Opinion: Blackpool FC and Fletcher both avoided sentiment following confirmation of Huddersfield Town move
Ashley Fletcher has departed Blackpool after two seasons with the club.
OPINION: If it was down to footballing reasons alone - Ashley Fletcher and Blackpool would’ve remained a perfect pair.
Football is a short career, and you can’t begrudge players of League One level being swayed towards other opportunities if more money is on the table. In any other job, you wouldn’t question someone taking a pay rise to secure their long-term future; sport just always feels different.
Huddersfield Town tabled an ‘unbelievable’ offer for Fletcher, and clearly it was one he couldn’t turn down.
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The story of the striker’s time with the Seasiders is well documented. After a tough start in Tangerine, a conversation with Steve Bruce and a weekend off gave him the opportunity to reflect, and he’s not looked back since. After producing solid numbers in his first campaign, he kicked on to another level under Ian Evatt last term.
From a player struggling with confidence to a striker bagging 21 goals in all competitions - Blackpool have been more than good to Fletcher.
The 30-year-old has acknowledged that himself on several occasions, and has made it clear what the club means to him.
In a footballing sense, it’s a massive risk to roll the dice and try something new, but how do you turn down such a big offer?
It also can’t be downplayed how important the forward has been to the Seasiders, and what a good pick up he has proven to be. He’s been a great figure both on and off the pitch, and you can only wish him well for the future.
Without his goals last season, his teammates wouldn’t have had a platform to kick on to clinch League One survival, so the club owes him a lot, but it’s now over Niall Ennis, Dale Taylor and Tom Bloxham to have the same impact going forward.
While Fletcher can’t turn down such a big offer from Huddersfield out of sentiment; Blackpool can’t break the bank to match those demands when they have other strong options in their attacking department and need to focus their funds on building towards the future.
If it was down to football alone, there’s no doubt that the Manchester United youth product would be in Tangerine again next term, but sadly business always plays a part and the two parties must move on.