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BSA ditch KO 11:12 - Jan 9 with 6813 views

BSA will, with immediate effect, be withdrawing from talks with the chairman of Blackpool Football Club.
We feel that we have been given no alternative for the following reasons:

The chairman’s recent words and actions have alienated supporters and brought our football club into disrepute.
While we appreciate that his family has been the subject of a great deal of abuse, which we do not condone, we feel his apology was not commensurate with the damage done to supporters, particularly those who have disabilities.
Despite the success of the Holloway years our club has since lost the respect of the footballing world; fans feel they are no longer respected and Blackpool is no longer the growing, family club it once was.
A lack of long term vision under his stewardship has meant our decline from a competitive Championship team to one that looks likely to be relegated.
The structures for future success have not been put in place in the way that we would expect for a cash-rich club like ours, whether it be building a scouting network, updating training facilities, striving to retain our successful youth players or maintaining the ground.
While our members have welcomed the opportunity to put their concerns to him directly at Fans Forums, constructive criticism seems not to have been acted upon or at times recognised for the positive support for the club it is.
In his public statements and actions the chairman does not seem to share our pride in this great club, our aspirations for its future or our reasonable desire to see a long term Premier League legacy and wise investment of the funds that the Premier League has generated.

Through our members forums and direct communication we have as an organisation consistently urged the chairman to look again at the way the club is run, to listen to the concerns of genuine supporters and win back hearts and minds. This he has consistently failed to do. BSA have consistently spoken in the Blackpool Gazette about the need for communication with the fans and investment in the club - a selection of some of more recent examples of these articles are appended below.
Should there be a change of ownership or executive leadership - or clear signs of a long term vision - we would, of course, reconsider this decision, but we have with some regret reached the conclusion that there has recently been an unwillingness to listen to this particular voice of the fans and to act upon it.
We remain an organisation committed to dialogue as the only way to effect permanent change. At this moment in time, however, we feel that continuing to hold talks with the chairman when there is so little sign of long term vision and attempts to heal wounds would be counterproductive.
We once again want a club where all supporters feel they are valued, where the internecine warfare which is tearing our club apart has ended and where chairman and supporters work together in an atmosphere of mutual respect and shared purpose. If this action is s step towards achieving that goal it will have been worthwhile.
BSA members are, as always, invited to contact the committee if they have comments, concerns or questions about this decision.
We would like to make clear that this decision is in no way influenced by the intimidation that BSA members have been subjected to. A separate communication will follow on this matter next week.
Yours sincerely,
BSA Committee

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Worst 'Regular' First Teamer at the moment?

BSA ditch KO on 16:21 - Jan 12 with 1242 views

Wizaard

BSA ditch KO on 10:29 - Jan 12 by voyeur

20s - apologies for the tone of my message, it's just frustration at the length of time it's taken BSA to break off relations with someone who has been treating the club and its fans with utter contempt for a long time. I've often in the past stuck up for Glen and BSA on forums on the grounds that he is at least an activist who cares about BFC and does something about it, putting himself in the firing line. And, you are right, some gains have been made. It's just my opinion that we would all have been better off by standing up to KO as one voice, and for me the moment was when we knew from real evidence, although it was obvious anyway, that large sums of money were being moved away.

Wiz - I appreciate what you are saying, and thanks for the polite response. Like I just said, I think the time came a while ago to stop the begging bowl thing. Surely BST came about because BSA wasn't taking up an effective position?

However, we have reached that point now, the past is gone, so it's about how things work now, with people working together. Many of us have simply removed ourselves, life is too short. Why support something so morally corrupt and so uncommitted to its supporters?

I don't believe that myself/other people not going will influence KO/OO at all, by the way, I am sure they are comfortable with returning to low crowds in Leagues 1 and 2, it' worked for them for a long time. I guess that only sustained pressure and bad publicity will cause them to think about moving on. They are so stubborn that they may just hang on for ever, milking the stadium and maybe player sales, so perhaps it's only by making it too much hassle for too little financial reward that we could cause them to make a decision to sell.

I think we are all in debt to Tim Fielding for putting his neck on the block. I haven't got the balls to do what he's done, given that I have a family and that I don't value BFC highly enough to create that level of risk for myself. He has brought things to a head and, if it proceeds, I am sure that lawyers would rule that a fans group has the right to express its misgivings about the way a football club is being run, based on the available evidence. We can also hope that Mr Belokon lends his support, and there are signs that he may. His treatment by the oystons is solid evidence of the things that Tim has said, and I'm sure he will be eager to explain things from the point of view of a director of the club who has fallen foul of the Oyston greed.

Seems to me that every day there's another bad news story, quite frequently generated by the Oystons making statements. It really can't go on like this.

BSA ditch KO on 16:30 - Jan 12 with 1239 views

voyeur

BSA ditch KO on 16:05 - Jan 12 by 20togo

Voy

No need to apologise whatsoever. We've had enough spats over the years -we know the score, we say what we think and are are straightforward about it. Then we move on - until the next time.

