Blackpool Supporters' Liaison Officer's column: New dimension to my role as football moves forward

I didn’t expect to be writing a column at the end of June, but we all know how unprecedented the events of the last few months have been and it’s obviously not over yet, even though there are very encouraging signs of progress towards some kind of new normality.
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Football is making a cautious return in the top two divisions, though thankfully League One clubs voted by a majority to end their season without playing the remaining fixtures.

The huge cost of making sure it was safe to play on, coupled with the lack of turnstile revenue, would have been financial suicide in the lower divisions.

Burnley take a corner at an eerily quiet Eithad Stadium in this new era for football, though the scoreboard spoke loudly enoughBurnley take a corner at an eerily quiet Eithad Stadium in this new era for football, though the scoreboard spoke loudly enough
Burnley take a corner at an eerily quiet Eithad Stadium in this new era for football, though the scoreboard spoke loudly enough
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Even as it is, the future of some smaller clubs is uncertain and pressure is being applied to the Premier League to be more generous in sharing the millions awash at the top level, for the long-term viability of the whole professional league structure.

We long suspected Blackpool were going to finish in mid-table, as indeed they did.

I personally feel sorry for Tranmere Rovers, the last visitors to Bloomfield Road before lockdown. They went away with three points and must have thought they had a fighting chance of overhauling MK Dons or Wimbledon to ensure survival as the form team in the bottom six.

The abrupt termination has been cruel for some. As for Fleetwood Town, the play-off semis await them next month.

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Congratulations must go to Seasiders legend Ian Evatt for steering Barrow back to the Football League after an absence of nearly half a century. That is some achievement and will be an enormous boost to a town struggling to reinvent itself after decades of hard times.

Commiserations should go to AFC Fylde, who finished at the wrong end of the same National League.

That decision to foreclose the League One season means of course that five Blackpool home games were not played and some season ticket holders have contacted me asking what is going to happen about the shortfall in games.

I know that the club directors are busy assessing the best way to proceed both with that issue and with the setting of ticket prices for next season. I believe a club statement is imminent.

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My personal view is this: I know how difficult finances are at the club; I know Simon Sadler has been bailing out many aspects of the club’s finances, both during the season and during lockdown. I’m happy to write off those five games – effectively gifting that money to the club - in the knowledge that the funds are being used to help bring on projects like the upgrade to Squires Gate and to strengthen the squad over the summer. I don’t look for any other recompense than that.

For Blackpool then, it’s all about beginning to build for the next campaign, which will begin in some form or other in a couple of months’ time.

It’s going to be a close-season like no other, and the new management and scouting team at Bloomfield Road – now strengthened by the appointment of Mike Garrity as assistant to Neil Critchley – will really have a chance to shape the side and the style of play that we all hope will see us challenging for promotion in 2020/21.

I don’t think the released/retained list contained any great surprises. The decisions looked to be sensible and pragmatic ones.

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My own personal view last summer was that we needed a playmaking midfielder or two and someone up front who could bag us 20-plus goals per season.

The same applies this time, I think, but every League One club probably has a similar shopping list.

Now we’ve seen what football without fans is like in practice, it should be abundantly clear to everyone with responsibility for running the game just how vital supporters are to the sport, for atmosphere and excitement – the heart and soul of the game, as we’re fond of stating.

Some Premier League executives were almost saying football could thrive on TV monies and without fans through the turnstiles. Well, I hope they realise what a second-rate offering that would be and actually commercial suicide.

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We all want to go back to watching our clubs play. The football authorities are keen to make that happen as early as possible – September has been talked about. It all depends on health and safety precautions. Those will come at a cost.

What is safe social-distancing at a football game? How does the flow of thousands of spectators in and out of turnstiles, concourses and stands happen in compliance with whatever social distancing regulations there will be in force going forward?

Will every other seat have to be an empty one? Will families be allowed to sit together?

What protective equipment will have to be worn by staff, stewards, supporters?

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How about the layout of our concession stands? When I think of the friendly crush you find beneath the concourses (the North stand especially) on match days, I can’t begin to imagine how that must have to change – and yet change it probably has to.

As Supporters’ Liaison Officer, these are issues that are causing me to wake up in the middle of the night now.

The role of intermediary between the club and its fans suddenly takes on a whole dimension that no-one could have envisaged this time last year.

I believe this column is going to run through the summer, so I hope I’ll be able to expand on progress to addressing some of the ‘return’ challenges next time around.

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In the interim, stay safe and if you wish or need to contact me for any reason, with concerns, queries or suggestions, my email is: [email protected] and my Twitter is @BFCSLO. That handle will also find my SLO page on Facebook and it’s worth following that for updates.

Steve Rowland, SLO