Sometimes in football there are people who transcend local rivalries. These are men that unify all supporters and touch our hearts in a way that means more than our partisan support for our own team.
So it is with great sadness that this weekend the great Sir Tom Finney passed away. A lifelong friend of our own famous players of past he will be fondly remembered for the exquisite style of football he brought to the North West and the England national team.
Rest in peace Sir Tom Finney.
Great friends; Stanley Matthews, Tom Finney, Jimmy Armfield, Stan Mortenson
Bloomfield Road, the home of Blackpool FC, has today been
confirmed as Blackpool's first ever Asset of Community Value.
The application was submitted to the council by local
independent fans group, SISA (Seasiders Independent Supporters Association) in
December and was given the green light in today’s council meeting after
receiving cross-party support as it made its way through the council’s
legislative procedures.
Having the status of Asset of Community Value means that if
the owners’ should attempt to sell the ground, they will have to inform SISA of
their intention. The club’s supporters will then have the option to raise money
to bid for the ground or to lobby any potential purchasers concerning future
use of the ground. This can help to ensure that Bloomfield Road remains part of
the town’s heritage for future generations to enjoy.
Football clubs and the grounds that they call home are a
vital part of the local community. The stadium is the place that holds the
memories of the fans, the team and the local community – it connects us to the
past, holds us in the present and allows us to hope for the future – it is
truly the field of dreams.
As, Eric Pickles, the Secretary of State for
Communities and Local Government said, “Football stadiums are not only the heart
and soul of every team, they are rooted in and loved by the neighbourhoods that
surround them.”.
SISA founder, Lee Good had this to say ''This is a significant step for supporters and the local
community. Sites like Bloomfield Road can now be afforded an element of
protection from unscrupulous owners or fly-by-night property developers. The
football ground and team are an integral part of our community. Football has
been played on that site for 126 years and we want to ensure that Bloomfield
Road remains at the heart of sporting entertainment and endeavour in the town.
The football club is a massive part of the town’s identity amongst locals and
has also brought us to national prominence on many occasions.''
The only one other ACV in the local area was passed by Fylde
council on the Victoria Hotel St Annes The group that nominated the Victoria
Hotel through provisions of the Localism Act 2011 are now part owners of the
popular local hostelry.
With the tradition and proud history that surrounds
Bloomfield Road we feel that making Blackpool FC’s ground an Asset of Community
Value ensures an extra level of protection for this mainstay of our community. A site that, for many locals, is just as iconic as the Tower that stands
protectively over the town.
1) Introduction:
All today’s proposals for action were
submitted by members of SISA. The committee have been speaking and meeting with
members and non-members from the Fylde and far beyond in order to help focus the
fan base on setting achievable goals and working together for the benefit of the
club, its supporters and the community. The short term focus is on getting the
current owners to invest more of the club’s money into the football side of the
business and to pressurise them into acting in a way more consistent with the
traditions of our great club. The slogans of the campaign will be “Oystons’ Cash
Cow” and “Oystons Must Put Football First”. We are hoping that supporters
whether SISA members or not will rally around these ideas.
2) Bloomfield Road as Asset
of Community Value: The result of SISA’s
application for Bloomfield Road to be listed as an Asset of Community is
scheduled to be decided by the Council on Tuesday 11th February. SISA
understands that the application has cross-party support and Karl Oyston has
also given his public support to the idea. The main consideration now appears to
be whether it will satisfy the statutory requirements. The council seemed
satisfied with the application when it was submitted to them and there are good
reasons to be optimistic about a positive outcome. If it succeeds it will be the
first property in Blackpool to receive Asset of Community Value Status. This
will mean that should the owners choose to sell the ground, they will have to
inform SISA of their intention. The club’s supporters will then have the option
to raise money to bid for the ground or to lobby any potential purchasers
concerning use of the ground or alternatively, address and publicise any other
issues of concern. Action: SISA committee to inform Blackpool supporters of
the outcome of the application (110214)
3) Supporters Trust:
SISA have been given the backing of
Supporters Direct to establish a Supporters Trust for Blackpool FC. There are
many advantages that having a Supporters Trust can provide for Blackpool fans
e.g. collectively owning shares, providing a means of transparent and open
negotiation between fans and the club as well as potentially enabling fans to
have a much bigger say in the way our club is run with more co-operation with
the club and accountability from the owners. It will also give greater weight to
SISA and the fans it represents as well as helping to more widely publicise the
issues that impact our club. There will be a public vote on 5th of
April before the Yeovil game to create a Supporters Trust and it was stressed
that we need as big a turnout of people as possible on that day. Action: SISA
to publicise the Public Vote on the 5th April as well as providing information
about what a Supporters Trust is and how it can benefit Blackpool fans.
