Karl Oyston: Talk about selling the club is futile

Less than 6,000 supporters were at Wembley yesterday to watch the Seasiders seal an instant return to League One with a a 2-1 victory against Exeter City.

Fans continue to boycott Blackpool's matches in protest against the club's owners the Oyston family and repeatedly appeal for them to sell the club.

But Karl Oyston, speaking to TalkSport, said any conversation about giving up the club was "futile" until a buyer come forward.

He said: "I’d like to say how delighted I am for the manager and the players, who have performed fantastically this season, and for the supporters who were at Wembley and stuck with the team all season.

"When Gary came in the aim was to stop the decline and he has done that. He has spent well and put a team together that has played very well and got its reward.

"There’s not a lot he can do (to get the crowds back) other than to play attacking, winning football for the supporters who are interested in football and not politics.

“There has been a lot of talk and only talk sadly. The Blackpool Supporters' Trust (BST) seem to have backed themselves into a corner. They say we should sell but there are no buyers, no offers other than imaginary ones and no means for them to achieve their aims.

“You can’t just leave a business in a vacuum by walking away. As to whether we would entertain a buyer, it’s a futile conversation until one comes along.

“Of course there is something badly wrong. We have suffered a period of decline, when results and performances were not what supporters want and you sympathise with their position,. But if there is an alternative, if there is a buyer, they need to come out from whatever rock they are hiding under.

"It’s irrelevant whether I’m a willing seller if there is no buyer to talk about. There are no offers other than the imaginary ones BST seem to dream up from time to time.

"The Supporters’ Trust put forward an offer which to us was a non-offer. They couldn’t even arrange a big screen to show the match in Blackpool.

“The club does not have debt and is in probably as good a shape as any club in the lower leagues, so it’s not an unattractive proposition but we have had no offers."

Now promotion has been clinched at the first attempt, attention will immediately turn to next season's campaign in League One.

"It’s business as usual for us," Oyston added. "I will sit down with the manager this week because we only have three days after the final to exercise options on players. We also need to discuss recruitment to get ready for life back in League One.

"None of us wanted to be in League Two and winning that final. We want to be higher.

“But we will take it a step at a time and talk with the manager about what we need to strengthen for League One to keep the momentum going and to head in the right direction."

When asked what he can do to bring more fans back into the club's matches next season, Oyston said: "People have their choices to make an it’s very sad when people don’t feel able to support their team in a showcase final at the national stadium.

"Fans will make their own decisions (next season) but it’s a better division for local matches and more atmosphere, and I have to work as hard as I can with manager to do what we can."