'We let people down' - Wigan Athletic defender makes admission on being with Blackpool during tough period

Former Blackpool defender Will Aimson admits the highs and the lows he experienced during his time at Bloomfield Road helped him to grow as a person.

The 31-year-old’s stint in Tangerine came during a period of protest on the Fylde Coast, due to the then-Oyston ownership.

Aimson, who is now with Wigan Athletic, tasted both relegation and promotion throughout his three years with the Seasiders.

After initially joining the club on loan from Hull City in 2015, the versatile defensive player quickly made the move permanent.

Across both his temporary and permanent spells, he featured a total of 69 times.

“It was a big decision to leave Hull at the time - I was doing my best to breakthrough and I got the opportunity to go out on loan,” Aimson said.

“The club wasn’t in the best of places on the back of a relegation from the Championship. I went with an open mind, just to do the best I could. I was put into centre mid to begin with, which was new for me, but I enjoyed it.

“When you’re younger, you’re fearless. I didn’t try anything I couldn’t do, I knew my limits and that I wasn’t going to be the next Rodri - I just did my job. I had a defensive head on me, my first thought was to defend, so I was a nuisance for any attacking midfielders trying to make stuff happen.

“I’d broken my leg a year-and-a-half before that, so I was just trying to play senior football.

“I signed permanently in the January - which was a tough decision, but I was playing every week, and I wanted to build my way back up.

“I didn’t get the opportunity to play as much as I would’ve liked towards the end of the season, and we ended up going down, which was a shame. The club was in a bad spot.

“It was disappointing for me, having been with a Premier League team, and then finding myself in League Two, but football can do that to you.

“As a character, it made me grow. It was my first and only relegation. It wasn’t nice, and there’s a lot that comes with it. All the lads I played with would agree, we let a lot of people down, but something good happened the following year.”

Bowyer’s impact at Bloomfield Road

Blackpool were able to bounce back into League One at the first time of asking, with promotion coming via the League Two play-offs.

Then-manager Gary Bowyer and his team still had a number of hurdles to overcome, as fans continued to boycott due to the way the club was being run from the top.

“The manager came in with fresh ideas and a lot of energy - he was one of us really, he just wanted everyone to enjoy it as much as possible,” Aimson added.

“Don’t get me wrong, when it was time to knuckle down, he would get serious at the same time.

“You won’t find too many players from that club who had a bad relationship with him, he was brilliant with every single person. A manager’s hardest job is keeping everyone on board when there are players who aren’t playing, and he did well to do that, especially with the outside stuff going on.

“He just reiterated that it was out of our hands, we could only control what happened on the pitch. A phrase he used to use was ‘control the controllables.’

“We had a pretty average start, but in the second half of the season we gelled and everything clicked. We kicked on and took the momentum straight into the play-offs.

“We weren’t daft, we knew what was going on, and the troubles that were happening. Of course, it’s not nice, but we had our careers on the line, and we had to do the best for the team to ultimately help the club.

“It was too big of a club to be playing in that league, and even League One.”

A strange but special day at Wembley

After staying away from Bloomfield Road for an extended period of time, the majority of Blackpool fans also opted to miss the 2-1 victory over Exeter City in the 2017 play-off final at Wembley.

“It was a bit strange walking out, but there was still an atmosphere with the confetti and the fireworks, and it’s still special to even put a foot on the grass at that place,” Aimson admitted.

“Once the game starts, you go into your mode. As soon as that whistle you go into the zone and you don’t take notice of anything else around you.

“We appreciated the fans who came, but we understand why others didn’t come. I had my family and friends there, and so did the other boys, so it’s still a day I will remember for a long time.”

Watching Blackpool change from the outside

Aimson departed the Seasiders for Bury in 2018 - with the move coming just a year before Simon Sadler took over as owner, which saw the supporters return to the ground.

“I was buzzing for the club and the fans,” he stated.

“I went to watch a friend play, and it was just great to see. There were no bitter feelings, it was just good to see the stadium packed, and what the club has on offer to show.

“I enjoyed my time there, and made some great friends. It’s great to see them thriving again.

“It was my choice to leave the season after the promotion. I still played a good amount of games, but I would come out of the team every now and then, so it felt like the time for me to try and be the first name on the team sheet somewhere else.

“I went to Ryan Lowe at Bury, and we ended up in an even worse situation - which was a shame because we had a strong team in that league. The manager then took me to Plymouth and I did a few years there.

“I’ve done a few laps of the county, but I’ve enjoyed my time playing for some really big clubs.”

Ambitions at Wigan Athletic under a familiar figure

Following his time with Plymouth during the 2018/19 season, Aimson had stints with Bolton Wanderers and Exeter City before making the move to Wigan Athletic for an undisclosed fee last summer.

While at the Brick Community Stadium, the 31-year-old has been reunited with his former Bury and Pilgrims coach, with the ex-Preston North End boss being appointed by the Greater Manchester outfit back in March.

“I enjoy playing under him and like the way he plays,” Aimson admitted.

“It’s been really good having him here (at Wigan). We’ve only had a short time with him, but I’m really looking forward to pre-season.

“As one of the senior players it’s about getting the group bonded to help him as much as I can.

“The top eight or sometimes the top 10 in League One is almost like a mini Championship. You see a lot of big clubs who get stuck for a little bit, so it’s a much more competitive league than when I first played in it.

“It’s very enjoyable because you get some big games and some big crowds.

“I’d love to battle for promotion and have the opportunity to play in the Championship - that’s definitely the aim.”

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