BST (Blackpool Supporters Trust)

“for Blackpool fans, our football club and our community” Support our initiatives by playing our Sweepstake

[BST (Blackpool Supporters Trust) @BlackpoolST]

We have created an email address for anyone to use to make contact with BST. If you have any questions, queries or comments, please contact us at [email protected]
Please use this email rather than social media which is not monitored constantly. 🍊🧡

[BST (Blackpool Supporters Trust) @BlackpoolST]

BST November round up out now!
🍊A View from the Chair
🍊 Nostalgia corner - Bob Hatton
🍊 Meet Maddie Critchley, fan engagement officer
🍊Mark Cullen's best X1
🍊Mascot update
🍊FSA, BFCCT columns
🍊Jordan Wylie MBE

Something for everyone! 👇👇

https://t.co/aIcvMPVVPN

[BST (Blackpool Supporters Trust) @BlackpoolST]

Out on 21st November, based on the book "How not to run a football club" by @NathanFogg1
🍊🍊🧡🧡

[Christine Seddon @csbol01]

At last, the documentary that tells the whole story of the Blackpool fans fight against the Oyston family. Told by some of us on behalf of ALL of us. It's a MUST watch for everyone, not just football fans. A community that refused to give up. 🧡🧡🍊🍊

https://t.co/mgIvXWXQlB

[SWFC Women's Supporters Group @SWFCwsg]

Owls v Blackpool this afternoon. 🦉🍊

Huge thank you to @csbol01, the @BlackpoolST and all Tangerines fans who stood with us during our darkest days last year. You know exactly what it's like to fight for your club. 💙

Best wishes to you all, just not today! 😉

#SWFC #WAWAW

[BST (Blackpool Supporters Trust) @BlackpoolST]

Blackpool fans are asked to join a minute's applause in the 16th minute of the game v Mansfield on Saturday in memory of season ticket holder Stanley Mitchell who has died after a brave battle with cancer at the age of 16. His mum, dad and sister will be at the game. RIP Stan🧡

[BST (Blackpool Supporters Trust) @BlackpoolST]

Morning Seasiders! Hope to see you at @ArmfieldClub at 12.15pm for the BST AGM. Open to ALL fans, not just members. Q&A with Nick Horne (COO at BFC) and Steve Richardson (main sponsor)
Free drink for all members!
UTMP 🍊🧡

[BST (Blackpool Supporters Trust) @BlackpoolST]

Blackpool fans are asked to join a minute's applause in the 16th minute of the game v Mansfield on Saturday in memory of season ticket holder Stanley Mitchell who has died after a brave battle with cancer at the age of 16. His mum, dad and sister will be at the game. RIP Stan🧡

[BST (Blackpool Supporters Trust) @BlackpoolST]

👇👇👇🧡🧡🍊🍊

[Chris Hull @mrchrishull]

It’s so expensive out there right now and if any Blackpool fan you know wants to go to the game tonight but can’t due to cost, please DM me privately and we’ll try & sort it - thank you #TangerineFamily @TristanDreamT @ArmfieldClub @BlackpoolST 🍊 💪

[The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) @TheIFROfficial]

"Individual clubs need to manage their financial risks, much better than they manage them now, and clubs need to improve their corporate governance and fan engagement."

Far too many fans have seen their club go through financial hardship which creates a lot of uncertainty for communities. The IFR is here to help clubs become more stable, sustainable and give a greater voice to fans.

Chapter 5 of the IFR’s State of the Game report is also looking at the landscape for non-financial issues in football including football governance, fan engagement, club governance and EDI, which you can read here: https://t.co/5Rj4gehiUa

We have recently spent time in local communities speaking to businesses about their clubs and finding out What Happen’s When Saturday Doesn’t Come?

