Blackpool joy muted as fan boycott bites
FORGET the promotion. Forget the notion that this was anything but a victory for Blackpool’s fans.
They boycotted this Wembley showpiece in their thousands in a united act of defiance against chairman Karl Oyston.
Protests have been going on for months but this provided a new message to one of the Football League’s most hated chairmen.
There may have been fewer than 5,000 in tangerine on what should have been such a joyous day.
Finding out how many of those were there on a freebie would be intriguing. The rest were elsewhere, seething over Oyston’s litigation against at least eight supporters, his consistent goading of them, his seeming contempt for their existence.
Blackpool might be back in League One, with goals from the hugely impressive Brad Potts and Mark Cullen, but that matters little to many fans.
They will not return until Oyston is gone and so pin their colours on the ‘real cup final’ scheduled for June 6 at London’s High Court.
There the club’s estranged president, Valeri Belokon, has filed suit against the owners believed to be the most expensive in British football history. Should he win, the power struggle will become very interesting indeed.
That will now take place with the Seasiders in the third tier after their record fifth play-off promotion. Manager Gary Bowyer deserves enormous credit, considering all the unrest.
‘I don’t waste time on things I can’t control,’ Bowyer said. ‘I know what I can affect so I concentrate on that. I will be going to the chairman for new players, that’s my criteria.’
Blackpool were ahead inside 130 seconds. Cullen teed up Potts and the midfielder swept his shot past Exeter goalkeeper Christy Pym.
Potts rushed over to the sparse support, arms outstretched and mouth wide. It is important to remem-ber that for most st players days like this s provide moments that can be the finest of their careers.
Sadly, the noise from that corner of the national stadium was not ot exactly deafening.
The Blackpool fans were subdued, possibly some still unsure whether travelling here was the right call.
Some were not even set on definitely wanting Bowyer’s team to prevail. What a peculiar situation Oyston has manufactured.
As club favourite Trevor Sinclair told Sportsmail on Saturday, buying a ticket — final or not — maybe gives a sense that you might be turning your back on a community bonding together against the regime.
This was a staunch reaction to what they see as the dismantling of a football club, the wilful rotting and subsequent picking of the carcass.
Everybody watching at home and in pubs along the Fylde Coast will have held their heads high. Staying away from this match was not an easy decision for thousands.
Two Blackpool supporters even bought tickets in the Exeter end in the hope that their money would not end up lining Oyston pockets.
Blackpool took 28,000 supporters to the League One final a decade ago. They took double yesterday’s turnout to the old Fourth Division final 25 years ago, even with the club then on their knees. The support is definitely there but a generation has been lost. Exeter manager Paul Tisdale had his own regrets. He left Wembley ‘ disappointed’ after seeing his side equalise through David Wheeler’s exquisite lob only to surrender after half-time. ‘It’s a tough environment to play in,’ Tisdale said. ‘We’ll regret today in terms of the result but can be proud of the season.’
Blackpool sealed their promotion with 25 minutes left. Potts was involved again, charging into the area after a patient build- up before squaring smartly for Cullen to prod in what proved to be the winner.
The delighted Cullen then ran to the bench, rather than the supporters. To be fair, there are not many left.