It?s quite fitting that my last blog was titled ?Protests may finally be working? and after fans staged their biggest one yet, it has certainly made people sit up and take notice at what is happening to Blackpool.

Two fan groups, the Blackpool Supporters Trust and the Tangerine Knights, joined forces to organise ?Judgement Day? after chairman Karl Oyston told fans to ?judge me in May?.

Around 2,000 fans from various clubs including Liverpool, Tottenham and Saturday?s visitors to Bloomfield Road, Huddersfield Town, took part in a march and peaceful protests before kick-off.

But three minutes into the second half of the meaningless game, hundreds of fans ran onto the pitch, causing the tie to be abandoned.

There?s no denying that the protests got the national attention they were designed to receive. What is disappointing, however, is some news organisations criticising the fans for their actions.

The BBC for instance led with the headline ?a sad, sad day for football? following the abandonment. Some Huddersfield fans who travelled for the game were critical on social media, complaining about the money they wasted on travelling and match tickets.

Yes, things did get ugly at Bloomfield Road when some individuals scaled the directors? box, and it must be frustrating for those Huddersfield fans who spent their money and wanted to enjoy their final away game of the season. But those condemning the Blackpool fans? actions are failing to see the bigger picture here.

It was quite obvious that the game was going to be used as a protest match. The Tangerine Knights have done a fantastic job on social media in making people aware of what to expect, gaining endorsement from the likes of James Corden and Russell Brand in the process.

The abandonment was the culmination of an abysmal campaign for the Seasiders. On the pitch they?ve set the record lowest points total in Championship history (25), and off it things have been equally as shambolic.

Fuel was added to an already roaring fire after the statue of club legend Stanley Mortensen was removed by the club because of ?safety reasons? just days before it was going to be used as the meeting point for Saturday?s protests.

Oh, and this was just a week after chairman Karl Oyston decided to sue a 67-year-old pensioner for ?20,000 following comments he made on his private Facebook page, which had 34 friends.

Why the club felt ?Morty?s? statue would be targeted is quite frankly laughable, and the fact that it was almost treated like a shrine during the protests, with shirts and scarves surrounding a cardboard copy of Morty, summed up the relationship between those in charge at Blackpool and its supporters.

Removing the statue only sought to further antagonise an already irate fan base. Imagine if the Glazer family decided to remove a statue of Sir Matt Busby from outside Old Trafford? It would cause anarchy amongst Manchester United fans and the footballing world as a whole.

And this is exactly the problem Blackpool?s supporters have; nobody seems to be acknowledging what is happening at the football club. Because it?s ?little old Blackpool? and not a giant club such as Man United, the authorities in charge of the game and fans not associated with the club are relatively unaware of why this one-time Premier League side have ended up being the worst team in Championship history.

This isn?t a handful of Manchester City fans sulking because they have failed to win another league title after spending millions of pounds, these are fans who have witnessed the pride of their town be taken away from them with no-one stopping it from happening.

The FA and the Football League have had their hands forced; they now have to look at Blackpool because of the abandonment, which is ironic because the governing bodies have done a marvellous job in ignoring Blackpool?s plight so far.

Not once have the Football League or the FA stepped in to take a closer look at what is happening to this great club. Mind you, it did take the FA three months to charge Oyston over the text messages.

Instead of punishing those who invaded the pitch, the authorities should be looking at why there was a pitch invasion. What caused Blackpool fans to protest last Saturday? Why have they been pushed to such extreme behaviour?

Judgement Day highlighted that the most important people at any football club are the fans. Lose them and no club can function, regardless of its size.

The Football League have announced the match will not be replayed but are yet to decide the outcome of the game. Blackpool could face a financial penalty or even a points deduction.

The outcome of the Football League?s decision matters little to Pool fans, they just want their club back.


By Henry Woodsford

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