Blackpool Supporters' Liaison Officer column: Ensuring fans' return to Bloomfield Road goes to plan

Purring might be a more appropriate word, because we’ve just witnessed a fantastic performance by the new-look Seasiders on the immaculate Bloomfield Road pitch.

They swept aside Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup and, on that showing, really deserve a full house to cheer them on tomorrow afternoon in the first home league fixture in the Championship since 2015.

After 18 strange months of lockdowns and games played in empty grounds, how brilliant it is simply to be able to get back to watching the team live, to meet up with friends, to have Bloomfield Road rocking once again.

Of course, even though formal Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted, with case numbers still quite high it makes sense to take the obvious practical precautions.

All clubs have adopted a revised supporters’ code of conduct for the season.

You can read it in full on the club’s website but, in summary, for the health and safety of everyone:

- Don’t attend a game if you have Covid symptoms or are self-isolating.

- Please arrive in good time to avoid mass queues to enter the stadium.

- Please wear a mask in confined spaces (e.g. on public transport, while queuing to enter or exit the ground, under the concourses). Masks are not required in the bowl of the stadium.

- Note that the one-way signs etc can be ignored for the present.

- Be sensible and respectful about social distancing where possible.

- Wash hands and use the sanitisers provided.

- The concessions are open but no longer take cash payments – card only.

I would emphasise a couple of things. The first is about getting to the ground in really good time.

With 5,000 attending on Wednesday, there were lengthy queues at some turnstiles and quite a few fans missed the first 10 minutes of the game.

As twice that number are expected tomorrow, if possible, aim to be inside the ground at least half an hour before kick-off – and if you’re collecting season tickets first, allow even more time.

The second is about pyrotechnics. They are not allowed – no fireworks, flares, smoke bombs.

They’re not lawful and they’re not safe, as recent sad events have proved. Please make sure that message gets around.

The stadium is looking in great shape for our return to the Championship, the best it has done for many years.

The pitch is in superb condition, the rusted metalwork has been attended to and repainted, new LED advertising boards run around the perimeter, more fans’ flags have gone up and the BFC Volunteers group have been giving up their time in the last few weeks to make sure we have clear walkways and clean seats to sit on.

Everything continues to progress in the right direction and Bloomfield Road is a place we can be increasingly proud of. You can do your bit to help by taking your litter home with you.

If you can’t get to Bloomfield Road, the options to follow the Seasiders have stepped up in quality and quantity for the new season with the club’s Tangerine TV offering a much more sophisticated digital presence than in past seasons – just another positive indication of the progress being made under Simon Sadler’s ownership.

Check it out via the new-look BFC website if you’ve not already done so. These are exciting times to be a Blackpool fan.

If you wish to contact me for any reason to do with supporter issues or have queries or suggestions, feel free to do so by email: [email protected] or message me: @BFCSLO on Facebook or Twitter: – it’s what I’m here for. UTMP!

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