(Ongoing) Blackpool fans to turn up in great numbers at the meeting (5-4-14)
4) Proposals for Action:
The proposals had all been agreed in
principle with Tony Pinder, the Ground Safety Officer at Blackpool FC. The final
details will still need to be agreed with Tony Pinder, the Police and the Local
Authority.
a) The 90 Million Pound Note:
An A4 size double sided imitation bank
note was displayed with examples provide for all present to examine. The leaflet
is an imitation of a traditional English bank note (included as an attachment to
the minutes). This will be held up on the 19 minutes for a period of 30 seconds
to a minute displaying the bank note and on 53 minutes, for 30 seconds or so,
displaying the other side which contains the message “Oystons Must Put Football
First”. These leaflets will be provided by SISA and distributed outside the
ground before kick-off. This proposal was passed by an almost unanimous
majority. Action: SISA to finalise the design, co-ordinate with other groups
of Blackpool fans to try to ensure the demonstration has the biggest possible
impact. (Ongoing)
b) Delayed Entry To The
Ground: Fans will delay their entry into
the ground until nine minutes after kick off with each minute signifying ten
million of the approximately ninety million received from the Premier League
money. As with the other agenda items there was lively discussion about this
proposal and it was generally felt that supporters wanted to watch the game and
that this approach would clearly prevent people from seeing some of the game.
Action: This proposal was rejected by a hefty majority and therefore no
further action necessary.
c) Post Match Sit
In: It was suggested that supporters
delay their departure from the ground by a maximum period of 15 minutes and in
so doing make public the strength of feeling about many of the strategies the
club has been employing over the years in regards to the football side of the
business. Members said that there needed to be good numbers for this to have
real impact and the planning had to be properly co-ordinated. Action: This
was passed by a hefty majority and the Committee were asked to further develop
the idea, liaise with as broad a group of supporters as possible and publicise
the event properly. The committee should also make the necessary arrangements
with the club, the police etc. (ongoing)
d) The Premier League Legacy Funeral March: A coffin draped
in tangerine with the legend “Premier League Legacy” would be placed at the
front of the march and the supporters would form a procession behind the coffin
and march to and around Bloomfield Road. Action: Agreed again almost
unanimously, SISA committee to make the necessary arrangements and liaise with
the relevant authorities. (220214)
e) Video Montage:
Supporters would be filmed explaining
the reasons for their disappointment with the club or their unwillingness to
renew their season ticket. This would then be edited together and made into a
short film that would be posted on YouTube and various other social media. There
was a big majority in favour with seven people voting against. Members wanted to
see the detail of the proposal firmed up a little. Action: The committee to
arrange for filming and editing to take place, fine tune the proposal and bring
back to the members when the filming is ready to take place. Members to
volunteer to be filmed and provide their views on the club.
(100314)
5) Members
questions/issues
a) Gazette advertisement:
It was suggested that SISA take out an
advert in the Gazette using the design of the 90 million pound note as a
background. It would include a message for Blackpool fans concerning the
importance of helping to bring about changes to the way our club is run and
suggesting ways that these ends might be achieved. The idea was clearly still in
its early stages but was passed by a great majority of those present. Action:
SISA to investigate the possibility of advertising in the Gazette and attempt to
raise funds for the purpose (100314). SISA to fine tune the idea and bring it
back to members for approval (100314).
