EAGER FANS STEP UP TO THE PLATE

AT LUNCHTIME last Saturday, a few hours before the visit of Portsmouth to Bloomfield Road, hundreds of Blackpool Supporters’ Trust members packed into the Excelsior pub half a mile down the road.

They were in fine spirits, understandably, given the news 24 hours earlier that the Oyston family had put the club up for sale. For an hour questions were fielded on the detail of the high court ruling earlier that week, set to cost the Oystons in excess of £30m.

There is light at the end of the tunnel for Blackpool supporters, it seems, while others like Leyton Orient and Leeds United have emerged from the shadow of previous owners recently. Still, Coventry City face homelessness at the end of this season and rancour simmers at Hull City and Blackburn Rovers.

On Saturday, however, Dave Kelly, council member of the Football Supporters’ Federation, spoke of seeing “victory, after victory” in long battles against maligned owners. He and Ashley Brown, CEO of Supporters Direct and, until recently, chairman of Portsmouth, spoke of the importance of continued campaigning for improved governance.

These concurrent battles have served to galvanise a united movement determined to see more stringent rules and regulations for owners and directors, regular compliance checks, and increased engagement with fans.

That pub on Saturday was one snapshot of their tireless activism. Even when toxic owners are dispensed with, it’s clear their fight won’t be won.