Promotion can’t hide great divide
GARY BOWYER led Blackpool back into League One in his first season in charge but he is at a loss about how to sort out the division between fans and board that continues to harm a famous old club.
Fewer than 6,000 supporters made the trip from Lancashire for a rare glory day in a period of despair that has followed their relegation from the Premier League in 2011.
Goals from Brad Potts and Mark Cullen may have addressed their slump, but the visible protest against chairman Karl Oyston means this play-off final victory will be forgotten in a hurry.
A quarter of Wembley was empty, with Blackpool taking considerably fewer than the 30,000 fans who attended the 2012 play-off final against West Ham. As a message to their muchmaligned supremo, it was loud and clear.
“What can be done? I can’t answer it,” said boss Bowyer. “All I can affect is day-to-day coaching. I will be going to the chairman for new players, that’s my criteria.
“It is a shame. It would have been great to have more here. But I can’t control it. I think my mum will still think I’m mad for taking this job!”
Blackpool’s strength has been their ability to ignore off-field matters and do the business on the pitch.
Despite the desperately sparse look to their section of Wembley, they took the lead with just two minutes, nine seconds on the clock.
Potts sidefooted home superbly to score his 13th goal of the season after being set up by a delightful flick by Cullen.
Exeter were deservedly level five minutes before the break as David Wheeler coolly lobbed home after a quickly-taken Craig Woodman free-kick had set up the chance.
But Blackpool turned things around in a much-improved second half showing with Cullen, the hat-trick hero in the semi-final against Luton, scoring from close range after clever play by Potts.
Exeter, who were bottom of League Two in November, could not respond as Blackpool sealed a fifth play-off triumph, the most in English football.
“I’m very proud of the players and the season we had,” said Grecians boss Paul Tisdale. “We will regret the result but should be pleased with what we have done.”
BLACKPOOL (5-3-2): Slocombe; Mellor, Aimson, Aldred (Osayi-Samuel 30), Robertson, Daniel; Payne (Black 62), Danns, Potts; Cullen (Flores 75), Vassell.
Booked: Osayi-Samuel, Daniel, Cullen, Flores. Goals: Potts 3, Cullen 64. EXETER (4-4-2): Pym; Stacey, Brown (Sweeney 58), MooreTaylor, Woodman (Holmes 71); Wheeler, Taylor, James, Harley; Grant (Reid 58), Watkins. Goal: Wheeler 40.
Referee: D England (S Yorkshire).