b) Ad Van billboard:
A member offered to provide his Ad-van
on match days. He suggested that an Oyston Cash Cow poster should be designed
and he would circle the ground on a match day with the posters displayed for all
supporters to see. This idea provoked much interest and met with almost
unanimous approval. Action: SISA to help raise the necessary money for the
posters and other costs associated with the Ad-van plan as well as offering any
other help that might be required (220214).
c) Media exposure:
A number of supporters felt that it
would be useful if the story of Blackpool FC was to receive wider prominence in
national media. A number of journalistic contacts were suggested and a local
journalist volunteered her services in helping to help promote some of the
problems at the club to a wider audience. Action: SISA to continue developing
media contacts, particularly with football journalists such as David Conn,
Daniel Storey etc (Ongoing).
Thank you to everyone that came to Saturday's meeting. We had over 180 in attendance which was our best attended meeting to date.
We also raised £280 in badge sales and donations, collected 15 new members, increased our Facebook likes and Twitter followers and saw this Blog reach over 1,000 views.
The minutes from Saturday's meeting will be released this week so keep your eyes peeled.
Your support is fantastic.
(Picture taken before the meeting started as members were coming in, many couldn't get inside!)
In the first of a series of Q+A's with supporters groups from around the country we aim to uncover answers that we, as supporters, can empathise with. First up is Sean Bones who is the Vice-Chairman of the Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST). We discussed the importance of ACV's and fan representation. There's also a nod to one of our former stars. A huge thanks to Sean Bones and Duncan Drasdo of MUST for taking the time to answer our questions.
Feel free to leave your thoughts and any follow up questions in the comments section below.
Q. One of the aims of SISA for 2014 is to have Bloomfield Road registered
as an Asset Of Community Value. Can you tell us why MUST saw this as an
important step for Old Trafford?
Our primary concern was to stop an overnight sale of Old Trafford
without United supporters having the time to react. The Asset Of Community Value (ACV) act gives supporters
a six month window to come up with an alternative bid or to attempt to stop the
sale if it's not in the interests of the local community.
In the unpopular 'bond document' issued in 2010 by the Glazers, there was a
full section on the sale and lease back of Old Trafford. Without the ACV in place
the owners would have been able to sell our Old Trafford stadium to a bank or
financial institution and then lease it back to play matches there.
It's also worth remembering that the ACV applies to all future owners and
not just the Glazer family. It's important that supporters from all football
clubs use any legislation at their disposal that can add to the protection of
their football stadiums. This point is all the more poignant when you consider
what has happened in the recent past at Coventry City's Ricoh Stadium and
Glasgow Ranger's Ibrox stadium.
Although it's possible to write for hours on this topic, I'll add nine
additional reasons that we considered in our Supporters Trust (MUST) application
for ACV status of Old Trafford. I hope this can give you some food for thought
in your work towards ACV status for Bloomfield Road.
1) Promotes the enjoyment of sport and exercise to local people
2) Serves as a focus for community pride
3) Helps build a sense of community identity
4) Provides local people with an inclusive social environment
5) Engages fans in the support of local charitable causes
6) Provides economic benefits to local businesses
7) Is the subject of considerable local interest
8) Represents the city and area nationally and globally
9) A rite of passage for generations of young people
Q. The recent Green & Gold scarf campaign gained a lot of support
amongst your fans. Was this a MUST initiative and how did you go about gaining
fan support for it? Was there any negativity from fans towards it?
The idea came from a lad called 'Chatmaster' on the Red Issue supporters
forum. When we first heard the idea it certainly resonated and struck a chord
with us. We felt after discussions it would be an idea worth trying. In terms
of promoting it, we took a calculated risk and bought a lot of green & gold
scarfs and then sold them to supporters at cost. We also did our best to get the
message out to our membership through
e-mail, social media and through the
various forms of news media.
Obviously the main thrust of the idea was for supporters to wear the green and gold colours of Newton Heath FC from which Manchester United were formed.
It was to signify that your were against what the owners, the Glazers, were doing
to Manchester United.
In terms of any negativity, the take over by the Glazers caused many
fractures within the Manchester United supporter base. Some supporters wanted to
remain wearing red, which was OK and not an issue to us in any way. Some
supporters chose to wear both red and white and green & gold at the same
time. We always saw wearing red and white as supporting the team on the field.