You can see these documentaries here: https://t.co/uXIQacxxxa

[BST (Blackpool Supporters Trust) @BlackpoolST]

BST Newsletter for October - out now! 🍊🍊

https://t.co/RtQ2xCJsEQ

[The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) @TheIFROfficial]

In case you missed it. On Tuesday, we launched our State of the Game report.

The report analyses information taken from clubs, investors, fans and other stakeholders from across the game, to understand some of the strengths and weaknesses that appear in football.

Hear more on the report below from IFR Chair David Kogan and CEO Richard Monks.

The full report can be seen here: https://t.co/5Rj4gehiUa

[The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) @TheIFROfficial]

1. Revenue – winners and losers

In 1992/93, the highest Premier League club earned 70x the revenue of the lowest earning Football League Division Three (i.e. EFL League Two) club

By 2024/25 this had grown to over 170x

[The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) @TheIFROfficial]

Today we launch our State of the Game report, which represents a critical step on the road to building a more sustainable future for a sport which is so fundamental to the social fabric of this country.

It is the most comprehensive financial analysis of the English football industry ever undertaken, and the full report can be seen here – https://t.co/5Rj4gehiUa

Read below as we summarise key themes of the report and highlight facts of the nation’s favourite game.

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

The headline news from today's Independent Football Regulator press conference in Manchester was that the chair, David Kogan, said he "would resign" if there was any political interference from No 10 in his role. Kogan emphasises that he would not be paying any attention to any UK trading relations in deciding whether a club owner was a fit and proper person to own a football club.

There was inevitable focus on the Manchester City story and nation states owning English clubs but, more broadly, the IFR focused on the number of English clubs on the precipice in the publication of its long-awaited "State of the Game" report. The game's in a bit of a state. Of the 116 clubs in the top five tiers of English football, “32 would not survive 30 days without owner funding. 73 would not survive 90 days”, according to the IFR.

94% of clubs made losses in 25/26. 60% of EFL and National League clubs are “technically insolvent”. 17 clubs (11 EFL, 6 NL) would be loss-making even if the players played for free. “This is an alarm call for English men’s professional football that must precipitate real and lasting change,” says the Football Supporters’ Association’s chair Tom Greatrex.

“The State of the Game report clearly highlights the unsustainable, broken model of football’s finances. How is our national game, which generates billions in revenue every year, in such a perilous condition with so many clubs living hand-to-mouth and reliant on regular handouts from owners?”

The IFR chief exec Richard Monks emphasises that “we are not saying football is about to collapse like a pack of cards. We are saying financial risk increases and action needs to be taken.” Main points from today’s press conference with Monks and Kogan at the National Football Museum…

On wages. Between 21/22 and 25/26, average player wages cost grew by 33% in the PL, 32% in Championship, 71% in League One and 63% in League Two. Salary cap? Would require Government legislation. Kogan: “We have no statutory authority whatsoever (to tell) a club how to spend its money on players or not to spend it on players.”

On growing divide between the divisions. PL revenues have grown 33 times since 1992. L2 revenues grown only 7 times. IFR: “The pyramid is being stretched between the top and the bottom. It has cliff edges.”

On the “New Deal” of redistribution of broadcast money between PL and EFL. Talks continue this week. IFR “been facilitating those conversations for the last four or five months. We have a pretty confident feel about this.” If PL and EFL don’t reach agreement, IFR “will not hesitate to use all the powers at our disposal to bring about lasting change”. ie the back-stop to force a deal through. On parachute payments. Kogan: “Our report concludes clearly that parachutes are necessary.”

On the changing nature and identity of owners. Kogan: “The type of owners has changed." Less collective. "Individual owners now trying to fight individual corners. Not on the pitch but through lawyers.”

On Manchester City situation (found guilty of financial breaches, vigorously denied, currently appealing) and whether its UAE owners are fit and proper. Kogan straight bat: “There is an appeal process going on. We don’t know the outcome of that judgement. So we can’t make any specific judgement. City will argue they have clearly right on their side, as they have argued all the way through, and that will be tested (looked at) by the new independent commission.” Before IFR can make any call.