I'll gladly acknowledge that for me BSA had become complacent before the advent of SISA. But it's one thing to talk about being effective and another to actually being effective. At the moment are we actually any further down the line to achieving what we want? Yes, all this bad publicity is great but at the moment is it getting us towards the endgame. You could certainly make a case that since the advent of SISA/BST that KO/OO has turned the screw even tighter so we as fans are now paying a high price for our unrest. But we certainly needed SISA at the time. I've always been of the view that we needed to 'get at' the Oystons on two fronts. One by talking [BSA] and two, by protests and a media campaign. Certainly, the second seems to be very effective.

I've stated enough times now that it was for BSA to make it's decision about it's own future. And it's KO's actions that in effect maybe made the decision for them.

As for Tim, well he knows my views. I hope he comes out of all this as unscathed as possible. In a situation where everything about BFC is pretty toxic Tim is one of very few who comes out with any dignity.

I think Tim will get a lot of support. There are ex-players who feel strongly about the club, and about the Oystons. There are ex-employees. And there's an exiled member of the board of directors. And then there's the fans. We all support him, I'm sure.

Tim has selflessly given all these people an opportunity to join together and make a stand against the arrogance, greed and dishonesty of one family. I really hope everybody does support him however they can. I'm sure Tim will be speaking to people like Belokon, and I'm sure hewill be able to put together a strong case, with the support of others. Mr Belokon is in a position to verify much if not all of what BST has said about the Oystons, is he not? He funds the south stand, and the key player acquisitions, which enabled the Oystons to win the lottery without really dipping their own hands in their pockets, and is then kicked into touch.

And players like Charlie Adam, and many others, I'm sure, will be able to testify with regard to the Oyston methods. And ex-managers, if they are prepared to raise their heads above the parapet. There is a lot of evidence in support of Tim. And photographs of wheelie bins, tales of water, butties and lasagne, newspaper clippings of Oyston statements that never came true, etc etc. And precious little evidence of investment by the Oyston family. And a lot of people with grievances against the owners. IMO, they are not wise to pursue whatever grievances they have publicly, because there is so much that can be held against them, by so many.

I am a nutter. I come from the sea.

BSA ditch KO on 18:42 - Jan 12 with 1188 views

20togo

BSA ditch KO on 16:30 - Jan 12 by voyeur

Voy

I think you are missing the point.. It's not Oyston who is on trial here. It's Tim - the accusations are levelled at him. So therefore Tim has to PROVE what he has said is true. That means involving a helluva lot more [expensive] people. You are potentially could be running into hundreds of thousands of pounds. Would you risk that and be prepared to lose and then face all the repercussions that would come with it.

Tim has to put himself, his family and career first. I really don't think it helps him by people keep telling him to take the Oystons on. That can surely only be done if someone like VB or one of the big media outlets are prepared to do it.

That's not backing down to Oyston, it's just facing the reality of the situation.

BSA ditch KO on 18:55 - Jan 12 with 1182 views

basilrobbiereborn

BSA ditch KO on 18:42 - Jan 12 by 20togo

I think you're right 20s. And whilst I don't know Tim well, I very much doubt he'll put much reliance upon a bunch of internet posters pledging their support - whatever that means.

It's his business, he should be allowed to manage it his way without interference or well meaning advice from any of us.

	Icon? It's all Rio Ferdinand's fault.
Blog:	pause for breath

BSA ditch KO on 19:11 - Jan 12 with 1175 views

Tang67

BSA ditch KO on 18:55 - Jan 12 by basilrobbiereborn
I think you're right 20s. And whilst I don't know Tim well, I very much doubt he'll put much reliance upon a bunch of internet posters pledging their support - whatever that means. It's his business, he should be allowed to manage it his way without interference or well meaning advice from any of us.

This will never see a courtroom and are not there others being sued?

Sure he needs to put his career and family first but i don't think an apology on his part is necessary

Poster formerly known as bisphamtang

BSA ditch KO on 19:22 - Jan 12 with 1170 views

voyeur

BSA ditch KO on 19:11 - Jan 12 by Tang67
This will never see a courtroom and are not there others being sued? Sure he needs to put his career and family first but i don't think an apology on his part is necessary

Yes you're right 20s. I wouldnt urge Tim to take them on, was just musing on the potential support and what might happen if he did, and who might potentially lend support. But it's Tim's decision entirely and nobody should judge him whatever he does.

[Post edited 12 Jan 2015 19:24]

I am a nutter. I come from the sea.

BSA ditch KO on 19:37 - Jan 12 with 1165 views

20togo

BSA ditch KO on 18:55 - Jan 12 by basilrobbiereborn
I think you're right 20s. And whilst I don't know Tim well, I very much doubt he'll put much reliance upon a bunch of internet posters pledging their support - whatever that means. It's his business, he should be allowed to manage it his way without interference or well meaning advice from any of us.

The problem is Robbie, the more I keep reading posts from People telling him what to do, the more I feel the need to post what I've just said. So I just get dragged into it all myself.

In a way, all this debate on it just needs to die down. Tim knows what he's doing. He'll be talking to the people close to him that matter.

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