small-talk stage without journeying to the centre of a tangerine mind.

So granted an audience last week with Karl Oyston, the club chairman and English football’s No 1 tyrannical baby-eater, and with more Blackpool raving aficionados strategically positioned throughout various other departments of BBC Sport, I made a conscious decision to avoid contact with them.

Blackpool supporters are not very happy at the moment. In doing this job over the past decade and a half, I have learnt to treat as I find and make up my own mind about people.

Take Steve Evans, the Rotherham United manager, for example. On face value he is a human gruffalo of terrifying ferocity. In reality (half an hour either side of a game) he is charming company and, as his promotion tally backs up, a ruddy good football manager.

So here it is Blackpool fans, straight between the eyes. I have always enjoyed my encounters with Oyston and, what’s more, I admire some of his principles.

I fully understand that having had a taste of the high life a few years ago, you hoped it would be the start of a new golden era.

A period in your history that nearly didn’t happen by the way, when Oyston vetoed Ian Holloway’s initial interview after the intervention of an agent and even when he himself had resurrected it, “Ollie” had to be kicked out of bed by his wife, Kim, to attend, as he wasn’t sure he wanted to return to football.

I also understand you hoped that Premier League riches would have bought you a replacement for your much-maligned hellhole training ground by now.

That you might at present employ a chief scout and operate a player analysis system.

That as a result, your team wouldn’t be full of cast-offs from other clubs in the lower half of the Championship.

And that you wouldn’t be on a run of form that has reaped 17 points from the last 111 available and getting ready for derby matches against Fleetwood Town next season (assuming they are not promoted in your place of course).

I also understand that you have, let’s call them “concerns”, as to where your Premier League windfall is residing. But it makes life difficult for any chairman when your new manager, in this case José Riga, below, gives you a list of transfer targets and, according to Oyston, digs his heels in and refuses to countenance alternatives.

So when the purchase of some of those players involved moving funds around every participating nation in the Eurovision Song Contest or half of Fifa’s list of registered agents, Oyston was right to put what he regards as the long-term interests of the club first and say no.

(Which other industry would give a single individual carte blanche to spend a huge tranche of money without questioning it?)

Of course, Oyston stood firm so stubbornly that the club ended up with just eight players three weeks before the season started and have been displaying the gussets of their dirty laundry ever since.

Not least of which, during the international break a fortnight ago, when Riga was accused of dereliction of duty and had a “do not resuscitate” sign placed around his neck, as Oyston made fruitless attempts to lure Owen Coyle (for a fourth time) and then Gary Rowett to replace him.

Quite how the pair have managed to patch up their differences since and muddle through Blackpool’s acquisition of their first couple of points of the season is beyond me.

The Ian Holloway era now seems like a distant memory.

Mark Clemmit is the features reporter on BBC One’s Football Focus and The Football League Show, presents BT Sport’s coverage of the Vanarama Conference and is a regular voice on BBC Radio 5 Live

 

[Millwall_Matt]

Can you clarify Dave, what do you mean?

How are they any more badly done over than Millwall or Wigan this season?

I disagree with you. Blackpool's performance this season, whilst predictable, seems to be entirely of their own making and to a large extent avoidable. A cash rich club with recent premier league experience should not be starting the season without a full bench, nor should they be unable to hold a pre season. Blackpool's issues stem from a breakdown in relationship between the board, players and fans and what from the outside appears to be almost a deliberate policy of the owners to further damage that relationship.

Our issues are very different. We appointment a manager who ultimately struggled to build a side that could play to his principles on the budget he was given and was too stubborn to return to the things that our squad was good at (and originally built for). Ultimately our issues were caused by poor management, rather than by a destructive and divisive ownership.

Whilst we are almost certainly going to be relegated, I'm fairly pleased with the way in which the club is going on the pitch and the vast majority are still behind the chairman and owner. Certainly Harris will be backed by the fans even once relegation is confirmed and we can go into next season with a degree of optimism. I'm not sure you can say the same for Blackpool.

For that reason alone frankly I feel for the Blackpool fans. If you can't even have hope looking forward, then frankly what is the point?

 

[Destruction]

I do like Millwall and you raise some interesting points. However can you provide any of the following:

- Level of debt?
- Last profit/loss announced?
- Wage bill total?
- Number of season ticket holders?

Based on what I am expecting your answers to be, I'm not sure you can claim to be in a better position than Blackpool.

I would agree you have the better manager and squad of course.

 

[Dazza]

The attendance will be 10,000+ officially tonight so no records will be broken.

Yeah it was around that number.Would have been a few more but a load of them after the protest didn't go into the ground as i saw them walking away from the ground from the back of the away end.

 

[Millwall_Matt]

I do like Millwall and you raise some interesting points. However can you provide any of the following:

- Level of debt?
- Last profit/loss announced?
- Wage bill total?
- Number of season ticket holders?

Based on what I am expecting your answers to be, I'm not sure you can claim to be in a better position than Blackpool.

I would agree you have the better manager and squad of course.

I do like Millwall and you raise some interesting points. However can you provide any of the following:

- Level of debt?
- Last profit/loss announced?
- Wage bill total?
- Number of season ticket holders?

Based on what I am expecting your answers to be, I'm not sure you can claim to be in a better position than Blackpool.

I would agree you have the better manager and squad of course.

Current debt level is around £18 million, primarily owed to our chairman. He could pull the plug and plunge us into oblivion, but hasn't shown any sign of doing so thus far and seems to be generally supportive of the club financially. That debt level puts us around midway in the championship.

P/L sees us losing around 6 million a year all in, mostly on interest to the money already owed to the chairman.

Wage bill around 12 million a year, although more than half of that (in fact nigh on 3/4) is on contracts which expire this summer. I would expect next season to be operating on somewhere around 6-8 million pa.

Season ticket holders around 7000. That won't change much when we drop (and may actually increase). Our attendance average is likely to be around 9000 in league one, based on historical levels. Lower than we average in the Championship, but not a horrific drop.

Also remember that we have some of the most expensive tickets going, what with the 'London effect'. 7000 of our ticket holders paying around £400 a year on average outweighs twice the number financially of some 'bigger' clubs who have far lower prices.

Certainly if the chairman sticks around we will be competitive in league one, both financially and I feel with the squad likely to be at our disposal. That said, I'm not expecting to be competing at the top of the league straight away.

 

[SF_]

Also remember that we have some of the most expensive tickets going, what with the 'London effect'. 7000 of our ticket holders paying around £400 a year on average outweighs twice the number financially of some 'bigger' clubs who have far lower prices.

Whereas Karl Oyston has subsidised Blackpool's season tickets to make them the cheapest in the Championship.

Giving something back to the fans.

 

[PDS]

Whereas Karl Oyston has subsidised Blackpool's season tickets to make them the cheapest in the Championship.

Giving something back to the fans.

To be fair it's not as if they've been watching Championship standard football