Blackpool are plotting to force a major figure out of Bloomfield Road – quite literally.
The Tangerines have had an indifferent start to life back in League One, with 12 points from their opening eight matches. A Jordan Rhodes hat trick helped them beat troubled Reading this weekend on their home ground, and news has broken today that they’re trying to force a move for a former club figure.
Owen Oyston is not a name Blackpool fans have a lot of respect for – their disgraced former chairman and his son Karl are widely blamed for their plummet from the Premier League to the fourth tier. They were accused of performing an “illegitimate stripping” of the club, paying £26.77 million out of the club to companies they owned. Oyston bought the club for £1 in 1988, handed over the reins of chairperson to his wife whilst he was imprisoned, and latterly his son, before they were all removed in 2018.
However, they may have been removed in terms of ownership, but Oyston is still at the club – the Blackpool Gazette reports that he still lives in a penthouse flat in the club’s South Stand. That’s a situation the club is seeking to rectify.
They’ve made an application to have the penthouse made the subject of an Energy Performance Certificate, which is a claim that could eventually allow them access to the flat in order to facilitate a sale. Oyston has contested the application, stating that the commercial certificate, covering the rest of the stand and assets within, also covers the penthouse.
A decision will be made in October when Blackpool fans might finally be able to say that Oyston is out of their club for good after 35 years.
Writer’s View
Journalists of a certain vintage will have got plenty of headlines out of Oyston before, but seeing some more today is a bit of a surprise. His family’s grip on the club was utterly toxic and drove fans to boycott matches.
Whilst it may seem like a minor off-the-field quarrell, there’s no doubt long-term Blackpool fans will be willing for their club to win this battle and finally get Oyston out of Bloomfield Road. They’re in good hands now, seemingly climbing the table after an indifferent start.
To be able to say this was the year Oyston was finally thrown out would be a nice boost for everyone involved with the Tangerines.