On nation states like UAE with City and Saudi Arabia with Newcastle United owning PL clubs. Kogan: “We are governed by legislation that does not preclude state ownership of football clubs.” So the horse has bolted? Interestingly....“You never know because others in Government may now be looking at the legislation as it was originally written. We may enter a discussion in the fullness of time regarding whether our powers need to be changed in any sort of way.”

On those geo-politics, strong UK trading links with UAE and the IFR’s independence. Kogan: “The original legislation (for the Football Governance Bill) by the Conservative Government had in it a reference to ‘we have to take regard for some British trade relationships’ - that was removed from the legislation. Our independence is absolute. My independence personally is absolute. I made it very clear last year in a piece in The Times that any form of political interference on the way we operate would result in my resigning this role. I stand by that. I want to make it crystal clear that we come under absolutely no political pressure on this (City) or any other topic. And I don’t expect to in the future.”

IFR can force owners to sell if found to be unfit owners. “We have powers within the legislation that allows us to review not only owners, directors and senior executives, but also whether those owners are fit and proper people to run clubs going forward. That process is reliant on us having very detailed information that would require us to have investigation and then we would make a judgement on legal advice that we receive.” IFR can appoint a third party to sell any club.

Club licensing. From November, every club needs to go for a provisional licence issued by IFR.

Cost of Agents. “A significant and increasing cost to football clubs”. IFR working with clubs, leagues and Government to address “concerns” about agents’ fees.

Positives? Ish. Confirmation that the IFR was needed. Kogan found that when talking to club execs and owners “they all repeatedly say ‘we want regulation’. They think that at some point they are going to get into trouble. Stability is what the pyramid needs.”

Monks adds, “English football is a massive success story. We should not lose sight of the success story now worth £9 billion in terms of revenue. Most popular league in the world. Deepest pyramid in the world.” But at risk. Handle with care. That’s why the IFR, the fans’ friend, was brought in. The State of the Game report concludes... the game's in a bit of a state.

[Blackpool FC Disability Supporters Association @BlackpoolFCDSA]

https://t.co/FyCL7S52UR

[Blackpool FC Disability Supporters Association @BlackpoolFCDSA]

Gentle reminder to complete LPF Annual Fan Survey closing date 13th October many thanks

[BST (Blackpool Supporters Trust) @BlackpoolST]

BST representatives Pat McChrystal and Steve Fisher will be at a fans' groups meeting at Blackpool FC this evening.
Members (and non members) can contact us via email with any questions or points you would like us to address:
[email protected]

[The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) @TheIFROfficial]

Episode 3: Dhillon’s Brewery & Sky Blue Tavern - Coventry

“We’re more than just a pub, we’re seen as a community hub. The fans treat this as theirs, it’s built for the fans by the fans.”

Win, lose or draw, pubs are where fans come together. We speak to Hollie, Dal and Gordy about the journey for Coventry fans, and what it means for the city.

[The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) @TheIFROfficial]

Episode 1: Elland Road Cafe & Sandwich Bar – Leeds

“It’s a lot more than what happens on the pitch, it’s a community, Leeds United are a community.”

For many supporters, the match doesn’t start at kick-off or end at full time. It’s the conversations before the game, debates after and faces you see every week.

We spoke to Martin and Lisa about the role of their club in the local community.

[The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) @TheIFROfficial]

Episode 2: Homebaked Bakery – Liverpool

“The match underpins you as a business, all them pubs, they need that match, they need the revenue off that to stay open the rest of the season.”

Angela McKay, operations manager at Homebaked Bakery in Liverpool tells us their story of what the football community means for them.

Selling nearly 1,000 pies each home game not only helps them employ people in the shop, but helps them support the wider community.

For every £1 spent at Homebaked, £20.23 is created in social value, raising the question, what would happen to places like Homebaked if their local football club disappeared?