While at the same time wearing green and gold was supporting the clubs history
and tradition. Green & gold was also clearly making a strong statement
against the Glazer family and the huge debt they had placed on our football
club.
Q. A long term aim for SISA is to have fan representation on the board at
Blackpool. Is this something MUST would like to have in place and is the Phoenix
Fund a mechanism to enable this?
MUST's core aim has always been about supporter ownership of Manchester
United. In our particular situation at Old Trafford we've always felt supporter
ownership is possible because of the number of supporters we have around the
world. In a sense we've already demonstrated this as sadly we've almost bought
the club for the Glazers family. They've been very fortunate as in our eyes they have brought nothing to Manchester United except debt.
In the future there is also a danger that the Glazers could sell to another
buyer in another leveraged takeover. If this were to happen we would end up
repeating the process. The best way to beat this vicious cycle is to find a way
for Manchester United to become a supporter owned club.
As a supporters we don't seek power, but influence. We want the club to be
run professionally but we want the profits that the club generates to be
reinvested back in the club and for the benefit of the football club and the
Manchester United community. In particular we would also seek to reduce ticket
prices and invest to strengthen the quality of the playing squad on the field.
We feel that the model that Bayern Munich employs would be attainable and at
this time in our history and a good fit for Manchester United. As you're probably
already aware, in the Bundisliga supporters own a minimum of 51% of the shares
in their football clubs.
The Phoenix fund was set up for our supporters to save their money in
individual accounts when the Glazers compulsory purchased their shares after the
takeover. It was an emotive issues as these were shares which were precious to
supporters. Some shares had been passed down through generations of supporters
families to their children.
I think it would also be fair to say that we in MUST also see the Phoenix
Fund as part of a supporter takeover vehicle that's built and ready to use. If a
takeover opportunity were to present itself our supporters wish to they could join en mass. If the Phoenix fund had not been built, we wouldn't be able to take advantage of any positive situations that could come our
way in the future. Many supporters also have standing orders and save through
their individual Phoenix fund accounts.
Q. Since SISA's formation we have actively tried to engage with the owners
of Blackpool FC. This is often discussed as something that could hinder our
progress. Do you have a working relationship with your owners and how important
is this for the progress of MUST?
Before the Glazer takeover we had a very close relationship with the board
of Manchester United. Quite possibly this was because we were at that time seen
as potential owners of the club. I think it would be fair to say maybe at that
time the PLC board of Manchester United we're hedging their bets.
After the Glazer family takeover relations between the club and the trust
ceased, MUST and Manchester United Supporters Association (IMUSA_ were expelled from the fans forum. That decision was down
to David Gill and the Glazer
family quite possibly because we could, and would, have asked any number
of awkward questions.
Since David Gill left his post and Ed Woodward took over, MUST
along with the Independent Manchester United Supporters Association (IMUSA) and a number of Manchester United Fanzines were recently
invited to individual meetings with Ed Woodward. Only time will tell if these
meetings lead to any improvement in supporter relations in the
future.
Q. Finally, we hope to one day be back amongst the Premier League. There is
still discussion around the formation of a 'breakaway' European League. Is this
something MUST would support?
It's not a topic we talk about very often. But whenever it comes up in
conversation every Manchester United supporter I've spoken to has been 100%
against the formation of a breakaway European League.
I'll finish by wishing you well in your journey to return to the
premiership. Blackpool away is always a game our supporters look forward to. I
felt Blackpool were very unlucky to get relegated from the premiership, you
played some fantastic football that season under Ian Holloway.
Sadly for me I'm also old enough to remember when you had Tony Green in
your lineup, what a player he was.
This is clearly a critical time for all fans of BFC and therefore we hope you can join us to ensure that the supporters' voice is heard and that an appropriate approach is decided and agreed upon. An agenda will be circulated to members before the meeting takes place. If you have any items that you would like included on the agenda or suggestions of any kind, please forward them to our secretary at kevinboroduwicz@sisa-bfc.co.uk.
