Simon Sadler confirms Blackpool voted to end League One season in statement on first anniversary of takeover

Simon Sadler has confirmed Blackpool voted to end the 2019/20 season early in a statement to mark the first anniversary of his takeover.

The League One campaign was curtailed earlier in the week following a vote of the EFL’s 71 clubs.

It saw league placings decided on a points-per-game method, meaning the Seasiders ended the season in 13th place.

“Blackpool was one of the 18 League One clubs which voted to end the season,” Sadler wrote in a 1,700-word statement on the club website.

“Our club’s decision was the result of many hours of debate between the board, head coach Neil Critchley and me.

“Right up until an hour before our vote was due, we were agonising over our three options of curtailing, playing on or abstaining.

“In the end, our decision to vote to curtail was based upon many reasons, not least of which because, given our mid-table position, we had little to aim for.

“Of course, we also considered our primary responsibility to safeguard the health of our staff, as well as the cost of staging matches behind closed doors.

“Very importantly we spoke at length with Neil as to what he wanted. Neil assured us that in the time he’d spent with the squad, he had made the necessary assessments such that he felt that, with the right additions and a solid pre-season, we would be prepared for the start of the next season, whenever that may be.”

It’s been an eventful first 12 months in charge for Sadler, whose sacking of Simon Grayson and subsequent appointment of Neil Critchley was followed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Looking back on his time as owner, Sadler said: “As I reflect on my first year of ownership, my still fresh feelings of gratitude, responsibility and wonder are of course overshadowed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the havoc that has been wreaked throughout our lives and communities.

“I would like to send my sincerest condolences to those of you that have lost loved ones during this period.

“I would also like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you who work for the NHS and the emergency and essential services which have kept Blackpool and the surrounding areas going through this difficult time.”

He added: “My first anniversary has coincided with a busy and important week in the life of the club with the announcement of the curtailment of the 2019/20 season and the release of the player retained list.

“I would like to thank all of the players and coaching staff for their efforts during the season and wish all those leaving us good luck for the future.”

Addressing Grayson’s sacking in February, Sadler admits it wasn’t just Blackpool’s run of form that was of concern.

“When I bought the club in mid-June of last year I did not anticipate to be on my third manager by February of this year,” the lifelong fan wrote.

“Terry McPhillips departed abruptly in early July. His departure left us without a manager, an assistant manager or a goalkeeping coach just weeks before the start of the season.

“At that point it made sense to turn swiftly to Simon Grayson given his familiarity with the club, as well as his outstanding record of four League One to Championship promotions.

“Following an encouraging start and some thrilling matches against the likes of Peterborough and Fleetwood, our season fell away rapidly over the Christmas and New Year period.

“With the addition of a strong recruitment team, led by Tommy Johnson, we had in place a plan to strengthen the squad in the January window.

“It was frustrating for me to watch our performances fall apart as that recruitment plan was being executed and strong additions were being made to the playing squad.

“In the end the decision to part ways with Simon was less about the poor results on the pitch but more about the board’s growing concerns that we were not building in the right way.

“We seemed frequently to change tactics but we did not appear to have a defined playing philosophy.”

Critchley succeeded Grayson in March, taking charge of just two games before the season was suspended.

Addressing the managerial search, Sadler said: “The search for Simon’s successor was deliberately thorough and detailed.

“With the prospects of reaching the play-offs greatly diminished, we felt comfortable that David Dunn and Tommy Johnson would ensure that we stayed safe and we were in fact heartened by the immediate improvement in our performances which we saw under their leadership. I will always be grateful to them for stepping up in the manner in which they did.

“We needed, however, to find a head coach to help us define and implement the Blackpool footballing philosophy.

“I thought back to when I had flown over from Hong Kong in late September to watch the Friday night Lincoln game. The next day I was jet-lagged and at about 4.30am, in the driving rain, I decided to retrace the footsteps of my childhood.

“As I walked along the Promenade I could see how many people were already working in the hotels – cleaning up from the day before and preparing for breakfast.

“It reminded me how hard people in Blackpool work, that people go there to enjoy themselves and that it was my duty to ensure that that was reflected on the pitch with hard-working and organised players who deliver an entertaining brand of football, with an emphasis on youth and development.

“After assiduously researching the managerial and coaching landscape, I have little doubt that in Neil Critchley we have found the man to deliver that vision.”

In what has been an eventful first year as the club’s custodian, Sadler pointed to a number of off-the-field achievements.

“There has been significant investment in the stadium. This investment will necessarily be ongoing after years of neglect,” he said.

“We have improved the club shop, our online presence and the ticketing process. There are further improvements to come.

“We’ve rebuilt relations with the Community Trust, the local council, local businesses and the wider community.

“We are in the process of installing a new, purpose-built modular building at Squires Gate. The playing surfaces both there and at Bloomfield Road are vastly improved.

“We have increased staffing across media, finance and marketing and I am grateful for the hard work and dedication of all of our non-playing staff, most of whom are currently furloughed. I very much look forward to the day when they can safely return to work.”

Sadler reiterated the club’s commitment to building a “modern” training facility where the entire football operations can work together in one location.

Negotiations continue to secure a preferred site, Sadler confirmed, while designs of a building and pitch layout are being refined.

The club’s hierarchy are also “excited” by the prospect of a wider regeneration in the Revoe area and have held discussions about what this could mean for the East Stand development.

“Now to you, the fans. I am truly grateful for the manner in which you have supported both the club and me personally during the last year,” Sadler continued.

“Whilst the match versus Southend was the homecoming, the first match of the season versus Bristol Rovers felt like my homecoming.

“I have never had the temerity to imagine that my name would be sung at Bloomfield Road but to have that happen and to be referred to as “one of our own” is truly beyond my wildest dreams.

“After over 20 years working abroad, I truly feel that I have been welcomed back to my home town. But it’s not about me, it’s about us and our love and support for our town and our club.

“That day in August was the beginning of a new era for us all and I relish the prospect of leading us forward as club custodian.

“Please rest assured that whilst mistakes will undoubtedly be made along the way, we will continue to make careful and deliberate decisions which, to the greatest extent possible, will be in the interests of all stakeholders alike.”

Given the current uncertainty surrounding the future prosperity of the sport, Sadler ended his message with a note of caution.

“The outlook for football outside of the Premier League is very concerning,” he wrote.

“We want to plan for the future and the 2020/21 season but in all honesty we are unsure as to exactly what we are planning for.

“We have no visibility as to when next season will start and, of course, we have no idea when or how you, our fans, will be able to return.

“I want to back Neil and to invest in the playing squad but it is very challenging to do so against this uncertain backdrop.

“Additionally, whilst you can rest assured that I have the immediate wherewithal to ensure that the club will survive this crisis as I currently see it, the pandemic has truly exposed the need for a restructuring in football’s finances.

“I fear that over the coming months many clubs at our level may just not be able to continue and quite what that means for us, the season ahead and for football in the EFL is impossible to predict.”

He added: “In my opinion, for football to emerge largely unscathed from this difficult period, things will surely have to change.

“However I strongly believe that we, at Blackpool Football Club, are on the right path. In order to be successful, all clubs will need to be less reliant on the blunt tool that is money spent on players wages.

“It is imperative that more emphasis is placed upon developing your own talent. I believe that the three pillars of our future success will be our Academy, our recruitment and our coaching.”