| BST Statement regarding yesterday's pitch invasion 17:15 - May 3 with 1964 views | BFCSupportersTrust |
The abandonment of yesterday's game was an inevitable conclusion to the most farcical season in the history of Blackpool Football Club. The current owners’ methods of running the “company” have led us directly to the point where the type of civil disobedience displayed yesterday was the supporters’ only option. The organisation, courage, resolve and good-humoured restraint that the fans displayed was a superb reflection of the quality of our club’s supporters. In the face of intense provocation from the owners, the response and conduct of our fans has been almost universally magnificent. In the words of the Lancashire Police statement: “The protest was peaceful and non-violent at all times and the response from both the stewards and police officers at the ground reflected this.” Blackpool Supporters’ Trust wishes to thank both the stewards and the police for their tactful and supportive handling of the situation.
We should be clear that as fans we do not want to spend our time protesting. We would much prefer the ordinary pleasure of watching our football club and cheering on our team. However, the current owners have, by their actions, prevented supporters from achieving that most basic of expectations. The joy of following our football club has been taken from us and we are determined to take that pleasure back. The current owners have refused to speak to the Blackpool Supporters’ Trust, despite our constant respectful and constructive requests to do so. In the absence of dialogue, and even more importantly, any action to bring about real change in the way the football club is run, the options available to the fans have diminished.
We have appealed to the Football League, the Football Association and the Premier League for help and intervention but so far they have proven unwilling or unable to assist. We have also approached political leaders, MPs and local councillors but, despite some positive noises and messages of support, nothing concrete has thus far been done. Indeed, so concerned are the Supporters’ Trust and its members that we endorsed our own independent candidate for Blackpool South in this week’s General Election.
Blackpool fans need more than excuses, empty gestures and hollow words - we need action, we need real support and we need change. That desire for change, coupled with the sense that we are alone against a “company” that seems determined to alienate and disempower its “customers” (as well as undermining the success of its business), is what led to yesterday's mass protest and pitch invasion. What is going on at our club is wrong as far as the vast majority of our members are concerned and if we have to bring about the necessary change ourselves, we will do so. We would prefer never to see such disruption as at Bloomfield Road yesterday afternoon, but it feels like the “company's” owners have declared war on us and we must therefore fight back as best we can. With all other avenues closed to us, civil disobedience, in the form of a peaceful pitch invasion, was all that was left.
The Trust will today write to the Football League, the Football Association and Lancashire Police asking them to consider the extraordinary situation at the club, the peaceful nature of the protests and the outlandish behaviour of the owners before making any decisions regarding those fans who brought yesterday's game to a premature end.
We will also be asking the FA and Football League to investigate the causes of the abandonment and request them to set up an independent enquiry into what is going on at Blackpool FC. We will also be inviting politicians both locally and nationally to contribute to this enquiry and we intend to use its findings to fundamentally change the way football is governed so that no other club's supporters will ever have to suffer as Blackpool fans have.
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| BST Statement regarding yesterday's pitch invasion on 19:09 - May 3 with 1939 views | Wizaard |
Well said. Yesterday was about so much more than a game of football |  | | |
| BST Statement regarding yesterday's pitch invasion on 20:38 - May 3 with 1870 views | scratchingshed |
| BST Statement regarding yesterday's pitch invasion on 19:09 - May 3 by Wizaard |
Well said. Yesterday was about so much more than a game of football |
Excellent statement.
It's just Going to be shambolic the authorities will punish the club over this pitch invasion long before Oyston himself gets punished over the text gate scandal. | | | |
| BST Statement regarding yesterday's pitch invasion on 21:40 - May 3 with 1850 views | ribble |
The challenge for BST and the other groups will be to keep the pot boiling over the summer without the weekly backdrop of football activity and thereby the platform for protest. No easy task. | | | |
| BST Statement regarding yesterday's pitch invasion on 23:58 - May 3 with 1820 views | TwelveAngryMen |
| BST Statement regarding yesterday's pitch invasion on 21:40 - May 3 by ribble |
The challenge for BST and the other groups will be to keep the pot boiling over the summer without the weekly backdrop of football activity and thereby the platform for protest. No easy task. |
Good point that Ribble
Will be interesting to see the approach taken |  |
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| BST Statement regarding yesterday's pitch invasion on 02:08 - May 4 with 1792 views | OverWired |
| BST Statement regarding yesterday's pitch invasion on 23:58 - May 3 by TwelveAngryMen |
Good point that Ribble
Will be interesting to see the approach taken |
It certainly will, so let's all ensure that we make the effort to help them in any way we can. | | | |
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